We eatin' good! :)

Last night I fixed Cheesy Beef Casserole. It's kind of like lasagna with egg noodles, and it's one of our favorite dishes. I almost never make it because a) I rarely had the time to make it; b) I don't usually keep some of the ingredients on hand, things that are crucial to the dish and buying them extra costs extra money...which I wouldn't usually spend, and c) I keep forgetting about it.

I brought home salad the other day from Jan's. She'd cooked dinner and had tons left over, so we had that and garlic bread with dinner last night. Normally, it's just the casserole. We don't get very fancy 'round here.

Not only that, but I tried to make frozen pudding pops! (Lesson learned...it doesn't work in cheap popsicle molds. Stick to Dixie cups.) The kids are feeling pretty special because Mama's actually cooking stuff other than hot dogs and mac and cheese.

Know what's really awesome about it? Guess what I had for lunch? Heck yeah! AND...it's very filling, so I put enough leftovers in the freezer for dinner another night! :D I have teenagers, remember? I've almost forgotten what leftovers look like!

I've planned about a week's worth of all of our favorite dishes that we rarely have because I never had time to cook them. Like, I don't remember the last time we even had meatloaf. But you can bet your sweet bippy we will have it in the next couple of days. And maybe even some fried chicken and gravy! Oh, man. All this time to cook could be a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps I need to start walking in the mornings, too! LOL

If you're interested, here is the Cheesy Beef Casserole recipe:

4 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce (or 1 regular can)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 oz) small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup sliced onions (I usually omit them)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, cottage cheese Parmesan cheese, green onions and green pepper. Drain noodles.
Layer half of the noodles in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Top with half the meat and cheese mixtures. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

This freezes really well, so you could make two at one time and freeze one for later. :)