Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs and Sauce

 Book Reviews, Recipes  13 Responses »
Sep 102013
 

Thank you to Gooseberry Patch for providing us with a copy of the new 101 Stovetop Suppers cookbook which inspired this spaghetti with homemade meatballs recipe.

I’ve mentioned before that spaghetti is one meal that we have fairly regularly.  It’s hard to get tired of noodles covered in delicious sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, and paired with some garlic bread.  I’m not sure if spaghetti is considered a comfort food, but if it’s not, it absolutely should be.

I do usually brown some ground beef or turkey to add to the sauce, and occasionally I’ve even picked up a bag of frozen meatballs to warm up in the sauce.  But for some reason, I don’t recall ever making homemade meatballs specifically for spaghetti.  I’ve made them plenty of times as part of my Mom’s German Meatballs recipe, but that’s it.

Homemade Meatballs Recipe from Gooseberry Patch 101 Stovetop Suppers Cookbook

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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

 Recipes  6 Responses »
Apr 132013
 

A spaghetti dinner is one meal that is in consistent rotation in our house.  It’s one of those simple meals that’s filling and just hits the right spot.  It also doesn’t hurt that Bubbles enjoys “noodles” so it’s a meal that the whole family can enjoy.

A lot of times spaghetti ends up being a spur-of-the-moment decision.  The kind of meal where you’ve sat around asking “What should we have for dinner?” for the last 2 hours and finally everyone agrees that some sauce-covered pasta would be a great choice.  When it’s more of a planned meal, however, I like to take the time to make my own spaghetti sauce.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe Continue reading »

Make A Special Meal With These Valentine’s Day Recipes

 Holidays, Recipes  2 Responses »
Feb 142011
 

Valentine’s Day Recipes

I hope everyone – single, married, partnered, dating, and anything in between – has a great Valentine’s Day!  Do something sweet for the ones you love – not just your significant others, but kids, parents, grandparents, friends, whomever – and then do something sweet for yourself!
Celebrate Valentine's with these Valentine's Day recipes
If you’re looking for a tasty treat to whip up for someone today, there are lots of tasty bites you could make.  I am planning to make Spaghetti with homemade spaghetti sauce for dinner and  Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes for dessert.  A little Lady and the Tramp nod, I guess :)  Spaghetti is one of my husband’s most requested meals, and the Lava Cakes make for a little special extra (and are much easier than you’d think!).   The sauce will make your house smell awesome; I have it on the stove right now and I’m starting to drool a little!   Here are my Valentine’s Day recipes:

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6-8oz each) cans tomato paste
2 (6-8oz each) cans tomato sauce
1/2 C minced onion (if you’re not big on onion, you could use a little onion powder instead)
2 cloves garlic, crushed (if you don’t have fresh garlic, you can sub garlic powder)
1/2 C water
2 T sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 T Italian seasoning
1 T kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T fresh parsley, chopped (can substitute dried if you don’t have fresh)
mushrooms, cleaned (1/2-1 lb fresh or 8-12oz canned; adjust for your level of mushroom love)
1/2-1 lb ground beef (depending on how meaty you like your sauce)
  1. In a Dutch oven, saute onion, garlic, ground beef and mushroom over medium heat until no longer pink.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and water.
  2. Add in the sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and parsley.  Simmer and cover for at least 1 1/2 hours.
Note: if you’re in a rush, you can simmer until everything is heated through.  But the longer you let this sit, the better it is, because all the seasonings get a chance to meld.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

4 sq. Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 C butter
1 C powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
6 T flour
whipped cream (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 425.  Butter 4 (3/4 C) custard cups, ramekins or souffle dishes.  Place on a baking sheet.
  2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl 1 minute, or until melted.  Stir with wire whisk until completed melted.  Stir in sugar.  Whisk in both eggs and both egg yolks.  Stir in the flour.  Divide batter between prepared dishes.
  3. Bake 13-14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft.  Let stand 1 minute.  Run a small knife around cakes to loosen, and invert onto serving dishes (small dessert plates work well).  Dust with powdered sugar and top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.  Serve immediately.
I’ve had these recipes on cards for ever, so I apologize for not being able to link you to the sources.  But there are dozens of similar recipes out there (especially for the molten cakes), so feel free to search around for something that fits your tastes.  And with the sauce, always feel free to mix it up with whatever meats, add-in and seasonings that you love!