reconnect

Over the summer I reconnected with a dish from my past...Italian Delight.

I didn't realize this but the recipe was actually from my Grandma's stash of recipes.

My mom used to make this and freeze some for a weekday dinner, just popping it into the oven before eating.

Italian Delight : not sure where the original recipe is from

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef (about 450 grams)
• 1/2 cup salad oil (use just enough to brown ground beef)
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 green pepper chopped (optional)
• 1-8 ounce can tomato sauce (about 226 grams)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1-3 ounce can sliced mushrooms (about 80 grams)
• 1-8 ounce pkg spaghetti (about 226 grams)
• 1-12 ounce can whole kernel corn (about 340 grams)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions:

Cook spaghetti according to directions, drain.

Brown ground beef in oil with minced garlic.

Add onions, corn and saute.

Add rest of ingredients, except cheese and spaghetti.

Cook for 10 minutes.

Mix spaghetti in sauce.

Place in 3-quart casserole dish.

Sprinkle with cheese (about a cup).

Bake at 350F (180C) for 40 minutes.

NOTES: My grandma's version uses spaghetti noodles, but my mom's version uses macaroni.

I added my own addition of fresh maitake (hen of woods), eliminating the oil to cook the meat and also eliminated the can of sliced mushrooms and worcestershire (didn't have any).

My supermarket didn't have tomato sauce, so I used a can of crushed tomatoes.

Also, as I was looking for local beef, I ended up getting little amounts of local ground chicken, pork and beef instead.

My oven isn't too big, so I baked everything in a square pyrex dish for the 40 minutes, uncovered.

This was perfect comfort food for the day after that krazy typhoon...