The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever: Baked Spaghetti Casserole

Have I told you the spaghetti story?  How we ate spaghetti once a week when I was a kid partially to save money but mostly because my dad loves it?  Yeah, well that burned me out on pasta for a long, long, long, long time.  As in my entire adult life so far.  Whenever someone says "want some spaghetti for dinner?", I say "where's the nearest Wendy's?".  Yes, it's that bad.

I figured maybe if I made the spaghetti into a creamy, cheesy casserole I could trick myself into eating it.  Plus, it was my lunch and dinner for a couple of days, so I didn't really have a choice.  Luckily it didn't turn out half bad.  But then again, with two cans of processed soups, I would hope it tasted like sodium heaven.  I'd probably make it again, with some red pepper flakes or something for some heat.

Baked Spaghetti Casserole
From The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever by Beatrice Ojakangas

½ pound spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
½ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (10½-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (11.1-ounce) container creamy tomato soup
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch casserole with cooking spray.

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions and drain, but do not rinse.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, and pepper over medium-high heat just until the beef is no longer pink. Add all the remaining ingredients, mix well, and transfer to the prepared casserole.

Cut a sheet of foil and coat with cooking spray. Cover the casserole and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbly.

Makes 6 servings