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Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

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I think Stuffing deserves a spot at the dinner table all year long, not just at Thanksgiving. That is one of the reasons I created this Chicken and Stuffing Casserole Recipe. The other reason is that this Chicken and Gravy recipe has gone absolutely viral on Pinterest and I wanted to make another recipe that matched the “comfort food vibe” of that one… and this Chicken and Stove Top recipe does just that!!

A pan of chicken and stuffing with green beans and tomatoes in the background

Chicken breast are seasoned with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, then nestled in a cream style sauce, topped with stuffing and finished with some cubes of butter. It all bakes together in the oven in one pan. The chicken turns out so tender and the stuffing is buttery soft with a slightly crisp top.

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Why You’ll Love The Chicken and Stuffing

  • Big flavor payout for not a ton of work.
  • The chicken cooks up so tender and juicy in the cream sauce.
  • Excellent family dinner.
  • SO easy to make.
  • Stuffing for dinner during the week – no brainer!
  • One. Pan. Dinner.

Ingredients

Chicken Breasts – I find that a lot of chicken breasts (even the organic ones) are overly huge. I like to cut the chicken breasts lengthwise for better portioning and even cooking time.

Cream of Mushroom Soup & Cream of Chicken Soup – If “cream of” soups are a no-go for you, this recipe might not be for you. This is the main base of the sauce that coats the chicken.

Ingredients on a table for Chicken and Stuffing

Milk – Just 1 ¼ cups of milk mixes with the cream of soups to make the yummy cream sauce that the chicken bakes in.

Seasonings – You will want a mix of kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to season the chicken and the cream sauce.

Box Stuffing – One box of Stove Top Stuffing tops the chicken and the cream sauce. If you have a hungry bunch, double it to two boxes!

Chicken Broth – A little chicken broth or stock will revive the box stuffing before you pop it in the oven.

Butter – Cube 3 tablespoon of cold butter and dot the top of the stuffing. It helps keep it buttery and moist in the middle, and gives it a slight crisp to the top.

homemade stuffing in a baking dish

Homemade Stuffing

If you want to use homemade stuffing on top of your chicken, check out this recipe… it has over 50 five star ratings and over 100 comments.

Get the recipe

How To Make Chicken Breast and Stuffing

This is a quick overview of how to make Chicken and Stuffing. For more detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, pop down to the recipe card. If you have a super hungry bunch, double the stuffing (also double the chicken broth), all other ingredients will stay the same.

Cut chicken breasts seasoned with salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder

Step 1

Cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise and season. Set aside.

Stove Top Stuffing mixed with chicken stock

Step 2

Mix the stuffing with the warmed chicken broth and let sit to soak for a few minutes.

chicken breasts in a creamy sauce in a 9x13 pan

Step 3

Mix the cream of soups with the milk and seasonings. Pour into a 9×13 baking pan and nestle in the chicken.

butter cubed on top of stuffing and chicken in a baking dish

Step 4

Top with the prepared stuffing and then dot with butter. Bake covered with foil at 350°F for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake another 30 mins.

Chicken and stove top stuffing casserole in a baking dish

Step 4

Let cool and thicken for about 10 minutes before serving.

Storing and Reheating

Keep any leftovers in the fridge in a covered container for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave. To reheat the pan pop in a 350°F oven, covered for 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. Ensure the middle is warm before serving.

More Yummy Chicken Recipes

chicken in a cream sauce with stuffing over top, in a 9x13 baking dish

Chicken and Stove Top Stuffing Casserole

Now this is comfort food. Chicken breasts cook in a super easy cream sauce and is topped with store bought stuffing. It's a super easy weeknight dinner that is made in one pan.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Cooling: 10 minutes
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 344kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts - split in half lengthwise to equal 6 thinner chicken breasts
  • 10.5 oz Cream of Chicken soup
  • 10.5 oz Cream of Mushroom soup
  • 1 ¼ cups milk
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 oz. box Stove Top Stuffing - any flavor
  • 1 cup chicken stock - warmed
  • 3 tablespoon butter - cold, cubed

Instructions
 

NOTE

  • If you have a hungry bunch you can use 2 boxes of stuffing. Simply double the chicken broth as well, all other ingredients and the cooking time will stay the same.

PREP

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F
  • Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Season on all sides with a little kosher salt and black pepper (optionally also sprinkle on some onion powder and garlic powder). Set aside.
    3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
    Cut chicken breasts seasoned with salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
  • Add the stuffing to a bowl and mix in the warm chicken stock, let it soak for a few minutes. Fluff with a fork.
    6 oz. box Stove Top Stuffing, 1 cup chicken stock
    Stove Top Stuffing mixed with chicken stock
  • In a bowl whisk together both the cream of soups, milk, and seasonings.
    10.5 oz Cream of Chicken soup, 10.5 oz Cream of Mushroom soup, 1 ¼ cups milk, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
    A mix of cream of chicken and mushroom soups and milk

ASSEMBLY

  • Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish. Lay the seasoned chicken in the sauce.
    chicken breasts in a creamy sauce in a 9x13 pan
  • Sprinkle the prepped stuffing over the chicken.
    stuffing sprinkled over chicken and cream sauce
  • Cube the butter and dot the top of the stuffing.
    3 tablespoon butter
    butter cubed on top of stuffing and chicken in a baking dish

BAKING

STORING AND REHEATING

  • Keep any leftovers in the fridge in a covered container for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave.
    To reheat the pan pop in a 350°F oven, covered for 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. Ensure the middle is warm before serving.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1344mg | Potassium: 532mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Homemade Meatballs

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When I published the Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe I got a lot of comments from people saying they wanted protein with the spaghetti. You know we make a killer meatball here at Mom’s Dinner so I knew I needed to create a really good Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs. This recipe DELIVERS!!! The meatballs are easy to put together, they are full of flavor and they stay together under the pressure of the Instant Pot. The spaghetti cooks in chicken broth and marinara sauce, infusing each noodle with so much flavor.

Fork resting on the side of a plate filled with spaghetti and meatballs.

This Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe holds up to all the standards of Mom’s Dinner – it’s an easy recipe with simple ingredients and has a huge flavor payout. You’re going to love it!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Spaghetti and Meatballs = Classic Family Dinner
  • If you love your Instant Pot, you are going to love this recipe.
  • It’s super easy to make but has a huge flavor payout!
  • All cooked in one pot; no draining – no sautéing.
  • The pasta cooks in chicken broth, HUGE flavor.

Ingredients

MEATBALLS: This recipe is specifically for Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs. IF you want to use frozen meatballs you will want to pop over to the Instant Pot Spaghetti with Frozen Meatball recipe, it is slightly different.

Ground Beef – I recommend using an 85/15 lean ground beef for your meatballs. It will have enough fat to be flavorful, but not so much that your spaghetti is greasy.

Panko Breadcrumbs – These are the coarser breadcrumbs and they make a perfect starch for the panade (which is a starch and a liquid combined to keep a ground meat recipe tender and juicy).

Milk – This is the liquid used for the panade and moistens the bread crumbs perfectly. Any type of milk will work.

Egg – 1 large egg will help bind the meatballs so they don’t fall apart in the Instant Pot.

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil will also help keep your meatballs juicy and tender.

Garlic – 2 raw garlic cloves minced and added the meatball mixture adds a ton of flavor! Make sure you mince it pretty well so there aren’t large chunks of garlic.

Seasoning – A combo of kosher salt, dried basil and onion powder is the perfect mix to flavor the meatballs.

Parmesan – You are going to love the flavor of parmesan in the meatballs. I recommend that you use coarsely ground parmesan to get little pockets of parm throughout. See photo below.

Buy a wedge of good parmesan, cut it into chunks and then pulse it in a blender or food processor until it resembles small gravel.

coarse ground parmesan cheese

PASTA:

Spaghetti – This recipe is specifically tested and written for classic spaghetti. If you choose to use a different thickness of pasta the cook time may be different.

Marinara – Use your family’s favorite jarred marinara sauce. We love Rao’s Marinara.

Chicken Broth – You can use chicken broth or water.. I will say that the chicken broth adds a really great layer of flavor to your pasta!! Give it a try.

Olive Oil – A little olive oil added before the pasta helps prevent the burn notice in the Instant Pot.

How TO Make Spaghetti and Meatballs in The Instant Pot

Raw meatballs shaped into balls.

Step 1

Mix the panade for the meatballs. Add the ground beef, then portion and roll the meatballs.

We love using a medium cookie scoop to portion meatballs!

Spaghetti noodles added to the instant pot in a criss cross design.

Step 2

Pour the olive oil in the bottom of the pot. Break the spaghetti and criss-cross it in a few layers in the Instant Pot.

Raw meatballs added to the top of the uncooked pasta in the instant pot.

Step 3

Pour in the chicken broth and kosher salt. Lay the meatballs over top.

Sauce added to the top of the meatballs in the instant pot.

Step 4

Pour HALF of the marinara over the meatballs.

Instant pot filled with cooked spaghetti and meatballs.

Step 5

Close the lid and set to cook for 4 minutes, do a 5 min natural release.

Spaghetti combined well with the sauce in the instant pot.

Step 6

Open the pot, remove the meatballs and then vigorously stir the spaghetti (any clumps should break apart easily). Pour in the remaining sauce and stir.

Meatballs resting in the instant pot on top of the spaghetti and pasta.

Step 7

Add the meatballs back to the pot or just serve them over top of the plated spaghetti.

Storing Leftovers

Keep any leftover Spaghetti and Meatballs in the fridge, in a covered container for up to 5 days.

Plate of spaghetti and meatballs that was prepared in the instant pot.

Tips For the Best Instant Pot Spaghetti With Meatballs

Avoid overmixing meatballs: Overworked proteins form tight bonds, leading to rubbery results. Mix until just combined.

Use 85/15 ground beef: It’s the best fat to lean ratio for flavor and texture without being overly greasy.

Tested with spaghetti noodles: Use spaghetti as your pasta. A noodle that is thicker or thinner will require different cook time.

Criss-cross the spaghetti: Breaking the noodles in half and layering them in a criss-cross patter helps the noodles not cook together.

