Monday Menu ~ Sausage Spaghetti Pie

Here's a tasty, very simple meal that is worth your time to try.  This recipe makes three pies, so you can bake one and freeze the other two.  One pie fed our family with leftovers for Brad's lunch the next day.  (Six servings per pie.)  It's a fun way to jazz up the regular 'ole spaghetti!  I found this through Taste of Home, with a couple tweaks from me!

Sausage Spaghetti Pie

1 pkg. (1 pound) spaghetti
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 (16 oz) container sour cream (I used Daisy light)
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 pounds bulk pork sausage (remember this is dispersed among 3 pies!)
2 cups water
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and place in a large bowl.  Let cool slightly, then add eggs and parmesan cheese.  (If you don't let it cool a bit, it will cook the eggs as you add them.  Not tragic, just not as binding as the loose eggs would be.)  Transfer to three greased 9-inch pie plates; press mixture onto the bottom and up the sides to form a "crust".

In a large sauce pan, saute onion in butter until tender.  Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and Italian seasonings.  Divide evenly among the three crusts, layering on top of noodles.

Sprinkle each pie with about 1/3 of the cheeses.

In a large skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in water and tomato paste.  Simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until thickened.  Spoon over sour cream layer in pie plates.  Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheeses.

If not cooking, cover and freeze pies for up to one month.  If cooking immediately, cover loosely and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

To use frozen pies, completely thaw in the refrigerator.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking, then bake as directed.