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Alright you Chef Boyardee loving 90’s kids- I have a real treat for y’all here with these copycat One-Pot Spaghetti-o’s and Meatballs!
This One-Pot Spaghetti-o’s and Meatballs is actually more of a cross between the Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs and the Campbell’s Soup Spaghetti’Os and Meatballs. Why? Well, I was really going for the flavor of Chef Boyardee but the annelini pasta (you know, the ones that look like Spaghetti-O’s) are just too damn cute.
The recipe is easy to make and all made in one pot. I simply sear up a simple meatball, set them aside for a second and mix up a super simple, creamy tomato base. The base of the soup is a combination of Kettle & Fire Bone Broth Tomato Soup, broth, balsamic vinegar, and some seasonings. I then add uncooked pasta to the mixture and let it cook down until tender right, which helps thicken the sauce!
*you can find Kettle & Fire at some grocery stores, but you can also purchase online and use my code ‘DEFINEDDISH’ for 20% off. (*affiliate link)
The end result gives me all the nostalgic Chef Boyardee feels, and my kids LOVED it, also! A new family favorite for your dinner table that I can’t wait for y’all to try!
One-Pot Spaghetti O’s with Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 egg whisked
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 3 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the Rest:
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion about ½ onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 [16-oz] cartons Tomato Bone Broth Soup
- 1 cup chicken broth beef broth works too
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp italian seasoning
- 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini, annelini, or stellini
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and arrowroot flour. Mix until well combined.
- Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs in a single layer (you may need to do it in two batches) and cook until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (They don’t need to be cooked through, just browned as they will continue to cook later.) Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato bone broth soup, chicken broth, balsamic, and Italian seasoning and stir to combine. Add the meatballs back into the mixture and any of it’s juices.
- Add the pasta and gently stir to combine, bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a light simmer and cook, uncovered and gently stirring often, until the pasta is tender and sauce has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Taste and sauce and add salt and pepper, if desired. Serve topped with basil!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Soooooo good! Seriously. Every time I start to look for a recipe, this blog is my first stop. I tell all my friends. This recipe was a huge hit with my kids and husband.
Do you think a chickpea pasta would work well in this dish?
I personally don’t like it with Chickpea pasta as it has a stronger flavor; however, it does work!!
Which chickpea pasta did you use
Any time you make a one pot recipe it’s a “hell yes making that immediately”. They’re all so good!
Loved it!! Brings back all my childhood memories eating Spaghetti-O’s from a can. This cleaned up, grown up version is hands down better. Thank you Alex!!
How big should the meatballs be? Ice cream scoop size? Approximately how many meatballs does this make?
I was really excited about this meal, but it was way to vinegar tasting? Followed the recipe exactly too. The meatballs were good though!
Mine was too… and I realized that the Kettle and fire tomato soup that I found at Whole Foods was actually “Savory tomato” bone broth rather than the “tomato” one she uses here. I wonder it that is why? Mine also had a brown color rather than the bright red that it looks like on the blog post. I’m bummed out because I was hoping this would be a hit with my 5 year old. I also looked on the Kettle & Fire website and I don’t see the plain tomato soup anywhere, so I’m kind of just over this recipe lol.
Assuming the balsamic goes in with the soups and broths ?! Whipping it up now and noticed it wasn’t in the instructions 🙂
hi! yes it’s listed in the instructions now I think you may have just missed it 😉 let me know if it’s not reading correctly from your end!
Can the egg in the meatballs be replaced with anything? We have an egg allergy to worry about and can only do them if they are baked!
I’m using pacific foods tomato soup. Ingredients were similar. I can’t seem to find where the balsamic goes? Is it just a drizzle to finish?
sorry about that, just fixed it!
Any suggestions for a substitute for
the Kettle and Fire if we can’t find it in stores and don’t want to wait for it to be shipped? so can’t wait to make this!
Same question!
Hi Emily! You could use another brand of store-bought tomato soup. If it’s something thicker (like campbell’s) you may need 2 cups of broth to have enough liquid to cook down the pasta!