Marian's Spaghetti Casserole

This is the only casserole my husband likes. I got the recipe from his mother then started to tinker with it. It's a Depression-Era recipe and Marian noted that one could dot with butter if one didn't have cheese. Marian's "measurements" were pretty vague. Over time, mine have become vague, too! This is a very flexible and tolerant recipe, so feel free to add, subtract, and adjust according to your tastes. You can prepare this ahead of time and bake it the day you plan to serve it. It also makes terrific leftovers. I like to serve this with broccoli and garlic bread. I miss Marian and I'm glad I can remember her with this recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  lb spaghetti, very thin or angel hair
• 1  lb lean ground beef or 1  lb ground turkey or 1  lb  soy crumbles
• 1  tablespoon  oil
• 1  green peppers or 1  red peppers or 1  orange bell pepper, chopped
• 2  large onions, chopped
• 8  ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 3  garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes
• 10  ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

Directions

1. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions, then rinse under cold water.
2. In large skillet, brown meat (if using meat replacement you can add it later).
3. Add pepper, onions, mushrooms, and garlic to skillet. Saute until onions are transparent.
4. Slice tomatoes and add them to skillet. Don't be tempted to use canned diced tomatoes; they just don't stand up as well to baking and leftovers in this recipe. Reserve the liquid.
5. Spray large casserole dish with oil spray.
6. Place one-third of spaghetti in bottom of dish. Top with one-third of meat-veggie mixture and one-third of sharp cheese.
7. Repeat layers twice.
8. Pour reserved canned-tomatoes liquid over last layer.
9. Bake in 350 F oven until bubbly, usually about an hour, but longer if you've assembled the casserole and refrigerated it before baking.