Make a big batch of Marinara sauce right in the slow cooker. This Freezer Marinara Sauce is great for recipes later such as spaghetti, lasagna and more!
We love having this sauce on hand for pizza, simple pasta dishes or even my Slow Cooker Parmesan Chicken Pasta or Ravioli Lasagna.
I made a big pot of marinara sauce in my slow cooker, then I portioned out the sauce into freezer bags. The entire month I will have fresh-tasting sauce for our meals. Not only does it taste good, but I save money by not having to buy jars of sauce!
How much does it cost to make a big batch of marinara sauce?
- 3 cans crushed tomatoes: $1.13 x 3
- 2 cans diced tomatoes: $0.59 x 2
- garlic: $0.34
- onion: $0.37
- freezer bags: $2.99 (note, you can save money by using your own containers instead of bags, see recipe for details)
Total: $8.27 (I already had seasonings on hand)
I divided the sauce into 1.5 cup (for pizza topping) and 2 cup portions (for pasta and calzone topping). After I divided the sauce up, I will have enough sauce for 7 meals. If you plan on using the sauce the same week you make it, ladle the sauce into jars or Tupperware and place in fridge. The uses for this handy sauce are endless. I am dreaming about making a lasagna, or making homemade cheese sticks and using this sauce to dip them in.
Recipes that use marinara sauce:
- Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti
- Slow Cooker Beef and Rice Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Pizza 15 Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meat Sauce
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Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 84 oz. crushed tomatoes (three 28 oz. cans)
- 29 oz. diced tomatoes (two 14.5 oz. cans)
- 1 small white onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
Instructions:
- Add everything to a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- After the sauce is done cooking, uncover and let cool for about an hour before ladling into storage bags.
- Freeze for up to 1 month (I personally don’t like the flavor of freezer food after a month).
- To use, place the bag of sauce in the fridge to thaw the day before the sauce is needed.
- Plastic or glass jars can be used, the same way you would with freezer jam, leaving room at the top for the sauce to expand.
I am making this to accompany breaded and fried ravioli for SB50 50 tomorrow
Could I pressure can this instead of freezing it?
I never thought to make spaghetti sauce in the crock pot, but I will now! I grow my own tomatoes, cook them, and freeze them for use all year for anything that calls for tomatoes. I never learned how to can so freezing works for me. I only use glass to freeze anything in and never have had a problem with taste or quality. I also grow, cook and freeze summer squash and enjoy that year round. We have a Meyer lemon tree and freeze the juice. I use that for iced tea (which I drink gallons of year round) and for cooking. Yes, I am fortunate to have an extra freezer, and it sure has paid for itself.
Awesome!!
I freeze my sauces in 2 cup portions in the zip lock bags until frozen then take the frozen sauce out of the bags and vacuum seal them. They keep for a year with no freezer taste.
Great idea Becky! Thanks for the tip. I need to get my food saver out of the closet!
better yet – grown your own tomatoes, chop them a bit,,do this crock pot method, and use a hand blender to smooth out the sauce before freezing. I don’t like using canned anything because of the chemicals and preservatives
How many tomatoes do you use in this when using home-grown?
Hi, I’m unsure. You could test it out with as many as you want to use and add more seasonings towards the end.
I add 5-6 bay leaves and a pinch of red pepper.
Using zip lock bags is probably the reason you don’t like stuff that’s been frozen for more than a month. I know freezer’s don’t allow for anywhere near as much space as the fridge and the bags are easy to play tetris with (as I call it)… certain items shouldn’t be bagged. If you invest in some GOOD tupperware, not the little ‘glad lock’ type of thin plastic, the formerly frozen marinara should have no change in taste. It also helps if you’re using good quality tomatoes. The store brand tomatoes, while financially practical, are of horrible quality. I personally stock up on Cento whenever it’s on sale, it’s the best quality San Marzano that you can pick up in the states.
Furthermore, if you happen to notice during the thaw-out process that the marinara is a little on the flaky side (ice crystals), let that fully thaw in the warm pan so that the water has a few moments to evaporate and then add a little bit of tomato paste (the Amore squeeze tube is a highly recommended pantry item in my book) it’ll bring back the burst of tomato flavor that was lost during the freezing process. It doesn’t matter if something is frozen for a day, or a year – as soon as it crystalizes it’s gonna lose flavor, pumping it up with the tomato paste makes all the difference in the world.
Just my two cents.
The one thing I do like ziploc bags for is tomato paste. take it from the can into the bags and smooth it out flat. zip it and freeze it. The flat bag takes up no space and you can just break off a piece whenever you need it.
This is such a smart and budget friendly idea! Love this! 🙂
What a great idea! I love making things in advance but never thought to do this. Thanks!
This will be a huge time saver to have sauce ready to use at anytime!
Such a great freezer meal idea! I love Marinara Sauce! this one sounds wonderful!
I loved your meat sauce, so I know I would like this marinara! Great idea to freeze portions for later!
I always keep marinara in the freezer, but never thought to make a big batch in the slow cooker. What a fabulous idea