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All-In-One Spaghetti

1/7/2014

10 Comments

 
I hid in the shadows of the long rolling coat racks along the wall of our church basement, biting my lip, and praying that I’d just fade into the creamy yellow walls and disappear. As I was sporting my favorite neon colored, geometrical patterned blouse with the shoulder pads protruding 6 inches past each arm, this plea was out of the question. 

My fourteen year old self had been so excited, and thinking back, quite bold, signing up to bring the ‘treat’ for fellowship coffee hour at the small country church I grew up attending. Our little church was full of wonderfully talented cooks. The spread was always lovely every Sunday morning. Whether it was homemade or store bought, warm coffee cakes, donuts, fruit and countless other goodies were always present. At fourteen, I was just entering the foray into cooking and baking on my own, and was quick to want to share my seriously amazing skills. Dump cakes with 3 ingredients, and Girl Scout Banana Boats were my specialties. It’s like I was born for the Iron Chef competition.

I decided to go with a showstopper  – Rice Krispie Treats.  Made well, this classic kid’s dessert is delectable (and addicting, c’mon, admit it!). Made terribly, and well, you have what I served to our congregation that morning. The steps leading up to the terrible end results are a blur. I can’t remember what went wrong. However, I do remember sampling a bite before cutting and plating them up that Sunday morning. Snap, crackle, pop…went my teeth. They were hard as a rock! Horrified, and with no Plan B, I continued to ice pick my way through the pan, sawing them apart. Why my mother didn't insist we stop at the store and pick up a Plan B, I do not recall. Perhaps I didn't tell her they were terrible. Perhaps we were already late and/or she was busy taking care of my 3 younger siblings. Who can know, but I was headed for coffee hour disaster.

I stood far away from the treat table, observing people drawn in by the mountain of delicious looking rice krispie blocks, only to see eyes flying wide open as they realized they were chewing on a brick paver. My father, always the comedian, kept walking past me singing Bob Seger’s song “Like a Rock.” To this day, I hate that song. 

Fast forward twenty years, lots of practice in the kitchen, and I still have the occasional “bomb”. Don’t we all?  Within Burnt Offerings, I promise to share delicious family pleasing recipes - “bomb free” guaranteed.   

So what’s your Plan B when things go awry? Or, when it’s 5 o’clock and there’s no dinner plan on the horizon? For many of us, it’s spaghetti. Old faithful.

A spaghetti dinner, in my opinion, is deceivingly laborious. The ingredients appear so innocent there in the cupboard. Just a box of noodles, and jar of sauce, right? However, when it’s all said and done, my kitchen looks like Hurricane Francesco Rinaldi blew through.  By the time you’re finished boiling the noodles, making the sauce (or just heating a jar of sauce up), browning and draining meat, baking the garlic bread, tossing a salad or heating a vegetable, you are left with approximately 900 dirty pots, pans, colanders, spoons, serving dishes, and then there’s the dinner table to clean up!

I’ve got a solution for you. It’s called All-In-One Spaghetti.  I kept seeing this recipe floating around, and the Italian in me was skeptical of the ingredients. But finally I decided to try it – and we had a winner! It was delicious! The method here is cooking the noodles right in the sauce, saving you a few extra steps and dishes to wash. Brilliant! I’ve also made this recipe using my own homemade sauce (or 2 jars of spaghetti sauce), and just add 3-4 cups of water.


All-In-One Spaghetti – 4 Servings
(Double for a big family – it’s always plenty for us, but we have small children who eat tiny portions.)
½ to 1 pound ground beef 
1 large onion, chopped (or about 1 ½ cups frozen chopped onion) 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon sugar 
2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or oregano
Dash of pepper
8 oz spaghetti, uncooked
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preparation
Cook first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven (or larger pot if doubling recipe), stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Return beef mixture to pan. Stir in tomato sauce and next 8 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 25 minutes.

Add pasta; cover and simmer, stirring often, 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve with cheese.

