Freezer-friendly feast: Big Batch Bolognese Sauce for less-stress holidays

The whirlwind of the holiday season is fast approaching. Making delicious, homemade meals ahead and storing them in your freezer is an excellent way to relieve some holiday stress and limit unplanned drive-through meals.

This week, I’m sharing my recipe for Big Batch Bolognese Sauce. It’s a slow-cooked, rich, meaty and versatile sauce that’s delicious.

It’s made with ground beef, veggies, tomatoes, wine and milk. Yes, milk. Milk gives Bolognese its distinctive creaminess.

Bolognese freezes beautifully and can be divided and used to make many different dishes. Bolognese goes in pasta, lasagna, deep dish pizzas, baked potatoes and — my favorite — served over spaghetti squash.

Now let’s talk about how to make the most of this sauce. To freeze it, the most crucial step is to cool it completely to refrigerator temperature before preparing it for freezing.

Portion it into zip-top freezer bags. For the best flavor, use it within three months, but it’s safe to eat for a year.

Yes, making this recipe takes some time, but most of it is hands-off. Once it’s done and waiting in your freezer, you can have a hearty, homemade dinner ready in the time it takes to boil pasta.

Enjoy!

Big Batch Bolognese Sauce

Servings: 18 to 20 (1 cup)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

3 tablespoons butter

6 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

5 pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 (15 ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups red or white wine (or beef broth)

2 (28 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes

2 cups whole milk

3 bay leaves

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, over medium heat, sauté onions, carrots and celery until they’re softened and begin to caramelize. Then add the butter and garlic, and sauté until fragrant. Lightly season with salt and pepper. We’re adding Parmesan later, so go easy on the salt for now. Remove the veggies and keep them warm.

In the same pot, turn up the heat to medium-high. Brown the beef in three to four batches, breaking it into small pieces and seasoning lightly. After each batch, use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked beef, and drain as much fat as possible. You want the beef to brown and hopefully leave behind some browned bits, or fond, in the pan.

After the last batch of beef, return the veggies and cooked beef to the pot. Add the Italian seasoning and tomato paste, stirring to coat every morsel with tomato goodness. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 5 minutes to caramelize the tomato paste. This step adds tremendous depth of flavor.

Now add the wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up all those lovely browned bits from the bottom. When most of the wine has evaporated, about 3 minutes, add the diced tomatoes, milk and bay leaves. Stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for at least 2 hours, but preferably 4 hours. The longer, the better.

To serve, remove the bay leaves and add the Parmesan cheese, stirring to combine. Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the package directions. This sauce pairs wonderfully with a wide pasta like tagliatelle or pappardelle, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Don’t forget to top it with more Parmesan. And if you have some of that wine left from the recipe, enjoy it with your meal.