Mini Corn Dogs w/ Napolitan Spaghetti Bento

ketchup n pasta

Mini Corn Dogs w/ Napolitan Spaghetti Recipe

For meal prep this week, I made a Japanese school lunch classic. Napolitan pasta is a super simple ketchup-based spaghetti that’s made mostly with pantry staples. I know ketchup in pasta sounds a little weird, but it works surprisingly well. This dish came about post–World War II when tomato sauce was scarce, so a chef in Japan swapped in ketchup and named the dish after Naples, Italy.

To stick with the school lunch theme, I added mini corn dogs. They’re fun, nostalgic, and easy to reheat. Let’s get into it.

Napolitan Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried spaghetti

• 2 Tbsp butter

• ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 4 oz bella mushrooms, sliced

• 1 cup kielbasa sausage, sliced

• 1 tsp paprika

• ¼ cup sake

• ¼ cup milk

• ¼ cup ketchup

• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat.

3. Add the onions, green pepper, and mushrooms. Sauté for about 2–3 minutes.

4. Add the kielbasa slices and cook for another 2–3 minutes until browned.

5. Lower the heat and stir in the paprika, sake, milk, and ketchup.

6. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to let the flavors come together.

7. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and toss everything together for about 30 seconds to coat the noodles.

8. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and set aside.

   

   

Mini Corn Dogs

Ingredients:

• 1 package mini hot dogs (or regular hot dogs cut into 2-inch pieces)

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 egg

• 1 Tbsp honey

• Canola oil for frying (about 2–3 cups)

• 1–2 skewers

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and honey.

3. Gradually combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix gently—don’t overmix.

4. Boil the hot dogs for 5–7 minutes, then drain and dry on a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

5. Heat the oil in a fryer or deep pot to 350°F.

6. Pierce each hot dog with a skewer, dip into the batter until fully coated, then carefully slide it off the skewer into the hot oil using a fork.

7. Fry the corn dogs in batches for about 3–4 minutes, until golden brown.

8. Transfer to a wire rack with a paper towel underneath to drain.

   

   

Assembly:

1. Divide the Napolitan pasta evenly into four meal prep containers.

2. Add a few mini corn dogs to each container.

3. Store in the fridge for 3–4 days.

   

Reheating Tips:

• Microwave: Reheat in two 30-second increments.

• Optional: Microwave the pasta, but pop the corn dogs in the air fryer at 350°F for 4–5 minutes to keep them crispy.