12 Ways to Use a Jar of Pasta Sauce for Dinner (That Aren't Just Spaghetti)

Ham and Cheese Stromboli on a white plate — Photo: footballgrl16

Pantry power! We love using prepared spaghetti sauce or pasta sauce in lasagna recipes, ziti recipes, manicotti, and simple spaghetti dinners. But here, we've taken a jar of sauce in new directions in the pursuit of quick and easy weeknight meals. Whether you whip up tasty spaghetti tacos or mouthwatering meatball sandwiches, the whole family is sure to love these fun twists.

01 of 12

Italian Country Style Ribs

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"This is a recipe that I came up with when I got tired of 'the same old thing,'" says Annelle. "It's easy and delicious. You can add things like mushrooms or peppers. Serve with white rice or noodles, salad and bread. You can pour the sauce over the rice/noodles."

02 of 12

Brenda's Pepperoni Chicken Rollups

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Pound your chicken breasts thin and fill them with pepperoni and mozzarella. Roll 'em up, top with spaghetti sauce, and bake. "This came out great," says AuntKitty. "Very easy to make and very delicious. Using thin sliced chicken cutlets saved time and everything went together quickly."

03 of 12

Lasagna Burritos

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Wrap saucy, beefy, cheesy lasagna rolls in flour tortillas for the ultimate fusion food! "When you take 2 great recipes -- lasagna and burritos -- and make them something new, you get a meal that's unique!" says ElyseJO.

04 of 12

Simple Lasagna Burgers

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"Leftover Italian sausage and ricotta cheese combined with a craving for a juicy burger was the inspiration for this quick creation," says scheffdawg. "For a little extra kick, use hot Italian sausage and add your favorite hot sauce to taste while mixing together the meats."

05 of 12

Italian Style Chili

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"This is an easy-to-make departure from traditional chili," says AmyHood. "This recipe calls for pepperoni, mushrooms, and a jar of prepared spaghetti sauce. Every time I make this for others, I am always asked for the recipe."

06 of 12

Meatball Sandwich

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Here's a saucy baked meatball sandwich made with seasoned ground beef, baked in the oven and served on lightly toasted baguette topped with prepared tomato sauce and melted provolone cheese. "So easy and good!" raves hotdiggitydogs. "I've made it several times for my family and friends -- we've all loved it! I also have made the meatballs separate a few times and served with noodles. It's great!"

07 of 12

Spaghetti Tacos

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These wacky tacos were inspired by an episode of a popular kids' comedy TV show. They're fast, fun, and simple to make. Just load up a crispy taco shell with pasta and spaghetti sauce, sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese, and enjoy! "My kids wanted these after seeing them on one of their favorite TV shows," says Kitty Johnson. "Very quick and easy."

08 of 12

Pizza Fondue

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This tasty pizza-flavored sauce comes together in mere minutes. Dip cubes of French bread into this fun fondue. "An awesome change from cheesy fondue sauces! This pizza fondue is great for both kids and adults," says MARNIKINS.

09 of 12

Quick Baked Chicken Parmesan

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"In this lighter version of chicken Parmesan, I skip the pan-frying in oil and instead bake lightly-breaded chicken breasts in the oven, then top with sauce and cheese," says ChristineM. "My family's not big on lots of sauce and cheese, so I just use a little to flavor the dish. Feel free to add more if you like, but it's excellent as-is. Serve chicken over pasta with additional sauce."

10 of 12

Delicious Spaghetti Bread

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A carb lover's dream, this recipe combines bread and spaghetti for a filling and kid-friendly meal. "My family just loved this," says V. McCrew. "I love the end pieces because I can eat them like a sandwich."

11 of 12

Ham and Cheese Stromboli

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Stuffed with ham, sausage, salami, and pepperoni, each bite of this stromboli is packed with Italian flavor. Reviewer ALTRACHEL raved, "This was really tasty and very easy. We had way more than two people could eat so we ate cold stromboli for days — it was great!"

12 of 12

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

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This classic Italian dish is simplified with a jar of pasta sauce. Crunchy bread crumb-coated eggplant is layered with rich sauce and two types of cheese for a decadent meal.

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