Bare Cupboards Dinner Party Casseroles

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 2 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1 tablespoon canola oil, as needed to keep meat from sticking to pan
• 2 large chopped onions (about 2 cups)
• 2 stalks celery & leaves, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 large carrots, finely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 (35 ounce) cans italian-style tomatoes
• 2 -3 teaspoons salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder, to taste
• 1 1/2 lbs pasta noodles, cooked and drained (she used macaroni and tiny seashell shaped pasta)
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry well (or use other veggies)
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 brown meat in enough oil to keep meat from sticking, about 5 minutes; drain fat.
• 2 add onions, celery, carrots, and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 3 add tomatoes, salt, oregano, pepper, and garlic powder (all seasonings to taste).
• 4 bring sauce to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and let simmer for 1 hour.
• 5 meanwhile, cook your pasta,timing it so that it is ready when the sauce has finished simmering.
• 6 mix pasta, sauce and spinach all together, then pour into 2 greased 9x13" casseroles.
• 7 sprinkle each casserole with parmesan cheese and bake at 350 f for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly (uncovered).