Spaghetti Casserole
Anyone who has ever been to a Wednesday night church dinner knows that one of the easiest and most popular meals for large gatherings is spaghetti. Throw together a salad, bake some cookies, and you've got yourself a widespread winner.
Today I'm sharing with you one of the first meals I learned to make and our most repeated meal in the history of our marriage so far. I call it spaghetti casserole, I think because my great aunt called it that once. I got the idea from her--one of the most frugal cooks I know. It's always a crowd-pleaser and, if it's just Michael and I, it easily lasts us three meals.
Before you begin, you will need the following:
1 box of pasta - Your choice, I love shells and macaroni, but often use penne or rigatoni.
1 lb. ground meat - Our favorite is turkey, but you could use pork, beef, or chicken.
1 can tomato sauce - I have many digestive issues so I use a literal metal can of simple tomato sauce, but when I make this for family or friends I usually opt for a more flavorful jar of pasta sauce. A family favorite is vodka sauce, since it is a little creamier without being too heavy.
1 green bell pepper* - This is optional, but I like to throw in a few fresh veggies wherever I can since they are not Michael's favorite. You may certainly use more peppers, or any other preferred vegetables. I have used carrots, frozen mixed vegetables, green beans, and peas in the past.
Shredded cheese - About 2 cups. You just need it to top the casserole at the end. My husband prefers the Mexican blend of cheeses shown above, but I love mozzarella (you can add a bit of Parmesan, too) or the almond milk shredded cheese from Trader Joe's for those sensitive to dairy (like me).
I like to add most of the flavor to my dishes with garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs like parsley or basil, salt, and pepper. You could certainly use fresh garlic, onions, and/or herbs if you prefer.
While your water is coming to a boil for the pasta, brown the meat in a skillet over medium-medium high heat. This is when I add garlic salt, onion powder, dried basil, and pepper to season the meat while it cooks.
Once the meat is cooked, add in any diced up veggies you intend to use. I've kept it simple with just one green bell pepper here.
Next, pour in the can (or jar) of tomato sauce. This is when I will flavor again with the garlic, onion, basil, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat or remove the pan from the stove entirely until the pasta is ready.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it in the sink and return it to the pot. Then add the meat sauce mixture and stir everything together thoroughly. This is something I only recently started doing. I used to layer my noodles and sauce like you would in a traditional lasagna, but it often turned out very dry on top. So I've started to mix everything to coat the pasta in sauce and it comes out much better in the end.
Coat the dish you intend to use in PAM or olive oil (or butter, if you prefer) and transfer the pasta and sauce mixture to the dish, spreading it out evenly. Lastly, top the entire dish with a thin (or thick) layer of cheese, another round of garlic salt, dried basil, and pepper, and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dee-licious. This is a hit every time. And it is so customizable. You could even season your meat with taco seasoning and/or ranch and use Rotel or add jalapenos for a Tex Mex style casserole. You can use more tomato sauce if you love more vitamin C, or double the meat if you are a meat lover. It's so versatile that we have literally never had the exact same casserole twice. I've made it with pesto and chicken, spinach, Alfredo sauce, you name it. Try it out, mix it up, put your own spin on it. I guarantee it will be a hit!
Best,
Emily
P.S. I would also like to mention since I already had the cheese in my fridge from a previous meal, the ground turkey, tomato sauce, pasta, and bell pepper cost me a whopping $4.95 on my trip to Walmart. To feed two grown adults at least three meals for that price is kind of unbelievable.
Today I'm sharing with you one of the first meals I learned to make and our most repeated meal in the history of our marriage so far. I call it spaghetti casserole, I think because my great aunt called it that once. I got the idea from her--one of the most frugal cooks I know. It's always a crowd-pleaser and, if it's just Michael and I, it easily lasts us three meals.
Before you begin, you will need the following:
1 box of pasta - Your choice, I love shells and macaroni, but often use penne or rigatoni.
1 lb. ground meat - Our favorite is turkey, but you could use pork, beef, or chicken.
1 can tomato sauce - I have many digestive issues so I use a literal metal can of simple tomato sauce, but when I make this for family or friends I usually opt for a more flavorful jar of pasta sauce. A family favorite is vodka sauce, since it is a little creamier without being too heavy.
1 green bell pepper* - This is optional, but I like to throw in a few fresh veggies wherever I can since they are not Michael's favorite. You may certainly use more peppers, or any other preferred vegetables. I have used carrots, frozen mixed vegetables, green beans, and peas in the past.
Shredded cheese - About 2 cups. You just need it to top the casserole at the end. My husband prefers the Mexican blend of cheeses shown above, but I love mozzarella (you can add a bit of Parmesan, too) or the almond milk shredded cheese from Trader Joe's for those sensitive to dairy (like me).
I like to add most of the flavor to my dishes with garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs like parsley or basil, salt, and pepper. You could certainly use fresh garlic, onions, and/or herbs if you prefer.
While your water is coming to a boil for the pasta, brown the meat in a skillet over medium-medium high heat. This is when I add garlic salt, onion powder, dried basil, and pepper to season the meat while it cooks.
Once the meat is cooked, add in any diced up veggies you intend to use. I've kept it simple with just one green bell pepper here.
Next, pour in the can (or jar) of tomato sauce. This is when I will flavor again with the garlic, onion, basil, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat or remove the pan from the stove entirely until the pasta is ready.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it in the sink and return it to the pot. Then add the meat sauce mixture and stir everything together thoroughly. This is something I only recently started doing. I used to layer my noodles and sauce like you would in a traditional lasagna, but it often turned out very dry on top. So I've started to mix everything to coat the pasta in sauce and it comes out much better in the end.
Coat the dish you intend to use in PAM or olive oil (or butter, if you prefer) and transfer the pasta and sauce mixture to the dish, spreading it out evenly. Lastly, top the entire dish with a thin (or thick) layer of cheese, another round of garlic salt, dried basil, and pepper, and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Best,
Emily
P.S. I would also like to mention since I already had the cheese in my fridge from a previous meal, the ground turkey, tomato sauce, pasta, and bell pepper cost me a whopping $4.95 on my trip to Walmart. To feed two grown adults at least three meals for that price is kind of unbelievable.
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