Pizza Spaghetti

Two of my family's favorite foods: pizza and spaghetti.  Who wouldn't want to combine the two and make a heavenly dish?  Who would try this concoction?  Me.  Yep ... that's what I do for you - I try out these recipes and test them on my family.  No worries - they like testing out these recipes for you.  Or perhaps they like critiquing me .... I'm not sure which.

All kidding aside ... this recipe was a hit out of the ballpark!  Seriously a great combination of two dishes that was received with very strong praise.  This one takes a little bit work, but it is most certainly worth it.  I think this would be a good make-ahead meal.  Meaning you can make it up, cover/wrap and place in the fridge for a weeknight meal.  Then all you have to do it pop it out of the fridge and in the oven for a delicious dinner that you didn't have to stand in front of the stove for after working all day.  Score.

This batch made enough for at least 6-8 servings, which in my house means one thing: LEFTOVERS.  Another score for me, because that means I can take some for lunch the next day.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb favorite spaghetti
• 1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I chose Mozzarella) 
• 1 package Pepperoni
• 2 T Garlic Salt
• 1 T Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 T Oregano
• Crushed Red Pepper flakes (to taste - completely optional)
• 3-4 diced garlic cloves

So first off you want to start by browning your ground beef.  While that's cooking up, go ahead and dice up your garlic cloves.  I personally love garlic.  So does my family.  I may use more that 4 cloves ... but that's just me.

Once the meat is browned, add in your garlic.  Then - smell your kitchen.  You may drool.

I could totally eat this as is.  But I will resist.  

While the meat is over there getting delicious, add water to your pasta pot to get a nice, rolling boil.  Then prepare your wet ingredients.  Take two eggs, your milk and all your dry seasonings and whisk together.

When the pasta water has come to a nice, strong boil, add in your spaghetti.  Don't forget to add salt to the water before adding in pasta. I have a new favorite I'm using: Barilla Veggie spaghetti noodles.  Another great way to add in those veggies without the kids, (or husband) even realizing it.  It's a Mom Thing.

Cook your pasta to al dente ... you still want a little bite to your pasta.  Especially when baking because you want it to hold up and not just turn to mush in the baking process.

Drain your pasta and while still hot, (burner off) stir in your egg/milk/dry herb mixture.  Stir together; the eggs will cook to the heat of the cooked pasta/pot.

Once mixed, you will have what you see above.  You will still have some milk that hasn't absorbed into the pasta - that's okay! The point of the milk is to keep it from getting too dried out during baking.

Next, add in your cream cheese.  Continue to stir in until fully combined.

Go ahead and add about 3/4 of the jar to your cooked meat.  Stir together.  

Now we are ready to assemble!  Lightly spray a glass baking dish with oil/non-stick spray, then pour in your noodle mixture.  Make one even layer.

Add your meat & sauce combination over the top to make another layer.

Here is where our 'pizza' part comes in!  Add a layer of pepperoni's to the top of your meat & sauce layer.  To really get pizza-with it, you could add in some sliced olives, sausage, green peppers - any pizza topping(s) you wish!  Get creative!

I stuck with just pepperoni.  I know ... boring.  But hey, I knew it would go over well.  We'll call this double pepperoni.

Now we want to add our shredded cheese layer.  Simply cover the entire top of your bake with the cheese.  You can use your favorite blend of cheese.

It could be done at this point ... however ... I want a grand entrance to my Pizza Spaghetti.

Finally one last layer of Pepperoni to the top.  Doesn't it look beautiful??  Ohhh, I couldn't wait to get this baby in the oven!  

**NOTE FROM JACQUI:

At this point this is a total Make Ahead Meal.  This means, once you've gotten to this point - cover well and place in the fridge.  Then, during the week, pull it out, let it come to room temperature and then carry on by putting in the oven and baking it to finish it off.  Make this on Sunday and then come Wednesday when you really don't feel like cooking - all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge.  (I love these meals!!)

Cook this at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Oh yes.  Oh yes.  Oh yes.  The smell ... the beauty ... wait until you set this down in the middle of the dinner the table.  Watch your kids' eyes light up with joy.  And remember ... they have no idea they are eating veggie spaghetti.  *insert evil Mom laugh here

And that is it folks.  Plate this one up and serve.  I say 6-8 servings ... you can probably get even more out of it because it's a really filling dish.  This all means lots of leftovers.  My only problem with the leftovers was keeping my husband from eating the pepperoni from the top.

I hope you enjoy this one.  I most certainly did and will definitely put it into the regular rotation of family meals for my house.  We all loved it.  And with as many combinations as you can come up with to add to this - I bet your family will love it too.

Cheers!

~Jacqui