Spaghetti Pie

Years ago, when The Man & I were dating & first married, he was lead singer in a wonderful Contemporary Christian band & all the members & our newlywed families were very close. We used to have carry-in get-togethers quite often & one of my favorite items served at many such occasion was Spaghetti Pie. Mmm mm! It was yummy in my tummy.

So, since I was thinking about this yummy dish on this crisp, fall day, I thought I would share it with all of you. Since you make this all-in-one in a cast iron skillet, it's also a good camp fire or cabin dish.

Picture from Google

You will need:

~a 10"-12" cast iron skillet
~1 small sweet Vidalia onion; around 1/4 c.
~2 TB olive oil (extra virgin is best)
~1/2 lb. ground chuck (OR 1 lb. if you prefer not to use the sausage)
~1/2 lb. Italian sausage (I use Bob Evans)
~2 crushed garlic cloves OR 2 ts. of garlic powder/granules
~1/2 ts. dried oregano OR 1/4 ts. fresh, torn & crushed a little
~1/4 or 1/2 ts. of my herb/seasoning mix
~1 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
~1 TB sugar
~1 ts. sea salt
~2 c. water
~8 oz. of thin-style spaghetti; broken 2-3 times
~1/4 c. heavy whipping cream (**for those w/dairy allergies, vanilla rice milk may be substituted, however it will not turn out quite so creamy but it will still be good)
~1 ts. dried basil
~1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
~2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1) In your skillet, saute' onion & **FRESH** garlic in the olive oil until onions are nearly clear, on medium heat. (**If you are using garlic powder/granules, DO NOT add yet.)

2) Raise heat to med-high & add the ground chuck & sausage. When nearly all of the meat is browned add oregano, seasoning & garlic powder/granules.

3) When this is browned & well mixed, drain, return to stove.

4) Add crushed tomatoes, water, sugar & salt. Stir well.

5) Add spaghetti; make sure it is completely soaked & stirred into the mixture.

6) Cover w/lid & let cook for 8 minutes.

7) Then stir, recover, reduce heat to med-low & let simmer for 5-7 more minutes.

8) Add basil, Parmesan cheese & cream; stir gently but thoroughly.

9) Cover top w/Mozzarella cheese & put in a pre-heated 350* oven for about 5 minutes, until cheese has melted.

10) Cut into wedges & serve.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><