Spaghetti Pie

My original Spaghetti Pie recipe called for a full pound of ground beef, but now I only use half a pound per pie. I find half a pound to be more than enough. This recipe could also be made with ground turkey, Italian bulk sausage, TVP (texturized vegetable protein), or no meat (or meat substitutes) at all.

SPAGHETTI PIE (from: Frozen Assets)
(6 servings)

• 6 oz. dry spaghetti noodles
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 well-beaten eggs
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 (8-oz.) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes (don’t drain)
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup cheese (your choice: mozzarella, cheddar, American, or Moneterey Jack), shredded

Cook spaghetti noodles. Drain. Stir margarine into hot noodles until melted. Stir in Parmesan cheese and eggs. Form pasta mixture into a crust shape in a buttered 9-inch pie plate. In skillet, cook ground beef and onions until meat is browned. Drain. Stir into ground beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar , oregano and garlic. Heat through. Spread cottage cheese over bottom of spaghetti crust. Top with tomato/meat mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over all. Cover pie pan with foil; label and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes at 350 F. Remove foil and bake for 5 minutes more until cheese is lightly browned.