Recipe: Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie

Yesterday, I fell down the rabbit hole while blog hopping, with one link leading to another, and another, and another.  I eventually discovered this recipe for Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie, which ended up becoming tonight’s dinner.  I was craving red meat (though what I really want is a juicy, mostly red steak), and the kids will eat most anything pasta-related, so figured this would combine everyone’s needs in a quick and easy dinner.  Using mostly pantry ingredients, and less than 30 minutes from start to finish, it’s a hearty, stick to your ribs kind of dinner that should please all the picky eaters around your table.  Nick ate most of his, after I convinced him that the mushrooms I added were not, in fact, oysters.  Madeline ate a few bites and concentrated on making a spaghetti pie sandwich with her garlic bread.

Tomorrow?  The reboot of Eat. Live. Be.

Thursday?  Make-up stuffs.

Friday?  The buttery product review, along with the retooling of an old favorite recipe.

If you need an inexpensive gift for your favorite photographer, you can check out my suggestion on my photography web site, right here.

Sometime soon, I’ll be sneaking in a gift round-up, courtesy of Etsy too.  Shooting for Saturday, so stay tuned.

December 6, 2011 – Bonus Photos

The kids have been making me snacks before dinner. That was Nick’s recent presentation for me. Beautiful plating, no?

This was Madeline’s. The first concoction was cheese, overly ripe just-good-for-baking-and-pancakes bananas, and water, which I couldn’t even muster a polite bite of. This second one was slightly more palatable. Water, chocolate, marshmallows, strawberries, and lots of l-o-v-e.

She politely packed it up for her grandmother and Mystic to try.

Hard to resist an inedible dessert when the sous chef is this cute. Especially when she appears to have sampled it herself first. Oh those cheekbones.

She then switched tactics and made these little dessert shots. Sugar high? What sugar high?
Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie
Recipe courtesy of Sugar Pie Farmhouse

1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage, 4 links (sweet or hot) casings removed
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 cups water
8 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pieces
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (I used light cream)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Saute green onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil, on medium heat 5 minutes.  Add beef and sausage, brown over medium-hi heat.  While almost brown, add garlic, pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley.  Once browned, stir in crushed tomatoes, water and salt.  Add broken spaghetti. Push spaghetti into liquid, and cover for 8 minutes.  After 8 minutes, stir pasta so the noodles won’t stick together. Reduce heat to medium low simmer for 6 more minutes until pasta is al dente (almost cooked but still a little firm).  Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and cream, stir well.  Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese, put in oven to broil until spotty brown. (stand there and keep watch or set a timer for 3 minutes at a time until it’s ready, or else you may end up with Blackened Hillbilly Spaghetti Pie!)