Cook in chicken broth: For the most flavor use a chicken broth as your cooking liquid.

Only add half the marinara at first: This allows some of the sauce to infuse the noodles. Then you add the remaining half after the pressure cook so you have a nice balance of sauciness.

Side Dishes for Serving

A classic plate of spaghetti and meatballs pairs perfectly with simple sides. A crisp Caesar salad or a fresh green salad with vinaigrette adds just the right amount of brightness to cut through the rich tomato sauce. Garlic bread is always a must, and if you want to go a little extra, cheesy garlic bread makes it even better. For a nice little nibble on the side, a small bowl of assorted olives works beautifully to round out the meal.

More Instant Pot Spaghetti Recipes

Plate of spaghetti and meatballs that was prepared in the instant pot.

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

This Instant Pot Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs is all about simple ingredients coming together to make big flavor. The meatballs are made with ground beef -tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. A one-pot dinner with classic Italian ingredients, ready in no time!
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Natural Release: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 590kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

MEATBALLS – about 16 meatballs

SPAGHETTI

Instructions
 

Homemade Meatballs

  • In a large bowl mix the bread crumbs, extra virgin olive oil, and milk. Let sit for a few minutes to absorb.
    ¼ cup panko bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Add the egg, garlic, parmesan, seasonings and ground beef. Mix just until it is combined.
    1 lb ground beef, 1 large egg, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Roll the meatballs, about 1.5Tbsp in size each – you will have around 16-18 meatballs.
    Raw meatballs shaped into balls.

Instant Pot Cooking

  • Layer the ingredients into the Instant Pot –
    1 tablespoon oil, spaghetti divided into sections and laid in a criss-cross pattern, pour the chicken broth over top, sprinkle in the kosher salt, layer in the meatballs. Then pour in HALF the jar of sauce.
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 lb. spaghetti, 3 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    Sauce added to the top of the meatballs in the instant pot.
  • Set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure, normal heat for 4 mins, then do a 5 min natural release. Finish with a quick release after that.
    Instant pot filled with cooked spaghetti and meatballs.
  • Remove the meatballs to a separate plate.
    Spaghetti combined well with the sauce in the instant pot.
  • Vigorously toss the spaghetti with tongs, any clumps should bread up easily. Add the remaining sauce and toss together.
    Don't worry if it looks a little watery, it will thicken as it cools.
  • Add the meatballs back to the pot and let everything cool for about 5 minutes.
    Meatballs resting in the instant pot on top of the spaghetti and pasta.

Serving

Storing

  • Keep in the fridge, in a covered container, for up to 5 days.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1902mg | Potassium: 762mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 576IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 4mg

Simple Cheesy Garlic Bread

by 2 Comments

How excited are you when you sit down to dinner and there’s Cheesy Garlic Bread!? I mean, it’s the best, like winning the food lottery. I always say that garlic bread is a universally loved side dish. I think CHEESY Garlic Bread is in a tie for that title. This garlic bread with cheese is the absolute best… the outside is crispy, the top is smothered in garlic butter, and it’s finished with a melty cheesy combo of mozzarella and parmesan.

Cheesy garlic bread with half a loaf sliced up ready to serve next to another golden brown cheesy bread loaf garnished with chopped up parsley.

Really good Garlic Cheese Bread does not need to be complicated… you just need some good bread, salted butter, garlic powder, and melty cheese. Everyone will be fighting over the last piece. Maybe you should make two loaves?

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Why You’ll Love This One

  • It is super easy to make
  • Has a really pronounced garlic butter flavor
  • Enough cheese to be cheesy… but not too much cheese
  • Made with simple ingredients
  • The bread gets crispy on the outside and buttery soft in the middle.
  • Universally loved side dish for any dinner!

Ingredients for Garlic Cheese Bread

French or Italian Loaf – the recipe was tested with both a French and Italian loaf of bread. Which means the cooking time is good for a bread that is at least 3 inches thick. The bread will stay soft in the middle, be nice and buttery, and have a crispy outer crust.

Olive Oil – either an extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil will work. By brushing it on the crust side of the bread you ensure that the crust has a nice crisp to it!

Ingredients shown are used to prepare cheesy garlic bread.

Fresh Grated Mozzarella Cheese – Using a fresh shredded mozzarella is going to be so much better than pre shredded mozzarella. If you have a whole milk mozzarella it will be so creamy and delicious!

Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan is the perfect cheese to pair with the mozzarella.

Salted Butter – it's the only butter we recognize here at Mom's Dinner… It's the only one with FLAVOR. If you are using unsalted butter you will want to add a little extra kosher salt when you melt it.

Garlic Powder or Granulated Garlic – whatever garlic powder you have in your spice cabinet will work great.

Kosher Salt – the salted butter will have a good amount of salt, but I like to add just a pinch to the garlic butter to enhance the garlic flavor.

How To Make Cheesy Garlic Bread

Silicone brush adding garlic butter to the bottoms of an Italian loaf.

Step 1

Cut the loaf in half, place cut side down and brush the olive oil on the crust.

Garlic butter spread over the middle of the halves of an Italian loaf of bread.

Step 2

Flip the bread over and brush the melted butter over the cut side. Pop in the oven for 10 minutes.

Shredded cheese added to the two halves of a garlic butter topped loaf of Italian bread.

Step 3

Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Golden brown cheesy bread with garlic on an aluminum foil topped baking sheet.

Step 4

Pop back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Hand holding up a golden brown baked piece of cheesy garlic bread.

Step 5

Sprinkle with parsley (optional). And cut into slices for serving.

Make It A Dinner

Truly I think that garlic bread and cheesy garlic bread are universally loved side dishes. Here is one of our favorite menus to pair with Cheesy Garlic Bread…

More Dinner Bread Recipes

Hand holding up a golden brown baked piece of cheesy garlic bread.

Garlic Bread with Cheese

This cheesy garlic bread is made with a French or Italian loaf coated in olive oil, topped with garlic butter and two cheeses; mozzarella and parmesan. The outside is crispy and the top is cheesy and garlicky.
4 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 179kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

  • Large French or Italian Loaf
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil or EVOO
  • 6 tablespoon Salted Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder - or Granulated garlic
  • pinch Kosher Salt
  • 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese - fresh grated
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese - fresh grated
  • Fresh parsley - chopped (optional garnish)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
  • Cut the bread in half lengthwise.
    Large French or Italian Loaf
  • Melt the butter with the garlic powder and pinch of salt.
    6 tablespoon Salted Butter, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, pinch Kosher Salt
  • Put the bread cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the olive oil on the outside of the bread (crust side).
    1 tablespoon Olive Oil or EVOO
    Silicone brush adding garlic butter to the bottoms of an Italian loaf.
  • Give the garlic butter a really good stir to mix the garlic into the butter. Flip the bread over and brush the garlic butter over the cut side.
    Garlic butter spread over the middle of the halves of an Italian loaf of bread.
  • Pop in the oven for 10 minutes.
  • Mix the shredded cheese together. Spread over the cut side of the bread.
    1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese
    Shredded cheese added to the two halves of a garlic butter topped loaf of Italian bread.
  • Pop back in the oven for 10 minutes.
  • Let it cool slightly and then cut into slices and serve warm with dinner.
    Golden brown cheesy bread with garlic on an aluminum foil topped baking sheet.
  • Optionally sprinkle on cut parsley
    Fresh parsley
    Parsley topped garlic cheesy bread with half of the loaf sliced into individual pieces to serve.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 453IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Outstanding Beef Manicotti

by 3 Comments

This Beef Manicotti makes such an amazing family dinner. It’s one of those recipes that brings everyone to the table with a smile – no complaints, even from the picky eaters! The beef and ricotta filling is so flavorful, and you get to use your family’s favorite store-bought marinara sauce, we love a good short cut here at Mom’s Dinner.

Serving fork resting in a baking dish of hot stuffed beef manicotti dinner.

Another pillar of Mom’s Dinner recipes is big flavor payout for not a lot of effort. I worked this recipe over a few times to get the right flavor and texture. The ratio of ground beef to ricotta is balanced with the addition of mozzarella and parmesan. Then adding garlic and onion powder to the filling along with chopped garlic is the key to lots of flavor. You are going to love this Manicotti with Meat.

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Why You’ll Love them

  • Pure comfort food
  • The recipe has the perfect ratio of beef-cheese-sauce.
  • Easily customizable – ex. add spinach, sub sausage or ground turkey for the beef, add sauteed mushroom or zucchini to the filling.
  • Family friendly dinner
  • Perfect for feeding a crowd.

Ingredients for Manicotti

Manicotti Shells – An 8oz store bought manicotti package will have about 14 shells, which is perfect for this recipe. Boil them in salted water for about 4-5 minutes, they will continue to cook after draining, and will cook in the oven as well.

Ground Beef – I recommend either an 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef for your manicotti. It will have enough fat to be flavorful, but not so much that your dish turns out greasy.

Ricotta Cheese – Definitely opt for a whole milk ricotta for the creamiest and smoothest stuffed manicotti.

Portioned ingredients are laid out that are used to prepare beef manicotti.

Egg – One large egg will bind the filling together so it doesn’t spill out of the shells when it bakes.

Garlic & Onion – Adds amazing flavor to the beef and ricotta filling.

Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese – The combo of two cheeses keeps the manicotti filling creamy and cheesy, and it makes for the perfect topping that gets melty and golden in the oven. Opt for a whole milk mozzarella for the creamiest melt!

Marinara – Choose your family’s favorite store bought marinara sauce as a great shortcut, we love Rao’s.

Tomato Sauce – Just an 8 oz can mixed with the store bought marinara gives you the right amount of sauce for the stuffed manicotti.

Seasonings – A blend of onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper and nutmeg season the filling perfectly!

How To Make Manicotti with Meat

Cooked manicotti shells cooling on a parchment paper coated cooling rack.

Step 1

Cook the manicotti for about 4-5 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain and layout on parchment paper to cool.

Ground beef browned with garlic and onions.

Step 2

Saute the ground beef with onions. Add the garlic. Add the seasoning, then set to the side to cool.

