Homemade Spaghetti-O's with Meatballs

  In April, I drove to Washington D.C. with my children for Spring Break.  My sister lives there with her children and it is always so much fun to visit them.  We go on tons of outings and see so many amazing things when we are there.  It's pretty great that so many of the museums, the zoo, and so many other activities are completely free!

On Friday night, my sister took me on a Girls Night Out to Georgetown.  The first thing we did involved enjoying gelato at Dolcezza  ( I had blood orange and  meyer lemon;  my sister had salted caramel and apple cider), ate at a delicious pizza place (but I can't remember the name of it!) and then we did some window shopping.  Our first stop was Dean & Deluca. 

   I realize that some people might not find this type of store exciting, but let me tell you that I could've stayed in there all day long.  It was fascinating to see so many beautiful foods and packages.   You might be wondering at this point what any of this has to do with Homemade Spaghetti-O's and Meatballs.    Well, when we were wondering around Dean & Deluca, I just happened to spy a cute little bag of ring shaped pasta.  Anelloni to be exact.   I had to have those cute little rings.  I had been looking for them because this particular recipe was on my to-make list.  (I will let you know that I did not pay as much for them in the store as the price that is listed online).

I had found my must-have item and my sister was trying to decide what kind of treat to buy from the bakery section (She settled on a ginormous peppermint brownie that we shared the next day with both of our entire families-10 people- after a hike) .  We made our purchases and went on our way.

My little ring pasta made it back here to Georgia and this recipe was one of the first things I made for dinner once we were home.

I didn't grow up eating canned Spaghetti-O's, but when I got married, I discovered that my husband really liked them.  But only the ones with meatballs.  I haven't eaten them, but he usually has some on hand, in case of an emergency.   As soon as I saw this recipe on Tracey's blog, I knew I would have to try it, if for no other reason than just so my husband could compare the homemade taste to the can.  

This homemade version is pretty easy and actually quite tasty.  My kids really liked it and my husband seemed to enjoy it too.  I made extra mini meatballs and froze them, so next time we want this yummy dish, part of it will already be ready to go.




  Here is the recipe for Homemade Spaghetti-O's with Meatballs
* I used ground chicken breast for the meatballs

  

Eggland's Best Brinner & Giveaway!

A few weeks ago I received an email from Eggland's Best Eggs, asking me if I was interested in hosting a Brinner. What is Brinner? Well, it's something that we have all done before- it's Breakfast for Dinner or simply some combination of Breakfast and Dinner.

Of course, I said yes. I had some family members coming to town for a visit and I knew that would be the perfect time to have the Brinner. The hardest part was narrowing down the menu, but we finally picked out a really great one.

Since eggs were the star of the show, I decided that eggs should be an ingredient in each part of our menu. We had Avocado Deviled Eggs (pictured above), Garden Turkey Meatballs, Summer Squash Bacon & Mozzarella Quiche, Sweet Potato & Chile Hash w/ a Fried Egg, and a flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert (which has a surprising secret ingredient).


I had lots of help prepping the food, thanks to the family members I had visiting, so we were able to put it together quickly. A couple of friends came over and we enjoyed all of the dishes.

The Avocado Deviled Eggs were a nice twist on a familiar favorite. Just imagine guacamole as the filling for your Deviled Eggs. I used Eggland's Hard-Cooked Peeled Eggs to make them. My kids also really love these eggs as a snack.

The Garden Turkey Meatballs were really delicious. I finished them off in a really tasty pizza sauce.

The quiche recipe was one that my sister spotted in Cooking Light and she prepared it. You would never know that is was a light recipe because it was so delicious-definitely a crowd favorite!

The hash was really great too. I threw in a couple of extra veggies that I had on hand just for fun. It was spicy and yummy.

The Flourless Chocolate Cake contains a surprise ingredient that really just can't even be guessed. It was delicious. Dense and fudgy.

