Slow-cooker bolognese

Batch cook a delicious and healthy spaghetti bolognese in your slow cooker. Freeze the leftovers for easy midweek dinners when you're more pushed for time

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 6 smoked bacon rashers, chopped
• 5.5 kg lean minced beef (or use half beef, half pork mince)
• 4 onions, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, finely chopped
• 4 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500 g mushrooms, sliced
• 4 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 6 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp dried mixed herbs
• 2 bay leaves
• large glass red wine (optional)
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• cooked spaghetti, to serve
• parmesan, to serve

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the bacon and mince in batches until browned. Add to the slow cooker.
2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato purée, herbs, wine (if using), vinegar, sugar and seasoning to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours, then uncover, turn to High and cook for another hour until thick and saucy.
3. Serve with cooked spaghetti and grated or shaved parmesan. To cook this entire recipe on the hob, check out our big-batch bolognese recipe.