Cheese mixture in a glass bowl for manicotti stuffing.

Step 3

Make the ricotta and cheese mixture. Add the cooked ground beef mixture once it is cooled.

Store bought marinara sauce added to the bottom of a baking dish.

Step 4

Combine the marinara and tomato sauce, give it a taste and add seasonings as needed. spread about 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of the pan.

Stuffed manicotti shells added to a baking dish with marinara sauce on the bottom.

Step 5

Fill the cooked manicotti shells with the beef and ricotta mixture. Lay in the pan.

Shredded cheese topping the cheese stuffed manicotti shells in a baking dish.

Step 6

Cover with the rest of the marinara mixture, remaining cheese and parmesan. Cover with foil and bake

Close up of hot melty cheese over stuffed beef manicotti in a baking dish.

Step 7

Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes.

Freezing and Storing

Storing & Reheating

  1. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
  2. Reheat in the oven at 350°F covered with foil until warmed through, usually about 25-30 minutes. Single servings can also be microwaved in 60-second bursts. For best results, reheat baked manicotti in the oven so the cheese melts evenly and the filling stays creamy.

Freezing & Reheating

  1. To freeze before baking, assemble the manicotti in a disposable foil pan. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed. 
  2. To freeze baked portions, store in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.

Tips for the best Manicotti

  • Spoon the beef/ricotta mixture into a large zip lock bag, cut a corner from the bag and use as a piping bag. To make it easier to maneuver, do this in two batches.
  • You may need to push the filling to the middle of each manicotti shell with a small spoon or a clean finger.
  • Use your family’s favorite jarred marinara – we love Rao’s.
  • Don’t overcook the manicotti shells; they will continue to cook as they cool (carryover cooking), then cook again in the oven.
  • Don’t leave the manicotti shells in the strainer; lay them out on a piece of parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
  • Boiling your pasta with chicken broth or with 2 chicken bouillon cubes and a bay leaf will add a lot of flavor to this dish! Use any combination of chicken broth and water or use only chicken broth. 
  • Crush dried herbs between your fingers before adding to the dish. It breaks them open and refreshes the flavor.
  • If you can’t fit all the manicotti in your pan you can cut the noodles in half, then fill them and nestle them in the empty spaces.

Side Dishes For Beef Manicotti

A few slices of stuffed beef manicotti served from a baking dish with melted cheese spilling out into the serving fork resting there.

Have More Questions?

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Close up of hot melty cheese over stuffed beef manicotti in a baking dish.

Manicotti with Meat Recipe

Tender pasta shells are stuffed with a flavorful mixture of seasoned ground beef, creamy ricotta, and melty mozzarella, then baked in your favorite store-bought marinara sauce. It's classic comfort food made simple, and the best part-you don't need a long list of fancy ingredients to make it happen.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Cooling Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 721kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

Assembly

  • 8 oz manicotti shells - (about 14 shells)
  • 24-28 oz. marinara sauce - jar of your favorite brand
  • 8 oz. tomato sauce - can
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley (optional) - chopped for garnish

Ricotta and Beef Filling

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion - heaping, finely diced
  • 1 lb. ground beef - 90% or 85% lean preferred
  • 1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic - minced
  • 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg - lightly beaten
  • ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 10 oz. mozzarella cheese - fresh shredded, divided
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese - fresh grated, divided

Instructions
 

  • Start by preheating the oven to 375°F. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 OR 10×15 baking dish with non-stick spray.
  • Cook the manicotti shells in salted boiling water for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot, then drain and lay them flat on parchment so they don't stick together.
    8 oz manicotti shells
    Cooked manicotti shells cooling on a parchment paper coated cooling rack.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the diced onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
    1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 cup yellow onion
  • Add the ground beef and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook and crumble until the meat is browned and cooked through.
    1 lb. ground beef, 1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp. black pepper
  • Add the garlic and cook another minute. Drain any excess grease. Set ground beef mixture aside to cool.
    3 cloves garlic
    Ground beef browned with garlic and onions.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, 6 oz. of the mozzarella, and half of the parmesan.
    Add the cooled beef and onion mixture and stir well until everything is evenly combined.
    15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
    Cheese mixture in a glass bowl for manicotti stuffing.
  • In another bowl, stir the jarred marinara and tomato sauce together. Add salt and seasoning as needed.
    24-28 oz. marinara sauce, 8 oz. tomato sauce

Assembly

  • Spread one cup of sauce mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.
    Store bought marinara sauce added to the bottom of a baking dish.
  • Carefully spoon or pipe the beef and ricotta filling into each manicotti shell and arrange them in a single layer in the dish.
    TIP: Spoon half of the beef/ricotta mixture into a large zip lock bag and cut off one corner. Use this to pipe the mixture into the shells. Then repeat with the rest of the filling.
    You may need to use a small spoon or clean finger to press the filling to the center or the manicotti shell.
    Stuffed manicotti shells added to a baking dish with marinara sauce on the bottom.
  • Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the filled shells. Sprinkle on the remaining 4 oz. mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan.
    Shredded cheese topping the cheese stuffed manicotti shells in a baking dish.

Baking

  • Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
    Optional – finish with the broiler on for a minute or two to make golden spots on the cheese.
    A few slices of stuffed beef manicotti served from a baking dish with melted cheese spilling out into the serving fork resting there.
  • Optional – Garnish with parsley before serving.

To Make Ahead

  • To make this ahead of time, assemble the dish up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time if starting from cold

Storage

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat

  • For best results, reheat baked manicotti in the oven so the cheese melts evenly and the filling stays creamy. Reheat in the oven at 350°F covered with foil until warmed through, usually about 25-30 minutes.
    Single servings can also be microwaved in 60-second bursts.

Freeze/Thaw

  • To freeze before baking, assemble the manicotti in a disposable foil pan. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
  • To freeze baked portions, store in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 721kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 1594mg | Potassium: 965mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1839IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 570mg | Iron: 5mg

30 Cozy Fall Dinner Recipes

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As the days get shorter and the air turns crisp, nothing feels more comforting than a warm, hearty dinner. Fall is the season of comfort food-when kitchens fill with the scent of simmering soups and savory sauces that make you want to linger just a little longer at dinner. This collection of cozy fall dinner recipes is designed to bring that feeling to your table.

A bowl of chicken and biscuits

From slow-cooked classics to quick weeknight dinners, these recipes highlight the best of autumn flavors that pair perfectly with a slice of crusty bread or a glass of red wine. Each recipe is made with simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store, but still delivers over the top flavor we all crave during this chilly season.

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Hearty Chicken & Turkey Recipes

two hands holding a bowl of chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes
Chicken and Gravy (over mashed potatoes)
Super flavorful, yet uncomplicated, recipe for Shredded Chicken and Gravy that is wonderful served over mashed potatoes. This is the comfort food you want when you need a little food lovin'.
Chicken and Gravy Recipe
turkey pot pie with a slice taken out
Homemade Turkey Pot Pie Recipe + Video
A delicious double crust, savory pot pie loaded with turkey, veggies, and herbs all in a creamy sauce. This is a great dish to make with leftover roasted turkey (or chicken!).
Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Noodles in a skillet garnished with parsley
Creamy Chicken and Noodles
Creamy Chicken and Noodles is the perfect comfort food dinner. Thick egg noodles and shredded chicken are mixed in a cream sauce that is flavored with spices and herbs. You can even add mixed veggies for a more well-rounded dinner entree.
Chicken and Noodles Recipe
A bowl of chicken and biscuits
Chicken and Biscuits Casserole
A super flavorful and thick chicken stew is topped with biscuits and baked in the oven. Amazing down-home flavor that everyone will love!
Chicken N Biscuits Recipe
cream cheese chicken enchiladas on a plate with red chili sauce, cheese, and avocados
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas are a delicious and easy enchilada recipe. Yellow corn tortillas are filled with cream cheese, sour cream, and green chilies mixed with chicken. Red chili enchilada sauce coats the enchiladas and gooey cheese tops it all off!
Cream Cheese Enchilada Recipe
chicken in a cream sauce with stuffing over top, in a 9x13 baking dish
Chicken and Stove Top Stuffing Casserole
Now this is comfort food. Chicken breasts cook in a super easy cream sauce and is topped with store bought stuffing. It's a super easy weeknight dinner that is made in one pan.
Check out this recipe
Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie in a cast iron skillet
Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
A delicious family dinner that has layers of ground turkey mixed with seasonings and herbs, carrots, and peas, all topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked in the oven.
Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Easily Set A Cozy Atmosphere

If it’s a snowy or rainy night, don’t miss the opportunity to set the coziest dinner atmosphere. Here are some of our favorite ways:

  • Dim the lights.
  • Simmer mulling spices on the stove-top.
  • Play soft music.
  • Put phones away.
  • Light candles.
  • Put on cozy sweat pants or jammies.
  • Throw dinner-at-the-table out the window and grab all the cozy blankets and put on a good movie or show! (my favorite)
  • If you do eat at the table serve family style so you can linger a little longer.

