Copy Cat Spaghettios with Meatballs - Healthier Homemade Co Recipes (2024)

A very long time ago, there was a small girl who was a very picky eater. She likely would only eat about 5 things and one of those 5 things was a big bowl of Spaghetti O’s with meatballs! This childhood favorite was a normal grocery store pickup my mom would buy as I would eat it without one complaint! Those soft, flavorful mini meatballs and tomato puree base hit the spot! But as a mom who knows ingredients, I can’t bring myself to buy the canned version for my kids. So, I made this easy homemade spaghettios with mini meatballs recipe this week. And I have to stay, I nailed this one!

The canned version of spaghetti o’s are full of preservatives and other ingredients we try and not eat a lot of in our house. Ingredients like soy protein, high fructose corn syrup, dirty oils, and other preservatives to keep it fresh while stored in the can on the shelf. Making this cleaner, homemade version my kids can have brings me so much joy! We love taking the classics from growing up and use simple ingredients to make a healthier homemade version you feel good to serve your families! This is a perfect recipe for all those picky eaters!

These homemade spaghettios with mini meatballs were such a classic childhood food for so many who grew up in the 90’s. And trying to recreate a homemade version was a task I was so excited about. Two of my kids have gluten sensitivities and can’t eat the canned version even if I wanted to buy it. I was surprised at how simple this was so toss together and how much it took me back. But in order to make this, I first had to track down all the ingredients needed and figure out my game plan for how how to do this childhood favorite justice.

​Find the Flavors

I tracked down some gluten free anellini pasta on amazon. If you have a gluten allergy, hereis the link to the one I found as no grocery stores carried this classic shape in a gluten free. The base of this recipe is purely tomato but is cut with something else. It also has a few other flavor profiles in the tomato sauce that are subtle but there. I love the mini meatballs and knew I had to include those. The meatballs themselves didn’t have a ton of spices in them so I knew I needed to go simple but keep them soft and small. So here is my ingredient list for the homemade version.

Ingredients List

• 1 tsp garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 15oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 4 c chicken broth
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 block asiago cheese
• 8.8 oz anellini pasta rings
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup water

Directions

Make Mini Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, add ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and 1/2 c shredded asiago cheese. Mix well together and then grab a baking sheet. With a small measuring spoon, scoop out a small bit of mixture and roll into a ball. Should be about one teaspoon sized mini meatball. Continue this process until all the meat in is tiny meatballs. Place in the oven and cook meatballs for 10-12 minutes until they are cooked through but not over done. Set aside.

Make Spaghettio Base

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add chopped garlic, dried basil, 1 tsp salt and mix around well for about 30 seconds. Once garlic is starting to brown, add in tomato sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth, and water. Mix around well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the anellini pasta rings and bring back to a boil. When it’s boiling again, place the lid back on your Dutch oven or soup pot and allow the noodles to continue to cook an additional 5 minutes.

Once that is done, add in the little tiny meatballs, honey, and asiago cheese. Mix well! At this point, you can taste and add more salt if needed. If the mixture is a bit thick, feel free to add 1/4 cup of water a time to get to the desired thickness.

The end result is the most nostalgic food that might ever come out of your kitchen! The classic flavor of the tomato sauce, miniature meatballs perfectly cooked, and the right balance of flavors is just a walk down memory lane for your mouth! This homemade spaghettios recipe is a much healthier option than the canned stuff but is still full of all the classic flavors you remember!

Varitaions/Suggestions

So, next time you are craving a blast from the past at dinner or lunchtime, try these amazing, homemade spaghettio’s with mini meatballs! This recipe will become a new family favorite in an instant! Serve with this delicious homemade einkorn flour pita bread.

Serve this at your dinner table any time of year, for school lunches, or for an easy one pot recipe. If you want to enjoy this in less time, make a double batch once and freeze the leftovers in silicone molds or any airtight container. You can reheat anytime over medium heat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.

I hope your family loves this walk down memory lane for your taste buds!

If you want a more grown up version, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to add some heat. You can also use ditalini pasta if you can’t find the anellini pasta, you just won’t have the classic ring shape. You can also add in some parmesan cheese with the asiago if you family likes that too!