Hidden Veggie Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Whip up a batch of this “Hidden Veggie” Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs – a delicious and easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love.  They won’t even notice the extra vegetables in this tasty twist on a classic dish!

I am a big fan of easy weeknight style meals – even on the weekends.  But I’m not willing to cut corners or let my family eat like wild animals.  So… I have to get creative!  How can I make tasty yet simple dishes that my family will actually eat?  Let me share two weeknight dinner hacks with you all.

1- Hidden Veggies

One of my go-to “dinner hacks” is the hidden veggie.  Not to brag, but I am like a veggie ninja.  I can sneak extra vegetables into just about anything without my kids (4.5-year-old twins) noticing.  Stay tuned to see how to update a classic recipe – Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs – with a veggie twist!

2 – Precooked Time Savers

Aside from my veggie ninja skills, I’m also a master at shortcuts that save tons of time in the kitchen.  Precooked meatballs are a staple in our freezer for this very reason.  Cooked Perfect Meatballs are one of my precooked essentials and the perfect addition to weeknight dinners.  Not only are they crafted using quality ingredients and flame-broiled to sear in flavor, they are versatile, perfect in tons of recipes, and they save you time in the kitchen! Win!

Let’s get cooking!

How to Sneak Extra Vegetables into Family Dinner

You can scroll to the end of this post for a recipe card, but here is a quick play-by-play of my hidden veggie trick.

Finely chop your veggies and saute them.  I put my chopped veggies into my dishes just like this, since my kiddos are used to it by now.  If you have really picky eaters, you could puree your extra veggies with an immersion blender to be safe.

Next, toss your veggies in with the sauce, pasta, and cheese.

Then nestle heated Cooked Perfect Meatballs into the spaghetti.

Finally, top with extra shredded cheese, and presto!  Dinner is served in a snap.  Just heat in the oven to melt the cheese.  How easy was that?

My Veggie Twist on Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs

By using Cooked Perfect Meatballs, you can save a ton of meal prep time.  This time-saving trick makes this recipe the perfect weeknight meal solution to feed a crowd, or to leave leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Save yourself time on weeknights – find Cooked Perfect Meatballs in your area.

 

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[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Hidden Veggie Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs – Whip up a batch of this "Hidden Veggie" Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs – a delicious and easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love. They won't even notice the extra vegetables in this tasty twist on a classic dish! – dry spaghetti noodles, traditional pasta sauce, Parmesan cheese (shredded), mozzarella cheese (shredded), red bell pepper (finely chopped), zucchini (finely chopped), vegetable oil, Cooked Perfect Italian Style Meatballs, , Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain, don't rinse, and pour into a 9×11 casserole dish.; Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook bell pepper and zucchini for 4-5 minutes, until tender.; (optional) add veggies to pasta sauce and puree with an immersion blender.; Heat meatballs according to package directions.; Toss spaghetti with cooked veggies and pasta sauce. Stir in 1/2 of shredded cheese.; Nestle the meatballs into the spaghetti, evenly spaced. Sprinkle the top with remaining 1/2 of shredded cheese.; Heat in 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.; ; – – Recipes[/wpurp-searchable-recipe]