Baked Ziti & The Bread

Baked Ziti, it's a Smith family favorite. Especially for my son, Matt, who runs cross country and track. He's a carb loading man and Mama's baked ziti is the perfect meal for him.  If you like to eat cheese, pasta and meaty sauce you'll fall head over heels for this baked ziti! Oh did I mention the bread?! Oh can you hear the hallelujah choir singing? The bread is crack y'all. I mean, you'll be addicted once you eat it. Great for any Italian dinner or to slop up your next soup!
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Baked Ziti

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients

12oz uncooked ziti
1lb ground turkey meat
1lb ground Italian mild sausage
1-28oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 eggs
1 carton Ricotta Cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta, cook and drain ground turkey and Italian sausage, and stir in spaghetti sauce.
In a large bowl combine eggs, ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Drain pasta and add to cheese mixture and toss to coat. Spoon a third of the meat sauce into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with half of the pasta mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat sauce. Cover and bake for 40 minutes
Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 5-10 minutes longer
Let stand 15 minutes

Enjoy!

The Bread
(from the Pioneer Woman)

Preheat oven to 325

Ingredients
1 loaf French or Italian bread, any variety
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened

Put an oven rack on the lower level an preheat the oven.
Slice the bread you want in half and lay the halves cut side up on a rimmed  baking sheet.
Smear 1 stick of butter on each half. {I'm not kidding.}
Then use a knife to smear it over the entire surface of the bread, covering every inch.
Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the butter melts and the bread has to chance to warm up.
Then turn up the broiler, return the pan to the oven, and let it broil until the butter turns a beautiful deep golden brown and almost starts to blacken.

{Be sure to watch the bread the entire time during this process. Because if you are anything like me, if you turn your back for a moment, it'll burn!}

Immediately cut The Bread into strips.

**serve with soups, salads, pastas**

Enjoy!