Servings | Prep Time |
4 people with a side salad | 15 min |
Cook Time |
30-45 min |
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It always warms my heart to see the Casserole once again take center stage in the culinary world. Here is a favorite with a 2016 twist. The short cut mentioned here isn't about time, but the actually type of pasta. Short cut spaghetti looks similar to the pasta in Kraft mac and cheese, a longer tube shape. So if you don't have that, substitute penne regate, or strozzapreti - even broken spaghetti is fun! If you are from the western part of the US, you will know that Creamette pasta company sold this type in a box, not that long ago.
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- 1/2 package spaghetti not quite a pound
- 1 shake salt for the cooking water
- 1 lb Ground Beef chuck is good 80/20
- 1 small onion finely chopped about 1/2 cup
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
- 1 toe garlic chopped
- 1 shake onion powder
- 1 good shake seasoned salt
- knob butter to grease the casserole dish
- 1 can cream of chicken soupr condensed
- scant water to thin the soup, if needed.
- Cook pasta to package directions - DO NOT OVER COOK- in fact shave a minute or two off the cooking time. This is going in the oven, remember! While that has started, brown the beef, celery, onion, garlic and spices in a pan until cooked through. Drain the hot pasta and combine with the condensed soup, stir throughly, and then add the beef mixture stir again, and slip into a buttered casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes or so, until bubbly and brown on top.
According to my well worn recipe card, you may add Chinese noodles on the top towards the last bit of cooking, until they brown... for "interest".
Because that is fancy in 1972.
My mom even stepped it up with putting "soy sauce"on the table, and chopped green onions to add on top. Now my VikingDad would have NONE of that flavor stuff... 🙂
Traditionally, this would have been served with a molded orange jello salad. (which is it's own food group where I come from)