Spaghetti Casserole
With a bit of the terrific locally made Jim's Spaghetti Sauce left over, I mixed up this lil casserole with other stuff from the fridge. Definitely a notch above my moms.
Jim's Spaghetti Sauce
the sauce of the famous institution gets a second home in Nashville
Jim’s spaghetti sauce is simple (and good). If you go to their website, there are just two products: a quart of sauce and a pint. Nothing more. It’s clear they know a good thing when they have it. “They” being the family.
In 1938, Jim Tweel was encouraged by his new fiancée, Sally, to get a job if he wished to marry her. So, on June 9th, he purchased Kennedy Dairy Bar in Huntington, WV, where he sold nickel ice cream cones, ten cent hamburgers, and fifteen cent milkshakes. Six years later, he began serving spaghetti and rebranded the store as Jim’s Steak & Spaghetti House.
After eighty-two years in business, Jim’s is still in its original location and spaghetti remains their best seller. In 2019, the restaurant even received a prestigious America’s Classic Award from the James Beard Foundation.
Photo 1: Jims has been in the same location since 1938
Photo 2: Dane, his mom, Jimmie and sister, Jamina at the East Nashville Farmers Market
Fast forward to Nashville in 2020, where Dane was working as an artist and dabbling with selling his great grandfather’s sauce at the farmers market. “For at least fourty years, the family has loosely discussed ‘doing something with the sauce.’ For about ten years, I have been dreaming of what that might look like if I were to spearhead that endeavor… Finally, I got the blessing from my mom’s brothers who each own a third of the restaurant,” said Dane.
Prior to the pandemic, Dane was building the direct-to-consumer model and when the pandemic hit, he started selling the sauce at farmers markets around town. It’s a family affair, with his mom, Jimmie, sister, Jamina and brother, Shawn all involved. Today you can find them at the market selling their sauce and giving out samples.
Jim’s sauce is a bit different. It’s smooth and not chunky at all, it uses finely ground beef and a mix of sweet and savory seasonings. (It’s a bit similar to Cincinnati chili, if you’ve had that.) It’s sold frozen exclusively at farmers markets and online.
We had some Jim’s sauce leftover in the fridge and decided to whip up this homey casserole with it. Perfect for family and guests alike.
Follow Jim's @jimsspaghettisauce.
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