Sicilian Supper

This one was a big hit with Vicky and Eric. I thought it was good too.

From Linda Larsen,Your Guide to Busy Cooks.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
This recipe has become a favorite at my house. The cream cheese sauce and ground beef and tomato mixture combine for a fabulous casserole.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups elbow macaroni
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef and onion in heavy saucepan, stirring to break up ground beef. Drain well. Add spaghetti sauce and stir well to blend. Let simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.

Meanwhile, cook elbow macaroni as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, combine cream cheese and milk in medium bowl. Cook in microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Remove from microwave and stir with wire whisk until sauce blends. Drain noodles and add to cream cheese sauce along with sour cream, green pepper, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
In 2 quart casserole dish, place all of cream cheese mixture. Top with all of the ground beef mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until casserole is bubbly.
To freeze, add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch to the cream cheese sauce. Prepare casserole as directed, except instead of baking, chill in refrigerator. Wrap well and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered, for 25-30 minutes until hot. Uncover, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese, and bake 5-10 minutes longer until bubbly. 8 servings