Spaghetti Bake

Spaghetti Bake, Farmers Wife Original

I don't know about you, but in a house with 2 little ones it can get very difficult to make something that ALL 4 of us will happily eat. And we often get stuck in this rut of the same like 15 meals over and over again. Don't get me wrong I love most of those staple recipes but after a few (hundred) times you just gotta change it all up! ;-)

I've seen many varieties of baked spaghetti, but most are layered like a lasagna (which I knew wouldn't really fly with my kiddos) and then weren't exactly the creamy texture I was hoping for. So I decided to wing it, literally! I started cooking one night and just threw everything in the pot that sounded good... lol! I'm actually not kidding, I was a little bit scared at first, so I tried it before adding extra cheese and baking it and I was in love... This dish was flavorful, easy, creamy, and delicious! It will be going into our rotation as my WHOLE family loved it, in fact my 14 month old said "Mmmm... Num Num" with EVERY SINGLE BITE! That's a winner in my book!

Ingredients: yields about 8-10 servings
1 lbs. Ground Sirloin (could use any ground hamburger meat you like or italian sausage, or even ground turkey)
1/4 Onion, diced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Basil
1/2 teaspoon Garlic (we love garlic, you can omit the extra if your family isn't the fans we are!)
1/4 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Jar of Spaghetti Sauce, use your favorite I used a Parmesan Romano sauce that was amazing!
4 oz. Cream Cheese
2/3 Package Angel Hair Pasta, cooked al dente
3/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
In a large stock pot cook your noodles according to the directions. Then in a large skillet brown your beef along with the onion and garlic. Once cooked add the spices and sauce. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the cream cheese and let it melt in until the sauce is creamy. Once the sauce is ready add your cooked noodles to the pan and toss together with some tongs til well mixed. Pre-heat the oven to 350*F, pour the noodle mixture into a greased casserole dish, and top with the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned on the edges. Serve warm with your favorite garlic bread and a salad.

Review:
This dish was not only full of flavor, but it was also very easy and came together pretty quickly. I did cook the entire package of noodles, and only used about 2/3 of the package and saved the rest to make another recipe later in the week. And it also freezes beautifully! You could easily add mushrooms or other veggies to this for more nutritional value. I give this 5 stars!

 Happy Cooking!