Colossal Meatballs and Spaghetti

We watched it in the theater. We watched it at on dvd. We even celebrated with it. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a fantastically fun movie. The weekend we saw it in the theater, I made a dessert for the children which was inspired by the movie. The fun did not stop there. Once out on video, I decided to make a dinner the family could enjoy, something like a party.

The colossal meatball was the centerpiece of the dinner. Most children are finicky eaters and like simple flavors. Keeping with simplicity, I used few ingredients. But building on the idea of BIG food, I made the meatballs HUGE.


Each meatball is a quarter of a pound, a meatball Flint Lockwood would be extremely proud of, and without the danger of a food storm. To thoroughly cook a meatball of this size, you need to simmer it for a while in sauce. Once done, serve atop buttered noodles.

Colossal Meatballs and Spaghetti
2 lb ground beef
1/2 c grated parmasan cheese
1/4 c Italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 c marinara sauce
1 lb spaghetti, prepared and buttered

Combine all ingredients. Shape into 8 quarter pounds meatballs. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides. Pour marinara sauce over meatballs and cover pan with lid. Simmer for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Place noodles in bowl and top with a colossal meatball.

Along with the spaghetti we had, what we have now come to call in our house, Cloudy Cups. These are made of pudding that has been mixed with freshly whipped cream to make a lighter pudding. Then they are topped with gummy bears and candy sprinkles.


I am certain one of the children will want a Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs themed party. So anyone else thinking along these lines, here are a few ideas.
Food~
*Colossal meatballs with buttered noodles
*Sardine drink~ blue punch mixed with gingerale with Swedish fish and a cocktail umbrella added
*Cloudy Cups {as described above}
*Cucumber Boats~ cucumbers hollowed out and filled with cream cheese mixed with chopped carrots

Decorations~
*Blue tablecloths and plates, utensils and napkins
*Cloud placemats~ cut white poster board
*Hanging clouds from ceiling or taped on walls.
*A few colorful umbrellas here and there

Games~
*Food eating contest~ whipped cream pies or spaghetti with no hands
*Build a burger~ like pin the tail on the donkey, but everyone gets a different piece of the burger {made from paper} to tape on the wall in a designated spot
*Make clouds see link for this easy and neat activity

Party Favor~
*Fish in a bowl
*Tornado Tube
*Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett
*A book about weather here is a recommendation

Any other ideas? Share them in the comments.