Little Mama's Pasta Bake

Baked pasta is so yummy, and is a refreshing change from the standard, stove-top spaghetti.  I have tried many different recipes, and discerned what I liked and did not like about each one.  I will list simple ingredients along with ways to make them a little healthier in parentheses.

You will need:

• 1lb cooked pasta, any variety you like, al dente (use whole grain or whole wheat)
• 1 jar of pasta sauce (make your own pasta sauce with this simple recipe)
• 1lb ground beef, browned (use ground chicken or turkey)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (make this simple substitute from A Simple Frugal Life)
• 1/4 milk (use water if you prefer to leave out the milk or can't do dairy)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese, approximately (you can omit the cheese if you like)

Make it:

•  Preheat oven to 350.
• Combine milk (or water) with soup.
• Layer ingredients in a casserole dish or baking pan as follows; sauce, pasta, soup, cheese, pasta ... repeat.  Or, if you prefer ... just mix it all together and dump it in. 
• Bake, covered for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with shredded cheese and parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered, a few minutes more until melted and bubbly.  (I prefer to add the cheese topping at the end so that it doesn't stick to my foil cover.)
• Serve with side of garlic bread and steamed veggies for a delicious meal!