Cheesy Ziti Casserole

I remembered when I attended Indiana University in Bloomington,  IN that I ordered a cheesy ziti Casserole from the cafeteria and loved it! I thought of my time when I went there and ate that delicious food that I got in the mood to try and make it. This is my original recipe. I came up with it on my own. I hope you will enjoy this delish meal!

Recipe  Serves 6 to 10

1 lb Ground beef
1/2 c. Onion, chopped
1 8oz. Cream cheese
1 jar (24oz) pasta sauce
2-3 cups  mozzarella cheese (depends on how cheesy you want)
1 box (16oz) of penne or ziti

1/8 tsp. Oregano

1/8 tsp. Parsley

1/8 tsp. Thyme

1/8 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/8 tsp. Basil

Dash of black peppers

First, preheat the oven to 350 degree for aluminum/metal based dish or 325 degrees for glass dish. Boil the pasta as directed on the box until soft. Brown the meat with onion seasoned with black peppers in a pan over low-medium.  Once browned, get the grease out by using a colander or paper towel. Cook pasta sauce and cream cheese in a large saucepan over medium. Add all of the herbs into the sauce. Cook until cream cheese is completely melted. This should have a result of orange cream sauce. If the sauce starts to boil, lower the temperature to avoid boiling.

Second, put the browned meat into the saucepan with the sauce and mix it up.  Put some pasta in a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour some of the sauce into the dish and mix well. Do this gradually until you completely mix the pasta with the sauce completely.  Top with mozzarella cheese.  

Thirdly, cover the dish with aluminum foil or a lid. Bake for about 30 minutes, covered. Remove the lid or aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese melted. Let it cool for a few minutes then serves hot!