Christmas Spaghetti Pie

One Christmas, like so many unfortunately, we were extremely pressed for money and still hadn't bought presents for the extended family. I went waaaay out on limb with this one and it was by far the most welcomed gift of the season to many - not to mention a whole lot of fun to put together and deliver. I went to the grocery store and got a bunch of free cardboard boxes (the best are the boxes that the egg cartons come in because they have handles) and I went to the dollar store to get some towels to place inside of the boxes. My kids "wrapped" the outside of the boxes in wrapping paper and I placed the spaghetti pie (cooked in disposable pie plates) on top of the towels, to keep warm, inside the boxes along with some garlic bread, a bottle of inexpensive wine, some brownies and a hand picked $5 dvd from walmart. We then delivered the piping hot packages a few days after the holidays when everyone needed a break from cooking and entertaining. It was so much fun and so well received that I can't believe I haven't done it every year since...

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 6  ounces spaghetti
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄3 cup parmesan cheese
• 2  eggs, beaten
• 1  cup ricotta cheese
• 1⁄2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1⁄2 lb ground beef
• 1⁄2 lb Italian sausage
• 1⁄2 cup onion, chopped
• 8  ounces tomatoes, cut up and undrained
• 6  ounces tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  garlic salt

Directions

1. Brown and drain the ground beef and sausage. Saute onion until tender and add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt. Combine the meat mixture and the tomato mixture, set aside.
2. Cook spaghetti and combine with butter, parmesan cheese and eggs.
3. Press mix into a 10 inch buttered pie plate making sure it goes up the sides of the plate making a sort of "pie crust".
4. Spread ricotta cheese over the spaghetti and fill with the meat mixture.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with mozzerella and bake an additional 15 minutes.