Pizza Casserole

     Wanna talk about easy?

     This recipe is so simple and is so hearty that it can last for a few days (or a week if you are trying to finish it alone!). This recipe is a family favorite, especially in the heat of the busy farming season, although it isn't a recipe that even gets written down.

     And I haven't even gotten to the best part!. It can be made in a casserole dish or a crockpot! That has to be my favorite part because as a part of a farming family, it takes everyone's help to get things done and that means the women too. We are out in tractors and working to get crops in and out of the field to feed families across the world. That means that dinner isn't always a priority. Being able to throw things in the crock pot means that everyone can have a hot dinner when they are coming through the barn and I don't have to be in the kitchen for hours to prepare it.

Here it goes:

     Ingredients:
          1 box Rotini (or pasta of your choice)
          1 large jar of Spaghetti Sauce
          1-2 lbs ground meat
          1 package of Pepperoni
          1 2-cup bag of Mozzarella cheese.

      Here is where I insert my side notes for what I typically use. I like using the rotini pasta because it seems to hold more sauce and makes it fun to eat (kids love tri-color rotini, it's FUN). You can also use 1/2 spaghetti sauce and 1/2 pizza sauce. I just find it easier to buy one jar instead of two and I usually end up using spaghetti sauce for pizza anyway. You can use any meat of your choice. The photos, in particular, were made with deer meat that we had frozen last winter. And last but certainly not least, you can ALWAYS add more cheese. 2 cups are just a good starting place.

      Directions:
          I started by getting that pasta on the stove. While that was heating up to a boil, I started frying the ground meat. Deer meat can be pretty dry because it is a lot leaner than beef, so I made sure to add some olive oil to the bottom of the pan, but you shouldn't need this for ground beef. Once that has started, I (im)patiently wait for one of the two to finish.




You are going to want to not cook the noodles all the way. The best flavor comes when you let the noodles finish in the sauce they are going to be coated in. I took the pasta out of the water when I could bite into one but it kind of stuck to my teeth when I tried to chew. Return the noodles to the empty pot and add the sauce. I like a little extra sauce and if you are using Rotini noodles then you will too. The rotini just loves to use the sauce. Let the sauce begin to bubble.

While you are doing this then the ground meat should be about finished. Slice up the pepperoni and throw it in the pan with the ground meat (it does not need to cook). Once done you can take off the heat and grease a casserole dish of your choice.

After about 5 minutes of letting the pasta and sauce bubble, take off the heat, and add about 1/2 of the pasta and sauce to the casserole dish. Then add about 1/2 the meat mixture. And add about 1/2 the cheese. Then the other 1/2 of the meat. And the last 1/2 of the pasta. And finally, the rest of the cheese.

Pop in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes to get that cheese to melt (and get a little crusty on the edges, mmmmmm).
     Pull out, serve, and enjoy.


     Don't get too big of a serving though, it fills you up fast!


     If you want to cook this in a crockpot, just layer everything up and instead of putting it in the oven, put in in the crockpot on low (or high but pay attention to it) until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

I hope you enjoy this hearty farmwife-in-the-making meal!

Much Love,
Taylor


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