Autumn-Like Beef Recipes

a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese topped with parmesan cheese and parsley
Classic Bolognese Recipe
Traditional recipe for Beef Bolognese; starts w/ soffritto, add milk, white wine, herbs & crushed tomatoes. It makes amazing Spaghetti Bolognese.
Bolognese Recipe
A pan of ground beef enchiladas with cheese melted over top
Ground Beef and Cheese Enchiladas Recipe
Dig into these beef and cheese enchiladas smothered in rich red sauce. Topped w/ melty cheese and all your favorite fresh fixings.
Beef Enchilada Recipe
a large bowl filled with mashed potatoes topped with Swedish Meatballs
Easy Swedish Meatballs Recipe
The best Swedish Meatball recipe you will make! A perfect meatball is simmered in a delicious homemade sauce/gravy and served over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice.
This is WAY better than the Ikea Swedish Meatballs.
Swedish Meatball Recipe
Hand scooping up a serving of baked rigatoni with a cheesy pull coming from the pasta.
Hearty Baked Rigatoni
A big casserole pan of delicious meat sauce baked with rigatoni pasta and plenty of cheese. This recipe makes an amazing family dinner!
Baked Rigatoni Recipe
meatloaf with a ketchup topping, on a platter with two slices cut
Beef Meatloaf Recipe
This is a classic meatloaf recipe, just like your Grandma made! Ground beef and ground pork are mixed with onions, garlic and seasonings then topped with a delicious Ketchup mixture. Slice the meatloaf up thick for an amazing dinner.
Meatloaf Recipe
The very best lasagna recipe in a 9x13 pan
Homemade Lasagna Recipe
The BEST Homemade Lasagna recipe you will make that your family will request again and again. Delicious layers of lasagna noodles, rich Italian sausage tomato sauce, herby ricotta and melty cheese bake up perfectly together. It is a great family dinner for any occasion.
Bonus, it can be made ahead and even frozen for easy dinner prep!
Lasagna Recipe
homemade sloppy joe's being heaped on a bun
Homemade Sloppy Joes Recipe
This is a classic Midwestern recipe for Sloppy Joe's sandwiches that is made with a simple homemade sloppy joe sauce, mixed with ground beef, onion and garlic. Makes a super quick and casual dinner.AKA: maid rite, tavern, manwich, or loose meat sandwich
Sloppy Joe’s Recipe
Italian Meatloaf in a pan, with one slice cut
Italian Meatloaf Recipe Easy
An easy recipe for Italian flavored meatloaf. It has all the flavors of your favorite Italian meatballs. Makes a great entree for an Italian dinner!
Italian Meatloaf Recipe

Perfect Soups & Stews For Fall

big bowl of chicken noodle soup
Homemade Egg Noodle Chicken Soup
An over the top delicious Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. This recipe has a SUPER flavorful and slightly thick broth, tender carrots, celery and onions. It is topped off with thick and hearty egg noodles. This will be come your go-to Chicken Noodle Soup recipe! 
Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
a big bowl of chili topped with green onions
Classic Chili
A Classic Chili recipe that has ground beef and beans. It has all the flavors you love: chili powder, garlic, onions, and tomatoes, plus a little clove and all spice for warmth. 
There is nothing better than a big bowl of chili on a cold night!
Chili Recipe
creamy red potato soup topped with bacon and cheese in a brown crock bowl
Creamy Red Potato Soup
A creamy potato soup made with red skinned potatoes (new potatoes). Serve your soup loaded up with crispy bacon, cheese and green onions.
Red Potato Soup Recipe
a bowl of chicken and dumplings with a dumpling split open
Chicken Stew with Dumplings
Soft and pillowy homemade dumplings are dropped into the a thick and creamy chicken stew and steamed to perfection. Some of the best comfort food!
Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Potato Ham Chowder in a bowl with green onions on top
Ham & Potato Chowder
A thick and creamy potato chowder with ham. This is a great recipe to use up leftover ham.
Ham Potato Chowder Recipe
Ladleful of broccoli cheddar soup coming out of a Dutch oven, ready to serve.
Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
This easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup tastes just like Panera but is made with simple, everyday ingredients. Fresh broccoli, carrots, onion, cream, and sharp cheddar come together for a cozy, creamy soup that's perfect for weeknight dinners.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
Dutch Oven Beef Stew that has been cooked and has a wooden spoon in the pot.
Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Traditional Dutch Oven Beef Stew that is baked in the oven, low and slow, for 5 hours. It is full of tender beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions in a thick and rich gravy.
Beef Stew Recipe
a large pot of cauliflower potato soup that is pureed
Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup
Cauliflower Potato Soup is made with russet potatoes and fresh cauliflower florets simmered in a chicken broth with onions and garlic. It is pureed smooth and then mixed with plain Greek yogurt and heavy cream.
Cauliflower Potato Soup
Close up of Instant Pot Beef Stew with a spoon resting in the mixture, showing carrots, beef chunks, peas, and potatoes.
Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
This is such a easy recipe for Instant Pot Beef Stew. You simply chop, measure, pour, stir and cook! No browning or sautéing required. The Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker) does all the work!
Beef Stew in the Instant Pot
a ladle full of creamy chicken noodle soup
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
A creamy chicken noodle soup that is full of carrots, celery, onions and garlic mixed with a super flavorful stock, tender chicken and seasonings and plenty of hearty kluski noodles.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Simple Sides

When you make a really delicious dinner, make sure you have good bread to sop up all the flavor at the bottom!

Comfort-Food Pork Recipes

Halved biscuits on a plate, topped with sauage gravy recipe with a fork resting on the side.
Sausage Gravy Recipe for Biscuits and Gravy
Perfectly seasoned pork breakfast sausage is sautéed with onions, then smothered in a seasoned rich, thickened milk mixture. Spoon it over warm, flaky biscuits for a classic breakfast or a satisfying breakfast-for-dinner treat.
Biscuits and Gravy Recipe
a oval dish filled with Italian Sausage meatballs topped with parmesan cheese
Baked Italian Sausage Meatball Recipe
A super flavorful Italian style meatball make with a mixture of Italian Sausage and Ground Beef. They bake up golden-caramelized on the outside and super tender and juicy on the inside.
Italian Sausage Meatballs
serving creamy scalloped potatoes and ham
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
This Scalloped Potatoes and Ham recipe is one of the best you will make! It has layers of tender potatoes and ham that are coated in a delicious onion cream sauce with a little cream cheese added. It is sure to become a favorite comfort food dinner!
Great for when you have leftover ham.
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Recipe
country style ribs baked and coated in bbq sauce
Oven Baked Country Style Ribs Recipe
Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs are braised in the oven, in a super flavorful liquid, then glazed with BBQ Sauce and baked hot for 10 minutes to caramelize. They turn out super juicy, tender and flavorful.
This recipe will also work with bone-in country style ribs!
Baked Boneless Ribs Recipe
a slice of Instant Pot Pork Roast on a plate with gravy and veggies
Instant Pot Pork Roast Recipe with Vegetables and Gravy
A delicious and tender pork roast cooked to perfection in your Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker). This is a one pot dinner with the addition of potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and onions. Dress the tender pork and perfectly cooked veggies with a flavorful gravy – all made in the Instant Pot!
Instant Pot Pork Roast Recipe
ham balls in a pan with glaze baked over top
Ham Balls Recipe
Ham Balls are a classic midwestern meatball recipe. Ground ham and ground beef are mixed together with graham crackers and topped with a tomato brown sugar sauce.
Iowa Ham Ball Recipe

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Vegetable Fried Rice

by 1 Comment

I've tested all the small details that make this Veggie Fried Rice taste like something you'd get at your favorite restaurant. From using cold, day old rice to pouring the sauce around the edges of the pan. This recipe will have your family asking if you secretly got take-out for dinner.

Vegetable fried rice served in a wok with the wooden serving spoon resting in the mixture.

Next time you have leftover rice in your fridge, you will know exactly what to make – this Fried Vegetable Rice recipe! The carrots, onions, peas and bean sprouts are traditional, but if you have some broccoli, celery and other veggies that need to be used up, absolutely toss them in!

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Ingredients for Vegetable Fried Rice

The list for this Fried Rice will look long, but if you are cooking any type of Asian style food in your kitchen, chances are you will have a lot of these ingredients in your fridge and pantry:

Long Grain Rice - leftover rice that is slightly dried out makes the very best fried rice. If you don't have leftovers, cook up some rice and cool completely. Spread it out on a large sheet pan, breaking up large clumps into more individual grains. Refrigerate overnight, uncovered, so that the grains of rice can "dry" out making for an authentic crispier fried rice. 

Sugar - just a little sugar balances the saltiness of the soy sauce.

Soy Sauce - Kikkoman's or other standard store brands are great …for a more "authentic" taste look for Lee Kum Kee brand.

Ingredients shown are used to prepare homemade vegetable fried rice.

Canola or Veg Oil - these have a nice high smoke point that will work well when making fried rice.

2 Eggs - traditionally any type of fried rice has egg scrambled throughout the rice.

Onion - yellow or white onion will work.

Carrot - make sure you finely dice the carrot so it will soften quickly in the skillet. A little smaller than the size of the peas.

Frozen Peas - to thaw the frozen peas place them in a bowl of hot water. They will defrost perfectly, and remain "crisp" and bright green. Drain the water before adding to the skillet.

Garlic Cloves - infuses a very traditional flavor into the Veggie Fried Rice.

Bean Sprouts - these are optional, I love the texture they add to the fried rice, but it will be just as delicious without them too.

Shaoxing Wine or cooking sherry - this is a type of Chinese cooking wine, it is also used in Lo Mein and this Chicken Fried Rice. You can find it in Asian or International grocery stores or in the Asian foods aisle. If you can't find Shaoxing Wine you can use cooking sherry.

Sesame Oil - just a dash of sesame oil at the end of cooking adds a really beautiful flavor!

Oyster Sauce - this adds a nice umami flavor. It is rich and thick… but I promise it doesn't taste like oysters or fish.

Scallions - sliced green onions add a great texture and flavor to the fried rice

HOw TO Make Fried Rice with Veggies

This is a quick over view of how to make Fried Vegetable Rice, for more detailed instructions, pop down to the recipe card.

The recipe goes really fast once you start cooking. I highly recommend that you chop and prep ingredients, and measuring everything before starting.

Scrambled eggs in a wok.

Step 1

Cook the eggs in a skillet until puffed, but not fully cooked. Remove to a plate.

Diced onions with diced carrots cooking in a wok.

Step 2

Add 1 tablespoon oil, the saute the carrots and onions until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 more min.

Cold rice added to the vegetable mixture.

Step 3

Stir in the cold rice, and press into an even layer and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Sauce being added to the vegetable fried rice mixture in a wok.

Step 4

Add the eggs back and push everything to the center. Deglaze the pan with the sugar/soy sauce mixture.

Hand pouring sauce into wok with fried rice mixture.

Step 5

Add in the peas, sprouts, salt and pepper. Stir. Then push everything to the center again and pour in the Shaoxing wine.

Top view of a wok with homemade vegetable fried rice.

Step 6

Stir to combine, then it’s time to eat!

Optionally garnish with sliced green onions.

