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Kids love cheese, but they also need the healthy stuff. You can make a healthy pasta dish for only .85 cents per serving. If you’ve ever had Italian wedding soup, then you may already know about acini di pepe pasta. For kids, it’s a small-shaped pasta that is yummy with a bit of cheese and some veggies. You can throw in anything that you like, however. You can also make it cheaper by changing up the cheese or using different sauces. This recipe will only take about 20 minutes to make with a very cheap price. You can also get about four servings from this recipe.

Ingredients List

1 cup acini di pepe pasta

1 cup of frozen peas

2 chicken or turkey hot dogs, sliced thin

4 oz (1 cup) of cheese, shredded and melted

1/4 cup milk

salt and pepper

Cook the pasta first according to the directions on the box. About when the pasta is done, add peas and hot dogs to the cooking water, cooking until heated through. Drain all the water from the pasta and mix-ins. Place the pasta, hot dog and peas back into the pot after draining the water, adding in milk and cheese. Heat over low heat, stirring slowly until cheese is melted, mixing with the pasta completely. You can then season with salt and pepper to serve.

The pasta is actually very cheap to purchase and you can make this dish or other dishes multiple times. The cheese is probably the most expensive part of this dish, but you can find other cheese to use or look for coupons online for your favorite cheese brands. You can also cook a large pot of this for multiple lunches if your family really enjoys it or if you want something yummy to eat at lunch for a few days.