Baked Pasta - Rachel

Another great meal for a wintery night!

Baked Pasta

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients

2 1/2 c. dried pasta (recipe calls for cavatelli or wagon wheel)

12 oz uncooked Italian sausage links, sliced 1/2 inch thick

3/4 c onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 26-oz jar pasta sauce

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 t black pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Pre-heat oven to 375.

3. In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic over med heat until browned. Remove from heat; drain fat.

4. In large bowl, stir together pasta sauce, 3/4 c mozzarella cheese and pepper. Add cooked pasta and drained sausage mixture. Stir to combine. Spoon mixture into 2-qt casserole dish.

5. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes or until nearly heated through. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.

6. Enjoy!

My Modifications

- Ground beef instead of sausage.

- I chopped up a red bell pepper and added it with the browning meat.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book

Mom's Chili - Rachel

On a blustery winter day in Michigan, you can't beat hot chili!

Mom's Chili

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: approx. 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

2 large onions

2 bell peppers

2 14.5oz cans tomatoes

1 8oz can tomato sauce

2 T chili powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t ground cumin

1 t cinnamon

1 t salt

1/4 t ground red pepper

dash black pepper

1/2 t paprika

1 T red wine vinegar

1 t Worcestershire sauce

2 cans kidney beans, drained

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and onions.

2. Add rest of ingredients, except for beans.

3. Cover and simmer 1-2 hours.

4. Stir in beans and heat through.

5. Enjoy!

My modifications:

I didn't realize until I started making the chili that I didn't have tomato sauce. Whoops. Just improvised with pasta sauce! Also, didn't have red wine vinegar, so I just used 1/2 T of cider vinegar. Finally, I didn't simmer for an hour. Mixed everything together, brought it to a boil, let it cool for a couple minutes and served it right away.

Source: A Christine Bannister original. My mother whipped together this recipe during her college days!