AUNT ALBERTA’S CASSEROLE

When they were kids, my cousins use to call this Aunt Alberta’s casserole, after my mom since she came up with the recipe. Funny, even as adults we still call it that. Whether you’re a kid or grownup, you’ll love this one. It’s kind of like a lasagne, only without the finesse. Follow the recipe as written or improvise! It’s fun to make it your own…

Ingredients:

• 1 lb box pasta, preferably rigatoni (corkscrew shape)
• 24 oz jar red pasta sauce, your choice of brand and flavor
• 1 16 oz sour cream
• 1 16 oz cottage cheese
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste
• Spray or 1 tbsp olive oil for skillet

Instructions:
Make sure to use a deep dish for the casserole. You can use a 10″ round or 9 x 12″ rectangular dish but make sure it’s deep, at least 3 1/2″. You don’t need a lid but you don’t want the casserole bubbling over in your oven. Try not to fill it any higher than the top of the dish.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat large pot of water for pasta. Follow cooking instructions on box or bag. You’ll want to get this started right before you put meat in pan since water takes time to boil. Salt the water.
2. Spray the pan or add olive oil if you prefer and brown meat. Add spices. Once meat is cooked turn heat down a bit and add about half the sauce in jar. Keep it low so the sauce doesn’t splatter Add chicken broth.
3. While sauce is cooking combine cottage cheese and sour cream in bowl. Mix well. 
4. When pasta is ready pour into colander and give it a couple shakes to remove excess water but be careful, it’s hot. Return to pot. Add salt to taste. You can add a couple drops of oil into pasta to keep it from sticking to pot. 
5. Check sauce. If it’s the consistency you like, turn off fire. Otherwise you can add a bit more sauce if you like it thicker or more broth or water if you prefer it lighter. 
6. Spray your casserole container. Layer in enough pasta to cover the bottom. Be generous. Then layer about half of the sour cream mixture and spread. Next spoon a thick layer of sauce on top. Make sure it covers the sour cream. Then another layer of pasta, the sour cream mix and sauce. Depending on the depth of your dish you might have a little pasta left over. 
7. Bake at 350° for an hour. 

CHEF’S TIPS: You should have some sauce left over in your jar. If the casserole gets a little dry from sitting in the fridge you can add some of that sauce to the portion you’re reheating. You can also add some parmesan but remember, there’s already cottage cheese in the mixture. You can certainly chop up some onions, garlic, mushrooms or other veggies to add to the meat sauce. That’s totally your call. The dish takes about 45 min to prepare so keep that in mind if you decide to take time to add extra ingredients. Also this is not a fancy recipe, all ages love this dish. It’s also great for parties!