Spaghetti Casserole is a good recipe to make when the weather is cold and you are have lots of visitors to feed on a small budget. The recipe makes about eight serves.

The recipe is very, very easy, except for two points that I must emphasize. Grease your casserole dish and don’t stop stirring when you are making the white sauce. Otherwise, there is nothing to this.

500gm mince meat

375gm spaghetti (I like thin spaghetti, but take your pick. You could use shells or rigatoni or anything you like).

500gm jar spaghetti sauce (again, take your pick. I prefer Raguletto, but will buy Leggos or Dolmio if they are on special).

60gm butter

1/3 Cup plain flour

2 Cups milk

grated cheese to taste

Cook the spaghetti as per the directions on the packet. Brown the mince in a large frypan and add the spaghetti sauce.

Grease your oven dish, otherwise you will be scrubbing your dish out later with steel wool, and wishing you had taken my advice. Layer the pasta and meat sauce in the casserole dish.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and mix in the flour. Pour in the milk little by little, stirring the whole time. I usually stand at the stove and read while I stir, because if I get bored and wander off, or try and multi-task, the white sauce gets lumpy. Once the sauce has thickened, pour it over the spaghetti and mince, then sprinkle grated cheese over the top.

Bake uncovered in a moderate oven, around 170 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden.