Homemade Cheesy Veggie Spaghetti Sauce and Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
2 whole carrots
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 white onion
½ green bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
½ tbsp dried bay leaves
½ tbsp rosemary
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
2 cans diced tomatoes (I used Hunts no salt added with basil, garlic, and oregano)
3 cups tomato sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar (to combat acidity in tomatoes)
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp pepper
1 cup water
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS:
If you do not have a food processor- finely chop your veggies
Cut carrots, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms into about 1-2 inch pieces (NO need to be precise) and throw into your processor
Add garlic, seasonings (NOT the sugar), and 1 tbsp olive oil
Process until it’s all finely chopped (however big you want the veggie chunks)
In a large sauce pan (I’m using a stock pot) add remaining olive oil and your veggie/spice mix and let the veggies get soft
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, spinach, and water
Let cook on medium/low for about 30 minutes then simmer for additional 30 minutes
After the hour of cooking add parmesan and ricotta cheese
**I cooked this on low for probably close to 3 hours because it sat there while I made meatballs, spaghetti squash, and a loaf of bread.
AND I BET YOU CAN PUT THIS IN A CROCKPOT TO COOK! (I'd put the core veggies in a skillet to get soft or whatnot and then put everything (not cheese, yet) into the crockpot and stir and do high for a few hours or low for about 6-8- then add cheese to melt in - might work better if it's hot? I don't know- if you try it, let me know!)

(I add the dried seasonings to the processor with veggies to bring their flavors back out- they’ve been sitting in the jar not moving)
When I read recipes people use fresh herbs- I don’t use them enough to buy them fresh. People also leave certain herbs out until closer to the end of cooking… I don’t do that either quite frankly because I don’t know why you need to (I’m sure if I took classes, I would know- but the overall flavor is always good to me, so I don’t worry about it). 

Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground turkey
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
½ tbsp oregano
½ tbsp Italian seasoning
½ tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp minced garlic
½ onion finely chopped
½ tbsp Worcestershire
¼ cup parmesan cheese (I like it fresh better than the bottled kind)

*I didn’t have breadcrumbs, so I crushed saltine crackers and some quick oats with a bit of Italian seasoning*

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425
Mix everything but turkey, egg, and Worcestershire
Mix turkey, Worcestershire, and egg together
Mix ALL together
Lightly spray baking sheet with oil (Pam)
Shape into balls (about 1 ½ inch)
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until done
Add to spaghetti sauce

I am putting this on spaghetti squash (a lovely, healthier way to make spaghetti). To cook this, I heat the oven to 375, cut the squash in half length ways (beware- difficult) and scoop out the seeded part with a spoon, and use 2 glass baking dishes that each halved squash will fit into.  I fill each dish about ¼ way full of water and bake about 25 minutes on each side (personally, I put them inside down and then flip after 25 minutes). When it's done, allow to cool, then use a fork to "shred" it- it's really easy. Or just use normal spaghetti noodles; just remember that whole grain/wheat are better for you (unless you need to be gluten free).