Cowboy Spaghetti

I have no idea why I called this recipe Cowboy Spaghetti except that it has cheddar cheese and green peppers and, to me, that means cowboy. I don’t know why. I have no idea what a cowboy eats. Actually, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a real cowboy. But if I did, I would make him this baked spaghetti casserole and tell him it was named in his honor

Friends, I had a rough day on Saturday. I’m sure it happens to all of us from time to time. I woke up wanting to go to a local event and quickly realized that I didn’t have anyone to go with me. That made me sad. Then I cried. Then I decided that I needed an attitude adjustment so I asked God to redirect my thoughts. He put two sweet friends on my heart to love on. I loved on them the way I know how… I cooked for them. Cowboy Spaghetti was something I created for a friend with a husband and two teenage boys. I figured with all that testosterone in her house, this type of hearty dish would be perfect. And, it gave her a much-needed break from having to cook!

If you have a house full of hearty appetites, need a filling pot luck dish, or if you are heading to a rodeo, give this recipe a try. I think it came out pretty good!

Cowboy Spaghetti

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage (bulk, not links – if you can only find links, remove the casing)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounce can petite-diced tomatoes
• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)
• 1 package spaghetti
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar/Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Brown meat in a Dutch oven over medium heat. As soon as meat is brown, add onion, green pepper and garlic. Continue to cook and stir for about two minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, spices and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes. While sauce is simmering, cook pasta as directed on package, cooking one minute less than recommended time. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Spread a third of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Add half of the cooked pasta over the sauce. Evenly distribute a third of the Cheddar/Monterrey Jack mix and the Mozzarella over the pasta. Cover cheese with another third of the sauce, the remaining half of the pasta, and a third of the same cheeses. Top with remaining sauce and remaining cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan over all.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until cheese is melted and the dish is hot and bubbly.

Giddy Up!

Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn