Spaghetti Casserole

My family LOVES Spaghetti and it doesn't even have to be homemade or from scratch, they just love it in any way, shape or form.

But sometimes I want something more than just the usual noodles and sauce, I want to give it a little kick, change it out, dress it up etc.

I've got a few variations on Spaghetti dishes here on the blog, like Virginia's Baked Spaghetti which continues to be one of our favorites, or Spaghetti Pie or even Spaghetti a la Philly, so I figured, what's one more to throw at you, you won't mind right?

I have to thank my friend Mari for giving me this recipe, she shared it during one of my Cooking Thursdays on my main blog Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

Spaghetti Casserole

1 pkg (16 ounces) angel hair pasta
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce ( I use Hunts 4 cheese)
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 ounces sour cream
4 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Cook pasta for a slightly shorter time than directed on pkg, until just done. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown beef and drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. (I added in some fresh basil)

Remove from heat. Stir together cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. 

In two 8x11 freezer pans, layer half the meat sauce, pasta, sour cream mix and cheese.

Repeat layers. Cover tightly with foil and freeze up to 3 months.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

{ Trisha Yearwood's Baked Spaghetti }

Ok I give up, there is no recipe in this cookbook that I have disliked or found to be weird or using ingredients that I don't have on hand.

See I'm not a chef, I'm a mom and a wife who loves cooking, who learned how to cook with my greatgrandmother/grandmother/stepmom, therefore, I'm all about using every day ingredients, things we have on hand, I'm not big into gourmet stuff.

This book was made for me, no really, I'm sure Trisha Yearwood was thinking of me when she decided to print this, or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Tonight's dinner, Baked Spaghetti. Nothing special right? We've all had baked spaghetti before, matter of fact I have another version here on my blog, equally delicious but I still have to say, this new one is just OH.MY.

NOTE: I halved this recipe, it's only 4 of us and this would have been way too much food.

BAKED SPAGHETTI
Credit: Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients:
6 slices bacon
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
3 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with liquid
1 2.25-ounce can sliced ripe black olives, drained
1–2 tablespoons dried oregano, according to taste
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
12 ounces thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (5 ounces)
1 10-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup water
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until slightly crisp, then cut it into smaller pieces. Remove the bacon and sauté the garlic, onion, and bell pepper in the bacon drippings until tender. Add the tomatoes, olives, oregano, bacon, and the cooked beef. Simmer this mixture, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Place half of the spaghetti in the prepared pan. Top the spaghetti with half of the vegetable-beef mixture. Sprinkle this layer with 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers. Mix the canned soup and water until smooth, and pour over the casserole. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through.

This entrée is also good if you substitute mozzarella cheese for the cheddar