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Meet Noreen!

Hi!  I'm Noreen, wife, mother of two amazing, almost grown, daughters, content creator, cook, baker and sister in Christ. Welcome to my Kitchen!   I hope you stick around, enjoy the recipes and share them with those you love!

Noreen's Kitchen

Pepperoni Rigatoni

Pasta Bake

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sliced Crimini mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
6 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
6 to 8 ounces thin sliced pepperoni
1 pound Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
6 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder 1 pound box rigatoni pasta, cooked

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS​​​​

Preheat oven to 350

Brown ground beef and ground pork until cooked.  Be sure to break the meat up so it is fine and not too chunky.

Add onions, garlic, mushrooms salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and continue to cook until the mushrooms have softened.

Add sauce to the meat mixture and stir well.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Prepare the cheese mixture by combining ricotta, eggs, dried basil, onion powder, garlic powder and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan.  Stir well.  Set aside.

Cook pasta a couple of minutes underdone.  This will finish cooking in the oven.
 
Remove 2 cups of meat sauce from the pan and allow it to cool slightly while the pasta cooks.

Drain pasta and allow to sit in the colander while you build the casseroles.

Using the pot the pasta was cooked in, combine the cheese mixture and the reserved 2 cups of meat sauce.  Stir well.

Add pasta and stir to coat.

Add the sliced pepperoni and stir to combine.

Divide the pasta mixture between two 9 x 13 deep foil pans.

Top each pan of pasta with half of the meat sauce and then with half of the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Cover each pan with a piece of parchment paper and the cover tightly with aluminum foil.  If you are going to freeze one, be sure to include the cooking instructions on the top of the foil.  I like to write mine with a sharpie before I cover the pan.    Place the casserole to be frozen inside a large 2 gallon zip top bag.  Set this on a baking sheet and freeze until solid.  Then you can place in your deep freeze or another section of your freezer for later use.

To bake freshly prepared casserole, place on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes until bubbly.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

To bake the frozen casserole, remove from plastic bag, place on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 60 to 75 minutes until bubbly.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Freezer banking is an excellent way to stretch your dollars and your time.  It helps you to use what is on sale seasonally and eat at today's price tomorrow! 
​ENJOY!

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