The original recipe called for Cheddar cheese. However since Cheddar doesn’t make much sense and the next recipe in the magazine had Mozzarella cheese in it — which also didn’t make any sense, I assumed the ingredients had gotten mixed up and opted to use Mozzarella.

This is another Ben favorite!

• 8 ounces dried spaghetti
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small Italian pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 4 slices of bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled

Cook spaghetti according to package directions (I recommend the shortest time); drain and set aside.

While spaghetti is cooking, cook ground beef, onion, and pepper in a large skillet, over medium heat. Cook until beef is brown; drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, soup, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Add 4 ounces of the shredded cheese, stirring until melted.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Add cooked spaghetti and bacon to the mixture, tossing to combine. Transfer to a greased 2-quart casserole dish.

Cover casserole with lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered for about 15 more minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Makes 4-6 servings

My boys are big fans of Hamburger Helper so when I found this recipe I decided to give it a try. IMHO it make a bit more than two boxes of HH, plus there’s fewer additive and more nutrition. The Teen insists that it “smells like butt” yet he later gobbled it down. Ben obviously likes it; he ate half of it, himself.

• 1 pound medium size shell macaroni
• 2 packages Sloppy Joe Mix (I use Lawry’s)
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked
• 2 cans (8 ounces, each) tomato sauce
• 2 cans (6 ounces , each) tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 32 ounces cottage cheese
• 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook macaroni according to package directions (minimum time). Drain. Combine seasoning mix with ground beef, tomato sauce, tomato paste and 1 cup of water.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a sprayed 5-6 quart casserole dish (I used my over-sized lasagna dish), layer half the macaroni, half the cottage cheese, and half the meat mixture. Repeat. Top with shredded Cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes or until bubbling.

Makes 8-12 servings