Rainy Monday

It was a rainy Sunday here in the Sunshine State, typical summertime weather. I absolutely love when the afternoon thunderstorms roll in and we're forced to stay inside, reading, watching movies, or cooking! Today looks about the same but I don't have the luxury of lolling about the house, must head to work. *groan*

Knowing that it will likely be a busy day at the office, I went ahead and prepared today's meal in advance. All we'll have to do tonight is add a touch more pasta sauce and pop a plate into the microwave, add a nice green salad on the side and voila! Dinner is served!

I found this dish on Allrecipes; I just tweaked the ingredients a bit to make it healthier.






Cheryl's Spinach Cheesy Pasta Casserole

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12 ounces pasta -- seashell-shaped
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach -- thawed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
26 ounces pasta sauce
8 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese -- shredded
8 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan, and cook the spinach 4 to 6 minutes, until tender.

Place the cooked pasta in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. Toss the pasta with the cooked spinach, egg mixture, and bread crumbs.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with 1/3 of the pasta sauce. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish, and cover with another 1/3 of the pasta sauce. Sprinkle with half of the Cheddar cheese and half of the mozzarella. Layer with remaining pasta mixture, and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.

Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Serves 12

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Per Serving: 247 Calories; 8g Fat (30.5% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 50mg Cholesterol; 379mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Have a Beauty-Full Day,