This More Casserole is an easy one-pot pasta dish prepared in a cast iron skillet, the same pot it's baked in. It's topped with lots of cheese and cooked in the oven until hot and bubbly. You'll like this family-pleasing dish with easy cleanup!
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One day, I realized I wasn't doing my children any favors by repeatedly serving them macaroni and cheese. When they were very young, mac and cheese would satisfy them any time of day. That is, until they started developing an appetite for something meatier or anything besides mac and cheese and cheese and mac! Are any other mothers out there like me?
Then came More Casserole into my life. It has evolved over time from the original recipe, but it's still "more" satisfying with every bite. It's beefy, cheesy, and has lots of pasta love going on.
At first discovery, I wasn't sure about the creamed corn mixed in with the spaghetti and marinara-like sauce. But nevertheless, I decided to give it a try and was pleased with the sweet taste and texture of the corn.
This More Casserole soon became a family favorite, and recently I've discovered how convenient preparing and baking it in the same cast-iron skillet is. But any type of baking skillet will do!
Cooking a dish in a single pot isn't anything new. Everything from gumbo to chile and stew has the convenience of a one-pot cleanup.
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Tips for cast iron skillet cooking
You can grab a 12-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe. It's an oldy-but-goody. They have a long history of durability and keep a high temperature evenly distributed while cooking. Cast iron goes way back to open-hearth and open-fire cooking when a sturdy and dependable pot was of great value.
Their high appreciation today is the same, plus we now know of their health benefits for adding iron to our diet as foods cook in them. Other advantages are their affordability, and I like how they move from stove-top to oven like nobody's business!
Seasoning the cast iron pot is preparing it for non-stick surface cooking and keeps it rust-free. It means coating the pan with vegetable oil and placing it in a hot oven to form a non-stick surface.
This is why you should use extra care in cleaning it. Usually, a pass with a clean towel is sufficient, like for cornbread and such. You'll want to use some warm soapy water when making dishes like this one. Then dry it thoroughly and rub the inside with a little vegetable oil before storing it away.
What ingredients go into the more Casserole?
- spaghetti - cooked according to package directions
- ground beef - chuck gives the best results
- ground sweet Italian sausage - or use more ground beef in its place
- onion - chopped, yellow or white
- garlic - pressed or minced
- Italian seasoning - a dried seasoning of minced herbs
- salt - sea salt or regular
- black pepper - freshly ground is best
- tomato sauce - just enough to make a rich sauce
- cream-style corn - adds a bit of sweetness and creamy texture
- cheddar cheese - grated, medium to sharp cheddar for the best taste
How to make the more casserole?
Putting this Casserole together is super easy. After the spaghetti is cooked, brown the ground meat in the skillet and cook the onions and garlic in the browned meat.
Add the seasonings, tomato sauce, and cream-style corn, stirring to mix well, then simmer until bubbly. The creamed corn helps to thicken the sauce.
Stir in the spaghetti and top with the cheese. Bake in the same pan until the contents are bubbling.
More Cheesy Pasta Dishes For You
The recipe
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More Casserole, Cast Iron One-Pot Meal
An easy to prepare one-pot pasta meal in a cast iron skillet made with spaghetti, a marinara sauce, and creamed corn then topped with lots of cheese before it's baked in the oven until hot and bubbly. You won't mind when they ask for more of this easy clean-up and satisfyingly delicious More Casserole!
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
- 8 ounces ground meat
- 8 ounces ground sweet Italian sausage
- ¾ cup onion, chopped (or ½ large onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 15-ounce can cream-style corn
- 8 ounces or 2 cups medium cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown ground meats in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium heat, drain if needed.
- Add onion to meat and cook until they are transparent (about 5 minutes), then add garlic and cook another minute.
- Add seasonings, tomato sauce, and corn stirring to mix well, then cook until bubbly.
- Stir in the spaghetti thoroughly.
- Top with cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.
Notes
- One whole pound of ground beef may be substituted for the ½ pound of sausage, ½ pound of ground beef mixture.
- Break spaghetti in half before boiling for easier mixing with sauce before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¾ cup
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What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.
A. W. Tozer
Janice Ware
My daughters and grandsons always come for Sunday lunch after church. I’m always looking for something different to cook. I do believe this will be our lunch this Sunday... along with purple hull peas from the freezer, a salad and garlic bread. I’ll let you know how it goes!!
(The grandsons won’t touch salad, but love purple hull peas.)
Louisiana Woman
Sounds yummy! Looking forward to hearing from you. ?