Six years ago when I was pregnant with my second child, I was introduced to a group of women online who were due around the same timeframe that I was. To this day, these women and I often still communicate and bond over the joys, frustrations and heartaches that can come with parenting. We often will share quick and easy dinner ideas with one another, as well.
We all know how busy Mom's can be. Whether you work out of the home, work at home or stay at home... Mom's sure do have their hands full! At least I know I do.
One of the last things on my mind during the week is spending copious amounts of time in the kitchen whipping up some lavish meal. No, no, honey. I do quite the opposite. If the meal is a casserole or can just be thrown in the slow cooker all day, it is a meal that owns my heart and is welcome in my home.
One of the Mom's in my "online Mommy group" introduced me to Two Timin' Pasta a few years ago. The recipe is quite simple, and for awhile it was a staple in my home until we eventually all grew bored of it.
If it weren't for my pregnancy cravings recently, I probably would have written the recipe of entirely. However, there was this one day a few weeks ago that I was in the mood for a pasta that was infused with bacon, Alfredo sauce, tomato sauce and covered in ooey, gooey cheesy goodness. That's right -- I decided to take the Two Timin' Pasta to a whole other level and the outcome was amazing!
This casserole is the perfect weeknight meal that is sure to be a hit with the whole family!
Ingredients
10-15 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
1 box (500g) of Gemelli Pasta or Rotini
675ml bottle of pasta sauce (I used Ragu with Mushrooms Sauce)
15oz bottle Alfredo Sauce (I used Newman's Own Alfredo)
1 yellow sweet bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 package of fresh sliced mushrooms (approx 2-3 cups)
2 tbsp Zesty Italian Dressing
3 tsp Club House Garlic Powder Plus (You can substitute with 1 tsp onion powder and 2 tsp dehydrated garlic flakes)
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp Club House Italiano Seasoning (You can substitute with Italian Seasoning or omit this seasoning altogether if desired)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
2 cups shredded Old Cheddar Cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook your pasta until al dente. Drain and return pasta to the pot.
While you are cooking your pasta, you can quickly saute your onion, garlic, peppers and mushrooms for 2-5 minutes until they have reached your desired consistency.
Add Alfredo sauce, pasta sauce, veggies, bacon and spices to the pot of pasta. Stir to coat well.
Transfer pasta to a 9x13 casserole dish. I like to add a layer of pasta followed by approximately 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. I will repeat the layers 3 to 4 times, preserving at least 1.5 cups of cheese to top the final layer of pasta with before transferring the casserole to the oven.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
If you love casseroles, you will also love this Cheese Tortellini Enchilada Casserole.
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