Baked Spaghetti (Cheesy & Spicy)

I know there are a lot of Baked Spaghetti recipes on Zaar, but this is one my sister and I came up with for our group study, and it was so good, I wanted to keep the recipe here. It makes a lot, but freezes well. You can also make it the night before and just pop it in the oven the next night.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1  lb lean ground beef (browned)
• 1  cup onion
• 1⁄2 cup  sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 4 -6  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 2 (10 ounce) cans rotel (If you like it spicer, use 3 cans of Rotel and leave out the diced tomatoes. That is what I did when)
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 8  ounces  sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 12  ounces  cooked and drained spaghetti
• 2  cups  shredded  Mexican blend cheese (Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla & Asadero cheese combination)
• 2  cups  shredded cheddar cheese
• 1  cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 (10 3/4ounce) cans  cream of mushroom soup
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
•  paprika

Directions

1. Saute onion, peppers and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat until tender.
2. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, hamburger meat, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Place 1/2 of the spaghetti in a greased 13x9x3 inch dish.
4. Top with half the meat sauce mixture.
5. Sprinkle with 2 cups of Fiesta Blend Cheese.
6. Repeat layers.
7. After second layer of cheddar cheese, sprinkle all the parmesan cheese on top.
8. Mix soup with water and pour over casserole. I used my finger to spread evenly so not to disturbe the cheese.
9. Sprinkle with paprika to garnish.
10. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
11. NOTE: I believe because of all the cheese in this recipe, there is extra liquid/water after the spaghetti is cut and allowed to sit. Don't worry about it. When the remaining dish is stored, just drain off extra liquid. It does not affect the taste of the recipe.