Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

I really liked this sauce made from a recipe on DamnDelicious.net. It was really good, although I am not a large enough fan of italian sausage to eat it regularly, so I intend to use this recipe as a base from which I can adapt to different tastes. Next time I intend to use two pounds of ground beef, omit the sausage, and add thyme.

Brown 2 pounds ground meat (beef, sausage, pork, turkey, chicken) in 2 T olive oil (optional) with a minced onion.
Add two minced garlic cloves, cook for about a minute.
Drain meat and add to slow cooker.
Add 3 (14.5 oz) cans chopped tomatoes, 2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 3 bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
Stir together and cook on low 10-12 hours.

I did not add any salt and pepper and it was still delicious!