Green Tomato Pie

PIE FILLING

4 medium sliced (like apples) green tomatoes (use half green half red ones if available)
1 c seedless raisins
1 c sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

pre-heat oven to 425*

Place one pie crust into bottom of a 9" pan, bake in oven for 15 min.
Reduce oven to *350

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl then pour into the 9" pie pan, (already baked for 15 min at 425*) place the last pie crust (uncooked) on top of the pie filling, place in oven for 45 mins. at 350

let cool and serve warm with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Meat Sauce

Ingredients
3 pounds ground beef (I used ground round)
2 pounds sausage
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, diced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine or stock (your choice)
Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
One 24-ounce jar good store-bought marinara sauce (you can use another jar if you like the sauce to be more saucy than meaty)
One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional 4 bay leaves
1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley or 3 tablespoons parsley flakes, plus more for serving
1 whole rind from 1 wedge Parmesan, optional 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, optional, plus more for serving

2 pounds spaghetti, cooked al dente and tossed with olive oil, for serving

Garlic-cheese bread, for serving

Directions

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage until totally browned. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it into a bowl. Set aside.

Discard any grease in the pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in the olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the onions and bell peppers. Stir it around for 1 1/2 minutes, and then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute.

Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine, and then add the sugar, salt, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper if using and bay leaves. Stir, and then add the cooked ground beef and sausage and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid.

After an hour, add the minced parsley and the Parmesan rind if using (or grated Parmesan if you prefer--or both!). Stir to combine, and then put the lid back on and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Serve a big bowl of oiled noodles and the meat sauce so guests can serve themselves. Top each serving with minced parsley and grated Parmesan (or Parmesan shavings) and serve with a big piece of garlic-cheese bread.