Baked Spaghetti Casserole

I LOVE spaghetti and I also love lasagna!  But, sometimes I just get bored with the same old stuff.  That's when I start searching for new ways to prepare some of my favorite foods.  This is a combination of a variety of recipes I tested for baked spaghetti casserole.  It is awesome!!

First of all, the picture above doesn't look as pretty as many of the picture I saw from other recipes.  I have come to the conclusion that those served meals were frozen and then cut so they are "solid" in the picture.  I am more concerned with keeping it real!  So - it kind of comes out of the pan as a mess!  But it is delicious!!!

Ingredients:

1 - 16 ounce package of spaghetti

8 ounces ricotta cheese (low-fat)

16 ounces of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I make mine from scratch)

Desired amount of cooked hamburger or vegetarian substitute

12 ounces mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions (do not over cook).  

1st Layer:  Drain pasta and place in a greased glass casserole dish.  

2nd Layer:  Top with ricotta cheese

3rd Layer:  Sprinkle on hamburger (or substitute).

4th Layer:  Pour/Spread (mine is a thick sauce) spaghetti sauce on top of meat.

5th Layer:  Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Now is a good time to freeze this meal.  Just make sure you use a good container with a lid.

Bake at 350 degrees until the top cheese starts to brown.  Bake time is about 20 minutes (longer if cold or frozen).

Enjoy!!

Thanksgiving: Thankful Wreath

Last year I made a Thanksgiving: Thankful Turkey Hostess Gift that I heard a lot of great feedback on. This year I came across the idea to use the same concept on a wreath.  So, I made this for our Thanksgiving host for this year.  

I found a small foam wreath for only $1 at Target!  

I covered it with brown ribbon (attached with a glue gun).

Next, I used scrapbook paper that was in fall colors and cut leaf shapes.  I then used pins to attach them to the wreath.  The pins make it easy for the leaves to me removed when a guest wants to use it and then they can reattach it where ever they choose on the wreath.

I had my family start by telling me what they are thankful for this year.  We wrote our names and the year on the back of the leaf.  I will post the finalized wreath after the big day.  A last minute thought:  I think I am going to attach a looped ribbon so it can be hung from a hook or nail if desired.

My son told me he is thankful for superheroes (last year it was monster trucks).  I like to imagine that he is thinking of all the every day heroes in the world that help people.  But he is only 5 - LOL!!!  Then he told my husband that he should be thankful for race cars ;-)