Spaghetti Casserole and Other Stuff

The snow is gently falling outside my windows as I type this and all I can think about is, "It's about time!". We haven't had any measurable snow as of yet this season and I'm missing it.

So, the pace around here has been ramped up. Christmastime brings such a flurry of activity, doesn't it?

On Tuesday, after doing school with the children, helping them all practice piano, 80 loads of laundry (exaggerated only slightly), cooking breakfast and lunch, attempting to leave the house early for a Christmas party I had that evening so I could run some errands, and what seemed like a gazillion other things, I get a call from a friend who tells me that I signed up to bring a meal to church that night. Big Sigh.

Our church is part of an inter-faith hospitality network which houses homeless people for a week, four times a year. I love helping with this event and having our children involved. It's so easy for us to be comfortable and forget those who are not so fortunate as us.

So, I'm thinking to myself that I really don't have time to add another thing to my plate. How could I have signed up for this and not entered it into my calendar on my phone which is really my brain. Without it, I don't even remember where I live. :) I get off the phone and I'm racking my brain to come up with something easy, tasty and kid friendly. It's going to be one family of five and a mother and daughter plus the hosts for the evening and my family that I need to feed.

My phone rings again and it's my friend who is also the children's piano teacher. She is asking if I would mind postponing the piano lessons until the next day. I am excited that I can cross one item off my list for the rest of the afternoon. I explain to her that it works well for us to postpone and then I tell her why. She says she has this great recipe for a spaghetti casserole (up here in Minnesota, they call it a hot dish) that I should try.

I whipped up two casseroles, bought a loaf of french bread, a bag of salad, a gallon of milk and ice cream bars and the meal was good to go.

Wow, I said all of that to say this. This is an excellent casserole! Here's the recipe. Hope you enjoy.

Spaghetti Bake
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef cooked - I seasoned mine with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper
1/2 diced onion into the ground beef while it's cooking
1 1b of spaghetti noodles - cooked
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 can of spaghetti sauce - I used Hunt's Meat Sauce this time
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Pepperoni

• Put cooked noodles in bottom of 9x13 pan. 
• Mix milk and egg together and pour over noodles. 
• Put a layer of mozzarella cheese over the noodles. 
• Ground beef next. 
• Pour can of spaghetti sauce over that.
• Another layer of mozzarella
• top with diced up pepperoni pieces

Pop into the oven for 30 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees.