Books & Spoons Recipe COMFORT FOOD WITH A TWIST OF CHEESE

Springtime comes and I get totally obsessed with adding fruit, and especially strawberries on everything. They have been on my salad every day this week, and I just can't get enough. What is your favorite thing to add to your salad? 

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So here's this week's meal. I was craving, needed, wanted some comfort food this week. Thankfully, it was a rainy beginning of the week, so I was able to play in the kitchen without a heat stroke. 
Antipasto was a great start for the meal. I took some bell peppers, onion and lots of herbs, little ocean salt, pepper and olive oil, and set them in the oven on a low temperature. I let them slowly cook in the oven, while I was making the casserole, just get the juices going, the taste to get intense, but still having some crunch to them, and the vibrant colors. Absolutely lovely with some Serrano ham slices, and Balsamic vinegar, if so wanted. 

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This casserole is an old recipe, that is my childhood favorite. My mom used to make it a lot, and I loved it. Of course I haven't been able to capture completely the taste my mom created way back when, so I always add something different to it, and make it my own thing. 
I have added corn when I didn't have enough pasta, I have added tomatoes, peppers, chili, bacon, wine, yes, lots of variations over the years. This time I added  four different cheeses, lots of herbs, and I have to admit, it came out great. 
It is a great casserole to make ahead, or serve when a big group of family and friends are gathering, or make for a potluck dinner. 
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Have a great weekend, till next time
~ Cheers!

PASTA CASSEROLE
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1 lb / 400 g pasta, cooked and drained
1 tbsp butter
1 lb / 400 g ground beef, cooked and drained
1 lb / 400 g ground pork meat, cooked and drained
1 onion, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, chopped small
Herbs - oregano, basil, thyme, rosmarine, sage to taste
salt
pepper
Cheese - Parmesan, sharp Cherddar, Jarlsberg (or other strong white cheese), blue cheese
3 eggs
1 l milk

​Start by cooking the pasta.
 When done, pour into colander and rinse under running water.
Sauté the onion and garlic in a pan. Add the ground meat. If you are not a fan of pork, you can use only ground beef. 
Add the spices and herbs.
Beat the eggs with the milk in a separate bowl.
Combine pasta, ground meat mixture and approx. 2 1/2 cup grated cheese together in a big or two small casserole dishes. 
Pour the egg and milk on top of the casserole. 
Set in the oven (175 C / 350 F) for about 50 minutes, until done.