Tips for Planning the Perfect Back to School Dinner | Easy Baked Ziti Recipe

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Can you believe that back to school is right around the corner? Something that I have started doing every year is a special back to school dinner for my kids. With it being a tradition in our home, I wanted to share some tips, so you can also do the same for your family.

Plan ahead

One tip for planning the perfect back to school night is to plan ahead. Don’t make this something you do on a whim. Instead, plan it out and make it something the whole family can enjoy. Plan the meal that you’ll cook and make sure the family knows it is on the schedule.

Make it special

The one thing about planning a back to school night dinner is that it should be special. This meal should be unlike other meals that you make throughout the week. Make the meal something the whole family will look forward to. No pressure, right?

Let the kids invite a friend

It never really feels like back to school season until the neighbor kids start showing up to eat your food. Why not embrace it? For this back to school dinner, invite the kid’s friends. Make it something that the whole gang looks forward to every year.

Make a list of your ingredients

Before I even head to the store, I make a list of everything I need. There is nothing worse than planning this awesome dinner and you forget something. Don’t make a last minute run to the store, make the list, and grab everything you need.

Use Prego Italian Sauce

When I’m planning an awesome meal, my go-to ingredient is Prego Italian Sauce. My mouth is basically salivating thinking about the Easy Weeknight Baked Ziti that I made for our back to school night meal. Something you should know about Prego Italian Sauce is that it is rooted in Italian-American heritage. What my family loves about it the most is that it tastes like homemade. When I use it, Prego Italian Sauce always has the perfect balance of sweet and savory Italian flavor. Prego Italian Sauce makes it SIMPLE and EASY to cook good food right in your own kitchen. Scroll down for my easy and delicious recipe!

Plan something awesome to drink

You may be tired of hearing the words “plan” but I’m obsessed with planning. Your family and their friends are going to want something awesome to drink with their meal. V8 + Energy comes in several awesome flavors. It’s the perfect drink for your back to school meal. The cool thing about V8 + Energy is that it tastes like fruit. You’ll get a natural energy feeling because it’s made from green tea and nothing unnatural or weird. Get this: Only 50 calories per 8 oz. serving.

You can conveniently pick up Prego Italian Sauce and your favorite V8 + Energy at your local Walmart! I personally love the Prego Italian Traditional Sauce and V8 + Energy Peach-Mango variety. Find coupon savings on these products and more of your favorite Campbell’s products here.

This Baked Ziti recipe is a super easy weeknight meal that can be prepped ahead of time to save even more time! When you use Prego Traditional Italian Sauce, you will have a perfect sauce that requires no effort. While I have prepared a meatless version, you can easily add sausage or Italian meatballs to this recipe. You can find more info on Campbell’s products here!