Back to school is a very busy time for everyone! The kids are exhausted from getting back into a long day of structure and then all the fun after school stuff that starts up and moms and dads are exhausted from trying to keep up with a very busy family. We usually have more time on the weekends to sneak in more cooking. So I like to think about easy casserole recipes that I can double up on and save for later. This Italian Baked Penne is the perfect freezer meal. It takes the same time to make two as it does to make one so….. make two and freeze the second for later! I’ve even bought a throw away 13 x 9 pan so that I don’t have to worry about one of my baking dishes being stuck in the freezer if I needed it for something else. What’s even better than that you ask?
Well, I’ll tell you.
The sauce makes so much that you’ll even have some of that leftover to freeze and have a quick and inexpensive spaghetti night. There are always those nights where I have planned dinner and something comes up or runs late and my plans are out the window! Instead of ordering out or singing through the drive-thru I can grab my spaghetti and have dinner on the table in no time. I love that I made it and I know everything that’s in it.
This came together in 30-40 minutes and then I had two pasta bakes ready for the oven and freezer and 2 cups of pasta sauce ready for the freezer.
Don’t forget to enter the #BacktoSchoolWeek Giveaway!!! There are so many amazing prizes to help make #BacktoSchool more fun.
Ingredients
- 2-27 oz cans of tomato sauce
- 6-8 cloves of garlic diced
- 4 T olive oil
- 2 large onions diced
- 2 T dried oregano
- 2 T dried basil
- 2 t salt
- 2 t pepper
- 1 T garlic powder optional
- 1 T onion powder optional
- 16 oz. sliced mushrooms
- 2 lbs Italian Seasoned ground turkey
- 2 lbs Penne pasta
- 4 c. shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- In a large pot heat olive oil on med heat
- add diced onion and allow to cook for 3-4 min until softened
- add diced garlic and be sure to stir so that it doesn't burn, allow to cook for 1 min
- pour in tomato sauce
- stir in oregano, basil, salt and pepper
- bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer while ground turkey cooks
- place a large pan over med high heat
- add a teaspoon of olive oil (optional) cook ground turkey breaking up as it cooks
- cook until browned and cooked through
- taste pasta sauce add garlic or onion powder to taste
- also check for more salt and pepper and add to taste
- bring water to a boil in a stock pot and cook to package directions
- in 2 13 x 9 dishes add just enough pasta sauce to cover the bottom
- remove 2 cups of sauce and set aside for another night
- split the remaining pasta sauce between the two dishes
- split the pasta and ground turkey between the dishes and toss
- sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese each
- Cover one dish with foil and freeze for later
- pull the frozen dish out the night before and store in the refrigerator to defrost
- preheat the oven to 375 degrees to cook
- cook covered with foil for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through
- remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes allowing cheese to melt
Don’t forget that there is a PinChat for #BacktoSchoolWeek this weekend with some pretty fantastic prizes. Not sure what a PinChat is? Well……
- Go to the #BacktoSchoolWeek pin board on Pinterest here. It will be full of fun Pin graphics with questions about back to school. You can re-pin the questions, answer questions in the comment section of the pins and pin crafts/recipes to the board as answers to questions {only the comments on the question pins count as entries to the PinChatLive giveaway} How fun is that?!? {**Only ONE comment per question pin per person, please. Pinterest views multiple comments from the same person on the same pin to be spam}
- Go to the YouTube video that will be happening during the PinChatLive from 6-7 pm EST Sunday Aug 25th. We’ll be chatting about back to school and doing a play-by-play of the pinning.You’ll be able to see and hear the hosts of #BacktoSchoolWeek and some of the participating bloggers! Comments on the video count as PinChatLive giveaway entries!
- You’ll be able to watch/listen to the YouTube video while you see the PinChat unfold on Pinterest. Cool, right?Â
