Baked Pasta

This one was something I wanted to make on Saturday but trips to Hardware Store, home, the Other Hardware Store, home again, sidetracked plans for dinner. The Deck Project is keeping me running!

Sunday I planned ahead and made this at 9:30 in the morning, tucked it in the fridge and then warmed it up in the oven at 5 when we were ready to eat. Yay for planning ahead, even if I was a day late. :)

Original recipe is here

Baked Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb pasta (recipe says ziti, I didn't have it, I used some other tube shaped stuff)
1 lb ground beef (or sausage)
1 large onion chopped
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
a bunch of diced garlic
1 large jar marinara sauce (about 32 ounces - I tried to use a regular 24 oz jar but this wasn't enough - you definitely need the 32 oz jar)
a bunch of shredded cheese (recipe says mozzarella, we used parmesan)
1 cup ricotta cheese (I used 1 pkg cream cheese)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta
2. While you're waiting for the pasta to cook, cook the ground beef & drain off the fat.
3. Add the chopped onion and saute for a little bit, letting the onion get soft
4. Dump in a bunch of Italian seasoning, the garlic and the marinara sauce to the meat. Bring it all to a simmer.
5. Put about half or 2/3 the sauce into a casserole dish and add the cooked pasta. Stir it all together. Add dollops (ricotta) or little pieces (cream cheese) to the casserole dish.
6. Pour the rest of the sauce into the casserole dish, sprinkle shredded cheese over everything, and cover with foil.
7. Put in the fridge and save for later, or put it into the oven at 350 and bake until the cheese is melted and the top is slightly browned.
8. If warming up after it's been in the fridge, it takes about 40 minutes at 350. Take the foil off halfway through.

Note for next time - make this 1 large batch, then split it in half into 2 square pans, freeze one, make the other for today.

Why we love it

Easy to make, easy to make AHEAD, warm and gooey and LOTS of leftovers for the next day

  

Deliciousest Beef Stew Ever

The other day at work, Ally was warming up her leftover beef stew from the night before. I commented on how great it smelled and she let me try just a tiny bit. And it was the deliciousest beef stew ever. Two nights later, I was making it. Not only is it the deliciousest, but also the easiest. So pretty much just the bestest.

Ally's Deliciousest Beef Stew 

Ingredients
1 lb stew beef (the kind that comes cut up in cubes)
1/4 stick butter
cubed potatoes and carrots (a couple pounds? a bunch?)
salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
4 cups beef stock

Instructions
1. In a large pot, melt the butter and brown the beef, add all the seasonings.
2. Once browned, add some beef stock - just a layer of stock, don't cover the meat. Put lid on the pot.
3. Bake in the oven at 350 for about two hours. After one hour, take out the pot and add the potatoes and carrots. Add a little more stock, if needed, to keep the ingredients moist but don't cover them with the stock.
4. After two hours, everything will be fully cooked. Add the rest of the beef stock, and warm up everything on the stove top if needed.

#1 Rule - Do NOT forget that you just took the pot out of the oven so the handles are super hot, also the lid will burn you so use the potholder!!! Ask me how easy it is to forget that this thing is SUPER hot...

Anyway, the beef gets so tender, and everything's so full of flavor, I loved it.

It's been a week or two since I made it and I can't remember who exactly liked it, who didn't try it or who wasn't even home for it, so I'm just giving it 4 stars. Because I liked it. Lots. And I can't wait to make it again!