Cheeseburger Casserole

It has been gloomy out and I have had an itch to make a casserole lately so that is what I did last night. It actually turned out better than I expected and I will for sure be making it again. I like the flavor the mustard added. It was a big hit and we had no leftovers which is always a good sign. Should feed about 4 people large portions.

What you need~
2 cups  uncooked rotini pasta
1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped OR 1 tbsp minced garlic

1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp tomato paste
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/4 cup dill pickles diced
Worcester sauce to taste
Nature's Seasoning to taste 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

In a large skillet, heat some olive oil in a pan.  I cut up my onions in the food processor. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season this mixture with your Nature's Seasoning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Stir in the beef and brown. Mix in some worcester sauce and Nature's Seasoning as you go. Add in the tomato paste, add tomatoes ( I pulsed mine in the food processor first as I have people I was feeding who dislike large chunks of tomato) and mustard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Here is the mix before and after adding the mustard. Trust me you need to add the mustard it added a ton of good flavor. Let the mixture bubble gently until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

So yummy looking!

Mom's homemade pickles on top.

Top with pickles and eat once done in the oven. This was so good and because I used leaner beef/a low calorie pasta with only 2 cups for the whole dish it was semi-healthy. 

Until next time~

XOXO Emily