Baked Spaghetti

A spaghetti dinner is a weekly staple at our house.

Here is a version that is a little different. The spaghetti and sauce is baked together with a layer of creamy sauce, much like a lasagna. This dish took me by surprise. It was really flavorful and delicious. I just loved it, and so did my daughters and husband! And boy, are the leftovers amazing the next day! Serve with salad and bread for a fabulous weeknight dinner. Enjoy!

 Ingredients:
8 ounces spaghetti
1 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (16-ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup  shredded parmesan cheese, divided

Preparation:

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Saute ground beef, onion and pepper in a large skillet. Season with oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned. Pour off fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, cottage cheese and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan, When spaghetti is ready, drain and place about half in the bottom of an 8-inch square casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Layer half the meat sauce mixture over the top of spaghetti. Spread the sour cream mixture over the meat sauce. Add remaining spaghetti and cover with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6