Pasta Casserole

I got tired of making baked goods because I found I had nothing substantial to eat when lunch time came. So I made an easy peasy pasta casserole.

I used 6oz uncooked pasta (not shown), 1/2 cup ricotta, 2 oz pepperoni, 3oz baby spinach, 8 oz spaghetti sauce (not shown) and 4 oz Monterrey jack cheese.

1. Cook the pasta according to directions. In the meantime, roughly chop up the spinach and pepperoni.
2. Once the pasta is cooked, place in a 6 cups casserole dish. Mix in the ricotta cheese, then pepperoni, then spinach and then the spaghetti sauce.

3. Then top with Monterrey jack cheese. (Shredded works fine too, but I didn't feel like washing an entire food processor for only 4 oz of cheese.)

4. Pop it in the a preheated oven of 350°F for 20 minutes. 

It was pretty yummy and super quick to make. I love how the pasta holds onto the other foods making every bite delicious! I would add more sauce and cheese next time because I love my pasta drenched in sauce and cheese. 

Tomato n Beef Casserole w/ Baked Potato

The last of the tomato and beef casserole with a scrumptious baked potato topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of chopped green onion along with a couple of slices of tomatoes. I'd say the baked potato was the best part. Haven't had that in awhile! Mm-mmmmm

PS: To make the baked potatoes, simply wash'em well, dry them, coat with light layer of olive oil (or any veggie oil) and sprinkle with kosher salt. I wrap them individually in foil and bake them in the oven at 350 for about 30-40 minutes. (Some people don't wrap them though.) I check to see if they are done by poking it with a knife on top. If it punctures easily, it's done. If you have trouble, the potatoes aren't done yet.

Tomato n Beef Casserole w/ Mash Potatoes

This is pretty good but I prefer the Tamale Pie with the cornmeal crust on top instead of the bottom. If you are interested in the recipe, go here.

Tomato and Beef Casserole

I was getting sick of everything we were eating and wanted to try something different. Sadly, this turned out to NOT be different from what we've been eating lately. Major sigh!!! Luckily, my fiancee was feeling the same as I and we decided to go out to eat. hehe. We went to King Buffet and gorged on salmon sashimi and sushi. Mm-mmm good!

Chili Tamale Casserole

~Chili~

made with a about a pound and a half of beef, one medium onion (chopped), a can of kidney beans, a bit of taco seasoning, a bit of brown sugar and lots of chili powder.

~Tamale~

made with 1 1/8cup of cornmeal, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 1.5 tbs unsalted butter and 3 cups cold water in a pot over medium heat. once thickened, place over the chili.

makes chili tamale casserole. Made for tomorrow's backyard bbq. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.