Homemade "Spaghettios!"

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

08 Apr 2007 12:20 PM

Want a great homemade treat that kids will love? This recipe is so simple to make, and it tastes much better than those canned kids meals.

I discovered this great little recipe while on a pantry challenge. A pantry challenge is when you look into your pantry and try to use up the things you have on hand instead of going grocery shopping. During that pantry challenge, I found that I had a large number of cans of tomato soup as well as boxes of pasta.

This recipe did the trick with using up those ingredients. It actually turned out to be so yummy, that we have added it as a staple to our meal planning. I like both the fact that it is inexpensive to make, and the fact that the kids just seem to gobble it up.

My homemade "Spaghettios" recipe is based on a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. However, i modified it quite a bit, including the bake time. You may choose to leave out the garlic, but I find that it adds a nice sweet flavor and additional nutrition to this meal.

Instead of spaghetti, I like to use a nice hearty pasta shape.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound macaroni or other pasta (I used corkscrew)
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• A heaping teaspoon of minced garlic (I buy minced garlic in a jar. It has that sweet, mild flavor after being refrigerated)
• 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 8 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Pour in pasta and cook according to package directions, usually for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente (firm to the bite); drain.

In large bowl, combine macaroni, soup, milk, cheese and 6 tablespoons butter. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Mary Ann Romans writes about her family's money saving secrets in the Frugal Living Blog here at Families.com

Related Articles:

Pantry Challenge: Using Allrecipes.com

Pantry Challenge: Baking Day

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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Valorie Delp (49340) 08 Apr 2007 06:50 PM

I am going to try it and see what my kids say! Thanks!

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 08 Apr 2007 07:55 PM

Let me know if they like it. My kids are so used to garlic, but you might want to go easy on it or leave it out for the first try.