On The Side: Serve this with your favorite kind of garlic bread, and a chilled tossed salad, or green beans dressed with a little browned butter and garlic salt.
Recipe Source: Southern Living Magazine - November 1998


Picture
Photo Credit: Julie Nicole Photography
all_in_one_spaghetti.pdf
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File Type: pdf
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10 Comments
Jo Stauffer
9/21/2013 12:43:30 am

So glad that that trying experience did not deter you from further adventures in cooking. I'm sure Jere ate them and enjoyed them just the same. He chews ice, and Rice Krispie treats are his favorite! Did you ever figure out what happened? Did you forget the butter?

Reply
Jen
9/21/2013 01:34:45 am

Hi Jo!
I'm so sorry if Jere broke a tooth that Sunday. :-) I have no idea what I did. Maybe too many Rice Krispies? I think I've finally mastered that three ingredient recipe after all these years. Thanks for reading and commenting!! Have a great weekend Miss Joe.

Reply
Rosalie
9/21/2013 12:48:18 am

I grew up with my mom always combining Spaghetti together and it is less work, like you say. It wasn't until I got married that I realized most people serve the sauce separately :) - Although there is no right or wrong way,the way you have it here all the noodles get coated and no one is left with too little sauce ;)

Reply
Jen
9/21/2013 01:30:13 am

Hi Rosalie!
You're right, we tend to just do what we saw growing up. Guess adding noodles to the sauce is not a new concept for some. It was to me!! It does indeed make the noodles more flavorful- delicious! Thanks for your feedback, have a great weekend!

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twomenandtheirlady
9/21/2013 02:09:32 am

We'll have to try this recipe out this week. Thanks! =)

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mother vitto
9/21/2013 10:37:19 am

Somehow, this incident is hazy in my memory, like many things these days....all I know is YOU are the creative cook in our family and I' ll sit a your table anytime!

Reply
Aunt Ann
9/21/2013 11:43:00 am

I'm so laughing at your rice crispies story, but like they say you've come along way Jen!! I can also picture your Dad passing by with his wit and humor with the "Hard Like a Rock" song! ......and ya where was your Mom?...... just kidding! Love you and this story.

Reply
Aunt Ann
9/21/2013 11:45:17 am

OOps forgot to mention that all in one spaghetti recipe is genius Jen! Thanks for sharing. I would have opted for the breakfast for dinner before you brought on this recipe!!

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Heidi Zimmerman
9/24/2013 11:18:54 pm

I have a funny spaghetti story to share. This was about 20 years ago when we were in Kingston, Jamaica and staying with friends while I provided relief for another doctor who worked in the city clinics. Our friend had just hired a new girl "from the country" to help with domestic duties. In the morning we left for clinic and our friend for her job. Going out the door she said to the new girl, "Just make spaghetti and a green salad for the evening meal." When we came home prepared for a yummy meal, imagine the hysterical laughter when we lifted the pot lid to find boiled spaghetti noodles still sitting in the water with a layer of vegetable oil floating on top and gray green wilted lettuce leaves mingling themselves between the strands of spaghetti. Our poor hostess was so embarrassed, while I could hardly stop laughing til I peed myself. No one had ever told this poor young lady to prepare the spaghetti and salad separately. And no one in Jamaica ever cooks with recipes. I don't remember what we ended up eating but we had great fellowship that evening and that's half of what a meal is about anyway right?

Reply
Jen
9/25/2013 12:42:52 pm

Hi Heidi,
I love it!! Sounds like the Jamaican version of Amelia Bedelia! So funny. You're right, a meal shared together full of laughter and love are the memorable ones. Even when 'plan b' ends up being activated!
Thanks for your great story!
Blessings, Jen

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    Jen

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    If you were to peek inside Jen’s recipe box, you would find a little bit of everything. She vacillates between Velveeta and Quinoa, and considers a successful meal one in which no gagging noises were made by her children. Pulling from old family favorites and new classics, Jen is always on the lookout for recipes that are simple, crowd pleasing, and of course delicious. She's eager to share some of her favorites with you!  Watching “food is love” in action by many of the cooks in her family and community growing up, Jen now strives to love her family and friends through the dishes she serves and shares.

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