Cheeseburger Casserole and more

I always said I wouldn't do it, but I did.

This morning we adopted a dog. Her name is Zoey and she is a Puggle (part Put, part Beagle). She is about 10-12 months old and an absolute sweetheart! Right now, she is snoozing on the floor, completely worn out after a day of exploring her new house, meeting her human grandparents, brother, and sisters, as well as 2 fur-brothers (2 cats). I think she is going to fit right in!

Anyway, since we were busy with our new fur-baby, I needed an easy dinner. I decided on a new recipe for Cheeseburger Casserole. According to the blog where I found it, the recipe is originally from Bobby Dean's cookbook. Bobby is Paula Dean's son.

The only change I made was that I used a whole 16oz box of rotini. It worked out pretty well. If you don't care for dijon mustard, regular should work just fine. It was quite delicious and earned a 4 out of 5 thumbs up!

Blog Post

Cheeseburger Casserole

Servings: 9 • Size: about 1 cup • Old Points: 6 • Weight Watchers Points+: 7
Calories: 261 • Fat: 9 g • Protein: 21.5 g • Carb: 21.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 468.5 mg

Ingredients

• 2 cups (6 oz) uncooked rotini pasta (use brown rice pasta for GF)
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 lb lean ground beef (95% lean)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 cups reduced fat grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the beef and cook until browned; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes and mustard. Let the mixture bubble gently until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared dish. Top with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve. Makes about 9 cups.