…… I Need Recipes to Utilize Commercially Canned Tomato Sauce

[Barry Natchitoches]

Help!

Thanks to the Mid South Food Bank, I am up to my ears in cans of common, ordinary tomato sauce. This is not spaghetti sauce, or tomato paste, or canned tomatoes. This is canned tomato sauce.

i have no idea what to do with plain, ordinary tomato sauce. BTW, the ingredient list on the label saus it is made of tomatoes, sea salt and water. So I figure it is probably the foundation for many different types of dishes, and if I can learn to use it, then my wife and I will be greatly blessed to have all this tomato sauce.

My wife has an old, 1964 edition of The Joy of Cooking, and I thought for sure I would find what I needed there.

But to my surprise, they didn’t have anything at all.

They had two recipes that used a combination of fresh/canned whole tomatoes combined with canned tomato paste. That was about it. That really surprised me, especially how big that book is.

Anyway, can you all help an old guy figure out how to use seceral cases worth of canned tomato sauce?

I would especially like to learn how to turn it into the more familiar spaghetti sauce that I serve with spaghetti (our favorite is Prego spaghetti sauce which I mix ground beef into) and pizza sauce that I can spread on top of flattened biscuits and top with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.

What kind of spice mix would need to be added to plain tomato sauce to turn it into something like Prego spaghetti sauce, or pizza sauce?

Do you all have any other suggestions for how I can utilize this large cache of canned tomato sauce?

Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions.

 

[aviax2]

I can’t help with recipes but I can tell you that I use an Italian seasoning (a blend of different herbs) along with garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper. You could also add more or less of an individual herb to your liking. I’m more of an eyeball it and taste it kind of cook. Other things you could use an Italian sauce with besides spaghettI, would be goulash and lasagna. For pizza sauce you could use the same seasoning and add tomato paste to your liking.

I use tomato sauce in chili and in soups like my husband’s favorite taco soup.

Im sure more folks will chime in but you should be able to find many recipes online to get you started.

 

[summerthyme]

Barry, essentially it is simply pureed tomatoes with a bit of salt. Any recipe that calls for tomato paste plus canned tomatoes can be used with puree...it won't have the chunky texture, but the taste will be fine.

I use it as a base for spaghetti sauce, chili con carne, tomato soup...

If you go to Allrecipes, and type in "tomato puree" (or "sauce") in the "ingredient search" box, it should provide you with everything you could need.

Summerthyme

 

[duchess47]

Use it for any recipe that you would use tomato paste, canned tomatoes or spaghetti sauce in add Italian seasoning or basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano or a combination of some or all. I don't cook by recipe so I can't give amounts. My theory when I cook is if it says tomatoes, it works, and I add spices and liquids or cook down to reduce liquid as needed. And always a ton of spices. Any thing Italian needs basil and oregano to start.

 

[nomifyle]

I use to use tomato sauce a lot, but haven't used it much to speak of in a long time, so I'm no help. One thing I remember though is I used it in vegetable beef soup. I use to make my own spaghetti sauce until I used canned one time and my youngest brat asked me not to make my own anymore because the canned tasted better.

God is good all the time

Judy

 

[WiWatcher]

Load up a pot with the commercial sauce, look up the spices and what not for say, marinara sauce and add them in for your taste. Once that is done and cooked simply home can it. If you indeed have a lot maybe several different varieties can be done. Also diluting with milk will be a nice start for tomato soup and reducing the marinara sauce down can make a nice pizza sauce.

 

[duchess47]

Help!

Thanks to the Mid South Food Bank, I am up to my ears in cans of common, ordinary tomato sauce. This is not spaghetti sauce, or tomato paste, or canned tomatoes. This is canned tomato sauce.

i have no idea what to do with plain, ordinary tomato sauce. BTW, the ingredient list on the label saus it is made of tomatoes, sea salt and water. So I figure it is probably the foundation for many different types of dishes, and if I can learn to use it, then my wife and I will be greatly blessed to have all this tomato sauce.

