This is a variation of the “spaghetti pie” that I’ve been baking indoors for years.  It’s a very GOOD variation, made easier by using picante sauce instead of having to cut up onions and peppers.  If you’re away from home, you can pre-cook the spaghetti and keep it “refrigerated” in a cooler in a Ziploc bag.  This recipe pairs well with Parmesan Herb Rolls.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spaghetti noodles
• 2 lb extra lean ground beef
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce (the chunkier, the better)
• 2 cups mild picante sauce
• 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 15-oz container Ricotta cheese
• 1 lb shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.  Meanwhile, preheat a 12-inch dutch oven with 25 briquettes bottom heat.  Brown the ground beef and drain excess fat.  Add the spaghetti sauce and picante sauce to the meat, mix well, and heat through.  Remove the meat mixture from the dutch oven and set aside.  In the same dutch oven, mix together the cooked spaghetti noodles, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and butter.  Form a shallow, wide depression in the middle of the spaghetti mixture and spread the Ricotta cheese in the depression.  Spread the beef mixture evenly over the top of the spaghetti and ricotta.  Bake with 8-10 briquettes bottom heat and 16-18 briquettes top heat until the entire dish is heated through and bubbly (about 30-45 minutes).  Sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese over the top, remove the dutch oven from the heat, and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes or until the Mozzarella is melted.  Serve by cutting into wedges.  Serves 12.