Beef and Cheese Casserole

4 cups large pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can (10 oz.) tomato soup
1 can (10 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (7 1/2 oz.) tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and put in a large casserole dish.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic, onion, celery, mushrooms, and green pepper. Cook and stir until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and add to casserole dish.

Add ground beef to the frying pan and cook and stir until browned. (If you have a large enough frying pan you can cook the vegetables and ground beef together.) Drain fat and add ground beef to the casserole dish.

Add soups and tomato sauce to the casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese to the casserole. Mix all together to blend.

Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove cover for the last few minutes to melt the cheese if necessary. Makes 8 servings.