{Recipes}: Best Spaghetti Casserole Ever!

It seems with our crazy busy life, Kevin and I eat the same stuff every week for dinner. Our weekly menu includes shrimp, chicken tenders, hot dogs, spaghetti, pizza, shishkabobs, or some sort of chicken or beef with vegetables. Since I'm getting kind of tired of the usuals, I wanted to spice things up a bit and fix something different for dinner. But wouldn't you know, I have been craving spaghetti and a salad all day. And seriously, how many ways can you fix spaghetti? So I found myself online this afternoon looking for a recipe similar to spaghetti when I stumbled upon the Deen Brother's blog. As I flipped through the recipes on their blog, I came upon this mouthwatering picture of a spaghetti casserole. My mind was immediately made up. Thats what we're having for dinner! So I ran to the grocery store, grabbed all of the ingredients I needed, and rushed back home to try the recipe out. Boy did I score! It came out of the oven looking scrumptuous and smelt even better! After one bite I knew I had to have more. And even better, my hubby loved it too! He had three helpings of it! Its definitely a recipe I intend to make again. I figured I'd include it for you guys to try. It's really simple and inexpensive to make! But just as a suggestion, it makes a huge casserole dish so I'd either invite some friends over or make two smaller containers full so you can eat one then and freeze one later! Hope you enjoy!



Ingredients:

CASSEROLE:
Salt
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 26-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (about 3/4 cup)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded or thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

GARLIC HERB BREAD:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch salt
1 16-inch loaf Italian bread, halved lengthwise

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions; drain.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef; cook about 5 minutes or until brown, breaking meat up with a fork as it cooks. Add the salt, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, Parmesan, and the cooked spaghetti. Transfer to baking dish. Top evenly with mozzarella. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

For the garlic bread, while the casserole bakes, whisk together the butter, parsley, garlic, and salt. Brush the butter mixture over the cut sides of both bread halves. Wrap each half in aluminum foil; bake, alongside the casserole, for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

For crispier bread, unwrap for the last 5 minutes of baking. Serve bread with the casserole.