See this guy??? When I was a child, I was very familiar with him. He's the guy that was responsible for all the pizza, spaghetti and other Italian delicacies that we ate in our house.
In fact this (Chef Boyardee Ravioli in Tomato and Meat Sauce) was a real treat! I was an adult before I realized that Ravioli didn't have to come in a tin, and that Chef Boyardee didn't have to make it . . . that there was a whole world of different Ravioli out there . . . not just meat . . . there was delicious cheese ravioli, and vegetable ravioli . . . mama mia! What a delicious discovery that was!
But, alas . . . the kid in me still craves the comfort of Chef Boyardee once in a while . . . he's like a naughty addiction that I keep wanting to return to.
No Chef Boyardee here in the UK.
So . . . what's a gal to do . . . you put your big girl panties on and you adapt, that's what!!!
And sometimes, you even come up with something thats even better than the original . . . but really . . . . how hard was it to top pasta in a tin . . . hahaha . . . not hard at all.
I still used the convenience of storebought fresh ravioli, and jarred sauce.
I also used extra lean steak mince, and I always, always grate all my own cheese. Those pre-grated cheeses have something nasty in them to help keep them flowing easy. You don't want to eat that do you???? I thought not!!
It was way better than Chef Boyardee, and Todd even offered to don a chef's hat if I wanted him to . . . ☺☺☺
I don't want any e-mails from you purists out there . . . I know this isn't exactly Italian . . . nor is it English, but it is MY kitchen, and once in a while you just have to throw caution to the wind and go with it. C'est la vie. (yes, that's French.)
*Layered Ravioli Bake*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe
Quick, simple and quite delicious.
700g of spaghetti sauce
(I used two 350g jars of Napolini, about 4 cups in total)
2 pounds of cheese ravioli, thawed if frozen
1 pound extra lean steak mince
1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, grated
(8 ounces, about 2 cups)
3.5 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup)
Prepare the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.
Spray a large skillet with some nonstick spray and brown the mince until there is no longer any pink showing. Stir in the spaghetti sauce. Heat to a simmer. (If your sauce is lacking in zing, add some dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.)
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.
Spoon about one cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of an ungreased 11 by 7 inch baking dish. Top with half of the drained ravioli. Top with half of the remaining sauce and half of each cheese. Finish off with the rest of the ravioli, sauce and cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.
This is a repeat. I have something wierd going on with my arm and haven't been able to cook today. Hoping to get into the Dr to look at it today and see what's up with it. The Toddster cooked dinner tonight . . . man food. Tinned beans, pasties and some frozen potato nuggets. It was awfully nice of him to do that. And he did the dishes too. Wish me luck at the Dr. I want to get back in the kitchen! I have a lot of tastiness planned and it's making me sad I'm not able to do any of it!
This looks like it could be a winner with us Marie! Pasta Pete would soon clear his plate and hold it out for seconds!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get on OK at the doctor's and you can get to the bottom of what's wrong with your arm. xxx
Hello!!! First of all, good luck with your arm!!! Then I just want to tell you that although are not made in the traditional way, they really look delicious! So well done!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Pat and Serena!
ReplyDeleteHa ha, great minds think alike. I used to make something similar when I first married and we had no money. A tin of ravioli poured into baking dish, topped with mozarella and breadcrumbs. Served with crusty bread too.
ReplyDeleteCheap and cheerful but damn tasty too.
Sounds delicious Bibs. I didn't quite open a tin here, but your version sounds lovely too.
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Francesca and I'm Italian. I stumbled upon your blog and I liked it because there are so many recipe. I have joined your supporters. If you go too foul. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Francesca!
ReplyDeleteIbet it's very tasty!
ReplyDeleteHope your arm gets well soon. Dealing with a bunch of aches and pains so I know the woes of not feeling like cooking.
ReplyDeleteThis does look delicious.
I've had this one bookmarked for ages and today was the day to try it out. I halved it because there are only two of us. I used frozen ravioli and jar of Arrabbiata sauce, as we like a little heat. I added a touch of garlic, basil, rosemary and oregano to the sauce just for some extra Italian flavour. It bubbled away happily in the oven while I made some mini baguettes into garlic bread to wrap in foil and pop into the oven for the last 10 minutes and made a tossed salad to go with it. It makes a delicious, very easy dinner which we both enjoyed - and a bonus is that it uses staple stuff that I already have have in my pantry or fridge (or freezer). Everyone needs a few recipes like this for nights when a quick, but nutritious meal is called for.
ReplyDeleteIt always makes my day when I see that you have tried one of my older recipes and enjoyed it Marie! Love your additions, and the garlic bread sounds delicious. I am hungry after reading your comment actually! lol You are right, recipes like this are perfect for nights when a quick but nutritious meal is needed. Thank YOU so much! xoxo
Delete