Poppy Seed Casserole

This is a SUPER yummy pasta recipe from my mom that always gets RAVE reviews. I think the cheese mixture you TOSS the noodles in is the SECRET to how tasty this dish turns out!

Poppy Seed Casserole
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
12 to 18 ounces rotini noodles, cooked and drained

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the turkey and bell pepper together until turkey is done; drain. Add the tomato sauce, salt, and pepper and simmer over low heat. 

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, and poppy seeds, and then mix with the drained hot noodles. Place noodle mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch pan and top with the turkey sauce mixture. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the Parmesan over top. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: You can use ground beef if you prefer it over the ground turkey. Also, since there is so much yummy stuff that goes in to this recipe, I usually use light cream cheese and sour cream, and I can never tell the difference (neither can the other people eating it!). So try saving a few calories that way and make it more "healthy"