Dora Charles—my head cook, my soul sister, and my friend—really puts her big toe in this dish. In fact, Fodor’s Travel Guide called it “The Best Baked Spaghetti in the South.” Go, Dora! (P.S. Dora doesn’t really put her toe in this, that’s just a Southern expression we use when someone has done a dish just right!)

Ingredients

　　2 cups canned diced tomatoes

　　2 cups tomato sauce

　　1 cup water

　　1/2 cup diced onions

　　1/2 cup diced green bell peppers

　　2 cloves garlic, chopped

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

　　1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

　　1 1/2 teaspoons The Lady’s House Seasoning

　　1 1/2 teaspoon The Lady’s Seasoned Salt

　　1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

　　2 small bay leaves

　　1 1/2 pounds ground beef

　　8 ounces uncooked angelhair pasta

　　1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

　　1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

　　To make the sauce, in a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains, then drain off the fat. Add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13 × 9 × 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then half of the cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese, return to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into squares before serving.

　　Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics