My "Every kid in the World will eat this" Spaghetti Bol (and only $10 for 3 meals for 4+)

If there is one meal that bores more homemakers than any other it is Spag Bol. So boring, so tedious but yet somehow the kids love it. Like most Australian families who have adopted the modified-Italian method of cooking spag bol, mine has evolved over the years. A bit of my Mum's old Leggo's cookbook that was splashed with so much tomato sauce that you could barely read it, a bit of Maeve O'Meara from back in the good ol'days of Better Homes and Gardens and a bit of Masterchef all rolled into one Aussie staple.

This is my version. It is, like my Chicken Soup, a slapdash, give it a go, not exact ingredients then throw in whatever you have and give it a stir recipe. It is designed however for those days when you are running after kids and are completely sleep deprived.

I love the slow cooker but I do find that when I have the time to brown everything off in the pan and get some bewdiful colour on the meat, creating a jus from the pan juices blah blah blah I can make some superb dishes. But everyday in my house is not Masterchef and I really need things that I can throw in and if I don't have time for all the mucking around I can still get something delicious on the table and most importantly something that I don't have everyone whinging about!

The secret to this spag bol is getting the slow cooker nice and hot before you add the onions, then leaving it for a while before adding the meat. I recommend putting a few loads of washing on the line or grabbing a nanna nap or even having a dig in the sandpit in between steps... don't worry about it - this baby is gonna cook all day long!

The other secret ingredients (we all have a few don't we?!?!) is cinnamon and milk. Gives it a nice spice without heat, and the milk makes it creamy. And you an use any wine that's leftover in the fridge.... although I hear you ask, "What is leftover wine?".... good point!

The other important thing about this Spag Bol is that it could put the family budget back into surplus in no time. It is super budget friendly (I buy my fruit and vege from a budget shop so for me, I think, it works out to around $10 for the pot) and it serves my family as Spag Bol twice, then I chuck it in a lasagne and freeze it for later. So that is pretty much three meals (for 4 -6 depending on appetite) for $10!!!! It's also really, really healthy. And I think it is quite delicious, and so do my kids......

So give it a go next time you need a incredibly simple dinner, and let me know if it beats yours!

Felicity xx

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