Minestrone Casserole

 

From Linda Larsen (at About.com)

The flavors of Minestrone in an overnight casserole!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups mafalda pasta
• 1 (10 ounce) can cream of celery soup
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes with basil and oregano, undrained
• 1 (16 ounce) can corn, undrained
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

In heavy skillet, brown ground beef with onion and garlic, stirring to break up meat. Drain well. Stir in remaining ingredients except for Parmesan cheese. Pour into 3 quart casserole, cover tightly, and refrigerate.

When ready to eat, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake casserole, covered, for about 55-60 minutes until hot. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until bubbly. Serves 6

When I made this last time We had everything ready to be cooked and then froze it in two different meals size ziplocs. When ready to eat we simply defrosted and heated up -- we never cooked in the oven.   Plan on doing it the same way this time, including putting a batch in the freezer for later.