Baked Penne Casserole

If you are looking for a truly crowd-pleasing, family-friendly dinner that is easy and delicious, look no further!  I found this recipe on pinterest.  It's done by The Country Cook, and after I read through the recipe, I knew I had to try it.  My family GOBBLED this up.  I seriously don't think Katelee or Blake have ever eaten so much in their lives.  And Gerald and I loved it too!  A great dinner to please kids and adults!



 
Ingredients:

• 1/2 - 1 lb. ground beef 
• 1/2 cup onions, diced 
• 1/2 cup green peppers, diced (I left these out, as the sight of green peppers is enough to make Katelee refuse to even try it...)
• 1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce 
• 1 tub (10 oz.) Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme, divided (I used Light.)
• 1 cup Kraft shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided 
• 3 cups cooked penne pasta (about 1 3/4 c. dry)

If you haven't already cooked your pasta, do so first. You'll need to bring water to a boil and then add in about 1 3/4 cups uncooked pasta (this should give you about 3 cups cooked since pasta nearly doubles in size after cooked). I always throw a little extra in for good measure.

When pasta is cooked al dente, make sure you drain excess water thoroughly.  Be careful not to overcook, as you will be baking the pasta as well and don't want it to come out soggy.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish (or 9x9 baking dish) with nonstick cooking spray.

Begin browning and crumbling ground beef with onions and green peppers (if using).

You'll need to do this in a large skillet because you'll be adding in your sauce and pasta to it later.

Once beef is browned, drain any excess grease.  Stir in spaghetti sauce, 3/4 cup cooking creme and 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until mozzarella is melted. Add pasta and mix lightly.

Spoon mixture into your prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cooking creme. Then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover with lid or aluminum foil.  When using aluminum foil, I like to spray the inside of the foil with nonstick spray so the cheese doesn't stick to it while baking.

Bake for 15 minutes. Then uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes so the cheese can get nice and melted and bubbly.

 

Serve warm, maybe with a green salad and some Tuscan bread on the side.  Enjoy!