Zucchini Stew With Fresh Tomato Sauce (Crock Pot)

How to Make

• Step 1: To make fresh tomato sauce, start by sautéing 1/2 of one onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil until soft.

• Step 2: Add tomatoes and break up with a spatula. When they start to cook down a little, add one cup of broth, the cup of V8 and a bay leaf. ...and a few shakes of Italian seasoning for good measure. (Not much, there is plenty of flavor in the Sockarooni)

• Step 3: Bring to a boil, stirring. Turn down sauce to a simmer, and start browning the ground meat

• Step 4: In a big frying pan or Dutch oven, sauté the rest of the onions in the last tbsp of olive oil.

• Step 5: When onions start to get soft, add ground meat and shredded carrots. Continue cooking until meat is no longer pink.

• Step 6: By now the tomato sauce should be about done. Remove the bay leaf and toss into the crock pot along with the second bay leaf.

• Step 7: Add the optional 4 ounces of wine to tomatoes at this point. I have no idea why. All I had was Port and threw it in anyway... I liked it! Simmer a few more minutes to evaporate alcohol.

• Step 8: Drain meat mixture if necessary. Dump this into the crock pot with the jar of Sockarooni.

• Step 9: Use a food mill or like instrument to grind tomato mixture into sauce right into the pot.

• Step 10: Mix well. If you would like this to be a juicy soup, add the last cup of broth. Keep in mind the zucchinis will release water as they cook down.

• Step 11: If you would like it as a thick stew, cover the pot as-is and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

• Step 12: Be sure to remove bay leaves before serving. Don't they always end up in DH's bowl? haha!