Veggie Variations

The recipe calls for a combo of onion, carrots, peas and bean sprouts. But this Vegetable Fried Rice is a GREAT recipe to use up anything that is left in your vegetable drawer.

  • Broccoli
  • Frozen Corn
  • Celery
  • Bell Peppers
  • Zucchini or Squash
  • Asparagus
  • Mushrooms
  • Sugar Snap Peas or Snow Peas
  • Cabbage

Fried Vegetable Rice Tips

Use long grain white rice or a combination of 2 parts long grain white rice to 1 part jasmine rice for the most authentic blend

Wash rice in a fine mesh sieve before cooking - this removes the surface starch for a less sticky rice - you don't want sticky clumps of rice when making fried rice or the rice will steam vs. fry and it will be soggy. The more individual grains of rice you have the better it will fry. Break up large clumps before adding to the pan.

Cold rice is necessary for fried rice. Use day old rice that has been refrigerated or make cooked rice – cool to room temperature and then spread it out on a large sheet pan, breaking up large clumps into more individual grains. Refrigerate overnight uncovered so that the grains of rice can "dry" out making for a crispier fried rice. You want to dehydrate the rice so it absorbs the flavors while frying but does not become soggy or steam vs. fry.

When making fried rice, push the ingredients to the center before adding the liquid ingredients. Rice is a very porous ingredient that will soak up sauces, if you pour the sauce right over the rice it may soak up in one spot and not distribute flavor evenly.

For soy sauce - Lee Kum Kee is our favorite brand and gives a really nice authentic flavor.

Have all of your ingredients measured out and prepared before cooking as the "stir fry" cooking process goes very fast.

Serving Fried Rice

When you serve Veggie Fried Rice it can be a wonderful main course or side dish. If you make it as the main dish, the recipe as written should serve 2 people. If you want to use the recipe as a side dish, plan on getting 4 servings.

Here are some great entree recipes that go with Fried Rice as a side dish:

Top view of a wok with homemade vegetable fried rice.

Fried Rice Recipe with Vegetables

Vegetable Fried Rice is quick, easy, and full of flavor. It's the perfect weeknight dinner or side dish that will taste like you ordered take-out at your favorite restaurant.
Dinner – 2 people
Side Dish – 4 people
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people – side dish
Calories: 514kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long grain white rice - cooked, - cooled and refrigerated uncovered overnight on a sheet pan
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. canola - or vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 eggs - beaten
  • ½ cup onion - chopped
  • ½ cup carrot - finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic - chopped
  • ¼ cup frozen peas - defrosted completely
  • Handful bean sprouts
  • 2 tsp. Shaoxing wine - or cooking sherry
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp. oyster sauce
  • ⅓ cup scallions - or cooking sherry

Instructions
 

PREP

  • NOTE ON PREP: The recipe comes together pretty quickly once you get started, highly recommend measuring and chopping everything before you get started!
  • In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the soy sauce and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside
    1 Tbsp. soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar
  • In another small bowl combine the kosher salt and pepper. Set aside
    ¾ tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp. pepper
  • Beat the 2 eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and set aside.

MAKING VEGGIE FRIED RICE

  • NOTE ON WHY YOU PUSH INGREDIENTS TO THE CENTER : we recommend not skipping this, rice is a very porous ingredient that will soak up sauces, if you pour the sauce right over the rice it may soak up in one spot and not distribute flavor evenly.
  • In a large non stick skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat.
    Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add in the 2 beaten eggs and allow to sit in the oil for 15 seconds. They should puff up. Then lightly stir to scramble - remove from the heat before fully cooked and place on a plate and set aside.
    2 eggs
    Scrambled eggs in a wok.
  • Wipe out the skillet or wok and place back on high heat. Add in 1 Tbsp. oil. Once hot add in the onion and carrot.
    ½ cup onion, ½ cup carrot
  • Saute for 1-2 minutes until the onion starts to become translucent (stir constantly as it can burn easily). Add in the chopped garlic and saute for 15 seconds.
    2 cloves garlic
    Diced onions and carrots sauteeing in a wok.
  • Add in 1 more Tbsp. oil and add the cold rice. Press the rice down into a single layer and allow to cook undisturbed for 30 seconds - 1 minute.
    2 cups long grain white rice
    Cold rice added to the vegetable mixture.
  • Stir rice mixture and add the lightly scrambled egg back in. Push ingredients to the center of the pan and pour the soy sauce mixture around the edge. Toss ingredients together.
    Sauce being added to the vegetable fried rice mixture in a wok.
  • Add in the salt, pepper, defrosted peas and a handful of bean sprouts. Toss together and push mixture to the center of the pan again.
    ¼ cup frozen peas, Handful bean sprouts
  • Deglaze the pan by pouring the 2 tsp. Shaoxing wine around the edge of the mixture. Then stir together.
    2 tsp. Shaoxing wine
    Hand pouring sauce into wok with fried rice mixture.
  • Remove from heat and add in the toasted sesame oil, oyster sauce and sliced scallions. Toss and serve immediately.
    1 tsp. toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp. oyster sauce, ⅓ cup scallions
    Top view of a wok with homemade vegetable fried rice.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2948IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

by 6 Comments

What’s my order at Panera… Broccoli Cheese Soup with a Fuji Apple Salad. Always. I wanted to be able to make a really good Broccoli Cheddar Soup at home, and this recipe NAILS IT. It is easy to make and turns out so delicious! It is creamy and decadent without being overly thick, which is exactly how I wanted it. You are going to absolutely love this one! Serve it up with a warm baguette for an over-the-top dinner!

Ladle of broccoli cheddar soup pulling out of a Dutch oven pan.
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Why You’ll Love This Broccoli Cheddar Soup

  • This is a pretty easy soup to make.
  • It has very simple ingredients
  • The flavor is spot on – with the broccoli and cheese taking center stage.
  • The combo of chicken broth and milk make for a really great texture.
  • It is cheesy and creamy, without being overly thick.
  • The cheese melts into the soup so smoothly, never gritty.

Ingredients

Broccoli – A couple heads of fresh broccoli should do the trick. Chop it into small bite size pieces. It’s ok if it looks like a crazy mess, it will cook up perfect in the soup. I like to use fresh broccoli in lieu of frozen broccoli. The frozen version will have too much water content, and sometimes I find that frozen broccoli can have a chewy texture.

Onion – A yellow onion has the perfect flavor to enhance your Broccoli Cheese Soup.

Shredded Carrots – You have two options here – fresh grated carrots, or purchase shredded carrots at the store. I generally shred my own carrots with this hand crank shredded, with the finest grater. You get a finer shred than the store bought version.

Ingredients shown are used to prepare Broccoli cheddar soup.

Cheddar Cheese – For this recipe it is critical that you use fresh shredded cheese (I love this hand crank shredder to make it easier). Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking starches that affect melting, and you want your cheese to melt super creamy! We have found that sharp or medium cheddar lends the best flavor. Mild is good, but doesn’t give that cheese flavor punch.

Chicken Broth – Just a store bought chicken broth or stock is great here.

Chicken Base – We love the Better Than Bouillon brand for chicken base. You can find it in the soup aisle near the bouillon. It comes in a jar and is in paste form. It adds great flavor to the soup.

Whole Milk – Is the perfect milk for Broccoli Cheese Soup. It is thick enough to enhance the creaminess, but not so thick that your soup ends up glumpy.

All Purpose Flour – The flour is whisked into the milk and then added to the soup – it thickens the broth perfectly!!

How To Make Cheese Broccoli Soup

Wooden spoon sauteeing onions and broccoli florets in a Dutch oven pan.

Step 1

Saute the broccoli, onions and kosher salt in the butter and oil.

Dutch oven pan with broccoli and onions simmering in chicken broth with chicken base.

Step 2

Add the chicken broth and chicken base and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Shredded carrots added to the broccoli mixture.

Step 3

Add in the shredded carrots and simmer another 5 minutes.

Added a flour mixture to the broccoli mixture to thicken the soup.

Step 4

Whisk the flour into the milk until it is smooth. Slowly stir into the soup.

Hand sprinkling in shredded cheddar cheese to the broccoli mixture.

Step 5

Add the grated cheese by the handful so it melts nice and creamy.

Hands picking up a Dutch oven pan filled with creamy Broccoli cheddar soup.

Step 6

Remove from the heat and let cool for a couple minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm.

Serving

Get a big crusty loaf of ciabatta bread or a baguette, warm it up in the oven and dip it into the Broccoli Cheese Soup… BEST DINNER! A Fuji Apple Salad or Simple Side Salad also make a great side dishes.

Hand dunking a hunk of bread into a bowl of with creamy broccoli cheddar soup.

Storing Broccoli Cheese Soup

Keep leftover, cooled Broccoli Cheese Soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken considerably in the fridge. To reheat add a little milk or chicken broth to reconstitute.

I would not recommend freezing the broccoli cheese soup because of the milk and melted cheese content.

Broccoli Cheese Soup Tips

  • Use fresh shredded cheese for the best texture.
  • Chop the broccoli into small pieces; it’s ok if it looks like a mess, it all cooks together perfectly.
  • Use whole milk for the best texture.
  • Medium or Sharp cheddar will give you the best flavor.
  • Add the cheese by the handful so it doesn’t clump together in the soup.

More Creamy Soup Recipes

Ladleful of broccoli cheddar soup coming out of a Dutch oven, ready to serve.

Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

This easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup tastes just like Panera but is made with simple, everyday ingredients. Fresh broccoli, carrots, onion, cream, and sharp cheddar come together for a cozy, creamy soup that's perfect for weeknight dinners.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 5
Calories: 506kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium heat add the oil and butter. Once hot add the broccoli, onion and kosher salt. Sauté for about 10 mins.
    4 tablespoon salted butter, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 3 cups broccoli, 1 ½ cups onion, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Add the carrots and sauté another 5 minutes.
    1 cup carrots
  • Add the chicken broth and chicken base, simmer for about 15 mins with the lid partially on, stirring occasionally. Just until the broccoli is nice and soft.
    2 teaspoon chicken base, 2 ¾ cups chicken broth
  • In a bowl combine the flour and milk and whisk until smooth. Then slowly add to the soup while stirring
    3 cups whole milk, ½ cup all purpose flour
  • Add the grated cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, stirring so it melts in smooth.
    8 oz block sharp cheddar cheese
  • Taste for seasoning (salt and pepper). Serve warm with crusty bread like ciabatta or a baguette
  • The soup will thicken as it cools, add a little milk or chicken broth and warm through to reconstitute.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

Use fresh shredded cheese for the best texture.
Chop the broccoli into small pieces, it’s ok if it looks like a mess, it all cooks together perfectly.
Use whole milk for the best texture.
Medium or Sharp cheddar will give you the best flavor.
Add the cheese by the handful so it doesn’t clump together in the soup.
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1597mg | Potassium: 615mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 5581IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 557mg | Iron: 1mg

The Easiest Garlic Bread

by 1 Comment

When you have a dry, flavorless garlic bread, it is SUCH a bummer! You want your garlic bread to be super buttery, garlic forward, with a soft bread-y middle and a crispy buttery crust. That is EXACTLY what this recipe for Garlic Bread delivers. You will fall in love after the first bite! Save this recipe now because you are going to want to remember where you found it so you can make it again and again.

Hand picking up a slice of garlic bread from a basket.

We are not getting fancy with fresh parsley or fresh chopped garlic or parmesan cheese here… this is straight forward garlic bread that has amazing flavor and is GREAT for any dinner!

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Why This Garlic Bread Is So Good

  • The outside crust gets nice and crusty, but the middle is still soft.
  • Perfect ratio of garlic for flavor!
  • Enough butter to feel indulgent, but not overly greasy.
  • The recipe is SO easy to make!
  • Makes enough for a crowd.

Garlic Bread Ingredients

French or Italian Loaf – the recipe was tested with both a French and Italian loaf of bread. Which means the cooking time is good for a bread that is at least 3 inches thick. The bread will stay soft in the middle, be nice and buttery, and have a crispy outer crust.

Salted Butter – it’s the only butter we recognize here at Mom’s Dinner… It’s the only one with FLAVOR. If you are using unsalted butter you will want to add a little extra kosher salt when you melt it.

Garlic Powder or Granulated Garlic – whatever garlic powder you have in your spice cabinet will work great.

Ingredients shown are used to prepared easy garlic bread.

Olive Oil – either an extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil will work. By brushing it on the crust side of the bread you ensure that the crust has a nice crisp to it!

Kosher Salt – the salted butter will have a good amount of salt, but I like to add just a pinch to the garlic butter to enhance the garlic flavor.

How To Cook Garlic Bread

This is a quick overview of how to make Homemade Garlic Bread. For more detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, pop down to the recipe card.

Butter being brushed over the top of halved French bread loaves on a foil lined baking sheet.

Step 1

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut the bread in half and place cut side down. Brush the crust with the olive oil.

Melted butter being brushed over French bread loaf with a silicone brush that's cut in half.

Step 2

Melt the butter, garlic powder and kosher salt together. Give it a really good whisk or stir and brush over the cut side of the bread.

Toasted halves of French bread laying on a baking sheet

Step 3

Toast, cut side up, for approx. 15-20 minutes, pull when the edges are getting golden.

Garlic bread cut into slices on a baking sheet

Step 4

When it’s cool enough to handle, cut into slices for serving.

Garlic Bread Goes With….

Are you kidding me, Garlic Bread goes with everything! It is like a universal side dish. BUT, here are some of our favorites to serve with Garlic Bread:

Hands picking up a bowl of baked garlic bread cut into thin slices laying on a decorative towel.

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Hands picking up a bowl of baked garlic bread cut into thin slices laying on a decorative towel.

Recipe for Garlic Bread

This easy garlic bread is everything you want-buttery, loaded with garlic flavor, soft in the middle, and perfectly crisp on the edges.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil or EVOO
  • French or Italian Loaf
  • 8 tablespoon Salted Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder or Granulated garlic
  • pinch Kosher Salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
  • Cut the bread in half lengthwise.
    French or Italian Loaf
  • Melt the butter with the garlic powder and pinch of salt.
    8 tablespoon Salted Butter, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder or Granulated garlic, pinch Kosher Salt
  • Put the bread cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the olive oil on the outside of the bread (crust side).
    1 tablespoon Olive Oil or EVOO
    Butter being brushed over the top of halved French bread loaves on a foil lined baking sheet.
  • Give the garlic butter a really good stir to mix the garlic into the butter. Flip the bread over and brush the garlic butter over the cut side.
    Melted butter being brushed over French bread loaf with a silicone brush that's cut in half.
  • Pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes. I usually check at the 15 minute mark and if the edges aren’t quite golden I will leave it in for another 3-5 minutes.
    Toasted halves of French bread laying on a baking sheet
  • Let it cool slightly and then cut into slices and serve warm with dinner.
    Garlic bread cut into slices on a baking sheet
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Simply Delicious BBQ Meatloaf

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I grew up in Iowa… heart of what I consider “meatloaf country”, so I would say I know a thing or two about making really good meatloaf. This BBQ Meatloaf delivers on all levels. It has the ingredients and textures of a traditional meatloaf, but when I developed the recipe I wanted that BBQ flavor to ring through the whole meatloaf, not just the topping. I achieved this by adding minced garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, Worcestershire and a little BBQ sauce to the meatloaf mix. The BBQ sauce glaze just tops it all off.

Thick glazed slices of Barbecue meatloaf on a platter.

If you serve this Barbecue Meatloaf up with some Mashed Potatoes and Peas you are going to have a really happy crowd at the dinner table!

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Ingredients For BBQ Meatloaf

Ground Beef – for the barbecue meatloaf I recommend that you use an 85/15 ground beef. It will have enough fat to be flavorful, but not overly greasy.

Ground Pork – you want regular ground pork for this recipe, not sausage.

Panko Bread Crumbs – these are the thicker and coarser bread crumb as compared to a traditional breadcrumb. They mix with the milk and other liquids to form a panade, which helps keep ground meat recipes juicy and tender. We use this method in just about all our burger recipes too!

Milk – this is the perfect liquid to mix with the bread crumbs to form the panade.

Ingredients shown are used to prepare Barbecue meatloaf.

Eggs – act as a binder for the meatloaf. 2 large eggs is perfect!

Worcestershire – this is a perfect flavor to add that BBQ punch to the meatloaf. It is a great ingredient in any BBQ Sauce.

Garlic- a little raw garlic baked into the bar b que meatloaf makes a big difference in flavor!

Seasonings – a mix of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika give the meatloaf an extra boost of bbq flavor.

BBQ Sauce – a thicker store bought BBQ Sauce makes a great glaze for the top of the meatloaf, we also add 1 tablespoon to the meatloaf mixture to boost the BBQ flavor throughout. Avoid a runny liquid style BBQ sauce, its won’t sit up on top of the meatloaf.

Small glass mason jar filled with homemade bbq sauce.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

If you want to go the extra mile, you can make your own BBQ sauce. We think this recipe is totally worthy!

BBQ Sauce Recipe

How To Make Barbecue Meatloaf

This is a quick over view of how to make BBQ Meatloaf, for more detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, pop down to the recipe card.

A panade in a glass bowl.

Step 1

Mix the bread crumbs and milk, let soak. Then add eggs, Worcestershire, garlic, and BBQ sauce.

Ground beef combined with a panade.

Step 2

Add the seasonings, pork and beef. Mix until combined.

Barbecue glaze covering a raw beef meatloaf loaf ready to bake.

Step 3

Dump out onto a prepared baking sheet, form into a 12×3 (approx) loaf. Top with ½ cup BBQ sauce.

Side view of Barbecue Meatloaf sitting on a baking sheet.

Step 4

Bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes until it reaches 165°F internal temp.

Barbecue Meatloaf on a platter with two slices cut

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Side Dishes

Make this BBQ Meatloaf a complete dinner with these side dishes + cornbread:

  • A large serving bowl of Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes topped with melting butter
  • cooked haricot verts on a plate with a pat of butter
  • deviled eggs on a tray

Storing

Keep leftover BBQ Meatloaf in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat slices in the microwave or in a 350°F oven, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Leftovers also make a great BBQ Meatloaf Sandwich!

More Meatloaf Recipes

Barbecue Meatloaf on a platter with two slices cut

Barbecue Meatloaf Recipe

This barbecue meatloaf packs flavor right into the beef mixture, then gets topped with a sticky-sweet BBQ glaze that bakes into a caramelized finish.
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Cooling Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 600kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

Glaze

  • 1 ½ cup BBQ Sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F, cover a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil, spray with non-stick spray.
  • In a large bowl add the bread crumbs and milk, mix and let sit for a few minutes.
    1 cup panko, ⅓ cup milk
  • Add the eggs, Worcestershire, BBQ sauce and garlic. Stir it all together.
    2 large eggs, 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon bbq sauce, 2 large garlic cloves
    A panade in a glass bowl.
  • Finally add the seasonings and the pork and beef. With clean hands or a fork, stir it all together.
    1 lb ground pork, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 lb ground beef
    Ground beef combined with a panade.
  • Turn it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Form it into a long loaf – about 12x3inches.
    Seasoned ground beef formed into a loaf shape and placed on a foil lined baking sheet.
  • Cover the top with about ½ cup BBQ sauce.
    Barbecue glaze covering a raw beef meatloaf loaf ready to bake.
  • Bake for 50-55 minutes until the center reaches 165°F.
    Side view of Barbecue Meatloaf sitting on a baking sheet.
  • Let cool for about 10 minutes, then slice into 1 inch pieces. Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
    Barbecue Meatloaf on a platter with two slices cut
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 1628mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 568IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg

Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

by 4 Comments

Pasta night is a weekly occurrence at our dinner table, I bet it’s the same at your house! As the family cook, I find pasta to be an easy dinner that everyone eats without complaints, not to mention it’s economical. This Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce is high on the request list! For good reason. When you cook the spaghetti in the instant pot, all the flavors of the beef, chicken broth, marinara and seasonings infuse the pasta noodles. You end up with the most flavorful spaghetti and meat sauce you have ever had. Give a try, you WON’T be disappointed. Promise!

