Doctored up Spaghetti Sauce (from a jar)

Doctored up Spaghetti Sauce is something that I make almost every single week! It starts with any ol’ jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce and turns it into a hearty meat sauce and can be used in so many different recipes.

Everyone can admit that a red sauce is always better after it sits for a couple days. Using a jar of sauce just gives the meat sauce that simmered-all-day taste.

How to doctor up a jar of spaghetti sauce:

It starts with adding veggies and ground beef. Onion, bell pepper, and garlic add so much flavor! I start a lot of my dishes with this veggie combo for good reason!

I add the vegetables in at the same time as the meat and cook everything together. It flavors the meat and saves on time as well. We usually use ground beef but you can use any combination below.

What other kind of meat can you add to spaghetti sauce?

• Ground beef
• Ground turkey
• Italian sausage (I would recommend only using this for half of your meat)

Once your meat and veggies are seasoned and cooked, you can add the jar of your favorite sauce, tomato paste, the canned tomatoes and remaining seasonings. The sauce then gets simmered for 20 minutes and then you can toss in a handful of parmesan cheese for even more yumminess!

Recipes using spaghetti sauce:

• Cheesy Lasagna
• Italian Pasta Bake
• Stuffed Shells with Spinach

Our favorite way to use this meat sauce is over just plain ol’ spaghetti! Just boil your pasta, toss with the sauce, and top with extra parmesan cheese!

We sometimes will even make a double batch of this doctored up spaghetti sauce and store it in the freezer for an easy weeknight meal. Just thaw in the fridge then simmer in a saucepan to re-heat.

Print Recipe

4.89 from 9 votes

Doctored up Spaghetti Sauce (from a jar)

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 6 people

Author: Coco and Ash

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds ground beef (or a mixture of beef and turkey)
• 1 small yellow onion (diced)
• 1 small green bell pepper (diced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 24 ounce jar of store-bought pasta sauce
• 14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes drained
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)

Instructions

• Prepare the veggies by dicing the onion and pepper and mincing the garlic cloves.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, ground beef, and veggies, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
• Sauté until the meat is fully browned and the veggies are soft. (about 7-10 min)
• Drain the grease from the meat/veggie mixture and return everything to the pan.
• Add in the spaghetti sauce, drained diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and another 1/2 teaspoon of salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
• Stir everything together, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• After the 20 minutes add in the parmesan cheese. Stir until melted.
• Serve over pasta or let cool and refrigerate until ready to use.