Sunday Sauce

This is my Sunday Sauce please feel free to add or omit anything you like. You can easily take and do almost anything with it. And you don't have to make this on Sunday. I call it that because it take a long time for it to simmer and I need time, I usually get the time on Sundays especially during football season. I also make a huge pot of sauce so that I can freeze smaller portions for quick lunches throughout the week or month.

Sunday Sauce.
olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 lb hot Italian Sausage
1/2 lb sweet Italian Sausage
1 container of button mushrooms
2 cans tomato paste
4 29oz cans of Crushed Tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 lbs ground beef, browned and the fat drained


Heat olive oil in a large pot, add chopped onion allowing them to cook 2-3 minutes. When they start to turn soft add the crushed garlic. Don't allow the garlic to burn. Allowing the garlic to cook for a minute or two, add the sausage, brown the sausage on all sides and remove from the pot. Add the chopped mushrooms and allow to cook for another minute or two, they too will become soft. Add the tomato paste. The tomato paste will absorb the oil and the flavors from the onions,garlic,sausage and mushroom. Allow this mixture to cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally to stop if from burning, make sure you scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot left from the sausage. Add the cans of Crushed Tomatoes and Bay leaves. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. At that point return the sausage to the pot along with the ground beef. Add 1 tomato cans worth of water, return sauce to a boil. Once at a second boil reduce the heat to low and simmer sauce covered for an hour, stirring once at the 30 minute mark. Add one more can of water and simmer for another 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. If the sauce is too thick for your taste add a bit more water at this point, if not thick enough fee free to cook for another hour or two.