I think that the last version on the Layered Casserole was the best out of the three different versions.

1. Added the extra ricotta cheese took the sour cream taste away and balanced the cheese mixture out nicely.
2. Using the Prego and milk instead of the tomato sauce gave the meat mixture a lot more flavor.
3. Instead of using pasta I used spaghetti squash which I thought gave the meal more of a rich texture to it, and also combining the spaghetti with the meat sauce brought the casserole together better than having the pasta alone on the bottom.

Overall the only complaint I have for this version would be the presentation was not as great as it was just white on the top from the cheese mixture. One suggestion would be to put a few tablespoons of sauce on the top just to give it a better look. I would rate this version a 9, I will definitely be making it again!

Third and final version of the Layered Casserole:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 medium to large size spaghetti squash

1 jar Prego three cheese pasta sauce

3/4 cup whole milk

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

10-12 ounces ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Cut spaghetti squash in half, season with salt and pepper. Place on generously olive oiled cooking sheet, face down. Cook for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile, place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown.
3. Once ground beef is cooked, combine pasta sauce and milk with beef and simmer until thickened. About 20 minutes.
4. Take spaghetti squash out of the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes. Scrape the "spaghetti" out of the squash .
5. Put spaghetti squash into meat mixture. Place mixture in a 13x9 casserole dish.
6. Mix sour cream, ricotta cheese and shredded cheddar cheese together. Place cheese mixture on top of meat mixture in dish.
7. Cook at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges.
8. Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Comments on the second trial run of the recipe:

1. Ricotta cheese was 100% better than cream cheese, and blended well with the pasta and tomato sauce flavors.
2. Didn't end up adding anything other than a little olive oil to the pasta therefore it was still quite plain on the bottom.
3. Thinking outside the box for the third trial run of this recipe, thinking I will use something to substitute the pasta for some different textures and flavors.
4. Could taste the sour cream over the ricotta cheese, thinking more ricotta next time.

Overall this version was better than the last, but still needed something. I would give it a rating of a 7.

For the second time around these were my ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

8 ounces fresh pasta

2 T of olive oil

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1 (8 ounce) container of ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 large onion sautéed

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1/2 to 1 pkg of chili seasoning (depends on your liking)

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese

1.	Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. While this is cooking, sauté 1/2 an onion until light brown. Drain, crumble, combine with the onion and set aside.
2.	In a large pot of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain well.
3.	In a greased 13x9 inch casserole dish layer the cooked and drained pasta noodles on the bottom mixing in the olive oil evenly.
4.	In a medium size bowl combine the sour cream, ricotta cheese, and shredded Cheddar cheese. Spread mixture over cooked pasta in baking dish.
5.	In a small bowl combine the sugar, tomato sauce, chili seasoning, and cooked ground beef. Layer this on top of the sour cream mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with additional shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired.
6.	Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Allow to stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
7.	If freezing casserole, allow to come to room temperature for one hour before baking.

So my first time around with the Layered Casserole recipe I followed everything by the recipe except I used half an onion instead of onion greens. I also did not refrigerate the casserole overnight, instead I just cooked it right away.


After tasting the original recipe I had a few thoughts about what I could change.

1. The cream cheese I found overpowered the casserole and I personally did not like the taste of the cream cheese in the recipe at all.
2. The noodles seems kind of plain on the bottom b themselves so I thought maybe next time I could mix them with one of the mixtures.
3. The tomato sauce with the ground beef did not have much flavor, so I contemplated what I could add to it for spices next time around for some added flavor.

Overall on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give this attempt of the recipe a 4, just because of the bland and distasteful flavors.

The Layered Casserole original recipe:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 8 ounces fresh pasta 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 6 green onions, thinly sliced 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce 1 tablespoon white sugar 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese 1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. 2. In a large pot of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain well. 3. In a greased 13x9 inch casserole dish layer the cooked and drained pasta noodles on the bottom. 4. In a medium size bowl combine the sour cream, cream cheese, shredded Cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions. Spread mixture over cooked pasta in baking dish. 5. In a small bowl combine the sugar, tomato sauce, and cooked ground beef. Layer this on top of the sour cream mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with additional shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired. 6. Refrigerate casserole overnight. Remove from refrigerator one hour before baking. 7. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 8. If freezing casserole, allow to come to room temperature for one hour before baking.