Works For Me: Spaghetti Sauce

This week's tip is a bit on the wimpy side, but I'm too busy for anything big and creative!  MUST. FINISH. CHRISTMAS. EVE. PAJAMAS.

If you have a big family and one jar of spaghetti sauce isn't quite enough, add some tomato soup to it.  Stretches it out nicely (and cheaply), and adds a good flavor to boot! 

(And if you're shaking your head saying, "one jar of spaghetti sauce?  I would never feed my family spaghetti sauce from a jar!" then, um, I'm afraid you're reading the wrong blog...)

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Comments

[Loni]

This IS a great idea. Thanks for sharing it with another mom who does use spaghetti sauce from a JAR! :)

[Tammy L]

Thanks for hosting WFMW again, Shannon! :)

We like to mix pizza sauce (thick) with tomato soup for our spaghetti sauce! :D So I kind of have three sauces, but only have to store two kinds. :)

[Julie]

Ragu is my "special recipe"! Thanks for the stretching idea. My boys are getting bigger appetites and one jar isn't quite enough, but two is really too much.

[Laura]

Yes I definitely use a jarred sauce too but adding tomato soup or in my case mushrooms make it homemade...lol.
Laura

[owlhaven]

You can also puree a couple fresh tomatoes to stretch a jar of sauce.

Mary, mom to many

[Adventures In Babywearing]

Now I am hungry for spaghetti. Oh, and I usually always use a jar of spaghetti sauce and add extras to it- hubby's favorite is brown sugar... mmmmm!!!

[Michelle]

I lived on pasta and Prego through college. Brings back memories :) Thanks for putting this up every week, I love all the ideas I find here.

[Sarah]

From a jar! tut tut. I use organic homegrown homemade...ha ha ha ha who am I kidding?? I generally add a tin of plum tomatoes to increase pasta coverability, but I like the idea of soup. I make a pasta sauce with soup: 1 tin of mushroom soup with extra mushrooms added, grate big pile of cheese, add to soup to thicken, pour over pasta. Yum.

[Fiddledeedee (It Coulda' Been Worse)]

"You're reading the wrong blog." That's funny. I add a can of diced tomatoes to mine. And maybe a can of mushrooms. If it's made in my home, then it's "homemade."

[Jennifer, Snapshot]

LOL about the jarred spaghetti sauce. We use it for everything--a sort of Italian stir fry base, spaghetti, even pizza sauce.

[Mama Duck]

Mmmm. I like to add a can of the chunky tomato/onion/garlic stuff to the generic brand regular pasta sauce, along with some spices - tastes like homemade but is so much easier!

[Stephanie]

good tip

[Amblin]

I make our sauce but this is a great tip for stretching jarred sauce!

Before anyone thinks I'm a culinary foodie (Yikes!), I have to handmake most of our foods due to severe food allergies in one of my children. In fact, that's what my Works for Me Wednesday is about this week! :)

[Sally]

Jarred spaghetti sauce-0 yeah!! I don't actually enjoy cooking, so the easier, the better for me!! My Mom makes EVERYTHING from scratch, so she doesn't think she raised me right!!!

[KimC]

Actually, I was thinking ONE jar of spaghetti sauce? We use 2, then I add a can of something else tomato-ey to stretch it a bit. It's almost time to bite the bullet and just use 3.
One is just right when we make pizza though - it covers our 4-5 large homemade pizzas just right every Friday night.
:)

[Stacey]

This is a great tip - I always have this problem!
I will keep this in mind!

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[on the Rock]

One jar for 2 of us is too much. But it's agreat tip to know how to stretch it for more!!! Thanks:)

[Becky]

Thanks for the tip! I have an easy Christmas craft up! Merry Christmas!

[Melanie]

Good idea about adding the soup. I always start with a jar of sauce and add things to it, or not. :>) Is there any other kind?

[Barbara H.]

Even with making spaghetti sauce from scratch, once I was out of tomato sauce and used tomato soup, and my husband liked it better.

We do keep Prego on hand for a number of things -- sauce for "mini-pizzas" (Prego, pepperoni, and mozzerella on English muffins)and for my husband's occasionl craving for quick spaghetti.

I actually posted 2 tips today, but only put 1 in parentheses for "Mr. Linky." One was on gift ideas for the elderly, the other was handling my kids' Christmas "wish lists."

[Kim]

This is my first time to participate! I finally found something that works! Ha! I enjoyed this and thanks for hosting it,Shannon!

Kim

[OneCoolMama]

You mean there are people who actually MAKE their own spaghetti sauce?!?!?! Wow.
Great tip! I always need just a little bit more sauce, but not enough to open a new jar. Thanks!

[nikko]

Great tip! Thanks for hosting. WFMW is one of my favorite things in the blogiverse!

[Shalee]

What?! You used jarred spaghetti sauce? Oh for the love of all that's Italian... And homemade is so stinkin' simple! I would so not expect that from someone who serves redneck garlic bread...

Are you trying to kick me off your blog?! Just because I make my own spaghetti sauce? Well it's going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me, Sister!

But I love the trick. Sneaky, but good!

[Justice Fergie]

Great idea. I do this all the time! Making spaghetti sauce from the jar is the only way I do it these days. You'd be surprised how great Sauteed Onion and Ragu tastes with a little help from a few seasonings!

[Kathleen Marie]

I like to add a can of just plain tomato sauce or tomato paste as well. Like the soup idea and have used it. I do make some of my own spaghetti sauce and freeze it but have used canned plenty of times. I like to play around with it...sometimes adding veggies and spices. Thanks!

[Romie]

Well this is great. My husband eats enough that even though it is only three of us, I might have to use this.

[Julie]

Not only do I use a jar but I use Wal-Mart's generic brand. I add hamburger and a touch of cinnamon and I get SOOOOO many compliments. People are floored when I tell them it's Wal-Mart brand...I guess I should stop telling huh!

[Jules @ Everyday Mommy]

Great idea! Tomato soup makes a great topping for lots of stuff, especially stuffed peppers. Yum!

[Q&Q]

Thanks for the tip. We just had spaghetti on Monday. I usually add ketchup (to the jar sauce) but I think I'll be trying the soup next time.

[Shannon in Arizona]

Good idea ;)
I always add canned tomatoes, but that sounds yummy....

[Carrie]

don't kick me off your blog, but i use jarred to stretch the homemade stuff when i run out of canned tomatoes and sauce and i sent my hubby out to the store to get more and he came back and lo and behold he forgot the tomatoes but look! he remembered to buy oreos.

[Linda]

Great idea!! I love a lot more sauce vs noodles.

[Elisa]

Believe or not I just stumbled on the "gem" tomato soup can be this week. I had leftover baked ziti that came out a little dry, and leftover tomato soup (from our kids fav meal -- grilled cheese dipped in tomatoe soup), so I poured the soup on top and nuked away. Can you believe my husband declared, "This is the best ziti you've ever made!" Hah! And he said this to an Italian that makes her sauce from scratch (back before four kids and dog and cat were underfoot and pulling my hair out!)

Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas!

www.laundry-alternative.net

[Sarah's in the midst of it]

Oh my goodness, I'd never thought of that before! This is what I love about WFMW:)

[Mom2fur]

Let me tell you something, being married to an Italian. My husband makes incredible sauce--but you're talking something with all kinds of meat that simmers for hours on a Sunday. It is very special, but it's a SUNDAY meal. You know what I mean. But on a weeknight, I sure as heck am not going to do that--or we'd never eat a strand of spaghetti. I don't care what the food snobs tell you...jarred sauce is just fine!