Baked Spaghetti
(This was in the 9x13 baking dish at the Taster’s Table.)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes with liquid, cut up
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 can (2 ¼ oz) ripe olives, drained
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (10 ¾ oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
¼ cup water
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
In large skillet, sauté onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and oregano. Add ground beef. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Place half of the spaghetti in a greased 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish. Top with half of the meat/vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Mix the soup and water until smooth; pour over the casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through. Yield: 12 servings.
Baked Spaghetti
(This was in the 9X9 baking dish at the Taster’s Table.)
1 package (16 oz.) spaghetti
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 can (10 ¾ oz. ) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (10 ¾ oz.) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry basil
1 tsp. dry oregano
½ tsp. dry marjoram
½ tsp. dry rosemary
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Break spaghetti in half; cook according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the ground beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the soups, tomato sauce, water, brown sugar and seasonings. Drain spaghetti; stir into meat sauce. Add ½ cup of the cheese. Transfer to greased 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.
Chicken Spaghetti
(This was in the Crockpot at the Taster’s Table)
1 can cream of Chicken soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies
1 lb. favorite cheese
12 oz. cooked spaghetti
1 ½ lb cooked chicken
Add all ingredients except spaghetti to Crockpot and heat for 2 hours. Then add spaghetti.
Suped-up Mac n' Cheese
(This is one of the recipes from the February cooking class, which we sampled at the Taster’s Table.)
1 lb elbow macaroni noodles
1 onion
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 quart milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup flour
1 lb shredded colby-jack (or cheddar) cheese
8 oz (1 box) cream cheese
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup diced deli ham
1 tsp crushed garlic (1 or 2 cloves)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika (regular paprika works too)
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 cup dried breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs
Instructions:
1) Boil a large pot of water. When it gets boiling, add about 1 tbsp salt and pour in the pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Different pastas will vary in cooking time, so be sure to check. Meanwhile:
2) Heat the milk for 4 minutes in the microwave.
3) Chop the onion. In a 2 quart skillet or saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Sautee until the onion gets soft, about 3 minutes. Pour the cooked onion into a really big bowl (this bowl will eventually hold the entire dish, so make sure it is big enough).
4) Put the same saucepan back on the stove and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the butter, let it melt. Then sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine. Keep whisking for about 1 minute. This is called a roux, and will thicken the sauce.
5) Add the hot milk to the roux and whisk constantly until the milk gets nice and thick. A few bubbles might show up. Now this is called a white sauce, or bechamel. (by the way, have you checked on your noodles?) Add the cream cheese and the grated cheese, stir it really well, until things melt. Turn off the heat.
6) In that big bowl, put in the drained spinach, the completed cheese sauce, and all the ingredients EXCEPT the breadcrumbs . Stir everything together. Drain the noodles (if you haven't already,) and add those. Fold the entire mixture gently, but thoroughly, until everything is mixed and looking yummy. Pour into a big casserole dish, about 15x11". This makes a lot.
7) Sprinkle the top of the casserole with breadcrumbs. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes, or until heated through, bubbly, and golden on top.
Sweet & Sour Noodles
(This is the other recipe from the February cooking class, which we sampled at the Taster’s Table.)
12 oz Spaghetti Noodles
1 onion
1 red bell pepper (or green)
1 (Small) head broccoli
3 carrots
1 can pineapple chunks
2 cups frozen shelled Edamame
1 can sliced water chestnuts
3 tbsp olive oil
Sauce:
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 tsp garlic
¼ cup honey
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp pepper
½ cup ketchup
3 tbsp cornstarch
1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp salt and the spaghetti noodles. Return to a gentle boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until spaghetti is al dente. Drain.
2) Meanwhile, wash vegetables and chop into bite-size pieces. Drain Pineapple, reserving juice for the sauce. Drain water chestnuts.
3) In a large wok or frying pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil until it begins to smoke. Add the onion, pepper, broccoli, and carrots. Stir-fry over high heat for 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to soften.
4) Mix together all sauce ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup.
5) When the spaghetti is done cooking, add the drained, cooked noodles to the stir-fry vegetables. Also add the pineapple, water chestnuts, edamame, and sauce.
6) Cook for about 5 more minutes until everything is hot through and edamame are bright green.
7) Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 adult servings.
