Be prepared to be amazed by my food photography….

Nate’s mom was kind enough to feed me about once a week during tax season. I think she was secretly working with my mom. They both worry about my lack of cooking skills.

Nate’s mom made this fantastic casserole last week. It was so fantastic that I had to make it for Nate on Saturday night. Well, he actually ended up making it…but I gave him the recipe. Awesome Wife of the Year award, right here!

Mostaccioli Casserole (modified from Taste of Home)

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) mostaccioli
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1-1/4 cups chopped green pepper (I skipped this because it’s a vegetable.)
1 cup chopped onion (We don’t chop onions. We use onion powder.)
1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted (mmm, secret ingredient)
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

Cook mostaccioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, soup, Italian seasoning and pepper.
Drain mostaccioli. Add mostaccioli and 1-1/2 cups cheese to beef mixture. Transfer to two greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

How sweet is that? A casserole to eat and a casserole to freeze. Bonus!! Write that one on the pantry doors!

Mmmmm, casserole.