Tagliarini Casserole

What to serve the rock band before their show? I admit, this was a first for me. Our friend and brilliant musician, Ryan Richter, called from Seattle to tell us we absolutey HAD to see Dawes perform when they played at the BellyUp, walking distance from our house in Solana Beach. Casey took it one step further and invited them (and their girlfriends) to dinner! Yikes!  Luckily, we had been sent this hearty casserole recipe that serves a crowd. Taylor Goldsmith, the lead singer, told us they would be the last to take the stage at 11:00 (Sunday night!) and I asked him not to save all the best songs for the finale….Little did I know that it would be such a terrific show that  we would be there for the encore at 1:00 a.m.

Linda Erlandson remembers this favorite meal from her childhood…”This recipe brings me back to my familys dinner table when I was young.  Everytime I prepare it, I think back to my Mom’s making it, the small kitchen, my siblings together, us devouring it, and always wondering what the special occasion was. Life was so carefree.”

Tagliarini Casserole

3 lbs. lean ground beef

2 tsp. Adobo seasoning or seasoned salt * see note

1/2 chopped onion

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 tsp. mild chili powder

1/2 cup beef broth

1 26 0z. jar spaghetti sauce

2 (14 0z) cans creamed corn

1 (3 1/2 oz) can sliced black olives, drained ( I used 1/2 cup kalamata olives)

1 lb. medium egg noodles ( tagliarini, fettucini etc.)

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a large Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook the ground beef along with the onions, stirring , until meat loses its pink color.  Add the chopped garlic towards the end.  Drain off the fat.  Stir in the Adobo, pepper, Italian seasoning, and chili powder.  Add broth, spaghetti sauce, creamed corn and olives.  Simmer mixture on low heat for about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until just al dente and drain. (Don’t overcook)

Combine meat mixture with cooked noodles and pour into an extra large casserole dish (4 quart 10″x14″). Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese over the top.  Return to the oven for an additonal 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

This dish serves A LOT! It is very tasty and would be perfect to feed a team or some such hungry group.

Note: In the Mexican section of the grocery store you will find a can of chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce. That is where I got the 2 tsp of sauce for this recipe.  It is sweet, smoky and a bit spicy and adds real depth of flavor. The can will keep in your refrigerator for quite a while, and a small amount will kick up the flavor of soups and Mexican style dishes.