Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce

This turned out much tastier than I thought it would. It was a very easy sauce to make and it had lots of flavor. I'm usually not a fan of a meaty spaghetti sauce but this was really good. I did add a can of mushrooms just because I like mushrooms. I found this recipe on the Taste of Home's website .

• 1 pound ground beef or bulk Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon Domino® or C&H® Pure Cane Dark Brown Sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Add the next 10 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until heated through. Discard bay leaf. Serve with spaghetti. Yield: 6-8 servings.