Large bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce ready to serve topped with parmesan cheese.

One of our recipe pillars at Mom’s Dinner is that “recipes don’t need to be complicated to be good”. This Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe proves this over and over again. It is made with simple spaghetti noodles and your favorite store bought marinara sauce, yet the flavor pay out is huge.

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Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Spaghetti & meat Sauce

  • It all cooks together in one pot = less dishes to do.
  • If you’ve got kids.. they are going to LOVE it!
  • The spaghetti cooks in chicken broth and marinara, which is big flavor.
  • The recipe uses your favorite store-bought marinara.
  • Made with super simple ingredients.
  • Makes a big batch, great for family dinner + leftovers!

The Instant Pot I Love

I actually have 2 Instant Pots in my house:

The main thing I love about these electric pressure cookers is that they are 6 quart in size. That is big enough to make food for 4-6 people, but small enough that it still fits in my kitchen cabinets.

Instant Pot

To be totally honest I don’t think I will ever use all 9 functions on the 9 in 1, so if I had to choose one to keep I would probably choose the 7 in 1.

Ingredients

Ground Beef – I recommend using an 85/15 ground beef for this recipe. It has enough fat to be flavorful but not so much fat that it will make your spaghetti greasy.

Onion and Garlic – These two help to season the ground beef. They also help enhance the store bought marinara.

Pasta – You will need to break the spaghetti noodles in half to fit in the Instant Pot… I know this goes against tradition! Also make sure you divide the spaghetti into sections and criss cross it in the pot so it doesn’t stick together when cooking. This recipe was written and tested with spaghetti. If you use a different sized noodle the cook time may vary.

Ingredients shown are used to prepare instant pot spaghetti with meat sauce.

Tomato Paste – A little tomato paste added to the ground beef helps enhance the sauce AND mixes with the chicken broth to infuse the spaghetti with a little extra tomato flavor.

Chicken Broth – This is the main cooking liquid. It infuses the spaghetti with amazing flavor! You can use water, but it won’t be quite as flavorful.

Marinara Sauce – Just use your family’s favorite store bought Marinara. We love Rao’s Marinara or Rao’s Tomato Basil.

Seasonings – A mix of onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and kosher salt is all you need to make this spaghetti absolutely delicious. The recipe only calls for ½ teaspoon kosher salt which accounts for the varying saltiness in chicken broth and marinara. You may need to add more salt before serving – as always taste before serving.

How To Make Spaghetti with Meat Sauce in the Instant Pot

Hamburger and onions sauteed in the instant pot.

Step 1

Saute the ground beef and onion together. Drain excess grease. Add the garlic for another minute.

Tomato paste and garlic combined with the ground beef.

Step 2

Stir in the tomato paste and seasonings.

Chicken broth added to the instant pot with spaghetti noodles added to the top of the mixture.

Step 3

Pour in the chicken broth and scrape all the bits stuck to the bottom of the pot… this helps prevent the burn notice.

Dry spaghetti noodles added in a criss cross pattern so it cooks evenly.

Step 4

Break the spaghetti noodles in half and criss cross them in the pot. Pour ½ cup water over top.

Spaghetti sauce added to the top of the pasta inside the instant pot.

Step 5

Pour HALF the jar of marinara over the spaghetti. Close the lid and set to cook for 2 minutes. Do a 5 min natural release.

Meat sauce ready to serve inside the instant pot with tongs resting in the mixture.

Step 5

Toss the spaghetti in the sauce and get the meat from the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining marinara sauce and toss.

Serving

To make this a meal, choose a couple side dishes that pair well with spaghetti and meat sauce.

Storing

Keep your leftover Spaghetti with Meat Sauce in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for a minute. To reheat on the stove top turn the heat to low, add a little water or chicken broth and cover the pan. Let heat through, tossing occasionally.

The noodles will absorb more of the sauce as it sits in the fridge, you may need to add extra sauce when reheating.

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce Tips

  • Use an 85/15 ground beef, it will have the most flavor without being overly greasy.
  • Break the spaghetti noodles in half and then crisscross them in the pot. This will prevent your noodles from cooking into one big clump.
  • Make sure the noodles are all touching the liquid.
  • Put the broth/water on the bottom and the sauce on top to avoid the burn notice.
  • Use regular spaghetti noodles… not fettuccine, angel hair, gluten free etc… this recipe is written for straight up spaghetti noodles. You can use the other pastas, it will just change the cook time and possibly liquid quantities.
  • Use chicken broth as cooking liquid for the most flavor.
  • Completely deglaze the bottom of the pot to prevent the burn warning.
  • Don’t over salt in the beginning. The ½ teaspoon kosher salt accounts for the varying saltiness of chicken broth and marinara. Taste before serving and add more salt at that point.

More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes

A bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce and the instant pot sitting in the back

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A bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce and the instant pot sitting in the back

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Cook the spaghetti and meat sauce all in one pot, right in your Instant Pot! The pressure cooker infuses the spaghetti with the most amazing flavor.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Natural Natural Release: 5 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 544kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Turn the IP onto sauté mode. Add the oil, once hot, add the ground beef and onion, crumble while it cooks through.
    1 tablespoon oil, 1 lb ground beef, 1 medium yellow onion
  • Drain most of the excess grease. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
    3-4 large garlic cloves
    Hamburger and onions sauteed in the instant pot.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and seasonings, so they coat the ground beef.
    1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian season, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    Tomato paste and garlic combined with the ground beef.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and scrape all the bits from the bottom of the pot (deglaze). Doing this well will prevent the burn notice from happening.
    3 cups chicken broth
  • Turn the sauté mode off.
  • Break your spaghetti noodles in half and layer them in a crisscross pattern in the liquid.
    Pro Tip: Do not stir the noodles at this point. You can nudge them down into the liquid, but don't stir.
    1 lb spaghetti
    Dry spaghetti noodles added in a criss cross pattern so it cooks evenly.
  • Pour ½ cup water over top.
    ½ cup water
  • Pour HALF the marinara over top. Do not stir.
    Spaghetti sauce added to the top of the pasta inside the instant pot.
  • Pop the lid on, turn the pressure valve to seal, and set to cook for 2 minutes on high pressure, normal heat. Then do a 5 minute natural release and the finish with a quick release.
  • Open the pot and toss the spaghetti/sauce/meat with tongs.  Do not be alarmed if your pasta looks watery when you open the pot it will thicken as it cools.
  • Pour in the other half of the spaghetti sauce. Give it all a good toss. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool and thicken.
    Meat sauce ready to serve inside the instant pot with tongs resting in the mixture.
  • Taste for additional seasonings (salt and pepper).
  • Serve warm topped with grated parmesan cheese!
    A bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce and the instant pot sitting in the back

Recipe Tips and Notes:

  • Use an 85/15 ground beef, it will have the most flavor without being overly greasy.
  • Break the spaghetti noodles in half and then crisscross them in the pot. This will prevent your noodles from cooking into one big clump.
  • Make sure the noodles are all touching the liquid.
  • Put the broth/water on the bottom and the sauce on top to avoid the burn notice.
  • Use regular spaghetti noodles… not fettuccine, angel hair, gluten free etc… this recipe is written for straight up spaghetti noodles. You can use the other pastas, it will just change the cook time and possibly liquid quantities.
  • Use chicken broth as cooking liquid for the most flavor.
  • Completely deglaze the bottom of the pot to prevent the burn warning.
  • Don’t over salt in the beginning. The ½ teaspoon kosher salt accounts for the varying saltiness of chicken broth and marinara. Taste before serving and add more salt at that point.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1257mg | Potassium: 817mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

by 3 Comments

Whenever you need a meatball recipe, I hope you’ll always turn to Mom’s Dinner. We LOVE meatballs here! There are currently 20+ meatball recipes on Mom’s Dinner… and this Sweet and Sour Meatball recipe is such an wonderful addition to the line up. Tender beef meatballs are seasoned and baked up to perfection, then glazed in a homemade sweet and sour sauce that is amazing! Serve these up over rice with a side of roasted broccoli… or they are great as an appetizer.

Sweet and sour meatballs baked and sprinkled with sesame seeds and garnished with thin green onions.

The Sweet and Sour Meatballs are a perfect blend of savory and tangy but also slightly sweet. The homemade Sweet and Sour sauce is made from pretty common ingredients but tastes like it is something from your favorite take-out spot. You will be feeling like a huge success at dinner time when you bring these to the table!

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Ingredient Details

Ground Beef – As with all meatball recipes on Mom’s Dinner I highly recommend using an 85/15 ground beef. It has enough fat to be flavorful, but not so much fat that your meatballs will be greasy.

Panko Bread Crumbs – This is a coarser, but lighter, bread crumb. They are perfect for making a panade – which is the mixture of a starch and liquid to make a ground meat recipe tender and juicy. We use a panade in most of the meatloaf, burger and meatballs recipes on Mom’s Dinner.

Milk – For these Sweet and Sour Meatballs we chose milk for the liquid in the panade. It helps keep the meatballs nice and tender.

Egg – A binder for the meatballs – you just need 1 large egg.

Garlic – You will need garlic for the meatballs and the sauce. Choose nice plump garlic cloves for the most flavor, make sure you mince them well so there aren’t large chunks in the meatballs or sauce.

Seasonings – A mix of garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and black pepper is all you need for the meatball mixture.

Ingredients shown are used to prepare sweet and sour meatballs.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients

Ketchup – Plain old ketchup from the door of your fridge (or pantry) is the base of the sweet and sour sauce.

Pineapple Juice – You can use pineapple juice or use the juice from a can/jar of pineapple chunks. Just make sure if you use the juice from a can/jar that you use pineapple in juice not pineapple in heavy syrup. Then you can serve the pineapple chunks on the side for dinner!

Brown Sugar – Use a light brown sugar not the dark brown sugar.

Ginger – Fresh grated ginger adds amazing flavor to the sweet and sour sauce. We prefer to use the frozen crushed ginger cubes from Dorot Gardens, each cube is 1 teaspoon and can be kept in your freezer for a really long time! You can also buy a knob of fresh ginger and grate it for the sauce.