I used Eggland's Best eggs in all of these recipes.

Now, as part of the Brinner experience, Eggland’s Best provided me with a fun giveaway for you, my readers.

The giveaway includes:

• 2 free EB dozen coupons (any variety- classic, cage-free, organic)
• 1 free EB Hard-Cooked and Peeled Eggs coupon
• 4 EB ramekins
• 1 EB apron
• 1 EB whisk
• 1 EB spatula
• 1 EB egg timer
• 1 EB Eco bag
• 1 EB plush egg

All you have to do to enter the giveaway, is leave a comment on this post.

If you want to tell me your favorite way to prepare eggs, go for it. Please also feel free to share a link to your favorite egg recipe if you would like.

You have until 12:00 am EST on Monday, July 11th to enter this giveaway.

Hopefully you will try some of these recipes soon too and have your own Breakfast for Dinner party. Brinner can't be beat!


Here is the recipe for Avocado Deviled Eggs

Here is the recipe for Garden Turkey Meatballs

Here is the recipe for Summer Squash, Bacon, and Mozzarella Quiche from Cooking Light

Here is the recipe for Sweet Potato & Chile Hash with a Fried Egg from Fine Cooking
* I used nonfat Greek Yogurt to make the chile mayo
* I used less oil- only 2 or 3 Tablespoons
* I added diced zucchini to the hash
* I cooked the yolk in my eggs all the way through

Here is the recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake



*This giveaway is open to US residents/addresses only, age 18 and older-No PO Boxes.
The winner will be chosen randomly.
All the opinions stated above are my own. I was provided with VIP coupons and a giftcard to help purchase the items necessary to make these dishes. I was also provided with a package similar to the one available in the giveaway.

Pork (Turkey) Meatball Banh Mi

I have developed a "like" for spicy food. It has been fairly recently that I have enjoyed spicy food more than I used to.

This is one spicy sandwich.

I have never had a Banh Mi, so I am definitely not an expert on what they are supposed to look like or taste like. I saw this recipe for a Meatball Banh Mi in a recent issue of Bon Appetit and I thought it looked delicious, plus it was really interesting.

I finally got around to making this sandwich a couple of weeks ago. I halved the recipe for everything except the meatballs, because I knew just from looking at the ingredients that this was going to be a little too spicy for my kids. I thought they could probably handle the meatballs though, so I decided I would make them little noodle bowls with the meatballs included. (This is not something I usually do- making the kids a separate little dinner, but this time the heat was too much for them to handle.)

I used lean ground turkey for the meatballs and greek yogurt instead of mayo for the hot "mayo" spread. I also used a whole wheat baguette for my sandwich.

This sandwich definitely had a really spicy hot bite to it, but it was really tasty! I really liked it and I thought of my younger sister when I took that first spicy bite because she would love this sandwich.

For the noodle bowls, I just sauteed a big head of napa cabbage and some matchstick carrots, then added that to some noodles and topped it with the meatballs.

If you like spicy sandwiches or love Banh Mi, you will definitely want to try this recipe. Or if you just are intrigued and want something new for dinner- give it a shot!



*I used Greek Yogurt for the hot, spicy mayo sauce
* I used lean ground turkey instead of ground pork

Recipe for Pork Meatball Bahn Mi

Greek Meatballs and Greek Roasted Vegetables

I first made this meal last summer. I had clipped the recipe for the roasted vegetables out of Family Circle Magazine and decided to make meatballs to round out the meal.
I had some ground turkey and I just added ingredients that I thought would make a tasty meatball and hoped for the best.

They turned out great and everyone was very excited about this dinner. I quickly wrote down the estimates of what I used for the meatballs, so I could make them again because I didn't take a picture of them that first time we ate them.

I don't like repeating recipes over and over again, because I like to try new things all the time, but I knew that I wanted to make this particular meal again sometime.
I recently made the meatballs and roasted vegetables again, this time using ground turkey breast for the meatballs and the results were great.

