Spaghetti Casserole

1lb spaghetti noodles (I actually use vermicelli)

1 lb ground beef or Morningstar farms “meal starters” tofu crumbles (I swear to you there is no taste difference, it’s fabulous)

1 large jar spaghetti sauce

1 can sliced olives, or a can of small olives sliced

1 2-cup bag of cheddar cheese

1 2 cup bag of mozzarella (OPTIONAL, but I love it)

1 “normal” size canister of grated parmesan cheese.

Cook the noodles to just short of your general desired consistency. They’ll cook a little while baking. While they’re cooking, brown the ground beef, add the sauce, olives, and cheese. If using the tofu, only cook it long enough to defrost it before adding the sauce. Cook it too long, and it will get rubbery, and that’s generally a bad thing. J When the noodles are done, put them in an oven safe bowl or baking pan (and make sure it’s fairly large; this is a lot of food you’re making!) and add in the sauce. Mix well until thoroughly combined, and then cover the top with a thick layer of the parmesan cheese. I generally wind up using the whole canister. Cover the bowl or pan with foil and pop into a 350F oven for about an hour. In the last 5 minutes, you can take off the foil to get a little bit more “crisp” brownness on the cheese, but that’s not necessary.