Disclaimer: I am NOT Italian. So don’t hate. Now that we got that out of the way 🙂 we can move on.

I love coming up with faster ways to make fresh meals. Lately, it has really taken a lot of planning for me to continue to make dinner 5-6 nights a week. Work is exhausting and baby girl definitely keeps me busy. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It really is cathartic for me to experiment in the kitchen. It also has always been important for me to keep recipes from our heritage in the regular rotation. Since Sean is both Italian and Irish (Scots-Irish!) I get to make all kinds of fun stuff. It’s super easy to buy a jar of sauce and throw some meat in it. But, it is almost just as easy to make it on your own. Not to mention, less preservatives and sugar! So I came up with an amazing recipe that is both delicious and simple.

What you’ll need:

• Olive Oil (for pan)
• 1 Lb Ground Turkey or Beef
• 1 (24oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 (6oz) can Tomato Paste
• 1 12 oz) can Diced tomatoes (drained)
  • Or two freshly diced tomatoes
• 1 clove Garlic (minced)
• ½ Onion (diced)
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 TBSP Italian Seasonings
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Red Pepper Flakes for heat

Now What do you do?

1. Brown meat, onion, and garlic in large pot
2. Literally dump everything else in the pot
3. Simmer 45 min – 1 hr to let the flavors mix
4. Enjoy!

I look forward to sharing more of my simple “cheater” meals. Believe me, I have plenty of them now! **yawns** … **sips wine** 😉