Bargain Meal of the Week: Cheesy Baked Ziti

It's time for another week of Bargain Meals! Erin over at $5 Dinners (a great read!) is hosting a gathering of bloggers all over the Internet, creating frugal meals straight from the sales circulars of their favorite stores. Check it out for even more inspiration. I contribute every week for the current sales at Publix, which run from Wednesday to the following Tuesday. Keep in mind that you do not need to purchase two of a product to get the buy one get one price. Publix marks down their products to half price for the BOGO deals.

This is total comfort food!

Items on sale that can be used in this meal:

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta, 12-13.25 oz. pk., $1.79 BOGO
-.75/1 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest, SS 4/11
-.50/1 Ronzoni Pasta Product, Tearpad
-$1/2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest, printable
Final Price: Free - .39

Sargento Shredded Cheese or Sunburst, 5-8 oz., $2
-.50/1 Sargento Reduced Sodium Natural Cheeses, 5 oz.+, SS 4/18
-$1 off Sargento Reduced Sodium Natural Cheeses, 5 oz.+, SS 4/18
-.75/1 Sargento Reduced Sodium Natural Cheeses, 5 oz.+, SS 4/18
Final Price: $1.00 - 1.25

Newman’s Own Pasta Sauce 24 oz $1.99
-.50/1 Newman’s Own Pasta Product RP 3/21 or printable
Final Price: .99¢

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, 12 oz. bag, $2.39 BOGO (for side dish)
-.40/1 Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers SS 3/28
-.50/1 Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, printable
-$1/2 Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers SS 3/28
Final Price: .19 - .69

Cheesy Baked Ziti
by Newman's Own

Ingredients:

1 box ziti or rigatoni pasta
1 carton whole milk ricotta cheese
1 pound shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese mixture plus extra for topping
1 egg
1 tsp each dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
dash dried thyme
fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
3-4 cups Newman's Own® Marinara Sauce, plus extra for passing

Directions:

• Boil pasta until just barely al dente. Drain and rinse. In a large bowl, mix cheeses, egg and herbs. Stir in pasta and enough sauce to bind it all together (about 2 cups or more according to your taste).


• In a 13 x 9 baking dish, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom and spread to coat bottom of pan. Scoop pasta and cheese mixture into prepared pan, top with another 1/2 cup sauce and parmesan cheese.


• Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes till heated through, remove cover and heat another 10 minutes or until bubbly around edges. Remove and let sit 10 minutes.


• Serve with additional sauce, steamed vegetables, salad or garlic breadsticks.