This recipe, a finalist in the 2008 Hotdish Challenge sponsored by the St. Paul Winter Carnival, was submitted by Maria Zenk of Danube, Minn.
1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom pieces
Salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds angel-hair pasta, broken into pieces and cooked al dente
10 slices bacon, fried and broken into bite-sized pieces
2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed under cool running water
1 bottle pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
1/2 pound of cubed American cheese
2 cans tomato soup
1 can water
To prepare oven and baking dish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 8-cup-capacity, oven-safe glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Set aside.
To assemble: Brown ground beef and diced onion. Add drained mushrooms. Heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, bacon, peas, olives and cheese. Fold in ground beef mixture. Mix together soup and water. Stir into pasta mixture.
To bake: Place mixture into prepared casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or bubbly and crusty on top.
Copyright 2009 Pioneer Press.
