You can mess around with this casserole quite a bit if you wish to. You can add and subtract whatever vegetables you want. I will toss in some jalapenos and pepper jack once in a while to kick things up a bit. If the kids are eating I don’t do that though. You can also make this with chicken if you don’t prefer ground beef. It’s a different flavor, but still pretty good. When I’m going to be out of town for the weekend or something, I will make this ahead of time so the family can have something good to eat while I’m away.
Check out what they are saying about this recipe over at NeighborFood:
“Being of Italian decent this is very much like the Baked Ziti I grew up with and one of my favorite dishes to make to feed a crowd, like when all the kids and their families descend at the holidays (we have 35 people for a week then).”
You don’t have to wait for a holiday or special occasion to make this… you’re going to want it all the time.
Ingredients
8 ounces rotini pasta
1/4 cup Daisy sour cream
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper (optional)
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped (optional)
6 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 cup cottage cheese
14 ounces (1/2 large jar) your favorite Ragu spaghetti sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to package directions, leaving it more on the al dente side since it will continue to cook a bit in the oven. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in sour cream. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, fry the ground beef with the onions, peppers, and mushrooms until no pink remains. Drain off any excess grease. Stir in the cream cheese, cottage cheese, and spaghetti sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until cream cheese is melted and mixture is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the noodles in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Top with ground beef mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. At this point, you can put a lid on the casserole and freeze or refrigerate until ready to bake. Otherwise, place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. If you’re baking from the fridge, place the casserole dish in the oven while it preheats and increase the baking time to 35-40 minutes.
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Quick Tip: Any type of shredded cheese tastes good in here.
Thanks again to NeighborFood for this traditional and simple recipe.
