5 Easy Back to School Pasta Dinners
This might be the easiest Trader Joe’s dinner hack ever. Macaroni, chicken sausage, and that cheddar cheese spread, all baked into one cheesy pan of delicous!
Ingridients
- 1 lb macaroni
- 12 oz cheddar chicken sausage (or any chicken sausage), sliced
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1–2 tsp taco seasoning
- 9 oz cheddar cheese spread
- 3 cups chicken broth
- Toppings: Sour cream, basil leaves, shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large oven-safe baking dish, add macaroni, sliced chicken sausage, cherry tomatoes, taco seasoning, and cheddar cheese spread. Pour chicken broth over the top.
3. Bake in oven for 45 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and top with sour cream, fresh basil, and Parmesan. Stir everything together before serving.
Caramelized Onion and Steak Pasta
Hardest part about this dish is babysitting the onions while they caramelize, otherwise it’s super easy to make and the taste is 10/10 ⭐️
Ingridients
- 10 oz (284g) ribeye steak. Cut up into bite size pieces
- 3 tbs butter
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3 yellow onions, sliced
- 2-3 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 2/3 lbs (300g) spaghetti
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 to 1.5 cup reserved pasta water
- 0.75 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Heat up a large pan on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp butter and some olive oil. Once melted, throw in steak. Season with salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan.
2. In the same pan, add remaining butter and some olive oil, add onions and season with salt and pepper. Let cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes until almost fully caramelized. Stir a lot to make sure onions don’t burn or stick to pan. After 20-25 minutes, add balsamic glaze to pan and stir. Cook for another 5 min. Remove from pan.
3. While onions are being caramelized, add water to a large separate pot and add spaghetti. Cook until al dente.
4. To the same pan, add wine and heavy cream. Stir, scrape the pan, and add 1 cup of water form the pasta, add Parmesan and stir. Add parsley, stir, then add back onions and steak. Stir, then add spaghetti. Stir everything to make sure pasta is covered in sauce. Add more of the pasta water if necessary to keep the sauce sauce-y
Chicken Alfredo Dump and Bake
I love a 5 minute prep meal that tastes this good and the whole family will eat! If there’s anything left after serving this dish does great as meal prep too.
Ingridients
- 1 lb (16 oz) rigatoni, uncooked
- 2.5 cups chicken broth
- 1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo sauce
- 7 oz pesto 💚
- 12 oz chicken sausage
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 🧀
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large 9x13 baking dish, dump in Alfredo sauce, pesto, and chicken broth. Stir, and pour in uncooked pasta. Stir until pasta is coated and liquid is evenly distributed.
3. Mix in 1 cup mozzarella, season with salt and pepper
4. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top along with Parmesan cheese 🧀
5. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes, until pasta is tender and top is golden bubbly. You can broil the last few minutes.
6. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Creamy Cream Cheese Pasta
This creamy chicken sausage bow tie pasta is cooked all in one pot with broth, cream cheese, sour cream, and spinach, it’s the kind of dinner that is low effort but feels high effort! 🏆
Ingridients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz chicken sausage (mild Italian, sliced or crumbled)
- 2/3 lb bow tie pasta (about 12 oz from a 1 lb bag)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add chicken sausage and cook until browned. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add pasta and pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until pasta is al dente and most of the broth is absorbed (about 10–12 minutes).
3. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and melty.
4. Mix in spinach, Parmesan, and the cooked sausage. Stir until spinach wilts and everything is creamy and well coated.
5. Top with extra Parmesan if you like!
Boo-ursin Pasta
It’s fall season in my book which equals comfort food and cheesy season. This one pan dish is warm, creamy, boo-licious and perfect for a busy weeknight! The whole thing comes together in less than 30 minutes 🍂🥘
Ingridients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb pasta, I used these zuccchette
- 4 cups beef or chicken broth
- 2 cups pasta sauce (marinara or your favorite)
- 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend or mozzarella/cheddar)
- 1 round Boursin cheese
- Optional: basil leaves
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large, deep oven-safe skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, breaking it apart, and cook until browned and fully cooked. Transfer beef to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add the pasta and broth to the same pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking, until most of the liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente.
3. Stir in the pasta sauce, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and the cooked beef until evenly mixed.
4. Place the Boursin cheese in the center of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the top.
5. Transfer the pan to a preheated oven at 350°F and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Remove from oven, garnish Boursin cheese with some basil if you’d like! Then serve as is or stir through the creamy Boursin.
