Slow cookers have become popular appliances over the years, offering households the ability to put a dinner on in the morning and have it ready when they get home in the evening.

There are many breakfasts, lunches and dinners which can be slow-cooked, but there’s nothing tastier than a bolognese.

The slow cooker makes the meat super tender whilst the addition of red wine helps to bring out the flavour.

The recipe notes on BBC Good Food said: “Batch cook a delicious and healthy spaghetti bolognese in your slow cooker. Freeze the leftovers for easy midweek dinners when you’re more pushed for time.”

This recipe serves 12 portions and can be easily prepped in under 20 minutes, perfect for a batch cooking session.

Ingredients:

Four tablespoons of olive oil

Six smoked bacon rashers, chopped

1.5kg lean minced beef

Four onions

Three carrots

Four celery sticks

Eight garlic cloves

500g mushrooms, sliced

Four 400g cans of chopped tomatoes

Six tablespoons tomato puree

Two tablespoons of mixed dried herbs

Two bay leaves

A large glass of red wine

Four tablespoons of red wine vinegar

One tablespoon of sugar

Cooked spaghetti, to serve

Parmesan, to serve

Method:

Start by heating the oil in a large pan and frying the bacon and mince in batches until browned, add to the slow cooker.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs, wine, vinegar, sugar and seasoning to the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for six to eight hours, then uncover, turn to high and cook for another hour until thick and saucy.

Serve with the cooked spaghetti and grated or shaved parmesan immediately, letting the leftovers cool down.

The leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days or stored in airtight containers and placed in the freezer for up to three months.

This recipe says the red wine is optional and if you don’t want to add it it’ll still taste delicious, but won’t be as rich.