Chef notes
I made up this recipe when I was working on a $20 a week grocery budget. It's a great way of using leftovers to stretch into another meal. I like to add in extra veggies to up the nutritional value and make it a complete, super-simple one-pot meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 red, orange or yellow pepper, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 3 24-ounce cans pasta sauce
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 10-ounce jars sliced green olives, drained
- 1 12-ounce bag frozen green peas
- 2 cups (one 8-ounce bag) grated sharp cheddar cheese
Preparation
1.Place butter in a large pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add the celery, pepper and onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes.
2.Add ground chuck and cook until no pink remains. Drain meat and vegetables of all grease.
3.Add the pasta sauce and sugar to the pot and stir to combine. Cook over low heat for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.While the sauce cooks, preheat oven to 350°F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
5.Add spaghetti cook according to package direction until al dente. Drain pasta and add to the pot of sauce along with the drained olives and frozen peas and toss to combine.
6.Transfer the mixture in a large 10- by 15-inch casserole dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
7.Remove from oven and cover with the grated cheese. Place back in oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
8.Remove the casserole from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing into it and serving.
