Recipe: Weeknight football game? Potluck dinner? Assemble this chili pasta casserole the night before.
. Lundberg has five children, so she’s definitely zeroed-in on the importance of getting a thrifty dinner on the table fast.In her recipe, Lundberg cooked the dish on the stove in a large skillet and then transferred it all to a 9-by-13-inch pan, but we used a large, ovenproof pan and that left us with one less pan to clean. If, however, you want to make the dish ahead, use the casserole dish. It can be assembled and refrigerated so it is ready to be baked just before serving.
The ease of assembly and freezing makes this a great option for potlucks, parties or game-day festivities, especially for weeknight football watching. This also is dish that is easy to vary to your own taste, too. If you’re not a beef eater, substitute with ground turkey or chicken. Or go vegetarian with a plant-based meat or add another can of beans. If you want to slip vegetables in there, toss spinach, kale, peas or corn into the mixture and cook them down a bit before you add the pasta.The best part is that the casserole takes 15 to 20 minutes to assemble.
When the casserole is bubbling and ready to dig into, Lundberg recommends a generous dollop of sour cream on top. I concur.If you do not have a skillet large enough to accommodate this dish — it makes about 14 cups — or if you want to assemble it in advance, transfer the meat and bean mixture from the skillet to a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Add the pasta and stir until well combined. If baking right away, top with cheese and place it in the oven.
If not baking right away, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. If frozen, allow the casserole to defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed.Click the bookmark icon below the serving size at the top of this page, then go to