Menu for the week....

I haven't gotten to the point where I specify what day we are having what. I just plan for the week and decide the day before or the day of what we'll have for dinner.

• Beef & Mashed Potato Casserole (I made this last night and modified the recipe. I only used 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef and I omitted the onions and green bell peppers due to picky kiddos. It was an 'ok' dinner. Nothing terrible, but nothing extremely tasty that I'm dying to make again. Although, I'm sure I'll make it again.)
• Baked Pasta (see recipe below)
• Chicken & Dumplings (see recipe below)
• Tacos
• Soup and Salad

Baked Pasta

8 ounces of dried pasta
16 ounces of Italian sausage or ground beef 3/4 cup of chopped onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 26 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 and 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (combine the cheeses)
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Fresh chopped parsley to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil water and prepare pasta. While the pasta is cooking, cook sausage, onions, and garlic in a skillet until meat is done and onions are tender. Drain the meat and pasta.

2. In a 3 quart casserole dish, combine the pasta, meat, 1 cup of the cheese mixture, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and parsley. Bake another 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe from: The Lazy Housewife Cooks