My Favorite Pasta Bake For Holiday Potlucks

Is pasta one of your comfort foods? I've been making this pasta bake in many different forms for years. It's great for two people because it lasts a few days. It's also great to take to a holiday party or potluck when you need some main course dishes.

I know I say it all the time, but this is one of my favorite recipes. It's a go-to when we have tons of ground beef in the freezer. It's easy to adapt using whatever you have in the pantry. And it makes enough for a few meals, making it stretch your dollar!

Want to mix things up? Use ground turkey or pork and melt a can of jellied cranberry sauce into the meat while it browns. Play around with a variety of pasta sauces. Try cheese blends to find your favorite combination.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
Italian seasoning
1 box penne pasta
Pinch of salt
1 jar chunky garden pasta sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 bag shredded Mozzarella cheese
 
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Fill a large pot with water and heat to boiling. Add salt and pasta, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes less than the recommended time on the box. Drain.

3. While pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef in a cast iron skillet with Italian seasoning. Drain.

4. After draining the pasta, stir in ground beef, pasta sauce, Parmesan cheese and 1/3 of the Mozzarella cheese.

5. Pour pasta into 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining Mozzarella.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve immediately with salad and bread sticks.

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