Spaghetti and Spinach Pie

As I mentioned earlier, I'm really having fun testing new recipes. I've been watching Food Network and browsing recipe sites like crazy trying to find recipes that fit my criteria -- cheap, fast and kid friendly.

This past Sunday, I watched Sandra Lee make Pasta and Spinach pie. I liked the method, but it was a little heavy on the spinach for our family. I adapted the recipe to make it a little more kid friendly and also to bulk it up a little.

Here is the adjusted recipe,

For the "crust"

About 8 oz (measured uncooked) of spaghetti
1 egg
generous salt and pepper

Boil noodles to al dente. Beat an egg in a bowl. Stir in salt and pepper. Incorporate egg mixture with noodles. Place in pie pan and make a well for the filling.

For the "filling"

a few tablespoons of diced onions
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 cup of thawed spinach
1.5 cups of cottage cheese
1 cup of Italian blend cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste

In a skillet, saute the onions until transparent. Add the garlic until warmed through. Then, mix all ingredients together and place in spaghetti "crust." Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

On the show, Sandra quoted this at about $5.50 for 4 servings. I don't know the exact amount of my ingredients, but with purchasing them on sale, I would guess the entire dish cost no more than $4 and yielded more than 4 servings. What a deal!