We have another “Comfort Food Favorite” for you today.

Warm. Filling. Cheesy. These are all words that come to mind when I hear “comfort food” and this recipe delivers all those things, and more. One word I don’t usually think of when I hear “comfort food” is Weight-Watcher friendly, but this casserole is! This recipe takes all of the things you love about a cheeseburger (the beef, the cheese, mustard, tomato, onion, and carbs) and turns it into a casserole that is just 5 smart points per serving!

By now you have probably heard that Simple Nourished Living’s, Martha McKinnon, is offering one free copy of her eCookbook, “Comfort Food Favorites” to one of our MPM readers! She gave us permission to share a handful of the recipes from her eCookbook this week. This cheeseburger casserole recipe is one of the simple and delicious recipes you can find in her eCookbook. On Saturday I will be sharing a meal plan that uses all of the recipes we have been show-casing throughout the week and we will announce the winner of the giveaway this Saturday as well.

This cheeseburger casserole makes nine whopping servings. It reheats well so it makes great leftovers. Trust me, you’ll want to eat the leftovers. Confession: I ate this casserole for breakfast and lunch the next day, just sayin’.

Make this recipe your own.

What flavors do you normally associate with a cheeseburger? Whatever it is, toss it into the casserole and make if your own.

Here are some suggestions Martha has in her eCookbook:

1.Substitute the beef with ground chicken or turkey.
2. Add more veggies – cook chopped mushrooms with the ground beef to create a “mushroom cheeseburger.”
3. More topping ideas – add anything you like on your cheeseburger such as chopped onion, crumbled bacon bits, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, etc.
4. Different cheese – Use whatever cheese you like best such as American, Swiss, Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.

Here is all you need to make this cheeseburger casserole…

• 2 cups (6 ounces) uncooked corkscrew pasta (I just used the pasta we already had in the pantry)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1-1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 pound 95% lean ground beef
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

Here is what you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

3. Place the oil in a large skillet set over medium low heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 20 seconds then stir in the beef and cook until crumbed and browned. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

5. Add the ketchup, tomatoes and mustard and stir until well combined. Continue to cook, stirring often until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 3 minutes.

6. Toss together the meat mixture and the pasta and then spread it into the prepared baking dish.
7. Sprinkle the cheddar over the top and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped pickles.

Makes 9 servings.
Each (one cup) serving is 5 WW FreeStyle Smart Points.