I’ve made it my mission over the last few months to use my slow cooker more often. I haven’t been overly successful, but that hasn’t stopped my good intentions. With the autumn months upon us, and schedules becoming insanely busy with kids back to school, there is no better time to haul out the slow cooker. The number one reason why I love mine so much is that most recipes make enough for dinner and a few more leftover meals – which are perfect for busy schedules. I’m constantly in the market for awesome slow cooker recipes that have tons of flavour and don’t simply require you boil just a hunk of meat for 8 hours.
I was asked to participate in the Ricardo Cuisine summer blog campaign and to try out one of their Slow Cooker Recipes. I am so happy I did! First off, Ricardo is one of my all-time favourite food “celebs”. I became a huge fan of his show ‘Ricardo and Friends’ on Food Network Canada several years ago. I was so happy to learn that he has launched a brand new website, Ricardo Cuisine, full of his best recipes.
I decided to try his Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce. I am so glad I did. The sauce is absolutely incredible. It takes a bit of prep on the front end, but it is well worth the effort. It’s rich, hearty and full of flavour. Like I mentioned before, it makes a ton of sauce, so it’s perfect for leftovers or you can freeze it for a meal down the road. Delicious!
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat.
Add your pancetta and ground meat and season with salt and pepper.
I used a combination of lean pork and extra lean beef. You can use a combination of this or add in veal if you so choose.
Cook meat until browned.
I drained the meat mixture slightly to ensure there wasn’t too much moisture.
You can do this depending on how fatty the meat you are using is.
Add your meat to the bottom of your slow cooker.
In the same skillet as you browned the meat, add carrots, celery, garlic and onions.
Over medium heat, brown all veggies until you have brown caramelized bits at the bottom of your pan.
This takes about 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Deglaze your pan with red or white wine.
I used white wine as that’s all I had in the house. You could also use chicken or veggie stock as well.
Reduce wine for about 1 minute.
Transfer veggies to the slow cooker.
Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
Next add your chicken stock.
Add your cream.
Stir well.
Finally, add your bay leaves.
Cover your slow cooker and cook on low for approximately 8 hours.
Remove bay leaves and add any further seasonings you desire, like salt and pepper.
Serve with your favourite pasta.
My favourite with any bolognese sauce is spaghetti.
Don’t mess with a traditional classic.
Head over to Ricardo Cuisine for the full recipe!
Enjoy!