Nice big tender Italian Meatballs nestled into bed of spaghetti wrapped in a blanket of sauce & cheese.

It’s amazing how one casserole dish can bring a family together.

Do you and your family sit down to dinner on a regular basis? Or are you like us and you treasure those times when you’ve got the whole gang gathered around the table?

I sure do love it!

Today I’m delivering a Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole of Love! One of my dear friends is in the hospital and the best thing I can do for her right now is to help nourish her family. I happen to know spaghetti & meatballs are a favorite in their house :)

The Preparation

This dish begins with the meatballs. I use our nice big Italian Meatballs, you can find the recipe here.

You’ll want to double this recipe, using 2 pounds of ground meat. This will make a beautiful batch of 16-20 meatballs.

Plenty to feed a family of eight!

When I’m delivering a meal to a friend or family at a time of need I try to make it as easy as possible to heat & serve or freeze.

Foil pans are the unsung heroes here. Simply layer the al dente spaghetti, top with cooked meatballs and marinara sauce, add a nice layer of cheese and bake.

For the spaghetti, I actually love to use bucatini fusilli. It’s curly and fun and holds on to the delicious marinara sauce nicely too.

I’ve shared before that there are a few pantry staples that I always keep on hand. The pasta I mentioned above, our favorite Rao’s Sauce, and gluten free panko breadcrumbs. All of which are incorporated into this meal.

I delivered Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole of Love!, a tossed salad and Peanut Butter Cup Brownies to this special family. Love and healing energy included.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole of Love!

Nice big tender Italian Meatballs nestled into bed of spaghetti wrapped in a blanket of sauce & cheese.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 2 batches Italian Meatballs see recipe link in post

For the Spaghetti Casserole

• 1 pound spaghetti or favorite pasta cooked al dente
• 24 ounces marinara sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Brown the meatballs using the Oven Method. Then transfer to sauce and finish cooking in the oven.

For the Spaghetti Casserole

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare pasta al dente according to package instructions. Drain and toss with marinara sauce. Layer in casserole dish with meatballs. Top with shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

The post Spaghetti & Meatball Casserole of Love! appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

By the summer of sixth grade I was old enough to head off on my bicycle in the morning, with one stipulation, be home before dark.  Most days for lunch I split an Italian Grinder with my BFF before heading to the lake.  This Chopped Italian Submarine Salad has all those familiar wonderful flavors.

I grew up in a two stop-light old mill town in southern New Hampshire.  The first light was at ‘the bridge’ and the second was at the crazy five-way intersection.  Turn left and you head out of town.  Left of center led you to Silver Ranch (now called Kimball Farm), home of the Ice Cream Shop and Restaurant (serving hand dipped homemade ice cream, lobster rolls and seafood plates).  Right of center took us past the middle & high school, the ball fields & ice rink and ultimately to ‘the lake.’  All of which we could reach on our bicycles, which is how we traveled in the summers before turning 16.  It was however, the short dead end road to the hard right at that 2nd stop-light that has inspired this post.

One block in on the right, sits The Pizza Barn.  A local favorite in our small town, a place I visit every time home, and I’m willing to bet their pizzas and grinders (aka submarines) could hold their own against most.  If any of my hometown friends are reading this, feel free to comment below and share your Pizza Barn favorites.

In my opinion, what makes an Italian Sub is Submarine Dressing.  Today I decided to recreate my favorite supermarket brand from scratch (Seriously, how can you be out of Submarine Dressing??!!).  Click here for recipe or pick up a bottle at your deli counter.

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Chopped Italian Submarine Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4- ounces ditalini pasta cooked
• 2 heads romaine lettuce chopped
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced pepperoni diced
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced salami diced
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced ham or mortadella diced
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced provolone diced
• 1/4 lb. thick sliced mozzarella diced
• 1 3.8- ounce can sliced ripe olives
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes sliced
• 10-12 pepperoncini peppers sliced
• 1/2 cup red onion fine diced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• freshly cracked black pepper
• Submarine Dressing recipe link in post

Instructions

• Slice and dice ingredients.
• When ready to serve, toss pasta and romaine with diced meats, cheeses, and veggies. Sprinkle with dried oregano, pepper and a generous serving of Submarine Dressing.
• Serve immediately.

The post Chopped Italian Submarine Salad appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Cheese and salami slices are easily transformed into a snack chip.  Just a minute or two in the microwave and you’ll be enjoying low carb ‘chips’ that are sturdy enough for dipping.  Salami & Cheese Chips are a great addition to any appetizer spread.

I’ve been making microwave Cheese Chips for years.  Not because I was looking for an awesome low-carb snack, but because we always have cheese on hand and I’m often looking for a quick snack.  Simply lay a slice of cheese on parchment paper and microwave for 1 minute to 1 minute 15 seconds.  Voila.  I did the three different types of cheese shown above at the same time and they all turned out perfectly.

The key for the Salami Chips is to have your deli slice the salami (or pepperoni) nice and thin.  Then onto the parchment paper and into the microwave for a 60 – 75 seconds  My low-carb and gluten free friends, you’ll be dunking in dip in no time.

The post Salami & Cheese Chips appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Last spring Shelby and I flew to New Orleans.  For business.  Aaaannnnd a girl’s getaway.  To say we had a blast is an understatement.  Before we left home we each made a must-see/do list of what we wanted to experience while visiting The Big Easy.  A trip to Central Grocery Co. for a Muffuletta was near the top of my list.

There were several ‘firsts’ that weekend.  I shared more about our trip in this post titled Beignets & Charbroiled Oysters {and a Pimm’s Cup recipe}.  We saved the best for last, we would enjoy a Muffuletta for lunch on Monday before we flew out that evening.  Yeeeaaaahhh.  Central Grocery is closed on Mondays.  Damn.

