Bolognese Sauce (Freezer Meal)

This is a great meat sauce for spaghetti or fettuccine, but it's also great on pizza. I got the recipe from Clouse Cousins Cooking and love it! It makes a great freezer meal too so yay!

Bolognese Sauce (Freezer Meal)

12 strips of bacon, chopped into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 lb ground beef
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1, 24 oz jar Classico traditional sweet basil pasta sauce (or other favorite brand)
1 1/4 cups half and half (can also use milk)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (+ more for topping individual servings)
1 1/2 tablespoon Carnet Foods Ultra Gel (optional)

Cook bacon pieces in a large dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat until browned and crisped. With a slotted spoon remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Saute onion in the reserved 2 tablespoons of bacon fat for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add beef, salt, and pepper and cook until beef is crumbled and browned, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in cooked bacon pieces. Reduce heat to low and stir in pasta sauce, half and half, and Parmesan. Stir to combine adding Ultra Gel at this point if desired, cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour. Boil 1 lb of pasta of choice. When pasta is cooked drain and add it to the bolognese sauce stirring well to combine, let it heat through for about 5 minutes. Serve with Parmesan topping individual servings.

Freezer Meal Instructions:
Cook as directed above, simmering the sauce for 20 minutes. Let sauce cool until just warm. Pour sauce into a gallon size bag, get as much air out as possible and seal. Label with cooking instructions and freeze flat.

Cooking Instructions:
Thaw sauce in fridge. Bring thawed sauce to a boil. Meanwhile cook about 3/4 lb pasta of choice and drain. Add cooked pasta to bolognese sauce stirring well to combine. Top individual servings with Parmesan cheese.