Chili Pasta Bake

I know, I know... this recipe is nothing like the gourmet-caliber recipes you all have been posting, but it made for a yummy dinner tonight for us! I'll tell you what we did differently before giving you the recipe. We pretty much only cook with whole wheat pasta, so we used whole wheat rotini instead of penne. We also thought 2 cups of cheese was a TON, so we just sprinkled some on top until it looked good. We also didn't put in as much beef or onion, but that's because we're poor, not because it wouldn't have been yummy. Oh, and we didn't drain the green chilies. Those are pretty much Isaac's favorite flavor for Mexican food, so it seemed silly to drain all that yummy flavor out. And (wow, I never noticed how much we modify recipes) we didn't put in the whole 2 T. chili powder. It was more like 1 1/2 T. We wanted it to be flavorful, not HOT. So, again.... not gourmet, but yummy. There is an online version of this recipe that also calls for a can of corn and a can of black beans, but I didn't see that version until we had already eaten it! Sorry I forgot to take a picture; I'll try to remember that for next time.

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 32 minutes
Servings: 6

10 oz. penne pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (7 oz.) diced green chilies, drained
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Cook meat and onion in large skilet; drain. Add chili powder, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa and chilies. Cook 5 minutes.
3. Toss pasta and sauce. Spoon into 13x9-inch bakingdish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.