Weeknight Family Supper Meal: #5 Spaghetti Pie

4:27 PM

The Weeknight Family Supper Meal is an inspiration for a meal that can be enjoyed any night of the week, offering ideas on how to prepare part of the meal ahead, how to freeze leftovers, and how to repurpose them into a new meal.

With Valentine's Day next Wednesday, I thought you might like a meal for the special occasion.

When my children were small, we chose to celebrate the moment with them at the family table instead of a quiet, romantic meal just my husband and me.

I would set the table with fine china, crystal tea glasses, real cloth napkins, and, well, the silverware was our everyday fare.

I would serve a one-pot dish, such as Shrimp Creole over buttered rice, accompanied by a green salad. For dessert, we would have chocolate cake.

Oh, the memories are flooding in. sniff sniff!

When I'm pressed for time, an Italian Spaghetti Pie is a make-ahead dish that you'll want to make again and again, not just for special occasions.

This recipe serves a lot, so have some foil pans ready to fill and freeze for another weeknight meal.

I like to serve a pretty salad alongside spaghetti. And the Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad is just that beautiful.

If you're not a fan of strawberries in a combination mixture, consider adding another vegetable, such as carrots, cherry tomatoes, or a type of cheese.

There are no rules for a delicious and gorgeous salad. Another note is that the salad can be assembled ahead of time, maybe the morning of your dinner. Add the dressing just before serving.

You always want to serve bread with spaghetti to sop up all the sauce.

A Crusty Italian Bread is perfect. The bread can be made two to three days ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap, and stored in a bread box. It can be sliced just before serving.

For me, there is no more perfect time to serve Red Velvet Cake for dessert than Valentine's Day. Not only is the cake delicious, but it is also entirely gorgeous served with dipped strawberries.

The cake can be prepared up to a week in advance. Wrap each layer in plastic wrap and then in foil. Freeze the layers and then frost the cake.

Believe me, this method of frosting cakes you will use over and over. It's the only way I like to frost a cake. I think it makes the cake a lot moister.