Dorot Gardens frozen crushed ginger

Rice Vinegar – There are two different rice wine vinegars – seasoned and not seasoned. The recipe calls for the NOT seasoned variety, but if you have the seasoned that is fine too. “Seasoned” just means there is a little sugar added.

Soy Sauce – For a more authentic flavor look for the Lee Kum Kee brand of soy sauce, although any store brand will work! If you are salt sensitive, use the low sodium variety.

How To Make Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This is a quick overview of how to make Sweet and Sour Meatballs. For more detailed instructions pop down to the recipe card below.

Breadcrumbs and milk in a glass bowl.

Step 1

Mix the breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl and let them sit for a few minutes to soak.

Ground beef and breadcrumbs combined.

Step 2

Add the ground beef, egg, garlic and seasonings. Mix lightly.

Uniform sized raw meatballs laying on parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Step 3

Form the meatballs and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F.

sweet and sour sauce in a small glass bowl.

Step 4

Mix the sauce while the meatballs bake.

Glazed sweet and sour meatballs ready to serve in a baking dish.

Step 5

Transfer the meatballs to an oven safe dish or Dutch oven. Pour the sauce over top and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Bowl of sweet and sour meatballs garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Step 6

Let the meatballs cool for a few minutes and optionally garnish with green onions and or sesame seeds.

How To Make Appetizer Sized

If you want to serve these as an appetizer I recommend rolling them into a smaller size, about 2 teaspoon each. You can reduce the baking time to 10 minutes, then glaze with the homemade sweet and sour sauce, return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve them up with toothpicks for easy appetizer snacking!

Serving

These Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce can definitely be served as an appetizer (see above), but we like to have them for dinner! Here are some great side dishes to make these Meatballs a meal:

Storing

Store leftover Sweet and Sour Meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freeze: Allow meatballs to cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe container or bag. Meatballs freeze well for up to 3 months. 

Reheat: Reheat thawed meatballs in the microwave or oven (covered at 350°F for 15-20 minutes). Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Tips For Sweet and Sour Meatball

  • Form the meatballs somewhat uniform size so they bake in the same timing.
  • Use a cookie scoop for portioning the meatball mixture.
  • Don’t overmix the meatball mixture, just mix until everything is combined.
  • Use an 85/15 ground beef for the most flavor, without being overly greasy.

More meatballs We LOVE

Bowl of sweet and sour meatballs garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe

Seasoned beef meatballs are glazed with a homemade sweet and sour sauce. These make a great dinner served with rice and broccoli or they are a perfect appetizer meatball.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 444kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

Meatball Ingredients

Sweet & Sour Sauce Ingredients

  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup pineapple juice
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce - "less sodium" recommended if salt sensitive
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • Optional garnishing: sesame seeds - sliced green onions, cilantro,
  • Optional for serving: rice - butter noodles, fried rice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  • In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Stir and let sit for 2-3 minutes (panade).
    ½ cup panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup milk
  • Add ground beef, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to the bread crumb mixture. Mix until well combined, but do not overmix.
    1 lb ground beef, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 garlic clove
  • Roll the meat mixture into approximately 1½-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
    Mom's Tip: Press just enough to form the ball but not more. Try using a 1.5-2 tablespoon cookie scoop for size consistency.
    Uniform sized raw meatballs laying on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  • Bake meatballs for 15 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
  • While the meatballs bake, whisk together ketchup, pineapple juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl.
    ½ cup ketchup, ¼ cup pineapple juice, ¼ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger
    sweet and sour sauce in a small glass bowl.
  • Remove meatballs from oven and place into an oven-safe dish like a casserole or Dutch oven. Pour the sauce evenly over the meatballs, making sure to cover all surfaces.
    Return meatballs to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and meatballs are glazed.
    Meatballs in a rectangular baking dish topped with sweet and sour glaze.
  • Optionally garnish with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or cilantro. Serve immediately over rice or butter noodles.
    A bite taken out of a sweet and sour meatball to show the tender beef inside.

Appetizer Sized Sweet and Sour Meatballs

  • Roll the meatballs into a smaller size, about 2 teaspoon each.
    Reduce the first baking time to 10 minutes.
    Then glaze with the homemade sweet and sour sauce, return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Serve them up with toothpicks for easy appetizer snacking!

Storage

  • Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freeze

  • Allow meatballs to cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe container or bag. Meatballs freeze well for up to 3 months.

Reheat

  • Reheat thawed meatballs in the microwave or oven (covered at 350°F for 15-20 minutes). Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1264mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg

Tasty Homemade Applesauce

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If there is one thing I can guarantee will disappear out of my fridge, it is this Homemade Applesauce Recipe! I have been making this exact recipe for years and it is highly requested in the fall. When it simmers on the stove it fills our house with the most amazing apple, cinnamon and clove scents. It makes a great cold snack right out of the fridge… but it also is INCREDIBLE warmed up and served over vanilla ice cream, especially if you make it a chunky applesauce!

Two glass Kerr jars overfilled with homemade applesauce.

One of the secrets to really good applesauce is using a mix of apple varieties. Each type brings it’s own flavor and when combined, they create a more complex and delicious taste. The other key is making sure you cook the apples long enough so you have soft applesauce, and it doesn’t turn out gritty.

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Ingredients For Applesauce

Assorted Apples – The best homemade applesauce is made with a combo of apple types. I like to sneak in a tart apple, with some different flavored sweet/crisp apples. Here are a few types that work really well in applesauce:

  • Honey Crisp
  • Granny Smith (just 1 or 2 for tartness)
  • Gala
  • Fuji
  • Pink Lady
Ingredients shown are used to prepare homemade applesauce.

Water or Apple Cider – Just add 1.5 cups of water to the mixture. The apples will also release some juice as they cook. You don’t want to end up with watery applesauce. Also, you don’t want to over-dilute the natural pectin that the apples release (it helps keep the applesauce thick, instead of watery).

You can also SUB IN apple cider for the water, this will enhance the flavor quite a bit.

Lemon Juice – A little lemon juice helps to brighten up the flavor of your homemade applesauce. It also prevents the apples from browning.

Cinnamon and Clove – These are the two spices that pair perfectly with applesauce. Another spice you might like is star anise. You will add these during the second half of cooking, so the flavor is more pronounced in the final dish.

Kosher Salt – The salt content helps enhance the sweetness of the apples.

Brown Sugar – We opt for brown sugar instead of white sugar in this recipe. The molasses content in the brown sugar lends amazing flavor to the applesauce.

Watch The Recipe

How To Make Homemade Applesauce

Peeled apples laying on a cutting board next to a sharp knife.

Step 1

Peel, core and cube the apples.

Wooden spoon resting in a mixture of softened apples cooking in a skillet.

Step 2

Place in a pot with the water, lemon, and salt. Cook over medium low heat for 30 mins, with the lid on.

Apple chunks cooking down in a skillet.

Step 3

Add in the brown sugar and simmer over low heat for another 10-15 minutes, stirring often. If you need to add more water at this point, that is ok.

Pint glass jar filled to the top with homemade applesauce.

Step 4

Puree to your desired consistency.

Storing and Freezing

Homemade Applesauce will actually keep in the fridge for quite a while. Let it cool, transfer it to an airtight container and you can keep it for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

You can also freeze homemade applesauce. It will be good in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight to use.

applesauce Recipe Tips

  1. Use a combo of apple types for the best flavor.
  2. Optionally sub apple cider for the water.
  3. Add the spices you like – if you like it to have a stronger cinnamon flavor, add more.
  4. Cut the apples into similar sizes so they cook in a similar amount of time.
  5. Make sure the apples are totally soft before you blend, or you may have “gritty” applesauce.
  6. Blend the applesauce to your desired consistency, or leave it in chunks!

More Recipes For Fresh Apples

Pint glass jar filled to the top with homemade applesauce.

Applesauce Recipe

This Homemade Applesauce uses all the tips and tricks for the best flavor – a combo of apple varieties, not too much water, spices added, and brown sugar instead of white sugar. It is the perfect recipe for crisp fall apples.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 122kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs. Assorted Fresh Apples - pink lady, gala, fuji, granny smith, honey crisp
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground clove
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar - packed, more as desired to taste

Instructions
 

  • Peel, core and chop the apples into about 1 inch pieces. Keeping the pieces in similar size will help everything cook down at the same time.
    5 lbs. Assorted Fresh Apples
  • Place the apples in a large pot with a lid, add in the water, lemon juice, spices and salt.
    1 ½ cups water, 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground clove
    Chopped peeled apples added to a skillet.
  • Put the lid on and simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Turn the heat to low, remove the lid and add in the brown sugar. If the pot is looking dry you can add a little more water at this point.
    ⅓ cup brown sugar
    Apple chunks cooking down in a skillet.
  • Cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

DINNER APPLES WITH CINNAMON

  • You do not have to puree the apples down into apple sauce, at this point you can serve them as a wonderful sweet side dish – warm apples with cinnamon. If you want the applesauce texture, go to the next section.

PUREE

  • If you have an immersion blender you can blend it to your desired consistency right in the pot.
  • If you are using a blender or food processor, let the apple mixture cool a bit, then transfer to your blender and puree to your desired consistency.
    A potato masher also works great to make a chunky style applesauce.

SERVING

  • The Apple Sauce is SO good served warm! It makes a great sweet side dish.
  • It is also excellent served warm over ice cream.
  • Pop it in the fridge and serve it cold as a great snack or side dish.

STORING

  • Keep your Homemade Applesauce in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
  • You can also freeze the Applesauce for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

  • Use a combo of apple types for the best flavor.
  • Optionally sub apple cider for the water.
  • Add the spices you like – if you like it to have a stronger cinnamon flavor, add more.
  • Cut the apples into similar sizes so they cook in a similar amount of time.
  • Make sure the apples are totally soft before you blend, or you may have “gritty” applesauce.
  • Blend the applesauce to your desired consistency, or leave it in chunks!
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
Jump to Comments
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.3mg