Hey there loves. Welcome back! This week I felt incredibly accomplished by making a Slow Cooker Bison Spaghetti Sauce…..all from scratch and with simple on hand staples. Lately, I am all about saving time but also being as healthy as I can. I stood in the kitchen with my hair in heatless curling band putting together all the ingredients in 15 minutes. I popped on the lid, took down my hair and was ready for work! Healthy hair and healthy lunch! Win win!
Cooking Tips for Bison Spaghetti Sauce
Whenever I think of meat spaghetti sauce, I imagine a simmering skillet with a sauce bubbling for hours! Fortunately they have invented Instants so that no longer has to be a reality, unless you truly enjoy babysitting pans. I used this instantPot that has both a sauce and a slow cooker option. Anywhere I can have one device for multiple cooking methods always saves on washing extra dishes. There are many newer crockpots that also have similar saute to slow cook functionality. I linked a few reputable brands here:
There are many reasons I often substitute Bison for ground beef. First, I am actively trying to reduce my red meat consumption. Living in THE EPICENTER OF BBQ I often enjoy burnt ends, brisket , Garlic Thyme Ribeye, and ribs a few times a week. While it may be good for the soul, red meat is highly inflammatory. Bison is a great substitute for beef because it has Omega-3s, which are known to reduce inflammation. Also, it’s lower in fat than beef. Lastly, the taste and texture are so similar I bet you could not tell the difference.
The secret ingredient to my spaghetti sauce is sugar! Tomatoes are acidic so adding something sweet helps enhance the overall flavor. Adding sugar does not change the pH of the sauce, only the taste.
Slow Cooker Bison Spaghetti Sauce
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker with sauce functionality
- 1 spoon
Ingredients
- 28 oz Diced tomatoes with Basil
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 whole yellow onion diced
- 2 whole bell peppers diced
- 16 oz bison ground
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Pizza seasoning
- 10 whole cherry tomatoes sliced lengthwise
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 oz spaghetti noodles boiled
- 1 oz mozzerella shredded
- salt and cracked pepper to taste
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1 carton baby Bella mushrooms sliced
Instructions
- Using the saut feature cook bison until there is no more pink.16 oz bison
- Add pizza and Italian seasoning and stir.1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp Pizza seasoning
- Add onion and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.1 whole yellow onion, 2 whole bell peppers
- Switch from saut mode to slow cooker. Add diced tomatoes, sauce, cherry tomatoes, bay leaf and sugar.28 oz Diced tomatoes with Basil, 6 oz tomato paste, 10 whole cherry tomatoes , 1 tbsp sugar, 1 whole bay leaf
- Cook for 4 hours on medium.
- Switch to keep warm and add mushrooms. Let mushrooms cook in the sauce for 10 minutes.1 carton baby Bella mushrooms
- Serve with spaghetti noodles and top with mozzarella cheese. Salt and pepper to your personal taste.4 oz spaghetti noodles, 1 oz mozzerella, salt and cracked pepper
Notes
- Make sure to slice cherry tomatoes. Keeping them whole can cause them to burst in your mouth and can burn you.
