Money Saving
If you care about cream cheese pasta bake, this guide gets straight to the point. We break down what actually matters, skip the fluff, and show you how to put it to work today.
Key Takeaways
- Just ask my teenage boys, who just jointly devoured a serious chunk of right now's Cream Cheese Pasta Bake with French Fried Onions!
- Jump to Recipe Print Recipe You can tell it's getting more wintry here as the recipes begin skewing further and further into the comfort food category.
- Case in point, this hearty Cream Cheese Pasta Bake with French Fried Onions!
- Not feeling stroganoff-y, and lacking buns for hamburgers, I serendipitously ran throughout this recipe for cream cheese spaghetti with French fried onions.
What to Know About Cream Cheese Pasta Bake
What's up with this recipe? Worth noting: well, I was trying to figure out what to do with a pound of ground beef and the rest of a can of French fried onions this week (aside from putting them on, well, everything!).
You can see the layers better in the above slice of cold pasta bake I cut later, but the point being: French fried onions on pasta? If breadcrumbs can go well with baked pasta, applying fried onions instead just takes aspects up a notch, methinks.
How Cream Cheese Pasta Bake Really Works
More importantly, applying that original recipe as a base, I changed it up slightly and: Used 12 oz shaped pasta, instead of 8 oz spaghetti noodles Added sauteed mushrooms & upped the onion Added garlic and Italian seasoning Mixed the cream cheese into the cooked pasta Sauteed onion and garlic in with the ground beef Omitted the milk This turned into... Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pot. Cut softened cream cheese into chunks, and immediately add these to the pot with the drained pasta.
Getting the Most From Cream Cheese Pasta Bake
Remember that stir the cream cheese into the hot pasta until thoroughly melted and combined. - for the meat & mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the pasta is cooking, clean and slice the mushrooms.
Saute mushrooms in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and softened, then remove them from the pan and set aside. While the mushrooms are cooking, dice the onion, and mince the garlic (if not applying pre-minced).
Tips That Make a Difference
As a rule, when the mushrooms are done, apply the same skillet to brown ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through, breaking it up as you go. Drain the beef & onion mixture and return it to the skillet.
Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and sauteed mushrooms. - for the casserole: Spread half of the ground beef & mushroom mixture throughout the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Layer all of the cream cheese noodles on top of that.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
In short, spread on the other half of the ground beef mixture, then top everything evenly with shredded Parmesan. Bake the cream cheese pasta casserole at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Top your baked pasta evenly with French fried onions, then return the dish to the oven for another 5 minutes to brown. Note: Make this pasta bake even more comfort food-ish by serving it with garlic bread, or balance aspects out by serving it with salad.
Is Cream Cheese Pasta Bake Worth It?
Worth noting: comfort food pasta bake casserole, check Whether you call this a pasta bake or a casserole, it's all solid. The salty goodness of the Parmesan and fried onions balances out the subtle tang of the cream cheese, and the warmth of the ground beef & mushroom mixture provides serious comfort food vibes.
Plus: This recipe is most definitely teenage boy approved. Cream Cheese Pasta Bake with French Fried Onions, printable recipe Save Recipe!
Where the Real Savings Hide
More importantly, cream Cheese Pasta Bake with French Fried Onions Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Sometimes, you just require a large old pan of comfort food. Just ask my teenage boys, who just jointly devoured a serious chunk of right now’s Cream Cheese Pasta Bake with French Fried Onions!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I save money on cream cheese pasta bake?
Compare prices across a few retailers, look for active coupon codes, and time bigger buys around sales events. Worth noting: well, I was trying to figure out what to do with a pound of ground beef and the rest of a can of French fried onions this week (aside from putting them on, well, everything!).
Is it worth shopping around for cream cheese pasta bake?
Usually yes. You can see the layers better in the above slice of cold pasta bake I cut later, but the point being: French fried onions on pasta?.
Smart Ways to Save More on Cream Cheese Pasta Bake
- Leave items in your cart for a day; some stores send a follow up discount.
- Pair cashback with a coupon so you save twice on the same order.
- Stack a coupon code with an existing sale whenever the store allows it.
- Sign up for the retailer newsletter to catch first time and seasonal discounts.
- Compare the final price including shipping, not just the headline number.
Final Thoughts
Before you check out, line up cream cheese pasta bake against current promotions and any codes you can stack. Small habits like these add up to real savings over a year.
Originally published at mashupmom.com.
