Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti is one of those meals that just screams comfort to me. It's simple to prepare, and it is always so satisfying and warming. Another reason I love spaghetti is that it's a guarantee that Nora will eat it. She's a girl after her mother's heart in that she, like me, LOVES Italian food. So, if we're in a bind or need to throw together a meal in a hurry, spaghetti is one of my go-to meals.

A few weeks ago, a came across a recipe for Spaghetti Pie from the Easy Meals for Busy Moms Blog. It seemed really simple to make, and the added ingredients that it calls for sounded DIVINE. Cream cheese--chive and onion cream cheese, mind you-- and sour cream. It's like spaghetti only heavenly spaghetti. Cream cheese and hot, melted cheese. Um.

So, I did what any good hostess is NOT supposed to do. I cooked this brand-new recipe for some company without trying it out beforehand. (You are NOT supposed to do that!) But, the company was just my sister-in-law and another good girl friend of ours, so I knew that even if the recipe was a flop (which, seriously, how could it be?), things would be fine.

Lordy me. Was it good! Everyone loved it, so we will DEFINITELY be having this Spaghetti Pie in the near future. Try it out, folks. Comfort Food. To the max.

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground meat
1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce (or any homemade tomato sauce you like)
1 lb. thin spaghetti, cooked according to directions
1/4 cup chive and onion cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups low far sour cream
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish or any casserole dish of your choice.
2. Prepare pasta as directed, making sure you don't overcook pasta as it will go into the oven for 20-30 minutes and continue cooking. I left mine a bit al dente, and it was just right after baking.
3. Prepare tomato sauce just as you would for regular spaghetti. I browned the ground beef in a skillet with a small onion, drained the fat, added the spaghetti sauce and some other seasonings (Italian seasoning, garlic, black pepper, etc.)
4. Combine cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl.
5. Layer: Place cooked spaghetti in bottom of casserole dish. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. Spread spaghetti sauce/meat mixture over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and turning golden brown.

*** Serve with a salad and hot bread!