Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole with Basil Cream

Today was the second time I made this casserole, and to be honest, I had forgotten how many steps there are. Don’t necessarily let that scare you off, though — if you don’t have cranky, clingy kids underfoot, the 25 minutes of “hands-on time” that Clean Living Magazine claims may be more accurate for you than it was for me. The steps are actually very similar to making a lasagna. In any case, it’s really good and definitely worth it — the basil cream sauce makes it memorable, and I keep trying to think of other uses for the delicious (and easy!) addition. (And, yes, this is the second time I’ve made a creamy basil-y sauce today.)

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 pound spaghetti noodles
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided (I used more than twice this amount, family preference)
• 1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 6 ounces extra-lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside. Cook spaghetti to al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta, rinse under cold water and drain again; set aside.
2. In a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, add garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add basil and pulse again until finely chopped. Add oil and half of Parmesan and pulse until well blended. Remove 1 tablespoon basil mixture and reserve in a medium bowl. Add cottage cheese to food processor and process until smooth and blended.
3. Add beef, wheat germ, and milk to bowl with reserved basil mixture and mix gently until blended. Form mixture into rounded teaspoon-size meatballs (about 24 total). Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium -high heat. Spray skillet with cooking spray and add meatballs and onion. Cook, turning occasionally, until meatballs are browned and onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaf to skillet, reduce heat to medium and simmer until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is beginning to thicken, about 8 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato-meatball mixture into bottom of prepared casserole dish. Toss spaghetti with remaining tomato-meatball mixture and transfer half of spaghetti mixture to casserole dish. Dot tops of noodles in dish with half of basil mixture then cover with remaining spaghetti mixture. Dot top layer of noodles with remaining basil mixture and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake in oven until bubbling, about 10 minutes. Then remove foil and continue to cook until top is browned, about 10 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Winter Beef Stew

I found this recipe on an old Kraft calendar. It was called “Perfect Winter Beef Stew,” but I can’t verify the “perfect” yet. It’s simmering on the stove, and it does smell pretty good. Also, Jason asked me to omit the bacon (what?!?!), so I don’t think my version will be perfect anyway because everything is better with bacon (except, according to Jason only, soup).

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Italian dressing
• 2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 6 slices bacon, chopped (apparently optional)
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 3 cups sliced carrots
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth

Directions

1. Place dressing and meat in a large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate 30 minutes (or more) to marinate.
2. Cook bacon until crisp; drain.
3. In a large saucepan, cook onions and mushrooms on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, or until soft.
4. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade.
5. Add meat, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes with their liquid, broth, and bacon to saucepan and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 75 minutes.
7. Simmer uncovered 15 more minutes, or until meat is tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Andrew’s Delicious Pot Roast

A few days after outpatient surgery I found myself wandering somewhat aimlessly in a grocery store, trying to figure out what to make for dinner. My little brother came to the rescue and texted me his formula for a yummy crockpot pot roast.

3lb beef roast
3-5 potatoes, cut into wedges
1 onion, thickly sliced
carrots (opt)
24oz cream of mushroom soup
2 bay leaves
1 packet onion soup mix
1 C water

Place potatoes, carrots and onion on the bottom of the crockpot. Place roast on top of them and pour soups and water over the top. Add bay leaves and place lid on top of the pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

**We ate the meal right out of the pot (sooo perfect for a cold winter night!), but Andrew recommends making a gravy with the sauce: Strain the leftover juice and place in a sauce pan. Make a roux with 1 C cold water and 2 T cornstarch, add to pan and heat.

Rempel Family Meatloaf

God bless the Rempels and their meatloaf. This stuff hits the spot on a chilly fall night! Double the recipe and deliver half as a mercy meal to a family who could use some extra help and loving.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup crushed buttery round crackers
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons steak sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Stir the ground beef, crushed crackers, Cheddar cheese, and onion soup mix in a large bowl until well combined.
3. Whisk the eggs, ketchup, and steak sauce in a separate bowl until smooth.
4. Mix the eggs into the meat until evenly combined. (If the mixture seems too dry, add a little water.)
5. Press into a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven until the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) and is no longer pink in the center(approx. 45 to 60 minutes).

Roasted Dragon Meat on Hobbit Bread

Also known as “Slow Cooked Italian Beef Sandwich” by Karma Larsen. Check out my blog for an explanation of the more creative title.

Ingredients

• 2-3 lb boneless beef roast
• 2 T crushed basil
• 2 T crushed oregano
• 1 C water
• 1 env dry onion soup mix
• hard rolls

Directions

1. Add ingredients to a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
2. Shred meat and serve on hard rolls.

Meatloaf

This is Tanya Hsu’s recipe for Disappearing Meatloaf. It’s a standby from the OZC, and it’s on the menu for this week.

2 pounds ground beef

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 medium onion, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes)

1 teaspoon beef bouillion

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup oatmeal

2 eggs

1 teaspoon mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Make a loaf and place in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

Combine ingredients for sauce and spread over cooked meatloaf. Bake another 10-15 minutes. Let meatloaf sit about 5 minutes before serving.

Hamburger Pasta

Recently I’ve been trying to make-do with what’s in my cupboards and freezer. Here’s an easy and quick meal option for the Tredway household.

Creamy tomato pasta sauce (I like to mix marinara with alfredo)
Ground beef, browned
Whole wheat penne pasta

Heat.
Toss.
Eat.
Be happy.