Chances are you probably don’t need to worry about any big tests or catching the school bus in the morning. But whether you have a busy day at work tomorrow, a bunch of little folks who do have school, or just a hectic day of errands, what you need is the same: a hearty meal with a flavor that’s deliciously comforting. School Night Casserole has that in spades: juicy ground beef and sausage form the savory base of this perfect pasta preparation, with a sauce infused with garlic and even more meat flavor to enhance every satisfying bite. A melty 3-cheese sauce adds another heartwarming layer to the captivating casserole, while fresh mushrooms and green peppers add new dimensions of flavor. School Night Casserole makes enough for everyone since it makes two dishes (or one large), but you can always halve the recipe for smaller tables. Suddenly, “school nights” sound a lot more exciting!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package of penne pasta
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 pound bulk Italian pork sausage
- 1 3/4 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans of Italian diced tomatoes
- 1 (23.5-ounce) jar of Italian sausage and garlic spaghetti sauce
- 1 (16-ounce) jar of chunky mild salsa
- 1 (8-ounce) package of sliced pepperoni, chopped
- 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded and divided
- 4 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 (24-ounce) jar of 3-cheese spaghetti sauce
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease two 9×13-inch baking dishes.
Step 3 –Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Step 4 –In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the beef, sausage, mushrooms, onion, and green pepper, breaking the meat into crumbles, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 5 –Drain the fat from the dutch oven.
Step 6 –Drain the pasta and add it to the meat mixture.
Step 7 –Stir the tomatoes, the sausage and garlic spaghetti sauce, the salsa, and the pepperoni into the meat mixture.
Step 8 –Divide the mixture between the prepared baking dishes.
Step 9 –Sprinkle each dish with 1/4 of the Swiss cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese.
Step 10 –Evenly spread the 3-cheese spaghetti sauce on top of each of the casseroles.
Step 11 –Sprinkle the remaining Swiss, mozzarella, and parmesan evenly over the top of both of the casseroles.
Step 12 –Cover the casseroles and bake until bubbly, about 25 minutes.
Step 13 –Uncover and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
Step 14 –Serve hot.