My wife has an old, 1964 edition of The Joy of Cooking, and I thought for sure I would find what I needed there.

But to my surprise, they didn’t have anything at all.

They had two recipes that used a combination of fresh/canned whole tomatoes combined with canned tomato paste. That was about it. That really surprised me, especially how big that book is.

Anyway, can you all help an old guy figure out how to use seceral cases worth of canned tomato sauce?

I would especially like to learn how to turn it into the more familiar spaghetti sauce that I serve with spaghetti (our favorite is Prego spaghetti sauce which I mix ground beef into) and pizza sauce that I can spread on top of flattened biscuits and top with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.

What kind of spice mix would need to be added to plain tomato sauce to turn it into something like Prego spaghetti sauce, or pizza sauce?

Do you all have any other suggestions for how I can utilize this large cache of canned tomato sauce?

Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions.

By the way you are blessed. I would love to be up to my ears in canned tomato sauce.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Put it over stuffed bell peppers. Make smothered pork chops with the stuff, add in slices of onions, minced garlic, basil, oregano, garlic and onion powder and you're good to go. Any type of creole recipe or is cajun that uses tomatoes? A lot of mexican dishes, hubs makes a burrito mix that takes two cans of (the small cans not the 15 ounces ones) tomato sauce, two pounds of ground beef, and a bag of frozen corn. I think he posted the recipe here a while back. You can eat it as an enchilada filling, taco filling, or as nachos, as well as a burrito mix and it freezes beautifully.

Those cans of sauce will keep awhile on the shelf.

 

[packyderms_wife]

OC makes chili dogs for us every once in awhile, one pound ground beef, seasonings, half can of paste (small 3 ounce can) whole can of sauce (8 ounce or less). That's good eats right there. I'm in charge of mincing the onion.

 

[Kathy in FL]

McCormick seasoning packets use tomato sauce and/or paste. Or get the store brands. Either/or and then doctor it to your preference.

Spaghetti sauce
Chili
Sloppy joe base
some of the others are probably like a marinara base, enchilada sauce, that sort of thing.

Another option is to go into a recipe search engine and type in the ingredient you need to use.
Tomato Sauce - Recipes | Cooks.com

 

[Griz3752]

Help!

Thanks to the Mid South Food Bank, I am up to my ears in cans of common, ordinary tomato sauce. This is not spaghetti sauce, or tomato paste, or canned tomatoes. This is canned tomato sauce.

Seasoning mix

1. Mrs. Dash (yellow or Blue)
2. Black Pepper
3. Oregano
4. Powdered Garlic
5. Powdered Onion

I usually default to Mrs. Dash Blue as it seems to suit my palette better.
I mix one unit of each together except Garlic; that’s 2 units as my wife & I both like it a lot.
Depending on what you’re putting together & personal taste you can add Tabasco et al as you see fit.

NOTE:
‘unit’ is your call and based on output. If you’re making 5 gallons of soup, the units might be tablespoons or Tblspx2 but if its chili for two, teaspoon is likely a better choice.
Tweak according to your ‘spice/heat’ tolerances; when I start a Chili, I add in some Hot Pepper flakes when sauteéing the meat.

I leave salt to the individual’s taste & only use it to boil pasta, make oatmeal etc.

For red pasta sauce, more garlic for us and add 'shrooms, chopped celery or ??
As you're starting with Sauce, not Paste, you may have to experiment a tad as sauce is sort of subjective; sometimes its thin, sometimes thicker but, if thin, cook it down a bit untill you get the consistency you like. My SIL makes a tasty pasta sauce but it doesn't really cling to the noodles. I prefer something a lot thicker.

I have a 6 oz shaker of this in my kit & the wife has one in the cupboard. Saves a ton of time & looking. For other applications, you may need to get your lab kit out & experiment a bit.

Congrats on your windfall

G.

Whoops! B/4 I came up w/ this, I haunted the pre-packaged spice shelves at Kroger or Aldi's; a tamale spice pack usually livens up some broth just right for us. My wife pointed out my shortfall here.