Spaghetti-Ohs

To fill any Chef Boyardee cravings...this is an astoundingly authentic copycat recipe that was great both as a prep-ahead and freezer meal.  Here's the original recipe which makes lots of dishes dirty.  Here is my version which only needed one pot.

Ingredient note: I used the canned tomato sauce that you find near the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, not spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce. 

For prepping ahead, I pre-boiled the pasta in the morning and mixed in the sauce ingredients.  By the time I put it on the stove to reheat that evening, the pasta had totally absorbed the sauce and only needed a few minutes on medium-low to get warm throughout (rather than the 20 minutes of extra cooking given in the OR). 

I froze leftovers in individual serving sizes and reheated them for lunch.  I recommend reheating in the microwave rather than the stovetop, but if you do reheat on the stove, add a splash of water to the frozen lump of pasta and heat with a cover on the pot to help keep things from sticking to the bottom too badly. 

Homemade Spaghetti-Ohs
Makes 8-12 servings

1 lb. alphabet pasta or other small pasta shape
28 oz. plain tomato sauce
3 cups water
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
pinch sugar
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Boil alphabet pasta 4 minutes (or for the shortest cooking time given on the package).  Drain and return to original pot.  Add all sauce ingredients except milk and cheese.  (You can fridge at this point).  If your pasta has been fridge, reheat gently over medium-low heat for a few minutes (otherwise simmer gently 15-20 minutes until sauce is absorbed by the pasta).  Stir in milk and cheese.  You can now freeze if desired.  Pin It