Monday, January 17, 2011

Spaghetti, it's what's for dinner...

One of my family's favorite dinners is spaghetti casserole. My mother used to make this when I was a child, but unfortunately she passed away due to cancer when I was 12 and I never was able to get her recipe. For years and years I tried to recreate her recipe without luck. I was heartbroken. No one in my family knew the recipe because she never shared it.

Then the year before last, while my husband was deployed to Iraq, I was on a forum and someone mentioned that they were making spaghetti casserole for dinner. My heart leaped out of my chest!!! OH MY GOD!!! Could this be the recipe that I have been searching for, for 20 years??? PLEASE PLEASE SEND ME THE RECIPE!!!!

I was sent the recipe and I immediately went to the store to purchase what I needed. While I was making it I knew from the smell that it was more than likely my mothers recipe. When I took it out of the oven I was even more sure... and when I tasted it... MOM. I think I cried I was so happy. So for all of you lucky readers, here is the recipe, tweak it as you like to fit your needs (and family size). This is enough for my family and some leftovers for a few lunches.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef
2 jars of spaghetti sauce (I use Prego)
spaghetti, cooked and drained- enough to make 2 layers
4 tablespoons melted butter
Italian seasoning
16 slices american cheese (I use Kraft Deli Select- the kind that is not individually wrapped)
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I like using Sharp Cheddar because it ads more flavor)
parmesan cheese, grated (hello... this comes in a plastic thingie already grated, right?)


In a skillet, brown hamburger and drain off fat. Mix in spaghetti sauce. In a casserole dish (lasagna pan size), layer 1/2 spaghetti tossed with butter. Sprinkle the noodles with Italian seasoning.
Lay 8 slices of American cheese on spaghetti, sprinkle with 1/2 amount of cheddar cheese, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Pour 1/2 meat mixture on top of the cheese.

Repeat process and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour or until bubbly.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did (and still do) and my children do.

3 comments:

Michelle said...

Sounds just like the dish I need for these late nights I have been working. My poor kids have been surviving on take-out. LOL! Well not poor for them, Mcdonalds and burger kind back to back, they think they have hit the jack pot! LOL!

Wantusi said...

Wow, thanks for sharing it. I'm always looking for new recipes to try, and never have even heard of spaghetti casserole. It helps a lot that you have photos of exactly how you went through with it, too.

Definitely will try this one out, and am glad that you found something that reminds you of your mom. :)

@Michelle - lol, they probably did think they hit the jack pot!

Angel Eyes said...

Love the photo's, this sounds yummy. What we do is kinda similar but we do it with left over spaghetti. We take any left over the next day and fry it in a large skillet add mozzarella cheese, eggs and pepper, almost like a spaghettit Omelett it is so delicous!
Thanks for sharing..