Easy-Does-It Spaghetti

Easy-Does-It Spaghetti

(adapted from a recipe in the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook)

2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
26.5-oz. can spaghetti sauce
3 14.5-oz. cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
16-oz. dry spaghetti broken into 4-5" pieces
grated Paremsan cheese

Combine all ingredients except spaghetti and cheese in a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours, or High 3-5 hours. Turn to High during last 30 minutes and stir in dry spaghetti. (If spaghetti is not fully cooked, continue cooking another 10 minutes, checking to make sure it is not becoming overcooked.) Sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese.

Karla's note: Lyle rated this a 2, because he said, "It needed something." I had to laugh at him. What it needed was salt! I had added salt to my plate and thought it was delicious. It doesn't occur to him that salt enhances the flavor and is usually "the thing it needs." He almost always adds pepper to his plate, but rarely salt. I think he thinks if he adds salt then it will taste salty. Next time I would probably use 2 teaspoons of salt rather than 1 1/2.