New Recipe Night: Momma's Hamburger Casserole

This recipe is a meal I grew up on. One that takes me right back to my dining room table at home. It is most definitely a comfort food for me. It's my mom's recipe. She must've gotten tired of having to relay over the phone every time I wanted to make certain recipes that I remembered and loved. She gathered up my favorite, most requested recipes and gave me a stack of index cards. There's no way I'm ever parting with them. And yep, you guessed it....I'm going to spend the next month cooking my way through her index cards.

I'm a self-proclaimed leftover addict. I've been known to daydream about certain leftovers sitting in my fridge all day while I'm working. I've even been known to make a special trip way out of my way during my workday to come home for lunch to polish off some leftovers. Why do I love this recipe so much? Not only is it one of my most favorite meals to eat hot out of the oven, but it just so happens to be my most favorite leftover meal. Well, that is when there is any to save. This is precisely why I made an executive decision to DOUBLE the recipe I made tonight. If my calculations are correct then I will eating this for quite some time. Of course I do have leftover standards. Two days old and you're tossed. Sorry casserole, guess we'll just have to be quick and eat you up as fast as possible.

Ingredients:

* 1 lb lean ground beef

* 1 package extra wide egg noddles (uncooked)

* 1 can diced tomatoes

* 1/4 cup onion

* 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

* 3 tsp chili powder

* 1 tsp salt

* 1 pkg frozen mixed veggies

* 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients (except cheese) in a large bowl.

2) Pour into a 2 qt casserole dish and cover with foil or lid

3) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, remove cover and sprinkle cheese on top, continue cooking for 30 minutes

If we are talking about ease then it doesn't get much easiser than this. Throw some yummy stuff in a bowl and let the smell overtake your home until you are literally drooling. The combo of the chili powder with the tomatoes and Worcestershire is just plain ridiculous. I love this recipe because I can pretend that we are getting a well balanced meal...we've got our veggies, our "bread", our dairy and our protein. Hehe. Let's not talk about calories, mkay? I now have enough casserole to serve an entire football team. Come join me for leftovers!!! Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!