Photo Credit: stevendepolo
In watching grocery store ads week after week I have come to notice that there are certain trends in the sale items – they usually repeat the same items after a certain period of time. One item I see almost on a monthly basis is a “buy one get one free” sale on jars of pasta sauce. Sometimes it’s Ragu or Prego and sometimes it’s the “more expensive” brands. They come in all sorts of flavors but after a while just mixing the sauce with pasta noodles can get kind of boring, especially if you are one to stockpile all the pasta sauce. Being the creative cook that I am I wanted to see just how many recipes I could find that would allow me to take advantage of the sale while bringing some variety to the table as well. Here are 16 different meal combinations for using that jar of pasta sauce!
1. Make a homemade pizza. Using one of the pasta sauces, pour the sauce over a pre-made pizza crust. Top with shredded cheese and other toppings such as sausage, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, or pepperoni. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked the way you like.
2. Chicken parmigiana. Saute chicken breasts in a skillet until cooked through. Add the sauce to the skillet and simmer to allow the flavors to combine. Serve over angel hair pasta and top with Parmesan shredded cheese.
3. Make french bread pizzas. Slice a loaf of french bread in half. Top with the sauce and add cheese and pepperoni slices. Place in oven until cheese is melted.
4. Manicotti with cheese- Easy and quick manicotti.
5. Crockpot Lasagna – An easy way to enjoy lasagna and let the crockpot do the cooking.
6. Sausage Penne Bake- This is a super easy recipe with a lot of flavor.
7. Cabbage Rolls Italian Style – Easy way to whip up something really different.
8. Meatball subs – Make your own meatballs and add a jar of pasta sauce. Simmer to allow flavors to combine. Split a hoagie roll in half, top with a couple of the meatballs and drizzle some sauce over top. Finish with mozzarella shredded cheese on top.
9. Crock Pot Italian Pork Stew. Serve with a side salad and french bread for a tasty dinner. Substitute the jar pasta for the crushed tomatoes.
10. Three Cheese Italian Meatballs – Easy meal to put together in the crockpot.
11. Three Cheese Cannelloni – Just one word describes this dish – Yummy!
12. Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches – Looks like a neat twist to the BBQ sandwich.
13. Pepperoni Chicken Pasta Bows – The additional herbs added to the sauce really make this dish.
14. Bean Enchilada Recipe – Great if you are in the mood for a Mexican dish!
15. Cheesy Crockpot Tortellini – Another quick recipe for the crockpot.
16. Pepperoni Pizza Bread. Absolutely one of my favorite ways to use the jar pasta sauce…makes the house smell oh so good when it is baking.
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Better yet, don’t buy jarred pasta sauce which is full of preservatives, sugars, HFCS, and other unhealthy things. Better yet, make your own pasta sauce using canned diced tomatoes, fresh onions and carrots, and a little olive oil and water. A quart of homemade tomato sauce costs about $0.20 and is far better for you – and far tastier – than the icky jarred Ragu.