Spaghetti and Meatballs in a Garlic Bread Bowl

I'm very excited to share today's post with you!!!  It's an idea that I've been wanting to try, ever since I happened to stumble upon it online.  This isn't going to be like one of my traditional posts though, it's really just going to be more of a helpful guide, and hopefully an inspiration, for a fantastic meal!  In my eyes, it takes the concept of spaghetti and meatballs to a whole new and delicious level!  The best part about it, other than tasting AMAZING, is it's super easy to make!

Directions:
Start off by lightly spraying ramekins (1 cup size, 3 1/2" diameter) with cooking spray.  Next, place in a little sliced mozzarella and mild/sharp cheddar cheese.

Add in a few meatballs and sauce.

Top the meatballs with thin spaghetti that's been cooked and coated in sauce.

Garnish the top of the spaghetti with another piece of mozzarella cheese.

For the garlic bread bowl, I used my own homemade pizza dough recipe, but you can always buy pre-made dough from the store.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out and cut into circles.

Make sure that the circles are large enough to hang over the sides of the ramekins.  In order to accomplish this, you may need to roll them out a little more, after they've been cut.

For the bread bowl to mimic garlic bread, I made a glaze that consisted of melted butter, roasted garlic, a little garlic salt, parsley, and thyme (add in as much of each ingredient as you would like).  Once all the ingredients were combined, I brushed a generous amount of the mixture onto the tops of the dough that were covering each ramekin.

I preheated the oven to 450 degrees and then placed each ramekin onto a pizza stone and baked for 15 minutes.  The top of the dough will begin to turn a nice golden brown.

When that occurs, remove the pizza stone from the oven and add on a second coat of the garlic butter mixture.  Continue to cook for 5 more minutes.  You'll know they're completely done cooking because the crust will look crispy and golden.  Remove the ramekins from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes.

Once the ramekins have cooled slightly, invert them on a plate.  The easiest way to remove the ramekin is to give it a slight twist and then pull up.  (I'm sorry that I did not get a picture of this step, but I was just too excited to start eating.)  The garlic bread will serve as a bowl and catch the spaghetti and meatballs!

Garnish with a little Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley!  Enjoy!

The next time I make this, I plan to add more spaghetti sauce and maybe a little green pepper.

Source: Nibble Me This