The Last Meal That John Candy Likely Ate

During more than two decades in show business, Canadian-born actor John Candy lit up the silver screen in beloved movies like "Spaceballs," "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," "Uncle Buck," "Home Alone," and many others along with a starring role on Second City TV. While filming "Wagons East" in Durango, Mexico, Candy passed away in 1994, hours after eating a late-night spaghetti dinner. 

Candy enjoyed many kinds of food; he had a fondness for one Canadian restaurant's pierogis and even tried his hand at making pizza while filming "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles." 

During a memorable scene in "The Great Outdoors," Candy took on the Old 96er, a monster steak after some goading from SNL royalty Dan Aykroyd. To honor this scene and the actor himself, Hunter's Chophouse in Charlottetown, Canada offers a 72-oz steak that retails for $84.99, known as the John Candy. Just like in the film, challengers who can finish the whole thing get the meal for free. Competitive eaters such as Randy Santel have attempted the challenge, but know if you plan to take it on yourself, the restaurant requires at least 24 hours notice.

Accounts vary on whether or not Candy cooked a spaghetti meal for assistants or simply ordered a spaghetti meal to eat before retiring for the night. But it's likely (given the shooting location) that the meal Candy enjoyed was Mexican spaghetti, one of many tasty pasta dishes that's a twist on an Italian classic. Spaghetti can be jazzed up in all kinds of ways, but Mexican spaghetti adds a spicy flair that just may leave your tongue tingling.

The heart of Mexican spaghetti is a salsa-like sauce made with tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, chilies, onion, taco seasoning, and ground beef. If you're planning on a one-pot meal, start by browning the beef and adding the ingredients for the sauce. Once it's ready, you can add in the pasta to cook and top your meal with cheese when it's ready to go! If you want a little extra spice, add a few dashes of your favorite sauce before digging in, or dice up a spicy pepper to throw into your sauce mix.