Hamburger Cheese Casserole

1/2 lb. fettuccine
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
3 tsp. chili powder

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes in sauce
2 cups shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook fettuccine according to package directions.  While cooking, brown meat in a large skillet.  Drain.  Add garlic, onion, and chili powders.  Stir well to mix.  Add tomatoes using a fork to mash them as much as possible.  Add noodles to meat/tomato mixture and toss well.  In a 2 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray place about 1/3 of the meat/noodle mixture.  Top with 1/3 of the cheese.  Continue this twice ending with the cheese on top.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.  Serves 6. 

Comments:  This recipe came from a cookbook titled Dixie Delights (Memphis, TN) which was copyright 1983.  I made just 1 change to this recipe.  The original recipe called for flat, wide noodles (6 oz.).  I had none, but I did have fettuccine so that's what I used.  It was a little harder to mix everything together due to their length of the fettuccine but the taste was worth it.  This recipe is so simple and I did have my doubts with it having so few ingredients.  I almost left out the powders and just used taco seasoning.  I'm so glad I didn't.  The combination of these 3 simple ingredients do nothing but complement each other making them a perfect blend.  This just goes to show me that the old, easy to make recipes that I grew up with are just as good now as they were back then.  


Comment from Food Tester Carol:  You MUST try this dish!  It wouldn't have believed how it would bring back my earliest memories of my mother using chili powder in recipes.  this recipe has layers of flavor.  Try and follow them through each forkful.  There is just a little bit of bite but the chili, garlic and onion powders blend yet hold their own place with the ground beef and tomato.  Yummy is not a word I usually use, but THIS dish is YUMMY!