Recipe: Spaghetti Casserole

An easy main course for back-to-school

The start of the new school year is quickly approaching, so it’s time for some main course ideas that are as easy as they are tasty! I got this spaghetti casserole recipe years ago from a college friend, and it’s served me well over the years. It’s easy to make ahead of time and bake later, can be frozen if you’d like, and you can dress it up or keep it simple. Have a homemade sauce you love? Feel free to use it. Need the speed of store-bought sauce? That’s fine, too!

Spaghetti Casserole Ingredients

• 12 ounces of spaghetti, cooked

• 1 pound ground beef, browned

• 32 ounces spaghetti sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• 4 eggs, well beaten

• 2 cups cottage cheese or Ricotta

• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese

Spaghetti Casserole Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. Brown the ground beef, then add sauce and simmer until ready to assemble.

3. Prepare spaghetti, boiling in salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain and rinse.

4. In a small bowl, combine beaten eggs, Parmesan and butter. Stir this mixture into the warm spaghetti noodles.

5. Pour the pasta mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Spread cottage cheese/ricotta over the spaghetti layer. Sprinkle on Mozzarella, then top with sauce. You may want to reserve some Mozzarella for the top or add additional Mozzarella.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or so, until edges are bubbly and cheese is melted. Let sit about 10-15 minutes, then serve with a garden salad and garlic bread.