Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Pastitsio Casserole

I won! I won! One of my favorite blogs Crumbs In The Minivan had a book giveaway and I won! Woo-hoo! Please go check out the Crumbs, Mama Crumb is a great writer and her stories are funny and if you are a mom you can totally relate to her.

My first time as Playground Mom on Tuesday was fun, and the kids wasted no time breaking me in - someone poked someone else in the eye with a wood chip. The word the kids used was stabbed, but I think it was more of a poke. Anyway, I immediately summoned the other, more experienced P.M. and she had me bring the boy to the nurse while she tried to figure out who did it and punish them. The kid was fine and returned with me to the playground to fight, I mean play, again.

Today my daughter's kindergarten class led the chapel time and it was so cute! They did an audience participation story about Martin Luther that was hysterical and then they sang a song. I also got to meet another mom whose daughter is friends with my kid - I see a playdate in our future.

Tonight's dinner is an old favorite of ours called Pastitsio. It is supposed to be an Italian version of Shepherd's Pie. I have no idea where I got the recipe, but I have been making this since I was married. It is a great dish to bring to potlucks.

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PASTITSIO

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
4 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. ground beef
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
2 tbsp. parsley
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Part 1: In a large pot, brown ground beef. Drain off fat. Mix in onion powder, garlic powder, tomato paste, beef stock and parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Part 2: Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well, return to pot. Stir in butter, eggs, and parmesan; mix well.
Part 3: Lightly grease a 2 quart serving dish. Spoon half the macaroni mixture in the bottom. Top with all the meat mixture. Spoon remaining noodles over the meat. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.
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Happy eating!

7 comments:

  1. Congratulations again! BTW, make sure you email me your address details so we can send you the book!

    This recipe looks interesting! I make shepherd's pie all the time and we love pasta so it seems a great mix! Can't wait to try it.

    Oh, and great work on the playground. I don't think I'd be cut out to be a PM! I can barely manage the three I've got! LOL!

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  2. It's like Shepherd's Pie, hmmmmmm, I'm having flashbacks! I'm teasing! Actually, I would try this because it reminds me more of a goulash.

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  3. I could not handle the playground Mom job! It is hard enough to deal with my own kids, you get extra credit for doing the job! Dinner sounds great.

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  4. This sounds terrific for a cool Fall day! My family would love it!

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  5. This looks like a great recipe and I have ALL the ingredients already. Woo-hoo.

    Congrats on winning the book!

    xo

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  6. congrats on winning the book! awesome!! how funny with the going ons on the playground; I'm sure you'll have lots of stories to share about it; glad you might have a potential play date for daughter :)

    that pastitsio sounds delicious! I make something a little close to it but without the parmesan cheese; this definitely sounds like somthing to try :)

    betty

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  7. Congrats! That is awesome! The playground sounds like a blast, kids crack me up with their mella-drama :) The casserole sounds delicious! Definitely a must try :)

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