Start the sauce in the morning and come home to Italian.

1/2 pound Ground Beef

1/2 pound Italian Sausage

2 T Butter

1/2 c chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 16 oz can tomatoes, cut up

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/4 cup chopped yellow sweet pepper

1/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper

2 T quick-cooking tapioca

1 bay leaf

1 t dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1/8 t black pepper

dash of salt

Cooked Hot Spaghetti (or bowtie pasta~~my favorite)

1. In a large skillet cook ground beef, sausage, onions, garlic, yellow and red peppers in butter until meat is brown and vegetables are tender.  Drain off fat.

2.  In the meanwhile, in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart crockery cooker combine undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, tapioca, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt.  Stir in meat mixture.

3.  Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve over hot cooked spaghetti. 

4.  Serve with a mice homemade loaf of Italian bread and a tossed salad......Italy in your home.

30 minutes (but don't forget the crock pot cooking time)