Cheeseburger Casserole

One time early on in my married life, kids were little, work was busy, dinner was a hassle and I bought 'Hamburger Helper' ack!! It was only once and I got over that real quick.  I still had a need for quick, cheap meals from time to time and this recipe found it's way into my arsneal. 

Ok I'll admit, this recipe is not rocket science.  It's good, it's not wonderful but, sometimes you just need hot, filling, quick, and cheap.  This fills those requirements.

Ingredients:

1 8oz pkg rotini pasta

2 tbls oil
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lb lean ground beef (95% lean)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbls ketchup

28 oz diced tomatoes
2 tbls Dijon Mustard

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

1/4 cup bacon bits

Directions:

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, drain well.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in ground beef and cook until browned; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the ketchup, add the tomatoes and mustard. 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 bacon then bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve. Makes about 9 cups*

9 very large cups, seriously with 1/2 the kids gone from home already this is easily three meals for us.  If you aren't a large family, you definitely need to make a 1/2 batch!!