Homemade Marinara

By ldelmas

Now, you can use a jarred marinara sauce OR make a homemade marinara just like the recipe I have on QVC.com. The beauty of that recipe is that it makes quite a bit so you can use some now and freeze—or can some—for later.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 (28-oz) can tomato purée
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 (28-oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onion until aromatic and tender. Add the white wine and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for at least 40 minutes.
So how do you keep foods warm at a party? You can certainly use buffet warmers or hot plates. My mother still uses hot plates at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter and may the good Lord help the person that forgets to plug them in!!

The slow-cooker is my favorite tool for the job. Dips, sauces, soups, sandwich fillings and more can be cooked in your slow cooker and kept warm indefinitely. When I host a party, I specifically look for recipes that are suitable for a slow cooker. Obviously, there are some recipes that just won’t work…like my “subs.” But the sauce can be kept in a slow cooker! And, it can heat up your subs even if they’re not right out of the oven. You might consider that idea for your favorite recipes. If there’s a sauce or component that can be kept warm, try it.