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COMPANY CASSEROLE

Category: Ground Beef

Author: Ashley

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(3.0) by 1 users

Ingredients:

Tomato sauce layer:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 to 4 large cloves garlic (to taste)
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano leaf
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 small bay leaf
Creamy cheese and onion layer:
8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 C. cottage cheese
1/4 C. sour cream
1/3 C. thinly-sliced green onions, white and light green part only
Spaghetti layer:
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb. dry spaghetti noodles

Instructions:

To make the tomato sauce layer, heat 2 Tbsp.. olive oil at medium heat in a large saucepan. Add ground beef, breaking into small pieces and stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic and onion and sauté until onion is transparent. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil and bay leaf. Cover with pan lid ajar to let some steam escape and simmer at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours to let flavors develop. Add water (or a little red wine) if necessary to keep the sauce from getting too dry. Remove the bay leaf before assembling the casserole. Make spaghetti according to package directions, adding 1 Tbsp. of olive oil to the boiling water to keep noodles from sticking together. Cook until al dente (firm, not mushy) and drain well. While spaghetti is cooking, make creamy cheese and onion layer by mixing the cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream together in a food processor or blender until smooth and well combined. Stir in the green onions. Oil a large bowl or 2-quart casserole with 2 tsp. olive oil. Heat oven to 350º. Assemble casserole by adding 1/2 of spaghetti noodles to bottom of casserole, drizzle with about 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, top with 1/2 of creamy cheese and onion mixture, then 1/2 of tomato sauce. Repeat, ending with tomato sauce on top of casserole. Poke a dinner knife into the finished casserole in 4 to 6 places and wiggle it around to allow some of the tomato sauce to work its way into the noodle and cheese layers. Bake, uncovered about 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings