Description
Mexican eight-layer casserole delivers hearty comfort packed with zesty flavors and rich ingredients. Generous cheese, savory meats, and bold spices create a satisfying meal you’ll eagerly devour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 cups (452 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 cups (270 g) uncooked rotini pasta
- 15 oz (425 g) tomato sauce
- 14.5 oz (411 g) diced tomatoes with juice
- 6 oz (170 g) tomato paste
- 10 oz (283 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ½ cup (50 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Brown ground beef with onions and garlic in a skillet, draining excess fat, then stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes to develop deep, robust flavors.
- Pasta Cooking: Cook rotini in salted water until perfectly al dente, then drain completely and set aside for layering.
- Cheese Mixture: Blend cottage cheese with beaten egg until smooth and creamy, creating a rich binding layer for the casserole.
- Layering Foundation: Spread half the pasta across the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, followed by an even layer of cottage cheese mixture and half the seasoned meat sauce.
- Cheese Topping: Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese over the meat sauce, then repeat the entire layering process with remaining pasta, cottage cheese mixture, meat sauce, and mozzarella.
- Final Garnish: Distribute fresh spinach leaves across the top, then crown with crumbled bacon and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Baking Process: Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes until the surface turns golden and crispy.
- Resting Phase: Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving, allowing the layers to set and flavors to meld together perfectly.
Notes
- Prevent Watery Texture: Drain pasta and meat thoroughly to avoid excess moisture that can make the casserole soggy.
- Cheese Melting Tip: Use freshly shredded mozzarella for better melting and more even coverage across layers.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Let meat sauce simmer longer than 10 minutes to develop richer, more concentrated taste if time permits.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Assemble casserole up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate, then bake when ready to serve for convenience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking, Boiling, Sautéing, Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 840 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg