A few days ago, I posted a link to a recipe on another blog that I thought looked yummy. Well, I made it! And we loved it! But, as often happens, I had to change the recipe a little. Since I was starting with just a list of ingredients and no measurements, I felt a little creative as I cooked. ;) Since my recipe is somewhat different from the original, I decided to call it Three-cheese baked spaghetti.

When I was making it, I was expecting a so-so easy version of one of our favorite meals. As I was mixing the pasta and cheeses, I tasted some of it, and it was SO yummy! I think I could have eaten the pasta just by itself, before baking. ;)

The original recipe didn't call for the meat and sauce to be baked too, but since my husband doesn't like dry pasta (from being baked uncovered) and I like easy, one-dish baked meals, I decided to make it into a complete "spaghetti and meatball casserole".

It turned out perfectly. At first we thought it might be a little too runny, but as soon as it cooled slightly on our plates, we saw that it was a perfect saucy spaghetti. We tasted it and decided that this is our new way of making spaghetti!

I love that it's a baked meal, since that means I can wash the dishes while the food is in the oven, or make it up ahead of time instead of last-minute, trying to keep the pasta hot and cooking the sauce and meat in another pan.

Served with a green salad and/or green vegetable and some fresh bread, this meal is perfect for a busy night's dinner or for sharing with guests. If I hadn't just featured a spaghetti recipe as "recipe of the week", Three-cheese baked spaghetti would be the coming week's recipe! :)