The key to keeping the meatballs moist is browning them first in a little bit of oil, then adding liquid- I prefer chicken broth- and then covering them, to let them cook completely.

I really love the combination of eggplant, green pepper, and red potatoes, that the recipe uses in the roasted vegetables. Chickpeas are added to these veggies, near the end of the roasting time and really enhance the whole dish. Top it off with fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs and a little feta, and you have got a real winner.

Both times that I have made this meal, I have prepared the veggies first, and started roasting them, then made the meatballs while the veggies are in the oven. That way everything is ready at about the same time.


Greek Meatballs by Mary Ann
20 oz ground turkey, 93% lean or ground turkey breast
1 egg
2-3 oz feta cheese crumbles, flavored with basil and tomato
1 1/2 Tbls chopped fresh oregano
3 Tbls chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
garlic powder
salt
black pepper
2 Tbls skim milk

Mix all meatball ingredients with a fork.
Form meat mixture into balls about the size of golf balls.
Heat 1 Tbls olive oil in a saute pan over med-high heat. Add 1/2 of the meatballs and brown on all sides. Add 1/3 cup chicken broth or water. cover with a lid and cook until meat is no longer pink in the middle, about 6-8 minutes.
Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Greek-style Roasted Vegetables adapted from Family Circle magazine

• 1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
• 2 small eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch half-moons
• 1 medium-size sweet onion, sliced
• 1 medium-size green bell pepper, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degree F. In a large roasting pan, toss together the potatoes, eggplants, onion, green pepper, 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic salt and pepper. Peel off the lemon zest with a peeler and add to mixture. Reserve lemon. Roast vegetables at 425 degree F for 30 minutes, stirring twice.

2. Add chickpeas and roast an additional 15 minutes.

3. Stir in juice from lemon, oregano and mint. Top with feta crumbles.

Individual Baked Pastas with Mini-Meatballs

A couple of weeks ago, Maria posted a recipe for Individual Baked Pastas on her blog, Two Peas and Their Pod. Check out her post to see how she prepared her baked pastas and her method of throwing them together. I took her idea and ran with it.
I decided to make some mini-meatballs out of lean ground turkey and throw them into the pasta. I also made a pasta sauce with the veggies I had in my fridge.
I already had some whole wheat pasta that was cooked, waiting to be used. So, I made the meatballs and sauce, and then threw all the ingredients together and topped them with cheese. I made them in little ramekins and put the leftover meatballs in the freezer. The best thing about this recipe or idea is that you can make it your own by adding whatever veggies you want or using your favorite sauce or cheese. My kids were crazy about this dinner. It is always more fun when you have your own little dish of pasta.

Mini-Meatballs by Mary Ann

16 oz lean ground turkey (I used 93% lean)

1- 10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg white

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until combined. I like to use my hands to evenly distribute the ingredients. Form into mini- meatballs and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Watch them closely, though, you don't want them to get tough.

Garden Pasta Sauce by Mary Ann

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 6-oz can tomato sauce

1 Tbls fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 Tbls fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

In a large dutch oven, heat 1 Tbls olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, green pepper, and zucchini. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and fresh herbs. Bring to a boil and them reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Season to taste, with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, if necessary.

To assemble baked pasta- combine cooked pasta, sauce and meatballs in a large bowl. You could also add cheese. Or you can add the pasta, sauce and cheese in layers. Spoon into prepared ramekins (you could also use a large 9x13-inch dish) and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Up next- Craving Ellie- Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip

What's in Your Lunchbox?Rice Cube and Tofu, Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies, Marinated Vegetables, and English Muffin Pizzas

