New Year - Fresh Start Menu #3

This week of January has been incredibly busy. In addition to an incredibly full week, we have really felt winter embrace us this week. This morning, we were greeted with a -19 degree windchill. We have been using these frigid temperatures as an excuse to enjoy lots of hot tea and hot cocoa at our house.

My husband has been soaking up some much warmer weather in Vegas (for work, lucky guy) and the boys and I are enjoying a week of simple and delicious "comfort food" meals. Here is what is on our plate for this week:

Meal #1: Ultimate Comfort Food!

Savory Chicken and Noodles

Cuties (the little mini oranges)

Garden Salad

Meal #2: Soups on!

Hearty Beef and Barley Vegetable Stew

French loaf

Blackberry Cobbler

Meal #3: Done in 15 Minutes!

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Green beans

Cottage cheese

Meal #4: Freezer Pleaser Meal!

Chicken Stroganoff

Egg Noodles

Sweet corn

Stay warm - and enjoy whatever is on your plate this week.

Comfort Food: Mazetti

I grew up on a farm and my Mother relied on hearty, filling recipes. One of the meals that frequently was served at our table, was Mazetti. This flavorful pasta meat dish was found in a (very old) Billie Oakley cookbook that my Mother got when she was first married. [She is very well aware how *badly* I want said cookbook, as so very many of my childhood favorite meals are in it - and I have never been able to find this wonderful cookbook anywhere!] The recipes I have hand-written from this cookbook are in my treasured wooden recipe box - and I honestly think that they are some of the best recipes in the entire world. Yep - there I said it. Billie Oakley knew her stuff when it came to the kitchen!

This is a perfect recipe to finely dice vegetables into to serve to children ... I do this frequently! However, the way I will share it today is in the original, Billie Oakley version. I hope that your family enjoys this as much as our family does.

Mazetti

from The Billie Oakley cookbook

1/4 cup butter (I use two Tablespoons... be wise, reduce the amount of butter!)

3/4 cup celery, diced

3/4 cup onion, diced

1 pound ground beef

3/4 pound ground pork sausage

2 cups tomato soup

1 (small) can mushrooms, undrained (it is important to use canned mushrooms to get that liquid)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups dry spaghetti, cut

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (Mother used the powdered stuff, I use the grated stuff - I detect no difference!)

Cook spaghetti. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the celery and onion and saute until it is tender.

Add meats to the pan and cook until no longer pink. Drain VERY well (or your casserole will be greasy). Stir in soup, mushrooms (and liquid), and seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir until well incorporated.

Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan. . Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!