3-Cheese Baked Rigatoni

Super yummy baked pasta dish, very easy to make ahead.

3-Cheese Baked Rigatoni

1 lb. ground beef

1 box rigatoni

1 jar red pasta sauce of your choice (I like garlic & mushroom sauce)

4 oz. grated parmesan cheese

4 oz. shredded mild cheddar cheese

4 oz. shredded mozzerella

Brown the ground beef and drain once cooked through. While beef is cooking, boil rigatoni until al dente and drain. Mix drained rigatoni with beef, pasta sauce and grated parmesan and pour into a casserole dish. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, then sprinkle cheddar and mozzerella over the top and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Serves 6.

Tater Tot Casserole

This is a recipe I used to make all the time in college and as a newlywed, but quite frankly I had forgotten about it until a friend emailed me asking for the recipe for a casserole swap. It's quick, easy, tasty and kids love it. Perfect for potlucks too. I apologize for the lack of exact measurements, but this is one I do by sight, not by measuring.

Tater Tot Casserole
1 to 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
~1/2 bag frozen tater tots
bag of frozen green peas
bag of frozen corn
can of cream of mushroom soup
8oz. bag of grated cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef. In a casserole dish, layer beef, tots, peas and corn. Pour soup on top. Bake at 375F 20-25 minutes until almost done. Sprinkle grated cheese on top, and bake until melty. Serves 6.

Italian Meatballs

I made these for a dinner of meatball subs, but they'd also work great over pasta with additional sauce, or as an appetizer.

Italian Meatballs
2 lbs. ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 slice of day old bread, crumbled
1 jar of spaghetti sauce

In a large bowl, knead together beef, egg, garlic, onions and bread. Form mixture into meatballs, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place all the meatballs in a crockpot, then cover with the spaghetti sauce. Cook on low 8 hours. Makes about 36 meatballs.

For Meatball Subs, spoon onto your favorite sub loaf or Italian roll, then top with grated Mozzarella.

Creamy Beef Roast

Another version of the pot roast, this one is creamier, with a kick of onion flavor.

Creamy Beef Roast
2-3 lb. chuck roast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp onion flakes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of water (use the soup can)
2 dozen or so baby carrots
4 medium potatoes

Prep the roast the night before by adding everything except the potatoes to the crockpot. Quarter the potatoes and put them in a bowl covered with cold water. Place everything in the fridge. In the morning, drain the potatoes and add them to the roast. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Serves 6-8.

Two Days of Roast Beef

Monday and Tuesday's dinners both came from a roast I cooked in the crockpot on Monday. It was tasty, very tender and juicy. Monday, we had roast with potatoes and carrots straight from the crock. Tuesday, we used the leftover beef to make BBQ beef sandwiches. We made them light on the BBQ sauce to account for the kids' tastebuds, but then added in additional sauce for the adults once the beef was on the buns.

Day 1:
Crockpot Roast Beef with Potatoes and Carrots
3 lb. or so Angus roast beef, partially frozen
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
about a dozen baby carrots
3 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
2 cups water
1 tbsp or so Lawry's Seasoning Salt

I prepped the roast the night before and put the roast, soy sauce, Worcester and carrots in the crockpot and put it in the fridge. I cut up all the potatoes and put them in a separate covered bowl filled with cold water (to keep the potatoes from browning) and put them in the fridge as well. In the morning, I put the crock back on the heating element and added the potatoes (strained well), then the 2 cups of water and sprinkled the seasoning salt on top. Cover and simmer on low 10-11 hours. Serves 4 with plenty of leftovers.

Day 2:
BBQ Beef Sandwiches
leftover beef from day 1
3/4 cup favorite BBQ sauce
rolls or hoagie bread -- we used Kaiser rolls on sale at the grocery store that day

Mix the leftover beef with the BBQ sauce, then heat in the microwave about 2 minutes, until thoroughly warmed. Spread on rolls and add additional BBQ sauce to taste. Serve with leftover potatoes and carrots from day 1, or your favorite picnic sides. Serves 4.