This post is brought to you courtesy of your friends at Ragu® but all the opinions and content are mine.
Muffin Tin Spaghetti Meatball Bites
Classic spaghetti and meatballs made in a muffin tin for the perfect bite sized appetizer. Serve for Game Day along with Tortellini Caprese Kebabs and Meatballs on a stick. Stock up on Ragu® Sauce to make the ultimate Game Day appetizer table for guests.
There is something beautiful about this time of year and it has to do with football. There is nothing better than getting together with family and friends to watch the game. Of course, football and Game Day appetizers go hand and hand. We’re taking advantage of the day by serving up some saucy food!
It seems that every week our friends get together to watch a football game. Even though our favorite green and gold team didn’t make it the championship, we’ll still be celebrating in a big way with friends this year.
Nothing says Game Day more than classic American food. We’ve all grown up eating Spaghetti and Meatballs so why not serve it for an appetizer as the perfect bite sized treat? This appetizer has all the traditional flavors of Spaghetti and Meatballs but it’s a lot less messier to eat and therefore the perfect meaty pregame food to serve as an appetizer.
Whether you’re a hardcore football fan or simply celebrating to get together with friends and make food, you’ll want to try these recipes made in under an hour! Load your Game Day table with snack favorites like dip and mini meal version snacks.
For the biggest game of the year, you can never have too many snacks.
Since it’s all about the sauce this year, I though I’d share my favorite Ragu® recipe because Mama’s Best Ever Spaghetti & Meatballs are such a classic favorite over here. I grew up eating it and now enjoy making it for our family. Since Spaghetti and Meatballs are such a classic American dish to make, I knew I wanted to recreate it and serve it for a fun appetizer.
Making these muffin tin bite sized treats are not much different than making traditional Spaghetti & Meatballs. First, start by boiling water on the stove top. Stir in some olive oil and the spaghetti and cook until Al Dente (just under cooked).
Meanwhile, make the meatballs and heat them over the stove top. Once the pasta is done, strain it and toss it with olive oil or cooking spray then allow it to cool. Toss with some Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Spray a muffin tin pan with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Spoon in spaghetti noodles, like seen above.
Top with Ragu® Traditional Pasta Sauce and place a meatball on top of each of the “nests”. Top with more Ragu® Sauce and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Add fresh parsley/basil to garnish the top.
For the biggest game of the year, you can never have too many snacks. We’ve got an easy tip to help you plan that party.
It’s always easiest to work with a simple ingredient while planning a party with food. Our Game Day party is using Ragu® Pasta Sauce to pair appetizers with. Ragu® has a long standing tradition of making savory and flavorful pasta sauce that our whole family loves.
Our appetizer table has meatballs on sticks and a simple Tortellini Caprese kebab. The kebabs are made with spinach tortellini pasta, mozzarella sprinkled with basil and cherry tomatoes then threaded on a kebab stick to dip into pasta sauce. Of course, these Muffin Tin Spaghetti Meatball Bites are perfect to celebrate the day with, too.
I love the convenience of sticking with one main ingredient. These three appetizer dishes took 45 minutes to make! I wish dinner was that quick to make!
Since where making a few appetizer recipes using Ragu® Pasta Sauce, I’ve stocked up on the 3-pack at Sam’s Club®. This value pack is all you’ll need to get those Game Day appetizers on the table in time for family and friends.
Buying the value pack really allows me to get creative in the kitchen and have fun making appetizers that everyone loves.
If your eats aren’t touchdown-worthy, your team might lose.
Ingredients
- 5 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese crumbs
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 cup Ragu® Traditional Tomato Sauce
- 12 cooked meatballs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (, to garnish)
- parsley or basil to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large pot set on the stove top, cook spaghetti with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Cook according to package directions. Strain spaghetti and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil or cooking spray to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Allow mixture to cool. Meanwhile, cook meatballs according to package directions (or make your own). Toss spaghetti with 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese crumbs and 1 tablespoon parsley. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin pan well with cooking spray. Spoon noodle mixture into tins, filling it nearly to the top. Spoon 1 tablespoon Ragu® Sauce on top of the noodles then top with 1 meatball for each. Spoon 1 tablespoon over the top of each meatball then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley or basil. Cook in oven for about 20 minutes.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragu®. The opinions and text are all mine.
15 Comments
Rose Sahetapy
01/31/2016 at 4:46 amThis could be presented either for main dish or snack/appertize. Love..love the idea! And it’s easy to prepare it.
Jessica Knott
02/15/2016 at 11:49 pmSo much fun to present for a party with guests. Thanks, Rose!
Ana De- Jesus
01/31/2016 at 4:22 pmThis looks amazing! I would love some of these muffin bites but I would replace the meat with quorn as I am a vegetarian.
Kimberly at Fitdisneymom.com
01/31/2016 at 10:12 pmI use muffin tins so much for my cooking now. It’s a great idea and keeps portions under control. Then it’s easy to freeze leftovers too!
Jessica Knott
02/01/2016 at 12:11 pmDef use them more and more now. Thanks Kimberly!
krystle cook
02/01/2016 at 12:20 pmWhat a great idea!! This would be perfect for so many parties as a great little appetizer. Now if I could only get my boys to eat meatballs.
jill conyers
02/01/2016 at 1:15 pmWhat an awesome idea! And so easy to make in a variety of different ways.
krystal
02/04/2016 at 9:38 pmYour photos are gorgeous. I would never have come up with this idea. Looks amazing!
Yona Williams
02/04/2016 at 10:35 pmI would definitely make these because they are different and bite-size. I have yet to make an appetizer or snack like this…I’m usually doing mini desserts. This looks really good.
Jessica Knott
02/15/2016 at 11:47 pmThey are so easy to make and a lot of fun to share for parties! Thanks, Yona!
Fareeha
02/25/2016 at 4:25 amThis is fabulously delicious.. using the muffin tin looks like a great way to keep my ever expanding waistline under control
Barely Vegan
02/25/2016 at 10:41 pmHow creative!! These look so perfect for parties. Great recipe. 🙂
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
03/01/2016 at 12:52 pmWOW! These muffin tin spaghetti bites look soooo good!! Such a creative way of making spaghetti! Thanks for sharing the recipe! 🙂
Megan
01/06/2019 at 12:11 pmDo these stay together pretty well or fall apart in your hand?
Jessica Knott
01/06/2019 at 10:19 pmHi Megan, with the oil added, they should get a little crispy, which helps to hold it all together.