Cheeseburger Pasta

We are huge fans of pasta and casseroles at our house. They may not be the healthiest food option, but they are cheap, fast, easy, and make more than one meal. In addition to these advantages, my 3 year old LOVES pasta and casserole, so making them ensures that he eats.

This one is a fast and simple dish. According to the cookbook that I took it out of, it serves 6 to 8. I doubled the sauce and pasta part of the recipe and filled a 9x13 casserole dish, so I am not sure what the book constitutes a serving. Just an FYI.

This casserole is a variation of homemade Hamburger Helper, so even if it is unhealthy, I know that it has a TON less salt then the store bought kind and probably a lot more flavor. This is just my rant. I have actually never bought or used a Hamburger Helper, so I don't really know if it is healthy at all or not. I will just be quiet and post the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground hamburger, or turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 oz dried bow tie pasta (or your favorite of choice)
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1-8 oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup chopped tomato (optional)
pickles (optional)

1) Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and Rinse.
2) While the pasta cooks, brown the meat and onion in a skillet. When done, drain any excess fat. Add the cheese soup, tomato sauce, and mustard to the beef. Mix over heat until the mixture is creamy.
3) Mix together the sauce and the drained pasta and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish.
4) Bake, covered, at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove and top with shredded cheese. Bake an additional 3-5 minutes until cheese melts.
5) Serve, topped with tomato and pickles if desired.

Yum!