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Fiesta Noodle Bake

Source of Recipe

From "The Loving Kitchen" by LeeAnn Rice


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe started out as a simple beef and noodle casserole I was making for a very busy friend and her family. It was kind of bland, so I kept playing with the flavors until I got it right. The addition of chili powder and cream cheese turned an ordinary casserole into something special. Pray about someone you can make it for. There's always someone who would be blessed to receive a warm, cheesy casserole."

List of Ingredients

◦  1½ pounds ground beef
◦  2 cloves garlic, minced
◦  1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
◦  ½ tsp salt
◦  ½ tsp black pepper
◦  1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
◦  1 tsp sugar
◦  Dash of ground cinnamon
◦  2 tsp chili powder (or more to taste)
◦  ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
◦  ¼ tsp dried thyme leaves
◦  1 (11-ounce) package wide egg noodles
◦  1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
◦  1 cup sour cream
◦  1 (10-ounce) box spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
◦  6 green onions, sliced
◦  2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese


Recipe

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it browns. After it is cooked through, drain the fat and then add the garlic, green pepper, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes and then stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the noodles 1 minute less than directed on the package and then drain.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 2-quart shallow casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, spinach, and green onions. Add the warm, drained noodles to the mixture and stir to coat the noodles completely. Add the sauce to the noodle mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to the casserole dish. Cover with the shredded Cheddar cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the cheese has melted.


Makes 6 to 8 servings