Bolognese Sauce

I realize it's May and it's almost been 2 months since I posted anything, but I really am trying - honest. This blogging thing doesn't come so easy to me. I think it's fun and I like doing it, but somehow I never find the time to do it and then when I do things happen like my computer won't accept anymore pictures to be downloaded. And let's face it posts without pictures are boring, kinda like this one for example. Having a husband who works on computers for a living doesn't help - I wish it did. So for now I am going to just post my recipe for really good Bolognese Sauce. I figure it kills 2 birds with one stone since my sister Lindsay keeps telling me to start a food blog and since I don't have anything more interesting to say. Here you go...

Step 1: Stop using jars of Prego, Ragu, or whatever.
Step 2: Make a double batch of sauce when you have time and freeze it into 2 cup portions - 2 cups is enough for about 1/2 pound of pasta. You don't even have to defrost it first - just pull it out of the freezer and dump it into a pan with a little water to heat it up. Snap - homemade sauce just as fast as opening up that nasty jar.

Bolognese Sauce
yield: about 2 quarts

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds ground beef or pork or turkey - whichever you prefer
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper - if you are still using table salt: STOP and if you don't have a pepper grinder, then it's time to get one.
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups milk
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup chicken stock
2 cans crushed tomatoes in puree
1 1/2 to 2 cups water

1. Heat a dutch oven or 5 quart pot and olive oil over medium heat and add onions, celery, carrots, garlic and bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add pinch of red pepper flakes.

2. Add beef (or pork or turkey) and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned, about another 8 minutes. Add tomato paste to meat and stir to evenly coat the meat.

3. Turn heat to high and add the milk and nutmeg, stirring frequently unti milk has evaporated. Add chicken stock; cook, stirring frequently until stock has eveporated.

4. Add tomatoes, and simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed to prevent the sauce from becoming too dry (1 1/2 to 2 cups total) for about 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Freeze Sauce:
Pour out of the pot into a shallow dish to speed up cooling time. Once cooled, separate into 2 cup portions and pour into a freezer-safe container or baggy, whatever you prefer. Label it and date it.

Mommy Tip: I put the carrots, onions, celery, garlic and bell peppers in the food processor and chop them up into very tiny pieces so my littles and my husband can't see the vegetables and say "Gross, why are there carrots and celery in my spaghetti?"