Baked Southwestern Spaghetti

I'm a sucker for anything with a southwestern flair, and I've been thinking about this recipe ever since I first saw it on Blog Chef.  The meal came together pretty quickly since I was able to do most of the prep work as the noodles were cooking. This will definitely be a meal that I make again. The southwestern spices give the beef a nice flavor, and I love the cilantro sprinkled on top.

I haven't tried to freeze it yet, but I would imagine that it would freeze pretty well if you freeze it before baking. I like to make several small individual casserole dishes for this reason (and for portion control.... and I need portion control with this meal!).

Baked Southwestern Spaghetti


Ingredients:
8 ounces spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cilantro, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425-degrees.

In a large bowl (or in the pot you boiled the spaghetti in), combine the drained cooked noodles with milk and egg. Mix well. Spray a 9x13-inch (or several individual) casserole dish, and pour the noodle mixture into the bottom.

In a large skillet brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Drain. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for 2 more minutes.

Spread the meat sauce over the spaghetti noodles. Top with cheese. Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Makes about 6 servings.

Source: Blog Chef