Note: This one received quite a few pins on Pinterest. It’s a tasty recipe! I would cut the amount of cream cheese in half just because it’s very rich but oh so good! ~Leslie
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I recently spent some time at my sister-in-law’s house, snuggling with my ten month old twin nieces and eight-year-old nephew. While chatting, the topic of cooking came up and what a challenge it is to get everything done after a long day at work!
Kelly shared that they eat out quite often, as her husband is not always receptive to what she fixes, as it “doesn’t taste like my mom’s does”, and her son is somewhat of a picky eater, so between the two of them, she has just about given up on cooking!
I told her that cooking comes with experimentation and making things that appeal to your own tastes. I openly admitted that when I got married, I didn’t know how to boil water! She found that hard to believe, but it is, without a doubt, the truth about my history with cooking.
I struggled with cooking at the beginning, as my food never tasted like my mom’s did, either! My mother was a stay-at-home mom, who made everything from scratch. I could always taste the love in everything that she humbly created.
It took me years of experimenting, making phone calls to my mom, (in an attempt to copy her recipes), as well as gathering favorite dishes from friends and relatives that I finally found my niche in the kitchen.
I absolutely love cooking for my family and friends. I find great joy in pouring a bit of myself into each thing I make, hoping the recipient’s taste buds will uncover the love in which it was made.
I can certainly get into a rut, making all of my family’s favorite dishes month to month, but I do love venturing out, investigating recipes that friends pass along. As a Facebook junkie, I have happened upon some amazing dishes. The following recipe was shared from a Facebook friend that I have yet to meet in person, but have thanked her for the delicious, simple gift she shared.
I hope that you will find it equally delicious.
I paired this casserole with Asiago bread and a lettuce mix, tossed with light Italian Dressing, 1 T. Parmesan Cheese, and diced cucumbers and tomatoes.
Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- 8 oz. spaghetti, cooked to al dente
- 1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
- 1 jar/can spaghetti sauce
- ½ green pepper, diced
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 T. butter
- 1 8oz. Philly Cream Cheese
- 2 T. milk
- ½-1 c. Parmesan Cheese
- 1 small can Durkee Fried Onions
Directions:
Boil spaghetti; drain and set aside.
Brown hamburger. Add jar/can of sauce and simmer 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, dice onion and pepper. Put onion and pepper with 1 T. butter into microwave for 4 minutes. Add 2 T. milk and 8 oz cream cheese to the onion/pepper mix.
Put ¼ of spaghetti/meat sauce in bottom of 9X11 baking dish. Top with spaghetti. Pour onion/pepper/cream cheese mix over spaghetti. Add remaining spaghetti/meat sauce over the top.
Add ½-1c. Parmesan Cheese to top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with Durkee Onions. Bake 5 minutes longer.
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