Crockpot Spaghetti with Eggplant

Yesterday afternoon I got inspired to start on dinner early! Since we had sliced eggplant in our fridge, along with three different colored bell peppers, canned tomatoes and an onion, spaghetti sauce made perfect sense. Also, if you think ahead, sticking all these ingredients in a crock pot on high for 4-5 hours, after browning the meats and veggies, helps the spices to meld perfectly. Meat is optional, which makes this recipe more adaptable to your weekly menu if you, like me, are budget-and-health-conscious.

Crock Pot Spaghetti with Eggplant Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Olive Oil (and more as needed)
2 cups Eggplant, sliced
1 large Red Bell Pepper
1 large Orange Bell Pepper
1 large Yellow Bell Pepper
6 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 lb Ground Moose or Beef
1 medium Onion, chopped
(2) 14.5 oz. cans Diced Tomatoes
(2) 14.5 oz.cans Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. Basil
1 tbsp. Oregano
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tbsp. Sugar

Whole Wheat Spaghetti Noodles


Directions:

Over medium heat, cook olive oil with eggplant until eggplant is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Watch eggplant closely so that it doesn't burn. Remove eggplant from heat and add to crock pot.

While pan is still warm and heat is on, add more oil to pan and light brown chopped bell peppers, about 5 minutes. During last minute of cook time, add chopped garlic and toss with bell peppers until just heated. Add to crock pot.

With same pan, combine ground meat and onion and cook until the meat is browned. Remove from heat and add to crock pot, along with diced tomatoes, canned tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and sugar. Mix everything until combined. Set temperature to "High" and cook for 4-5 hours. *I used the medium-sized crock pot bowl for this. Crock pot sizes vary so use your judgement.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, boil a large pot of water with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. oil. Add whole wheat spaghetti noodles and cook about 8-10 minutes, as desired. Enjoy!