Beefy Pasta Casserole

January is already more than half gone!  How time flies - and I know I am quite sure I say something to that effect every week, but it is true.  Emily didn't cook last week, I worked late the night she was supposed to cook, and every day after that seemed to just be busy.  The recipe she chose initially had 2 kinds of dried beans to be soaked and cooked, which I thought would take too long for a weeknight, and I also had a sneaking suspicion she wouldn't like them much, as good as it sounded.  I flipped the page in her new cookbook and suggested this; simple and easy,  It actually tasted very much like an old favourite of mine, Prairie Casserole (emilycooks1015.blogspot.ca/2016/03/prairie-casserole)
She called just before I left the office to see if she could make a cake for dessert too.  There was a mix in the cupboard so I agreed, since I would be home soon enough.
Once I got home I found the oregano in the cupboard (as much to make sure I had some!) and let her begin browning the ground bison with said oregano.  Meanwhile she stirred together 2 cans of tomato soup and a can of water, after arguing with me about whether they needed to be cooked or not.  She was stirring dried fusili into this while I grated cheese for her.  She started stirring the grated cheese into the mixture while talking on the phone before I stopped her & showed her the mozzarella went on top, reminding her to read her recipes several times before starting.  Then I handed her a tub of ricotta to stir in instead.  After  briefly being consoled after she hung up from talking to her dad, who hurt her feelings telling her they couldn't have a daddy/daughter date because he had no money, she added the browned meat.  The whole thing went into the oven for half an hour.

Paranthetical note here.....Non custodial parents, your kids don't need you to spend money on them, they want your time, your attention.  A walk in the park, a game of cards, an ice cream, just you & your kid(s) one on one, no interruptions, no distractions.  Time is so very fleeting.

OK, back to dinner....While the casserole baked Emily set the table, made a salad & frosted her cake with chocolate pudding.  She made the pudding while the cake was baking, a misunderstanding of my pouring pudding over a cooled cake before it sets, after using the handle of a wooden spoon to make several holes in the cake, so the pudding fills the cake.  When the 30 minutes were up Emily topped the casserole with the shredded mozzarella.
Dinner was very good.  I would have cooked the noodles first, or baked the casserole longer, the noodles were not quite cooked enough.  The next day, reheated, though, the pasta was tender.

Beefy Pasta Casserole

1 pound ground beef                             4 cups uncooked rotini or fusili

1 Tablespoon dried oregano                  1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese*

2 cans condensed tomato soup              1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 soup can of water

Cook the beef & oregano over medium high heat until beef is well browned, stirring to separate meat.  Pour off any fat

Stir the soup, water & pasta into a 9x13  shallow baking dish.  Add the beef and ricotta cheese, stir. Cover.

Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.  Let stand 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.

* Ricotta is not inexpensive.  Cottage cheese could be substituted, I like ricotta better, personally.