Meat Lover's Chunky Mushroom Pasta Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb italian sausage, casings removed (use mild or spicy)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) package fresh small button mushrooms (if your mushrooms are large slice in half)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional or adjust to suit taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 (25 ounce) jars classico roasted garlic and herb pasta sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Recipe

• 1 in a dutch oven cook the ground beef and sausage meat until no longer pink; drain fat and remove to a bowl.
• 2 in the same dutch oven heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
• 3 add in onion, bell pepper, small whole mushrooms, chili flakes and dried basil; cook stirring for about 7-10 minutes or until well softened.
• 4 add the beef mixture back to the pot then add in the pasta sauce; bring to a simmer over medium heat stirring.
• 5 reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, seasoning with salt and black pepper about halfway through simmering.