I ALWAYS cook shredded carrots in the sauce. Been doing that for many years now. I make a HUGE pot, freeze it in containers that are just the right amount for a meal. I only have to make sauce (called gravy in the Italian world) maybe 3 times a year. Freezes beautifully.
I also make 8 - 10 lbs of meatballs and bake rather than fry them (no splatters all over the stove and SO much easier). The meatballs are frozen separately in ziplocks and taken out as needed and added to the thawed sauce.