Dinner Is Served

Italian Curly Noodle Dish

1 lb ground beef(seasoned w/salt,pepper & onion flakes)
1 26oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 lb cottage cheese
1 8oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 green bell pepper(optional)
1 pkg curly noodles

Brown meat with onion flakes & chopped bell pepper. Season with salt & pepper. Add spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. Have noodles cooking at the same time as the meat. Set both the browned meat mixture & cooked noodles aside. Let cool completely if you are putting this dish together in the morning for dinner at night. Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese & sour cream. Mix until creamy. In a large baking dish, layer noodles on the bottom, spread cheese mixture over noodles, then pour meat sauce over the cheese mixture.

If you are refrigerating for the day be sure to pull dish out a half hour prior to putting it in the oven. Otherwise, Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy with steamed vegetables or a green salad, rolls or french bread.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am very well taken care of. My husband, of more than 15 years, is the cook in the family. He also does the grocery shopping. I am so blessed. The only time I really enjoy being in the kitchen is when I am baking or working on summer side dishes.

Each year, for the past nine, my husband's job as bakery manager has required him to be at work for 12 to 16 hours a day for the week prior to Thanksgiving and Christmas. About three days before that week begins my two growing boys, 13 & 9, look at each other and then ask, "What are we gonna have for dinners this week?" For the record, we have never had to go
hungry. But, they know I struggle these weeks. What to have, how to have it and what to have with it?

The Italian Curly Noodle recipe above saves the day. I enjoy making it because it doesn't require a lot of time or effort and is always satisfying. I hope your family will enjoy it as much as mine does.