I made a delicious and easy dinner using Johnsonville® Meatballs as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars. All opinions are my own. And my family’s…because they like to be vocal and opinionated whenever food is involved. #MeatballMasters
Sometimes cooking for a family of seven is not an easy task. Sometimes, like this past week with the holidays and the flu that’s been going around, I just need a few easy meals that I can fall back on. One of my family’s stand-by meals for those nights that no one wants to think about what to cook is spaghetti and meatballs – it’s an easy Italian dinner that tastes great but doesn’t take all night to prepare.
As much as we love a classic spaghetti and meatballs dinner, and as easy as it is to dump a jar of spaghetti sauce in a pan to heat up in a pinch, my family’s tastes have become more refined the older the kids (and parents…ahem) have gotten. Now, they complain if the sauce tastes too bland and if the meatballs are not to their liking. I’m convinced that I’ve spoiled them with too much good food. They refuse to go back to ordinary.
Luckily, serving great-tasting, homemade sauce and delicious you’d-think-they-were-homemade meatballs from Johnsonville® is simple and can be done in just 30 minutes. It’s the perfect busy night meal that the whole family will love. Sometimes, I admit, I grab whatever-meatballs-are-cheapest from the shelf at the store…and the kids notice. It used to drive me crazy until I realized that I could really tell the difference, too, and a good meatball made a huge difference in how much I enjoyed my dinner. Johnsonville® meatballs are the best tasting, highest quality frozen meatballs – full of flavor, moist and plump…delicious! They use the best cuts of meat and don’t add any artificial colors or flavors.
30-minute Spaghetti Sauce
As with any good sauce, adjust spices to your taste. I like my spaghetti sauce to be a little spicy, but it’s totally fine to leave the spiciness out.
- 3 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ½ bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Crushed red pepper, to taste (or Chef Paul Prudomme’s Pizza and Pasta Magic)
- Add all ingredients to a large pot, stir, and heat over medium-high heat until sauce begins to be bubbly. Reduce heat to simmer while preparing your pasta and meatballs.
- Just before serving, add sauce to a blender and blend until sauce is smooth. Serve immediately over hot pasta, with meatballs and Parmesan cheese.
That’s it! This sauce is so simple and comes together in just 30 minutes. Even I can handle that on busy nights. Add a little Parmesan cheese and a loaf of Italian bread…and, of course, some Johnsonville® meatballs, and everyone is happy.
A quick tip: switch up your pasta on spaghetti night and your family will think you’re cooking a whole new meal. I like to serve my spaghetti sauce and meatballs with penne. Yum!
How do you like to serve up a quick Italian dinner for your family? Next time spaghetti is on the menu, be sure to add some Johnsonville® meatballs for a more delicious dinner!
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This looks so good! Thanks for sharing your recipe on Show Me Saturday!
so yummy