Meaty Slow Cooker Sunday Ragu with Roast

 
I love Sunday Ragu!

You're probably wondering exactly what is Sunday Ragu? Well, in my house it's a big pot of pasta sauce that has been cooked all day, low and slow.

 
I make Sunday Ragu with all types of meats, from beef, veal, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken.

I've used pork chops, roast, short ribs, oxtails. If it's meat I love, then I've used it at one time or another in my Sunday Ragu.

 
Today I went with beef roast and ground turkey.

The key to making this in the slow cooker is to brown the meats prior to finishing off the dish in the slow cooker.

It's also important to make sure you add the Italian parsley at the end of the cooking time.

I find that adding the fresh parsley last, gives the sauce a better flavor. 

Also, don't forget to remove the lid the last 30 minutes of cooking time, it's important to allow the sauce to thicken and I do this by making sure I remove the lid.

This sauce is all complete and ready to eat, I served it over hot spaghetti but use whatever type of pasta your heart desires.

And if you really want a treat, serve it over hot cheesy raviolis.

Enjoy!

Meaty Slow Cooker Sunday Ragu with Roast

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 lb chuck roast
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 lb spaghetti pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon creole seasoning or seasoning salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup flour
parmigiana reggiano cheese to garnish

Directions:

Mix seasoning blend together and set aside.

Rinse roast and cut into 2 inch chunks, add to bowl, coat in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of seasoning, mix well.

Toss roast in flour and shake off excess.

In a large pan add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add roast and brown for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and add to slow cooker.

Add more oil to pan if needed, add ground turkey, onions, bell pepper, garlic and celery to pan and add about 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend, mix well and cook for about 7 minutes to brown, add to slow cooker.

Add tomato paste, sauce, broth to slow cooker and remaining seasonings. Cook on high for 5 hours or until roast is fork tender.

Add parsley, cook for about 30 minutes more, uncovered to allow sauce to thicken.

Serve with cooked pasta and parmesean cheese.