Stuffed Shell Casserole

This weekend my roommate was having some people over, and asked if I could make dinner.  I was of course happy to do so, and tried to think of something that would be fast, easy, make a decent amount and of course be delicious.  I thought of making stuffed shells, but really did not want to take the time to do it.  I then remembered hearing someone talk about stuffed shell casserole, and I knew I had to find the recipe.  This recipe was the perfect dinner for a group it made plenty, it was filling and I didn't spend the whole time in the kitchen AND it tasted like stuff shells, just a lot less work.

Prep time- 30 minutes (boiling the pasta and browning the ground beef)
Cook time- 40 minutes
Servings- There were 5 people over for dinner, everyone had seconds and there were left overs.  I would say it makes about 10-12 cups.
Things I would do different- Next time I may add ricotta cheese, instead of the Philadelphia cooking cream, and see if it makes a difference.
Recipe adapted from: Kraft Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 box of large shell pasta
• 1 24 oz jar of basil and oregano pasta sauce (or your favorite flavor of sauce)
• 1 10 oz tub of Italian Herb Philadelphia Cooking Sauce
• 2 tablespoons of basil
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1.5 cups of Mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook your pasta according to directions
3. While pasta is cooking, add your onion powder and brown your ground beef.
4. Once meat is browned, drain fat and add your pasta sauce.  Let simmer until pasta is cooked.
5. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return back to pot.
6. Add your cooking cream, basil, and Parmesan cheese to your pasta and mix well.
7. In a greased casserole dish pour about 1 cup of your meat mixture to the bottom of the dish 
8. Top sauce with your noodles, and then place the rest of your sauce on top.
9. Top with your mozzarella cheese.
10. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted
12. Enjoy!

Final Product