Money Saving Red Sauce

I love Sam's.  You could say I'm addicted.  One of my favorite cost savers is to get a huge can of crushed tomatoes (less than $3) and make my own tomato sauce.  By the time I'm done, I spend about 5 dollars and get a huge amount of red sauce.  And it's adaptable.  You can add different things to make mirror the ingredients that you would get in a $3-4 bottle of nicer sauce.


1 6lb. 6oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 large can tomato paste (or 3 of the little ones)
2 cups of tomato juice (optional)
1 can of condensed beef broth
2 large onions, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dry parsley
1 tablespoon dry basil
2 teaspoons dry oregano
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt  to taste
Sugar to taste (if you like sweeter sauces)

1. Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent.
2. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
3. Add in tomato paste.
4. Add in beef broth.  Stir until the tomato paste is broken up.
5. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato juice and stir.
6. Add in the basil, parsley and oregano.  I like to put it in my palms and crush it as it goes into the pot.  
7. Stir and taste. Add salt to taste.  
8. If desired, you can add sugar at this time. I like having a little bite in my sauce so I refrain.
9. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.

And that's it!

How do you make it into expensive sauce?

Red Sauce with Red Wine

•  Reduce 1 cup of red wine in a pot. Let it reduce by half.  Add desired amount of red sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

Garlic and Onion Sauce

• Dice 1 medium onion up and saute in olive oil until translucent.  Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic.  Cook for an additional minute and add desired amount of sauce.  Simmer for 10 - 20 minutes.

Easy Vodka Sauce (My all time favorite sauce)

•  Dice 1 medium onion up and saute in olive oil until translucent.  Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic.
• Add in 1/2 cup of vodka (you really don't have to add this) and 1/2 cup of beef broth (you can sub with beef bouillon). Cook until it's reduced by half.
• Add in 1/2 to 1 cup of  heavy whipping cream.

And I just read you can freeze spaghetti sauce so this can last you for a while!