Baked Spaghetti

This is a good old-fashioned one-dish dinner, easy to prepare in advance and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.  It can also be frozen unbaked and partially thawed overnight in the refrigerator before baking.  If I am not cooking for a crowd, I split this recipe into two smaller 9" pans...one to serve and one for the freezer.  Baked spaghetti is a favorite of young and old alike!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound lean ground beef 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 4 cups prepared pasta sauce (use your favorite bottled variety or prepare your own)
• 2 cups creamed cottage cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone. Drain and rinse. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook until meat is browned. (Use a potato masher to break up the lumps of meat while sautéing.) Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté another minute. Stir in the pasta sauce.
3. Spray 9" x 13" deep-dish casserole with cooking spray.
4. Cover bottom with a layer of meat sauce (about half).
5. Spread cottage cheese over sauce.
6. Add the pasta and spread evenly in pan.
7. Spoon remaining sauce over entire dish.
8. Sprinkle surface with Parmesan cheese and top with mozzarella
9. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. 
10. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted  and bubbly. 

Potato and Farmer Sausage Casserole

I remember how Lovella thought she might lose a “whack of readers” when she posted a recipe that called for farmer sausage.  Where it's readily available, this smoked pork sausage seems to find its way into all kinds of recipes. If you prefer, you can substitute it with smoked ham. This is really just a version of scalloped potatoes and adding the meat makes it an easy family meal. I got the recipe from a friend, Karen, a number of years ago, but have changed up the sauce amounts a bit over the years. If you use a few more potatoes, just double the first 5 ingredients of the sauce.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 - 3/4 link farmer sausage, peeled and sliced

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• ½ - 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

1. Arrange potatoes and farmer sausage in layers in greased 8 cup casserole dish. If you use the slightly larger version of the recipe ( 8 potatoes, 3/4 - 1 link sausage, double milk and cheese) a 9x13 Pyrex pan is good. 
2.  Melt butter; blend in flour, salt and milk gradually, stirring constantly. 
3. Add cheese and soup, stirring until sauce cooks. 
4. Pour over potatoes and sausage. I like to layer it with the sauce.
5.  Bake at 375° F for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours. Serves 6 (8 with larger version) You can leave uncovered until it starts to brown (45 minutes) and then cover with foil, or the other way around. 

Cabbage Roll Soup

 I'd describe this soup as half way between Borscht and Hamburger Soup. And for me.....soda crackers with butter are a given when serving a tomato based soup....it's a taste from childhood for me. 

(This recipe if made as directed is gluten free)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, diced fine
• 1 cup celery, sliced fine
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups low sodium beef broth ( gluten free)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 4 cups canned diced tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice ( I use Kokuho Rose gourmet sticky brown rice, which is wheat and gluten free)
• 2 cups cabbage, finely chopped (or more)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Method:

1. Fry ground beef in large soup pot over medium heat breaking up the ground beef as it fries to make it very fine.
2. Once beef is half way cooked through add the onion, celery and parsley. Continue to cook meat and vegetables until onions are translucent. 
3. Add water, broth, diced tomatoes and the spices and bring to a light boil. 
4. Immediately add rice and cabbage. Turn to a low simmer and allow soup to cook for an hour, but it's even better if you leave it too cook for several hours for all the flavours to combine.

Note: This soup will be quite thick. If you like a less thick soup add an extra cup of water. 

If you don't have tomato sauce substitute with a can of tomato soup.