I had visions of sharing my version of their Muffuletta.  I had even started the post and saved it as a draft.  That draft has laid dormant for over a year.  I will visit NOLA again, this I know.  But I couldn’t wait any longer to create this monster sandwich in my kitchen.  Here we go.

I took some liberties with this Muffuletta.  I make a really good Triple Olive Tapenade.  Why reinvent the wheel?  Our tapenade was a great substitution for their ‘olive salad.’

Next, the Muffuletta got it’s name from a loaf of bread called muffuletta.  Sadly, they don’t make that at my local bakery and from what I’ve learned my best chance to obtain muffuletta is to board a plane to New Orleans.  Given that wasn’t an option, I chose our favorite round loaf….sour dough.  Blasphemy I know.  Can we agree now that this recipe isn’t authentic, yet a damn good representation of a classic sandwich?  In my head we all agreed.

I stepped up to the deli and was greeted by an energetic meat monger.  Not sure about that term.  After informing my ‘slicer guy’ that I was about to be a nightmare, he quickly said “I’m all in, let’s do this.”  I need 1/4-pound of salami, mortadella, capicola, provolone, mozzarella….and yes, I said yes to every sample he offered.  OooMyyyWeeerd.  Mortadella is bologna for grown ups.  Yum!

We have tomatoes overflowing every inch (and counter) of our kitchen.  Yes, sliced tomatoes have been added to our sandwich, along with banana pepper rings.  And all of that meat and cheese.

Our Muffuletta Sandwich was awe-mazing and loaded with meat.  I layered tomato on the bottom, then alternated meat and cheese before topping with the yummy tapenade.  The key to the Muffuletta Sandwich is to press it.  I wrapped our sandwich in paper then stood every heavy can and pot on top of it for about six hours.  Holy Wow.  This is a BIG sandwich.  We each attempted a rather tall quarter first.  Serious sandwich love.  Later that evening, (in my best narrator voice) we heated the remaining sandwich in the oven.  Are you kidding me?!  Again, in my head we all agree….that all those Italian meats and cheeses bring a flavor explosion when warmed in the oven.

Did I mention that this is an awesome Game Day recipe?  Sharing on SEC Saturday.

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Muffuletta Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 8- inch round Italian bread
• 1/2 cup Tapenade recipe link in post
• 1 small tomato sliced
• 1/4 cup banana pepper rings
• 1/4 pound mortadella
• 1/4 pound salami
• 1/4 pound capacoli
• 1/4 pound provolone
• 1/4 pound mozzarella

Instructions

• Prepare Olive Tapenade. Preferably 8-12 hours ahead of time.
• Slice Italian round and scoop out extra bread.
• Layer tomato slices then alternate meat and cheese. Top with banana pepper and olive tapenade.
• Wrap sandwich then press with a plate stacked with heavy pantry ingredients. Your choice.
• To serve, use a sharp knife and cut in quarters.

The post Muffuletta Sandwich appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Chicken Parmesan over pasta makes me comfortable and happy.  Today I delivered it to a friend with hopes it does the same for her :) 

Chicken breasts, lightly breaded, pan browned, topped with a basic tomato sauce, mozzarella & Parmesan cheese.  Easy comfort.

The post Chicken Parmesan {Share the Love} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my most favorite Italian dishes, what’s not to love about something breaded, fried, and topped with melted cheese.  It’s also super simple to make.

I like to slice the eggplant a little thicker than some, about 3/8″ thick.  Then when you bread them you don’t loose the wonderful eggplant flavor.  Toss the slices in kosher salt and arrange in a single layer in a colander for 30-45 min. then dry completely with paper towels.  This draws out extra liquid from the eggplant.  Dip eggplant in flour, then egg, and then Italian bread crumbs before pan frying until crispy brown on both sides.  Drain on paper towels.

You’ll need about 1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce ~ we oven roasted cherry tomatoes in olive oil with fresh oregano and basil leaves, then added to sauteed onion, carrot, and garlic.

We also had a beautiful big tomato that needed to be eaten.  Sliced it, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, salt & pepper and broiled for a few minutes.

Layer in baking dish (see photo) ~ fried eggplant slice, fresh mozzarella slice, basil leaf, spoonful of tomato sauce or broiled tomato slice, and repeat.  Sprinkle dish with grated parmesan cheese and bake at 375 until cheese is bubbly and happy.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I feel like I need to say more, but eggplant is tricky to explain.  It’s meaty and buttery and kind of squashy and really happy when paired with tomato sauce and cheese.  How’s that?

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Eggplant Parmesan {with Roasted Tomatoes}

Eggplant parmesan is one of my most favorite Italian dishes, what’s not to love about something breaded, fried, and topped with melted cheese. It’s also super simple to make.

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 med. – lg. eggplant sliced 3/8″ thick
• 1 Tbl. kosher salt
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 lg. tomato sliced
• 2 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 12 oz. fresh mozzarella
• 8-10 fresh basil
• 2 Tbl. Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Slice eggplant (3/8″ thick) and toss with salt.
• Arrange single layer in a colander for 30-45 min. then dry completely with paper towels.
• Prepare favorite tomato sauce.
• Slice tomato, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Then broil for 2-3 minutes.
• Dip eggplant slices in flour, then egg, then Italian bread crumbs.
• Pan fry until crispy brown on both sides.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Layer in baking dish ~ fried eggplant slice, fresh mozzarella slice, basil leaf, spoonful of tomato sauce or broiled tomato slice, and repeat.
• Sprinkle dish with grated parmesan cheese
• Bake until cheese is bubbly and happy, about 10 – 15 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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