NOT Your Mother's Spaghetti ;D

HELLO OUT THERE IN THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BLOG!!!

I have been on hiatus since FEBRUARY 19th!!! It was a fabulous break with A LOT of changes and bundles of fun! However, I am BEYOND thrilled to be back and this time...I WILL BE UPLOADING AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK!!! Yes ladies and gentlemen I am vowing to you, my loyal followers, to be 120% better at keeping to my blog =). NEW recipes, NEW crafts, NEW tips and helpful tidbits and much, MUCH MORE!!! Now let's begin shall we...

Back in my tenth grade year of high school, I had a horrible time with pass out spells. Not to worry lovelys, they're COMPLETELY under control now, WITH OUT any prescriptions to assist! THANK YOU LORD!!! 

During these spells I was stuck at home A LOT, while I wasn't going to my many doctors that is, so Nanny and Daddy stayed on top of finding new things to make this time easier. One of these assistants was baked spaghetti ... AND. I. LOVED. IT!!! But I didn't really ... OKAY FINE so I NEVER cooked when I lived at home. Yes it's true Nanny, Daddy and on the occasion even Pawpaw cooked all my meals for me. I know some of you are probably saying, "WOW what a spoiled little brat!" Right?! I consider it being very, VERY blessed! Thousands of children and even quite a few adults would kill to have that kind of love in their lives but, we will get to that story another time =)

Though I didn't cook much living at home, I was VERY well taught. Daddy being a single father taught and still teaches me all he knows. Nanny being a southern woman through and through, as well as having family and friends of the same up bringing, you can only BEGIN to imagine the teachings I get from that woman.

I've always loved baking and cooking, to me they're a form of arts and crafts, I love to take NOTHING and make it into something AMAZING!!! And that's what I started practicing when I moved to Jacksonville with my now husband of almost THREE YEARS!!!

 Little by little, trial and error I've tweaked that original recipe Nanny and Daddy started for me, along with dozens more...and now I'd like to share them with you. Try them as is or make your own adjustments, the choice is up to you. 

But before we begin, I do ask that you think about the ramblings you've just read, brew on them. Find that person or persons that inspired you to start doing something you love and continue doing whatever that something is and do it in their honor...and watch how much more you fall in love with that passion because of that connection you just discovered. 

NOT YOUR MOTHER'S SPAGHETTI

When you normally think of spaghetti most people will think...Boil Noodles, Drain Noodles, Brown Meat, Add Sauce, Mix Together or Pour Over Noodles...BLAH BLAH BLAH!!! STOP IT!!! This is NOT your mother's spaghetti! It's time for a reboot!!!

Ingredients/Materials:

- 1 lb. ground chuck

- 24 oz. Can of any random pasta sauce

(YES ANYTHING!!! I buy the cheapest one I can find...just try me!)

- Pepper, Salt, Garlic Salt, Cayenne, Oregano, Italian Season, Roasted Garlic & Bell Pepper(McCormick's on that last one)

- A small package of Angel Hair or Thin Spaghetti 

- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

- 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

- Vegetable Oil

- Cooking Spray

- 9x9 Cookware( I prefer glass)

- Garlic Bread (as if you'd forget)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Start your water for noodles and start browning your meat. I brown mine in a boiler so I can add sauce and seasonings right in instead of dirtying extra dishes.

***Give your water time to start boiling BEFORE adding your noodles***

***Add Vegetable Oil and Salt to Water, Stir, THEN Add Noodles***

Go ahead and get your seasonings ready...

1 tsp. Cayenne, 1 tsp. R.G.&.B.P., 1 tsp. Italian, 1 tsp. Oregano, 1 tsp. Garlic Powder and Salt and Pepper to Taste.

***THIS is why the cheap sauce is just perfect!***

You don't have to stress on whether or not your meat is perfectly browned because the oven will take care of any little under cooked spots.

Add your sauce and bring to a slight boil.

This part is optional but is a HUGE time saver. You'll see that your sauce somewhat favors chili, in a way. What makes chili AMAZING!? TIME!!! The longer it cooks the BETTER IT IS!!! But this is a "Under An Hour Meal" SO, I add a couple Tbs. of flour to thicken the sauce a bit quicker. It gives it the thickness you need but also a little bit of a "cooked for awhile" taste.

 At this point, all your prep work is complete. Spray your 9x9 glassware thoroughly and add a handful or both cheeses evenly in the pan.

Use a spaghetti ladle to take your first layer of noodles STRAIGHT FROM THE WATER TO THE PAN!

***DO NOT DRAIN AND RINSE YOUR NOODLES YOU'RE TAKING AWAY THE STARCHES THAT HELP THE SAUCE AND CHEESE STICK TO THEM AS WELL AS THE OILS THAT KEEP THEM FROM CLUMPING INTO A LARGE MOUND!!! UNLESS THE RECIPE STATES TO DRAIN AND RINSE PLEASE ADHERE TO THIS ADVICE!!!***

Top your first layer of noodles with another handful of each cheese.

Pour all of the sauce over your first layer of noodles and cheeses.

Ladle the rest of the noodles on top of the sauce and cover with the rest of the remaining cheeses. (This is where I forgot to get a picture BUT we all can imagine a pretty pile of cheeses on the picture below.)

Now place in the oven and set a timer for 25 minutes.

*** Bonus Side Note: While your hands are still greasy from assembly, go ahead and put your toast on a pan. Put the pan in the freezer until time to bake. This step gives you the still frozen toast you need for it to cook properly but ALSO allows you to wash your hands one less time! Yay for a little less drying out of your hands lol! ***

TADA!!! Ahh that beautiful, crunchy, cheesy crust!!!!

While this beauty is cooling bake your bread(Don't forget to flip it!)

ENJOY!!!