Baked Spaghetti "My Girl Paula Challenge"

This weeks selection for My Girl Paula, is Baked Spaghetti. I was really excited about this weeks challenge, I love one dish meals and casseroles. Spaghetti just so happens to be my favorite meal so I was really up for this weeks challenge. 

The only time consuming thing was making the homemade spaghetti sauce. It took a little over a hour to cook after that there is pretty much nothing to it. I really liked the change of using cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese instead of mozzarella cheese.

The verdict................... I cant believe I am going to say this, Y'all know how much I love Paula she is definitely my girl, but this dish was just OK to me. Over all I loved the concept of it being a one dish wonder. All in all it was pretty good and my husband liked more than me. 

I just felt that the sauce was kind of bland and needed something. I just couldn't put my finger on it. I will definitely make this dish again, I would just tweak the sauce a bit or use a different homemade spaghetti sauce recipe other than that it was good.

The kids were kind of picky about it, but they are that way with a lot of new things. I do think this is the perfect type of dish to take to a family reunion or a church potluck it is very convenient. If you have a love for Paula Deen and her recipes and you would like to be a part of the fun. Click here and you can join our group, My Girl Paula and start cooking up all her great recipes.

These are the ingredients you will need: diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onion, bell pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, house seasoning, seasoning salt, sugar, bay leaves, ground beef, thin or angel hair pasta, cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese.

adding all the ingredient to make the homemade spaghetti sauce.

cooing the pasta while the sauce is in it's last 20 minutes off simmering.

Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce.


Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese;


repeat the layers, ending with the sauce.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.

Cut into squares before serving.

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti

2 - cups canned diced tomatoes
2 - cups tomato sauce
1 - cup water
1/2 - cup diced onion
1/2 - cup diced green bell pepper
2 - cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 - cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 - teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 - teaspoons House Seasoning
1 1/2 - teaspoons seasoning salt
1 1/2 - teaspoons sugar
2 - small bay leaves
1 1/2 - pounds ground beef
8 - ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1 - cup grated cheddar cheese
1 - cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. 

Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. 

Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. 

Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. 

Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Cut into squares before serving.