My Grandma's Macaroni Casserole

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb elbow macaroni (or smallish pasta of your choice)
• 2 (26 ounce) cans of hunt's whole canned tomatoes, undrained (i think this is the correct size, just use 2 big cans)
• 2 large onions
• 1 (24 slice) package american cheese (i prefer kraft deli deluxe)
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste, i prefer freshly cracked pepper)
• 4 tablespoons butter (or enough to spread out pieces evenly between layers) or 4 tablespoons margarine (or enough to spread out pieces evenly between layers)

Recipe

• 1 boil macaroni according to package directions until almost al dente. meanwhile, slice the onions into about 1/4 inch thick slices.
• 2 drain macaroni and rinse under hot water.
• 3 spread a layer of macaroni about 1/2 inch deep in the bottom of a large, deep casserole dish with a lid. i've found that glass, stoneware or corningware works best.
• 4 lay cheese slices evenly on top of macaroni, tearing slices to fill in holes as necessary. if you like this really cheesy, repeat this layer.
• 5 spread onion slices one layer thick over cheese.
• 6 slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side down onto onion layer.
• 7 sprinkle salt and pepper sparingly on tomatoes.
• 8 place small, thin pats of butter or margarine on tomatoes. i don't have an exact amount because i just "eyeball" it.
• 9 repeat all layers beginning with the macaroni.
• 10 when your casserole dish is almost full or you are out of ingredients pour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup (depending on how much liquid you want in the end) of the juice from the tomato cans evenly over casserole.
• 11 cover casserole dish and put in the oven pre-heated to 350 degrees.
• 12 bake 2 hours, or until onions look done and cheese is melted (here's where the transparent casserole dish comes in handy!).
• 13 remove from oven, let stand about 5 minutes and enjoy!
• 14 note: this casserole has a bad habit of bubbling over in the oven. to contain the mess i either put the dish on an old aluminum foil lined cookie sheet, or i put the foil lined cookie sheet under the casserole dish on the rack below it.