Baked Spaghetti

Do you ever get a hankerin' for something cozy? I do. I did today.


I wanted to bake something that would make me want to curl up on the couch and snuggle in a blanket.


It's 89 degrees outside, by the way.


But I still wanted something along those lines. It's been a rough week. The kids are getting Spring Fever...heck, I'm getting Spring Fever...and we're all ready for summer vacation!


I found a similar recipe on http://www.howsweeteats.com and tailored it to what I had in my pantry/fridge. Remember, in order to save money this week, I'm not shopping unless it's absolutely necessary. 






The Recipe:


whole wheat pasta noodles (or penne)


ground lean turkey (I used about a pound)


diced tomatoes (about a handful of cherry tomatoes)


1 small diced onion


2 cloves of garlic


1 chopped red pepper


fresh basil


1 jar of your favorite Spaghetti Sauce (mine is Emeril's All-Natural Marinara Sauce)


mozzarella cheese (vegan cheese works with this!)


Parmesan Cheese


*Because I'm only using ingredients that I have on hand, I had to use cheddar cheese for this recipe. It worked just as well*




How To:


Boil the pasta noodles. I boiled them for about 7 minutes because they will continue to cook in the oven. 


While the pasta is boiling, brown the turkey in a saute pan. Once cooked through, set aside and add the veggies (tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic). Make sure the veggies are chopped first!


I chopped my veggies and dusted them with salt, pepper, dried basil, and Italian Seasonings. (see below)

Saute the veggies until they are tender. 

Add your spaghetti sauce. I added the entire jar and then poured water in the jar, shook it up, and added that to the pan too. 

Next, add the meat back to the pan and "stir it up"


Pour everything into a baking dish. 

This is where you'd add the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Like I said before, I didn't have those so I've made do with cheddar. I think it will work just fine. 


Let's see....

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and gets bubbly. 




The Results:


Oh. my. goodness.

Talk about COMFORT food!! I have officially stuffed my face BEYOND belief! 


You can serve this with garlic bread sticks and a salad. OR you can eat this straight out of the pan if you want. I did. 

Now go eat your dinner!