At least I know the limit for the title up there- It is really Rice Cube and Tofu Salad, but it wouldn't fit. ha So, I decided that I am going to do a "What's in Your Lunchbox?" post every wednesday to highlight some of the tasty lunch snacks I make every week. I bought too much tofu for our Kung Pao Tofu the other night so I decided to make a yummy salad with it. Both my son and brother love tofu (yippee!).My son loves meatballs, so when he saw these Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs in the lastest issue of Cooking Light (he likes to look with me and pick out what to make)- he requested them for lunch. (I know that they look very similar to the chicken balls I made last week, but they actually had a completely different flavor). They were great- very moist and flavorful, mostly due to the ricotta and fresh basil, and tasted great cold. They also doubled as a after-school snack the next day. The Zucchini cookies I had seen on another blog and everyone wants a sweet treat in their lunch right? The spices reminded me of a pumpkin cookie and these were cakelike, but still enjoyed. The Marinated Vegetables are great as a side dish as an alternative to carrot sticks, also served cold- my son loved it. And of course, everyone loves individual pizzas!

Rice Cube and Tofu Salad slightly adapted from kids healthy lunchbox by cara hobday

2 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup basmati rice, unrinsed

1 Tbls cornstarch

2 Tbls sesame seeds, toasted

1 1/2 cups firm tofu, cut into bite-size pieces

2 scallions, sliced

3/4 cup snow peas, finely sliced

1 cup bean sprouts

salt and pepper

For the dressing:

3 Tbls canola oil

1 Tbls sesame oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 Tbls honey

1 Tbls light soy sauce

Take a plastic container measuring 6 by8 by 1-inch and line with parchment paper.

Boil the water and add the rice. Boil for 12 minutes until very soft. Drain well. Puree 5 Tbls of the rice using a food processor. Stir into the rest of the rice and spoon into prepared container. Cover and weigh down with cans. Refrigerate

Mix together the cornstarch and sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper. Coat the diced tofu in the cornstarch mix. Fry the tofu in a little bit of canola oil over medium heat. Drain on paper towels. Refrigerate the tofu cubes in airtight containers overnight.

To assemble, mix together the scallions, snow peas, and bean sprouts. Cut the rice into cubes and add these and the tofu. Mix the dressing ingredients and add. Refrigerate. Separate a portion for the lunchbox and pack.

Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs from Cooking Light Magazine

1 pd ground turkey breast

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl with hands. Shape into 18 meatballs. Heat skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Transfer to broiler pan coated with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes or until done.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies From "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 c brown sugar

1/3 c honey

1 T vanilla extract

Combine in large bowl.

1 c white flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture.

1 c finely shredded zucchini

12 oz chocolate chips

Stir these ingredients into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes

Marinated Fresh Vegetables

2 tomatoes

2 ribs celery

1 small unpeeled zucchini

1 carrot

1 onion

1 green pepper

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Peel tomatoes, scrape out seeds, and dice in 1/2-inch squares. Clean and dice remaining vegetables; toss together. Combine sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir into vegetables. Refrigerate several hours. Drain with slotted spoon and serve.

English Muffin Pizzas by Mary Ann

6 english muffins

pizza sauce

turkey pepperoni

1 small zucchini, very thinly sliced

shredded cheese

Preheat the broiler. Split each english muffin in half. Spread desired amount of pizza sauce on each half of muffin. Layer zucchini on top of sauce and pepperoni on top of zucchini. Sprinkle cheese on top and broil, until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes.

Meatball Marinara Pita Pocket

Since we have been packing and moving this past week, I needed something fast and easy, that also tasted great. I usually make my own meatballs, but I found some lean turkey italian seasoned meatballs at the store that were on sale and decided to try them. Yum! I bought marinara sauce and added a can of beans, then pureed it so there were no big pieces of tomato (for my husband) and no visible sign of beans (for my daughter). Add some shredded zucchini to the sauce and you have got a great, healthy, fast dinner.


Meatball Marinara Pita Pocket

12 lean turkey meatballs with Italian seasoning

1 jar marinara sauce

1-15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

4-6 pitas, cut in half

shredded mozzarella cheese

Place sauce and beans in blender and puree. Put sauce into a large skillet and add meatballs and zucchini. Heat until warm over medium heat. Cut meatballs in half (makes it easier to eat). Open a pita half and spoon a few meatball halves and sauce into the pita. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and serve.

Turkey Meatball Soup with Cheese Toasts

I came up with this the other night when I wanted chicken noodle soup but with meatballs and more veggies. This is delicious and easy and kids love it. It makes alot and has a ton of liquid, but you need room in there for the meatballs and pasta to cook through. Plus soup is always good warmed up as leftovers, Right? I serve it with cheese toast- bread sprinkled with shredded mozzarella and shredded parmesan, toasted under the broiler until the cheese melts. Tasty~!

Turkey Meatball Soup with Cheese Toasts

for the soup:

1 Tbls olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 stalks of celery, from the heart, chopped leaves and all

5-6 cups chicken broth

2 cups beef broth

4-5 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh oregano

2 1/2 cups matchstick carrots

4-6 oz pasta, i used mini wheels, but anything will work

5 oz baby spinach

splash of red wine vinegar

for the meatballs:

1 pd. ground turkey breast

1 1/2 Tbls McCormick Roasted Garlic Grill Seasoning for Chicken

1 egg white

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbls skim milk

1. Place a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and celery and saute until golden and tender. Add broths and water. Add bay leaf, rosemary, and oregano and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, mix all meatball ingredients in a large bowl with your hands. Set aside.

3. Add carrots and pasta to soup and stir.

4. Take a small amount of the meatball mixture in your hands and shape into a small ball. Drop in the soup. Continue, until the meat mixture is gone. Stir the soup to make sure the meatballs all get cooked through. This should only take 5 minutes or so. I get one out and cut it in half to make sure that it is all the way cooked.

5. When the meatballs are cooked through and the pasta is tender, turn the heat off. Add the spinach and stir it in to wilt it. Remove oregano, rosemary and bay leaf. Stir in the red wine vinegar and serve with a sprinkle of shredded parmesan and cheese toast on the side.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Super Stuffed Meatballs

I don't have cable TV. I hardly ever watch anything, but rarely I sneak in the last 15 minutes of Rachael Ray's Talk Show because I know that is when she is cooking. I saw her make these giant meatballs (hers were much larger than these) and she stuffed them with mini mozzarella balls and grape tomatoes. This is my take on her Caprese Stuffed Meatballs.

This was our night before the half-marathon dinner! Carbs, Carbs and more Carbs

I wanted to make my meatballs smaller than hers, so I used grape tomatoes and chunks of fresh mozzarella that I cut myself.

Makes 16-20 "big" meatballs

Meatballs:

3 pds ground turkey, 93% lean

3 Tbls onion, shredded from a small onion

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1-2 Tbls Italian seasoning

8-10 grape tomatoes

8-10 cubes fresh mozzerella

Sauce:

the rest of the onion, chopped

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, seasoned with oregano and basil

2 14- oz can diced tomatoes,seasoned with olive oil and garlic

1 8-0z can tomato sauce

1/2 cup prepared basil pesto

zest of 1 lemon

16 oz Whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked

For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together with hands, until all ingredients are evenly mixed. Divide meat into 16-20 sections. Grab a section and flatten it with your hand. Press down in the middle and insert either a piece of mozzarella or a grape tomato. Close the meat mixture around the cheese or tomato and make sure it is sealed. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and make the rest of the meatballs in the same way. Drizzle meatballs with a little olive oil and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until meat is cooked all the way through.

For the sauce: Heat 1 Tbls olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the rest of the onion and saute until tender and slightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add all the tomatoes and tomato sauce and cover. Bring to a low boil and turn off the heat. Puree the sauce in batches in the blender and place in a large bowl. Stir in the pesto and lemon zest.

To serve: Place noodles and sauce on a plate, Top with 1-2 meatballs and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6 + lots of leftovers