Doin' Some Cookin'... Baked Spaghetti

I decided to make Baked Spaghetti this weekend because I had some leftover tomato paste from the Juicy Turkey Burgers I made earlier this week that needed to be used up and an Italian inspired dish on a Sunday takes me back to living under my mom's roof. So comforting!

Because this makes enough for a small army the leftovers freeze well and make for the perfect lunches to take to work.

Speaking of work... we are one week into the Biggest Loser Challenge and I dropped 2.6 lbs this week. I didn't hit my 10,000 step daily goal for two of the days and my eating yesterday wasn't on point but I'm counting my small victories of all of the other healthier choices I did make.

Having this lightened up version of a dish I get cravings for when I'm looking for comfort food is great to have in my dinner arsenal and who doesn't love a casserole?! You probably already have everything on hand to make this tonight. You can also prep this ahead of time up to the step of popping it into the oven and baking when ready to consume.

While this baked I paced the house trying to rack up some extra steps to make up for those two days I fell short. Small victories.

Served with a green salad and a slice of whole wheat garlic bread. Crave worthy!

Baked Spaghetti

Adapted From: Paula Deen Cuts the Fat: 250 Favorite Recipes All Lightened Up

Makes 10 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can (28 oz) no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• dried parsley, to taste
• dried basil, to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 6 oz whole wheat angel hair pasta
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

And Action:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium pot heat 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, basil, bay leaf, onion powder, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and cook until softened about 5-7 minutes. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet. Cook over medium high heat until no pink color remains. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain the fat from the meat and then add the beef mixture to the tomato sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well and in a medium bowl toss with the Parmesan while still warm.

Cover the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish with half of the tomato sauce. Add the pasta in an even layer and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheddar and mozzarella and bake until the cheese is melted and sauce bubbling, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!