Baked Mexican Penne

"What's for dinner?"  A question most cooks hate on a week-day after a long day at work.

  Although I no  longer work, I still dread this question.

Yesterday, I tried this recipe and it was a hit.  The fact that I used up a lot of odds and ends because I was going shopping today did not affect the outcome.  For example, instead of 2 jars of salsa I used the ends of a jar of salsa, spaghetti sauce, masala sauce and added a can of stewed tomatoes to round it all off.  I love it when I can substitute!  I also added some frozen corn just because I thought it would taste good.

Ingredients

1/2 package of penne

1 lb lean ground beef

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic. minced

1 large bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

2 16 oz. jars salsa

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar or monterey cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Directions

Bring pot of water to boil for pasta, cook according to directions.

In a large heated non stick skillet, add oil, garlic, peppers and onions.  Saute until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add ground beef and brown.  Add spices, salt and pepper.  Drain and add to a large bowl with black beams, salsa and pasta.  Toss to combine.

Pour half of pasta mixture into casserole dish.  Spread 1 cup shredded cheese over pasta.  Add rest of pasta over cheese and top with remaining cheese.  Place in oven and cook for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden.