Find Your Bold – Homemade Marinara Recipe
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Ore-Ida. All opinions are mine.
My 11 year old started going out with his very first girlfriend last week. She’s a cute girl who he has been friends with since 1st grade. Their relationship lasted less than 24 hours before they decided to go back to just friends. Probably a wise choice.
I wouldn’t have known this, though, if we hadn’t talked.
Conversations with our kids are so important. It’s great to hear what they have to say when they’re younger, the cute and funny stories they tell. I have hundreds of those kinds of stories stored in the archives of this site. But as they age into the pre-teen and teenage years, when they have their own life outside of our family, it’s important to pay attention to how we catch up or offer advice and maybe even learn a thing or two.
Ore-Ida is offering parents some great table topics on Pinterest to get more conversations started, too. You can #FindYourBold with these starter questions along with their new Ore-Ida Bold & Crispy Fries.
My parents always had us sit down at the dinner table together every night. In fact, I can’t remember one night when that didn’t happen. They obviously knew what they were doing. I haven’t been nearly as strict about gathering together at the table, but I think it’s time I bring the tradition back around.
It can be easy to get pulled in different directions from our kids the older they get, but that’s why bold dinner table conversations are especially important. Bold doesn’t have to be serious, though. Make it fun! And to go with those bold conversations, you need a great meal. One of our favorites is Meatball Subs with new Ore-Ida Bold & Crispy fries.
Try this easy homemade marinara to go with the subs and to use as a dipping sauce for the Zesties® fries. It’s a pleasing dinner idea that comes together in minutes so you can be sitting around the table enjoying the conversation that much faster.
Find Your Bold - Homemade Marinara Recipe
#FindYourBOLD Meal Idea with Ore-Ida Bold & Crispy Fries and an Easy Homemade Marinara Recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and add garlic over medium heat. Stir often. Let cook for about 2 minutes or until just starting to golden.
- Add crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire, sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir until well combined.
- Reduce heat. Simmer and stir for at least 7 minutes. Add basil.
- Use with meatballs, pasta, chicken parmesan, as well as a dipping sauce for fries.
I am from a big Italian family and not making homemade sauce is considered sacrosanct! Your recipe is MUCH simpler than the one my mom passed down to me, so I may give it a shot!
I love the idea of using the marinara for both the subs and as a dip for the fries. While we don’t sit at the table together, we do usually eat supper together in the living room and watch Jeopardy. I feel that we are at least connecting on some level.
I think that sharing meals together is such a great thing to do to stay connected with your family. It isn’t always easy but how else would you have known about the girlfriend.
I love that my kids are getting older and willing to try new things. Not only are we able to eat a wider variety as a family but we can eat bolder foods.
My exhusband and I used to eat dinner in front of the tv every night. Now Mike and I insist on sitting at the dining room table with no electronics, and we all four just talk through dinner. Its wonderful. Sometimes it is the only time we all get to really TALK to one another.
Love throwing some Oreida fries in the over for a quick side dish! I love this recipe and the idea of using marinara instead of sugar laden ketchup!
Dipping makes any food more fun! Definitely going to try this out
I love homemade tomato sauce, and your recipe looks fantastic. I want to make it right now!
I was raised with family meals and have made it our tradition as well. Because of extraordinary circumstances those became a bit challenging, however, for the past couple of months…. my little one just asked me if we could sit down altogether again for dinner every night like we used too…. you bet we are!!
Thanks for the recipe! That would be a great dipping for tots, fries, and I agree meatball sub!
We eat dinner as a family every night too, it is so important! We always ask our kids about their day at the table and thankfully they still love to share although I know the day is coming that information won’t be as easy to gather! I love that Ore Ida is promoting family conversation.
We make sitting down and eating together a HUGE priority for just this reason. You never know what you’ll learn about your kids if you don’t sit and talk.
I totally love the idea of using it for fry dipping. I can’t WAIT to try this!
That looks so delicious together!