This casserole is our go-to recipe when we need to cook ahead of time. It’s fast, it’s easy, it stores well, and it’s tasty! (So…just like most casseroles…but this is OUR casserole!)

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• 1 box of pasta
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 bag of shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Boil the noodles in pot according to the directions on the box
• Brown the beef in a pan over medium heat (add salt and pepper as desired)
• Mix the boiled noodles, browned meet, and tomato sauce in a casserole dish
• Top with grated cheese

Storage and Serving:

After preparing the casserole, you don’t have to serve it right away. You can cover it with tin foil and leave it in the fridge for days. And now that it is all packaged up, it’s easy to pack in the car to take to a party or a picnic.

Before serving, I like to pop the casserole dish in the oven for a few minutes. It warms up the contents and crisps the cheese on top.

Then we just put the casserole dishes on the counter with a big wooden spoon and let everyone serve themselves.

Next Level:

Italiano is all about easy. You can make it even easier with the following improvements:

• Less Dishes: Reduce the dishes used to cook the meal if you are not pressed for time. After you boil the noodles, use the same pot to brown the meat and now you only have one pot to clean!
• Less Foil: Reduce the materials used to store the meal by dumping the casserole into tupperware containers instead of casserole dishes. Now you can just pop the lid on the containers to store in the fridge. (Be sure to take the lids off before reheating!)