Spaghetti & Meatballs Night—A Sibling Showdown in the Kitchen

The Great Meatball Debate: Cooking with Teens (and Who Actually Follows the Recipe?!) 🍝🎶

There’s something hilarious about watching siblings cook together. One follows the recipe to the letter. The other? Wings it completely. 🙈

Last week, it was Spaghetti & Meatballs Night in our house, and let’s just say, the kitchen turned into a mini MasterChef competition.

One kid: “We follow the recipe exactly.”

The other: “But that’s not how Mum does it!!”

Me? Trying to sip my tea and stay out of it. ☕😂

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🍝 Easy Spaghetti & Meatballs Recipe for Teens

Serves: 4

Free Printable Recipe Here!

⏳ Cooking Time: ~30 minutes

Ingredients

🥩 12 beef meatballs

🍝 300g spaghetti

🥫 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes

🍅 1 carton (500g) tomato passata

🧄 2 cloves garlic, minced

🧅 1 small onion, finely chopped

🧂 1 tsp dried oregano

🧀 Grated Parmesan (optional)

🫒 1 tbsp olive oil

🌿 Salt & black pepper to taste

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👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook the Meatballs

1️⃣ Heat a large frying pan over medium heat & add 1 tbsp oil.

2️⃣ Place the meatballs in the pan & cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally.

3️⃣ Remove from the pan & set aside.

Step 2: Make the Sauce

1️⃣ Add chopped onions to the pan & cook for 3 minutes.

2️⃣ Stir in garlic & cook for 1 more minute.

3️⃣ Pour in the chopped tomatoes & passata.

4️⃣ Add oregano, salt, & pepper. Stir well.

5️⃣ Let it simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.

Step 3: Cook the Spaghetti

1️⃣ Boil a large pot of salted water.

2️⃣ Add the spaghetti & cook for 8-10 minutes.

3️⃣ Drain the spaghetti.

Step 4: Bring It All Together

1️⃣ Add the meatballs back into the sauce & let them soak up the flavor for 5 minutes.

2️⃣ Divide the spaghetti onto plates & top with sauce & meatballs.

3️⃣ Sprinkle with Parmesan (if using).

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🍽 What We Learned from Meatball Night

✔ Cooking is a (fun) sibling battle. One says stick to the recipe, the other follows their instincts. Neither was wrong.

✔ Cooking together = bonding. (“Hand me the salt.” “Pass the tongs.” “STOP EATING THE MEATBALLS BEFORE THEY’RE DONE!!”) 😂

✔ The joy of serving up a homemade meal. Seeing them plate it up with pride was the best part.

They sat down together, full of chat and laughter, proud of what they had made. And that’s what makes this little cooking tradition worth it. 💛

Chat soon,

Ciara