Easy Marinara

1 (104-106 oz) costco/sams club can tomato sauce (about $2.50)
1 (104-106 oz) costco/sams club can diced tomatoes (about $2.50)
whatever spice you have on hand (italian seasoning blend, basil, oregano, thyme, whatever is growing in the garden!)

Combine in big pot and simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. Allow to cool. Freeze in 2-3 cup portions, depending on what your family needs. Done!

total cost: $5-7, depending on if you have to buy spices also. yeild: about 18 cups.

compare to buying 18 cups of bottled sauce - $15.

some things i use this for:

spaghetti (of course): i'll brown a package of turkey sausage and throw the meat and sauce in the crockpot for the afternoon or i'll just put some frozen meat balls in the crockpot and cover with sauce and let it cook on low the afternoon. it seems to give it a richer, fuller flavor than just heating the two up together right before dinner. plus, it's a meal i can have ready for my tween or husband to finish up if i have to be gone.

pasta bakes: my latest one consisted of about 8 oz. penne pasta, cooked and mixed with some marinara sauce. layer the pasta, then some shredded rotissere chicken, pasta, then cheese. so easy. made enough for a meal with just me and the kids when dad was out of town and a meal with the whole family. you could do this with any kind of pasta, any kind of meat, maybe even some caramalized onions, mushrooms, etc. add a layer of ricotta cheese and get that lasagna feel without the lasagna work.

the original recipe came from a friend who made it with homemade ravioli: fill wonton skin wrappers with what ever you want. she did some frozen spinach, ricotta, mozzarella and some spices. boil them in salted water until they float to the top - 2-3 minutes each. super fast. serve with some of this marinara sauce over the top. the kids loved it.

this is the sauce i use for meatball sandwiches, pizza/calzone sauce, breadstick dip, etc. it is a little runny though so i might experiment in the future by doing a 2 to 1 ratio of diced tomatoes to tomato sauce. maybe someone else has a good idea already?