And I wonder why I can't lose weight...

So the bf has talked me into cooking dinner for a good portion of the rugby team he coaches. This seemed like a great idea at the beginning of the week, until I realized that he wanted to do it Thursday night and that I had an Answer/Counterclaim due for class at 5:30 that night. Did I mention this class goes until 7:00 and they guys are coming at 8:00? Not wanting to disappoint, I decided to make a classic -- Spaghetti Bolognese, but the quick and easy way. Never fear, I've got a crockpot and a break between classes! Since my sauce is cooked in the crock pot I must warn that this is not one that you want to substitute the high fat ingredients with lower fat ones because the sauce just won't taste right, so warning, this is not something you want to make if you're trying to watch your weight..

Ingredients:
1 lb ground meat (I use a mixture of ground beef and sausage)
1 onion finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 slices bacon (or pancetta, but I couldn't find any last night)
3 tablespoons of fresh thyme finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 small cans tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Emeril's Essence
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 lb. spaghetti noodles

Directions:
Chop up the bacon. In a large skillet (or the insert of your crock pot) cook the bacon until crispy. Add the ground meat and cook till brown. Drain pretty well but leave a bit of the bacon grease in the pan. Transfer to the crock pot (or just stick the insert in the crock pot). Add the carrots, onion, and celery. Add the tomato paste and sauce. Combine well. Add the wine. Combine. Add the spices. At this point the sauce should look like a really thick hot dog chili.

Add the heavy cream and the cheese. Stir the contents of the crock pot well. Place the lid on the crock pot and turn the heat onto low. Allow to cook over low heat for 6 to 8 hours, giving it a good stir whenever you have a chance.

Cook the noodles right before you are ready to serve and top with additional cheese.

Enjoy!