I had to alter my plans and use what I had on hand which was spaghetti. Knowing that my family LOVES pasta of any kind, and especially spaghetti, I knew it would be a hit no matter what.
Using very simple ingredients and what I had on hand, I put together this casserole that tastes delicious. Got the family's seal of approval.
I'm thinking that next time I will make double and freeze one of these for another meal.
Beefy Cheesy Spaghetti Casserole
Half a box of spaghetti noodles (8 oz)
1 pound ground beef
salt and pepper
oregano
paprika
onion powder
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can of whole tomatoes
pepper jack cheese
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. When done, drain and return to the pot.
In a skillet, brown the ground beef with all the seasonings. While the meat is cooking, take the can of whole tomatoes and dump it into a blender, puree.
Add the puree to the meat, simmer for 5 minutes or so until it reduces and thickens the sauce. Add the meat mixture to the pot of spaghetti and mix well.
Pour into a casserole dish, top with pepper jack slices and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. I could have left it in a while longer to get the cheese brown, but the family was super hungry and in a hurry to get to the dinner table, so I didn't do it.
This makes a really comforting dish, and it's a nice change to the usual spaghetti sauce.
I will definitely be making this...reminds me of the beef and rice recipe you posted recently (can't remember the name), have made that a couple of times and it has gone over well. I have to laugh because I did the same thing as you last night - I was actually making *your* Pepperoni Pizzazz recipe (a favorite here) and I only had spaghetti for pasta so that's what I used! Worked fine.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day-
Heather