Rigatoni Surprise

Rigatoni Surprise

Serves 6-8.

This is right up The Mr.'s alley. And I like it because it's easy to make-ahead of time, freeze, and throw in the oven on a busy night.

Adapted From: AllRecipes.com

1 lb. ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

2 (14-oz.) cans tomato sauce

2/3 c. chunky salsa

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese

1/3 c. heavy cream

1/3 c. sour cream

Bring to a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil; stir in rigatoni and cook at a boil according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef, garlic, onion, and bell pepper in a large pot over medium-high heat until the ground beef has browned and the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Pour in the tomato sauce and salsa; season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking 15 minutes.

Stir in the cheese and cream; cook and stir 3 minutes, then stir in the sour cream until evenly blended. Add the drained pasta and stir until heated through.

A Note From The Little Lady: When preparing this ahead of time, I follow directions above and then place it in a baking dish, top with additional shredded cheese, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook. To complete, I bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. (If frozen, thaw in refrigerator overnight before baking.)