Baked Spaghetti

A River of Recipes: Native American Recipes Using Commodity Foods by the USDA Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, public domain government resource—original source of recipe
 * Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

 * ½ package (1 pound) spaghetti, cooked according to directions
 * 4 (15½ ounce) cans tomatoes, chopped, with juice
 * ½ can luncheon meat, diced
 * 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
 * 1 onion, diced
 * 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
 * 1 teaspoon oregano
 * 1 teaspoon sweet basil
 * pepper, to taste
 * 1 teaspoon garlic powder
 * 1 cup shredded cheese or Parmesan cheese

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to 350 °F.
 * 2) Rinse cooked spaghetti in cold water; set aside to drain.
 * 3) Chop tomatoes as small as possible; set aside with juice.
 * 4) Brown luncheon meat in large pan with oil. Add onion, lower flame and stir constantly until onions are brown. Add tomatoes with juice, cilantro, oregano, basil, pepper, and garlic powder.
 * 5) Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
 * 6) In oiled 4 quart pan, layer half of the cooked spaghetti, ½ tomato mixture, then the rest of the spaghetti, then the rest of the tomato mixture. Top with cheese.
 * 7) Bake at 350 °F for 30 minutes.

Variations

 * To lower the sodium content: substitute lean ground beef or lean ground bison for luncheon meat. Or omit meat or both luncheon meat and Parmesan cheese.
 * To lower the fat content: omit cheese or omit cheese and meat.