Baked Spaghetti and Four Layer Wallpaper

I think I've mentioned this once before but in case you missed it....I do not possess very many skills that come in handy when it comes to remodeling a house.  At least as far as actually doing the work is concerned.  I can pick out cabinets, countertops and paint colors all day long but when it comes to framing a wall or hanging sheetrock...you're better off finding help elsewhere.  It is true that I am not awesome at laying subfloor (ask my husband) but I do love to cook!  And all of our friends and family who have come to help us so much over the last several weeks deserve to at least have a little supper before the work starts.  Plus, everything is a little more fun when food is involved! With that being said...I am excited to share with you all some of the yummy meals that we have been having together recently.    

Last night we had a "wallpaper removing party"!  Doesn't it sound a lot more enjoyable when you call it a party?  Before the fun began we gathered around our "cute" little card table in the dining room and had some Baked Spaghetti.  This is a recipe that my mom and grandmother have been fixing for as long as I can remember but, sadly, I did not learn to appreciate its goodness until I was an adult.  This is not a "traditional" spaghetti dish with a meat sauce but there are lots of yummy veggies and cheese involved! 

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

28oz can diced tomatoes (with liquid)

4oz can mushrooms

12oz spaghetti, cooked

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of mushroom

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender.  Add tomatoes and mushrooms.  Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.  Place 1/2 spaghetti in a greased 9x13inch baking dish.  Top with 1/2 vegetables and sprinkle with 1 cup of cheddar cheese.  Repeat layers.  Mix cream of mushroom soup with water and pour over casserole.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

This is an easy dish to add or subtract ingredients that you love or hate.   The original recipe actually included olives but they're not my favorite so I left them out.  If you're a meat lover you could easily add a pound of browned ground beef to the layers.  I love making recipes fit what my family prefers!

A special thanks to our faithful friends who endured a not-so-glamorous night of peeling off wallpaper that only wanted to come off in tiny strips.  To our kids who adapt to the crazy things we bring them into.  And to the previous home owners who somehow found one wallpaper made up of four layers of material.