24. Pizza Spaghetti Casserole

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

Pizza? Good.

Spaghetti? Good.

Together? YUM!

This tasted exactly as I expected...like a sausage and pepperoni pizza, with pasta instead of crust. I don't have children, but I would imagine that kids would love this dish, too. It was the ultimate comfort food...and a great twist on baked spaghetti.

12 ounces uncooked spaghetti

1/2 tsp. salt

1 (1-pound) package mild ground pork sausage

2 ounces turkey pepperoni slices (about 30), cut in half

1 (26-ounce) jar tomato and basil pasta sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (8-ounce) package shredded Italian three-cheese blend

Cook spaghetti with salt according to package directions. Drain well and place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

Brown and drain sausage. Set aside. Wipe skillet and add pepperoni, cooking over medium-high heat for 4 minutes until slightly crisp.

Top spaghetti in baking dish with sausage. Pour pasta sauce over. Arrange half of pepperoni over sauce. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses. Arrange remaining pepperoni over cheese. Cover with lightly greased aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

17. Spinach-Black Bean Lasagna

From 2002 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I love lasagna...and I love Mexican food...so this recipe was screaming my name. And, it was so delicious. Don't worry about the absence of meat...this dish is plenty hearty, with the black beans, to satisfy any appetite.

When I saw how much liquid was in the dish, I decided to use no-boil noodles, and they worked perfectly.

I think you could easily cut the amount of cheese in half (1 cup for ricotta filling, and 1 cup for topping) and not lose any flavor. I skipped the cilantro, for personal preference, and I added mushrooms to the pasta sauce.

If you're a lasagna fan, looking for a little twist, this one's a "must-cook!"

2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (2-pound, 13-ounce) jar pasta sauce
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
9 pre-cooked lasagna noodles

Stir together first five ingredients and 1 cup of cheese. Set aside

Mash beans with a potato masher or fork in a large bowl. Stir in pasta sauce and cumin. Spread 1/3 of mixture on bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

Layer with 3 noodles, half of spinach mixture and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers. Spread with 1/3 sauce mixture, top with remaining 3 noodles, and remaining sauce mixture.

Bake, covered, at 350 for 1 hour. Uncover and top with remaining cheese. Bake 5 more minutes.

This post is part of Weekend Cooking, which is hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

12. Sausage Gumbo Pot Pie With Garlic Bread Crust

From the 2006 Southern Living Annual Recipes

In the spirit of Mardi Gras, I was flipping through my cookbooks for a New Orleans-style dish, and I came across this recipe that looked too good to pass up.

The gumbo mixture is cooked on the stovetop and then finished in the oven with a topping that's similar in style to French onion soup. The tops of the bread slices were crispy, and the bottoms had soaked up the soup liquid. The gumbo had great flavor, with just the right amount of heat.

I went back for seconds...and that's something I never do. AND...I accidentally left out the okra. Yep, I just left it in the freezer...and it was still a hit! Also, I halved the recipe because I knew it wouldn't do well as leftovers.

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped (I omitted)
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup instant roux mix
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen okra
1 cup quick-cooking rice, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (I omitted)
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12-ounce) French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Sauté first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until browned; stir in roux mix. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Stir together butter and garlic; brush on one side of bread slices. Top sausage mixture evenly with bread slices, buttered side up.

Bake, covered, at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Notes: I didn't add the bread for the first 10 minutes of cooking, while covered, because I worried it would get too soggy. Also, Tony Chachere's instant roux mix can be found either in the spice or soup section of the supermarket.

This post is part of Weekend Cooking, which is hosted by Beth Fish Reads.