Italian Meat Sauce

(Use with spaghetti, rigatonis, lasagna, etc.)

 Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger

½ green pepper

½ onion

1/3 cup sliced pepperocini

1/3 cup sliced pepperoni

½ large can mushrooms (stems & pieces)

3 or 4 bay leaves

oregano

onion powder

garlic powder

salt & pepper (to taste)

catsup

½ cup spicy tomato clam cocktail (Clamato)

1 small can tomato sauce

1 jar or can generic spaghetti sauce

Directions:

Brown hamburger in a large saucepan (I suggest 4 quarts). Meanwhile in a separate bowl cut up green pepper, onion, pepperoncini peppers, pepperoni and mushroom pieces (cut in a size you like; chunky or fine cut). Put aside until you drain the fat off the hamburger meat then add cut-up contents to the meat with salt & pepper to taste. Stir together and reduce heat to simmer covered for a few minutes watching that it doesn’t burn. Stir in spices (lighter on the garlic than the rest), bay leaves and about 1/3 cup catsup. Allow simmering again before adding Clamato. Simmer stirring as necessary for about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and simmer again. Finish up by adding spaghetti sauce and allowing the sauce to simmer until you are satisfied with it. Stir as necessary to prevent burning.