In Celebration of Our Nation's B-day

A foodie's celebration for the 4th of July can mean only one thing: good old American food! Of course there will be hot dogs, corn on the cob, bbq, Jell-O, and potato chips. But, this year I was up for a new challenge: creating some of America's favorite packaged goods from scratch.

My first undertaking was Spaghetti-O's. I remember eating the canned version as a kid and also in college (spaghetti-o's in microwavable packaging are a great snack before heading off for a long day of marching band). I always preferred the meatball variety (gotta get that protein in there), but after some research I found our speculations were true all along: there is not actual meat in those meatballs. I also found out there is cheese in the sauce, which I didn't notice before as I don't really think the flavor comes through. So I went to the store, found myself some pasta o's and the fun began!

Homemade Spaghetti O's with Meatballs


7 oz. package of O-shaped pasta
15 oz can tomato sauce
1 quart chicken stock
1 garlic clove, grated
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp butter
3 Tbsp sour cream
Black pepper, to taste


For the meatballs:
1/2 lb ground beef
1 egg white
splash of Worcestershire
handful of breadcrumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper


Directions:


Bring tomato sauce and chicken stock to boil in a covered saucepan. Add in pasta and garlic, cook until pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes.


Meanwhile, prepare meatballs. Thorougly combine all of the ingredients and shape into mini-meatballs. Cook in a greased skillet over medium heat. Turn the meatballs to brown on all sides. Add to pasta during the last few minutes of the pasta cooking.


When the pasta is al dente, add in butter, cheese, sour cream and pepper to taste. 

I thought this recipe came out to taste just like the real thing, but vastly improved! The real meatballs added great flavor and excitement when eaten. The fresh garlic in the sauce was sweet and fragrant. The dish even looked similar to the canned version!

I have a few more favorite foods to re-create homemade style, look for more recipes soon. Meanwhile, I'd love your suggestions of foods to re-create. Happy Independence Day!