Allison: Baked Spaghetti

This is a dish originally made by my mother before she died, and is one of my father's favorite dishes. It is one of my favorites, as well.  Baked Spaghetti is a dish that you make for the people you love -- and it is designed to feed a crowd.  I would also go so far as to call it a man-catcher recipe, as any man that eats it will fall instantly in love with you and your skills as a domestic goddess.  This recipe is also not for the faint of heart or those with tiny appetites -- it is hearty Midwestern fare (as you can tell by the gratuitous amount of cheese, and cream of mushroom soup), and makes phenomenal leftovers, which I usually enjoy for breakfast the next day.

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) package of Spaghetti or Linguini
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. basil
2 tsp. onion powder
1 can (14.5) can of diced tomatoes
1 1lb bag of Mexi-blend cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 - 1/2 cup water

To Prepare

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Cook pasta as directed.  Drain. Set aside.

3.  In a frying pan, cook hamburger, drain fat, leaving a small amount in pan to cook onions.

4.  Add onions to hamburger. Saute until translucent, 3-5 minutes.

5.  Add garlic, oregano, basil, and onion powder to hamburger mixture. Cook 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.

6.  Add tomatoes and liquid to hamburger mixture.  Cook another 2 minutes until heated through.  Remove from heat.

7.  Cover the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish with approximately 1/2 of the cooked pasta.

8.  Cover the pasta with approximately 1/2 of the hamburger mixture.

9.  Cover the hamburger mixture with approximately 1/2 of the shredded Mexi-blend cheese.

10. Repeat steps 7 and 8.

11.  In a separate bowl, mix the soup with the water.  Pour evenly over meat and pasta.

12. Cover with remaining Mexi-blend cheese.  Top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

13. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until cheese starts to bubble and crisp. Serve and enjoy.

Serving suggestion: Serve with garlic bread (yum!), a salad (to cancel out the cheese), and a big glass of your favorite wine.