Cost: $6.09, Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef, 16 oz Spaghetti, 1 onion, 8 cloves garlic, 3 oz Mushrooms (5), 1 26 oz can Spaghetti Sauce, 1 16 oz bag Spinach, Salt, Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper (optional)

Cooking Instructions

Spaghetti (15 minutes)

Helpful Tip: To make the water boil faster put the lid on the pot.

Helpful Tip: While you are waiting for the water to boil start the meat sauce - “a watched pot never boils”.

Turn 1 burner on high heat and get large pot (4 quart size) and lid

Fill large pot with 2 quarts water and tablespoon of salt and place on bring to a boil on high heat

When the water starts to boil, remove the lid.

Place spaghetti in pot (I like to grab all my spaghetti and break it in half before placing in the pot to make sure it all fits in the pot right away).

Boil according to the package instructions (usually 8 to 11 minutes for basic spaghetti)

When spaghetti is done (tender), drain the water.

Hopefully you followed the tip and your meat sauce is done. If so, add the meat sauce to the pot of spaghetti and stir together over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Meat Sauce (15 minutes)

Peel 1 onion, and dice it. Smash and finely chop 8 cloves of garlic. Set aside

Remove the ground beef from the pack and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Get large frying pan/skillet. Spray with cooking spray and turn heat on medium high. Break up ground beef and cook about 5 minutes.

Drain fat from ground beef (if any) and then add HALF the onion, garlic to skillet.

Continue browning for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to let the onions and garlic cook.

Open can of spaghetti sauce and pour into the skillet over the meat.

Reduce heat to medium low, cover and let simmer 5 minutes.

Spinach (5-7 minutes)

In skillet coat bottom of skillet with cooking spray and put on burner on high heat.

When pan is hot, add half garlic and onion mixture you cut up in step 1.

Cook for about 1 -2 minutes, stirring constantly until garlic gives off aroma and onions are translucent.

Add ½ cup of water to skillet and add bag of spinach to skillet.

Reduce heat to medium, add salt and pepper and cover the skillet.

Note: if using a fresh bag of spinach don’t worry that spinach is overflowing the sides. Just get it in the skillet and put the lid on it. The spinach will wilt quickly.

After 5 minutes remove the lid and stir spinach. You should see after stirring that the spinach has wilted significantly.

If spinach is not completely wilted, put top back on and let cook for another minute or two.

Cost of Meal

1 lb Ground Beef $2.49

16 oz Spaghetti (1/2 of 32oz box $1.84) $.92

1 onion (10 onions in $2.99 3 lb bag) $0.30

8 cloves garlic (1/3 of $0.50 head) $0.17

1 26 oz can Spaghetti Sauce $0.99

1 16 oz bag Spinach $1.22



Total cost of meal: $6.09

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