Slow Cooker Beef Bolognese

Vacation food inspiration…I love it! When we were at Disney last month, Whitney ordered Beef Bolognese one evening. She shared a portion of her entree’ with Dale and he raved about it. If you’re not familiar with this dish, don’t think spaghetti. Here’s an official description of what it is…

Authentic bolognese is not a simple tomato-based meat sauce, but a complex ragù with a prominent meat flavor and a small amount of tomato. 

When we got home I set to work looking for a good and healthy recipe to try.

I went to Skinny Taste’s site and found just what I was looking for!This was easy, and the taste did not disappoint! Using a slow cooker is perfect for busy days when you want to come home to an amazing meal.

Beef Bolognese

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 ounces pancetta, chopped (or center cut bacon)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon salted butter, or olive oil
• ▢ 1 large white onion, minced
• ▢ 2 celery stalks, about 3/4 cup, minced
• ▢ 2 carrots, about 3/4 cup, minced
• ▢ 2 lbs 90% lean ground beef
• ▢ 1/4 cup white wine
• ▢ 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 3 dried bay leaves
• ▢ kosher salt and fresh pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 1/2 cup half and half cream

Instructions

• In a large deep skillet, saute the pancetta on low heat until the fat melts, about 4-5 minutes. Add the butter, onions, celery and carrots and cook on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high; add the meat, season with salt and pepper and sauté until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain the fat then add wine; cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer to the slow cooker. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper; cover and set slow cooker to LOW 6 hours.
• After the 6 hours, adjust salt and pepper to taste, add half & half and parsley; stir and serve over your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash.

This makes a LOT. I halved the recipe and it was plenty for leftovers! It only gets better with time!

This would also freeze well, so making the whole batch and then freezing half would be a blessing on a day when you don’t have the time/energy to cook.

Don’t wait for a vacation to try this! I hope you’ll put it on your menu soon!