After last night’s lighter dinner of Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Cups my children were looking for something heartier for dinner tonight.  Everyone was hungry and looking for a warm, filling meal.  For me that means pasta or potatoes. After a glance through the pantry and freezer I decided it was going to be pasta for dinner.

I had one jar or pasta sauce on hand and some pre-cooked meatballs in the freezer.  Casserole time!

Verdict:

Two large plates later the kids were stuffed and happy.  They both loved the pizza flavor of the sauce and cheese and I loved how very simple the dish was to put together.  I don’t often use pre-made sauce from a jar but adding my own spices to it really gave it a “homemade” flavor.

I added a side of green beans with garlic and a green salad to make this a tasty meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pasta, cooked to al dente according to package directions
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1/4 cup of water
• 2 TBSP dried oregano
• 1 TBSP powdered garlic
• 2 tsp powdered onion
• 1 lb. pre-cooked frozen meatballs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13×9 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Once pasta is cooked and drained return pasta to saucepan.  Add pasta sauce, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and meatballs to pan and stir well.  Add 1/4 cup of water to pasta sauce jar and shake well to get all the sauce from the jar.   Add to pasta mixture and stir.  Taste and adjust spices to your liking.  I added more garlic and oregano but my kids like lots of garlic and oregano that most people will not like.
3. Pour mixture into casserole dish and spread evenly in the pan.  Sprinkle with the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
4. Bake for 35 minutes until meatballs are heated through and cheese on top begins to brown.
5. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes before serving.