Pizza Done Spaghetti Style

This recipe is easy to make, but it does take a little bit of time. And it’s so worth it! This delicious dish is true comfort food and it stretches a pound of ground beef to easily feed a crowd.

Serve with a green salad tossed with Italian dressing, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Some toasted garlic bread would be the perfect finishing touch.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (or Italian sausage)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 bell peppers (red or green, chopped)
• 1 (26-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti pasta (broken into 2-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 1 cup Swiss cheese (shredded)
• 1 (5-ounce) package pepperoni (sliced)

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for cooking spaghetti.
3. Cook the beef, onion, garlic, and bell peppers in a heavy skillet over medium heat until the sausage is browned, stirring to break up the meat.
4. Drain well and add pasta sauce, diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Stir well and let simmer while preparing the spaghetti.
5. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
6. Combine milk, eggs, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl and beat until blended.
7. Drain spaghetti and toss with egg mixture. Spread half of the spaghetti/egg/milk mixture in a 13×9-inch glass baking dish. Top with half of sauce and pork mixture. Repeat layers.
8. At this point, if you want to freeze this casserole, cool in the refrigerator. When cold, wrap well, label, and freeze up to 3 months.To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in the refrigerator. Bake, covered, at 350 F for 40 to 50 minutes until thoroughly heated. Uncover, top with cheeses and pepperoni and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer until cheese melts and edges of casserole bubble.
9. To refrigerate overnight and bake the next day, cover the casserole and chill for 2 to 24 hours. When ready to eat, bake, covered, at 350 F for 40 to 50 minutes until hot. Then, uncover, top with cheeses and pepperoni and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer until cheese melts.
10. If baking without freezing or refrigerating, bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until hot and bubbly. Top with both kinds of cheese, then pepperoni, return to oven and bake for 10 minutes longer to melt the cheese. Let stand 5 minutes to set, then cut into squares to serve.
11. Serve and enjoy!

• Total:80 mins
• Prep:35 mins
• Cook:45 mins
• Yield:10 to 12 servings