Cooking Lesson #562: Miss Swander’s Grammar School Casserole

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Ms. Swander was a 2nd grade teacher in my grammar school. She used to invite us to her house for lunch every month. Imagine that happening today!... hey, it was a different time. She always made the same thing—Miss Swander’s Casserole. Kids loved this casserole dish, and our mothers could never seem to master it until she actually posted it the school newspaper.
 
My version probably adds a few more ingredients than the original and has more of an adult profile, but I’ve tried this with my nieces and nephews and they love it as much as I did all the way back in grammar school.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour 10 minutes
Cooling time  15 minutes
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients 
8 ounces shell pasta
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Add the shell pasta and cook until just before al dente, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Drain the pasta and run cold water over the pasta to stop it from cooking further. Drain and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, cook the ground beef and sausage until completely browned and crumbled, 7 to 10 minutes. Mix in the onion, celery, garlic and pepper; continue to cook and stir another 5 minutes. Season with salt and red pepper.
6. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Allow to cool five minutes.
7. Spray a large casserole dish with food release.
8. Spread the pasta shells over the bottom of the dish.
9. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheeses over the pasta.
10. Pour the meat mixture over the pasta and cheese.
11. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
12. Remove the foil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole.
13. Continue baking until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
14. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.

ChefSecret:  I prefer to have this dish sit overnight before baking as the flavors improve and the pasta absorbs some of the sauce so the consistency is just right.

Quip of the Day: “What did the pencil sharpener say to the pencil? Stop going in circles and get to the point!"
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