Ingredients
- 2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 med. onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clover, minced
- 2 (14 oz.) jars of spaghetti sauce
- 2 cans (14.4 oz.) stewed tomatoes
- 16 oz. uncooked medium pasta shells
- 3 c. light sour cream, divided – room temp (leave on the counter about 30-45 minutes)
- 8 slices of provolone cheese
- 8 slices part skim Mozzarella cheese
Preparation
Step 1
In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until it isn’t pink anymore; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and then rinse them with cold water. Grab two 9″x13″ casserole dishes and set them side by side. I do both casseroles at the same time, but it’s up to you if you want to fill one, and then fill the other.
This is for 1 casserole: Spoon 1/4 of the shells into your casserole dish, spread them out. Next, top the shells with 1/4 of the meat sauce. Next spread a layer of the sour cream over the meat sauce. Don’t use too much because there is not only another layer, there is another casserole (it will also do some melting and blending on it’s own as it cooks). On top of the sour cream, place 4 slices of provolone cheese spread out. Now layer another 1/4 of the pasta, another 1/4 of the meat mixture, another layer of sour cream and top with 4 slices of Mozzarella cheese.
Cover the dish with a piece of tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.
While that’s cooking, finish preparing the 2nd casserole, cover and pop in the freezer for a later meal. To serve the 2nd casserole, thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight, remove from fridge and uncover about 45 minutes before cooking. Cook at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
We paired this with a fresh salad, roasted asparagus and garlic bread. It was SO good – thanks Brie! You’re an awesome mini-chef.