Patrick's Baked Spaghetti |
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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 70 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This is a very rich and creamy, non-tomatoey, (even though it includes some tomato), baked spaghetti. It's my most-requested recipe from friends. I gave the ingredients a lot of thought before preparing it the first time and it came out just right - I've never changed it over the two years I've been making it. Reasonable substitutions won't hurt this recipe - use what you have. This is a simple recipe and most beginners can easily prepare it. Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil |
2 onions, medium, diced |
3 tablespoons green chilies (canned, diced) |
8 ounces spaghetti sauce (any) |
16 ounces chicken broth, divided |
8 ounces canned mushrooms (drained) |
16 ounces diced tomatoes (canned, drained) |
1 teaspoon dried basil (garnish) |
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder |
1 1/2 teaspoons italian seasoning |
1 teaspoon salt |
10 1/2 ounces cream of celery soup |
10 1/2 ounces cheddar cheese soup |
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded |
3/4 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded |
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck, browned and drained |
2 fresh garlic cloves, minced |
1 lb spaghetti, cooked and drained |
cooking spray |
Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees F.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the diced oinions, green chilis, and minced garlic. When the onions begin to develop some brown tips, add the Italian seasoning, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, salt, half of the chicken broth, spaghetti sauce, and the browned burger. Reduce to a simmer, stir, and after 5 minutes, turn off the heat.
3. Spray a very large casserole dish with the cooking spray, (I use two of the large aluminum throw-away baking pans, about 11 x 16 , with the high sides, one inside the other for stability), and ladle in about 1 cup of the finished sauce, then layer on half of the cooked spaghetti. Dot the top with the cheddar cheese soup. Ladle on about half of the remaining sauce and cover it with the cheddar cheese.
4. Layer on the remaining spaghetti. Mix the remaining chicken broth with the cream of celery soup and pour it over the spaghetti, (it will mostly run down inside.) Then cover the spaghetti with the remaining sauce and top it with the Monterey Jack cheese. Sprinkle the dried basil over the top.
5. Place the casserole on the lower-middle rack, uncovered, and baked for 35-40 minutes, or until there are some light brown spots here and there on top. Allow to stand for 15 minutes prior to serving.
6. NOTE: if you want this dish to taste a little less rich, don't use the shredded cheddar cheese. You can also increase the amount of spaghetti used without much change in the dish's flavor or consistency.
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