Preacher’s Macaroni Casserole

  So, after a busy ‘bloggy’ weekend, I was more than ready to ‘unplug’ and enjoy a family day on Sunday!  We spent the day outside except for during a couple of rain showers where I caught up on chores 🙂

1 lb ground beef
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 large onions, finely diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp lawry’s seasoning salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
8 oz macaroni noodles, cooked until al dente and drained
Shredded cheese (we like a combination of sharp cheddar and mozzarella)
Directions
Brown the ground beef with the finely diced onions and celery, drain.  Add the cream of mushroom, tomato soup, water, chili powder, lawry’s, garlic powder and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  While the sauce is simmering, boil the noodles, until 2 minute less than the lowest cook time on the box, remember you will bake this dish and the noodles will continue cooking.  After the sauce has cooked for 20 minutes and  you have drained the noodles, combine everything in a pam sprayed 13×9 pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and stir, sprinkle with cheese and put back in oven for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melting and casserole is bubbly.
To make one, freeze one: Split the casserole into 2 (9×9) pans and bake one the same way as the instructions above, the other, cover and allow to cool completely, then place it in the freezer.  Do not cover it with cheese yet.  When you are ready to bake it:  The night before remove the casserole from the freezer and put it in the refrigerator to thaw over night.  The next day, bake the casserole, covered, for 20 minutes.  Remove cover and stir, top with shredded cheese and bake for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.