Have you ever wondered if you could take two of your favorite cultures of food and combine to satisfy your craving? I have found out that there is a way to mix Mexican and Italian ingredients and make a mouth watering meal. A Hot and Spicy meal that leaves you craving for more. Your dinner guest will think you are a professional gourmet chef. What a compliment to you when your guests ask you how you made the main course and if you would share the recipe with them.

You may be surprised at how easy it can be to make this recipe listed on this page. If you have a taste for good food and can have a little patience, good food takes a little time, you can create this dinner main course and may begin to create your very own.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your creations and your own personal style of cooking. What works for one person may not work for you. Some will measure out ingredients to the exact amount, while others are from the old-timey way of doing things and may use a dash of this or a dash of that. "Don’t forget to add just a pinch of salt!” Personal taste plays a huge part in the way one prepares a meal. Trust yourself and you may be surprised at how good of a cook you really are.

"What is authentic Mexican food?" Mexican food is a combination of local native foods combined with those of the Spanish conquistadors after they arrived in the Americas. The natives' diet consisted of dishes made mainly of corn, chilies, and herbs, and served with beans and tomatoes. The Spanish added meat and rice and other seasonings. Fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, peppers, and onions are important to an authentic Mexican dish.

Pepper seeds are the main "heat" ingredient in Mexican foods. The jalapeno is the most commonly used in the U.S. There is also the Anaheim, Pablanos, Ancho and the Habanera peppers. Some will de-seed the peppers to enjoy the flavor of the different peppers.

Italian cuisine traces its origins back to the 4th Century B.C. The dishes may vary from region to region, but there is a strong emphasis on fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, fish, and meats. Olive Oil, olives, garlic, tomatoes, cured meats, cheeses, herbs such as basil and oregano, wine and pasta are a substantial part of the Italian diet.

American Italian recipes are different than what you would find in Italy. Pizzias, spaghetti, calzones, lazagna and manicotti take a totally new flavor here in America. Authentic Italian food takes more work in the preparation and has a deeper taste.

Knowing your herbs and spices is important in adding them to your foods. You need knowledge of which will mix well together and which will not. Some spices or herbs can overpower the flavoring of the dish you are making. Fresh herbs are way stronger than the ones you purchase at the marketplace in containers. It is the same with spices.

There are some combinations of herbs and spices that may require a waiting period before cooking or consuming your meals. Cooking with herbs and spices is an art. You use the right ingredients and you create a masterpiece main course. With some foods, left-over meals can be the best way to serve them.

Mexican food has always been my favorite meal. Italian was a very close second. I love cooking both and always had thoughts of what would it be like to combine both styles of cooking? Get the best meal of both worlds.

After several attempts, I had my own Mexican casserole. For years I made this main course dish and everyone just went all crazy over it. I was requested to make this for pot-lucks, friends and special occasions. My own grandmother and mom would request creation to be made for them.

In my late twenties I began to cook Italian meals. As I required more knowledge and skill cooking, I begin to wonder if I could add the Italian herbs, spices and other ingredients to my famous mexican casserole to create a dish even better than my mexican casserole.

It took several attempts and then my Grandmother’s expert advice on “one” little pinch ingredient to make the entire ingredients meld together. “Add a pinch of sugar, dear. With all those acids in that sauce, you need something to make them meld together,” she told me. I then had my Mexican-Italian casserole.

I continued to make this recipe with a little tweaking here and there over the years. To this day, I have never given out the entire secret of the recipe. I am sharing this creation now, but everyone will have to find their own desired result. Just a small change can affect the turn out of your meal. Everyone has their own personal taste and you have to find yours. Find what appeases your personal taste and the taste of your guests.

"Mex-Itali" is the name I have given for the style of cooking I use with Mexican and Italian ingredients. It is a unique flavor. It is a style of cooking that satisfies the palette of those who enjoy the Hot and Spicy meals.

Mex-Itali is the combination of the herbs and spices with the meats, sauces, noodles, fruit, vegetables. peppers and cheeses. It is the blend of two cultures.

A few kitchen utensils and cookware items you will need are a 5qt. skillet, 3qt. sauce pan,saute pan, 15"x9" Deep Baking Dish, drainer, cutting board, cheese shredder (if block cheese used), chopper as well as the fork, knife and spoons. Use thick oven mitts to remove baking dish from oven.

Use 80/20 Hamburger meat and Italian sausage. Allow the meats to reach room temp.

Step 1: Chop Onion and Bell Pepper into small pieces. Sauté the onion and pepper in a small skillet with a tablespoon of oil until slightly tender. Add the 2 cloves of garlic and continue to sauté for about another 5 minutes on simmer. Set aside when done. Do not drain. Keep the juices for flavor.

Step 2: Place the 2 lbs of Hamburger meat and 1 lb of Italian sausage in a 5 qt. skillet and cook over med-high heat until pink is gone. Do not overcook your meats or you will lose the flavor. When the meat is done, remove from the heat, drain well and set aside.

Step 3: Mix in the Lime Juice with the meat. Add the dried spices to the meat as follows:

a. Cover the meat shaking the Chili Powder over the top (approx equal to 2 tablespoon.)

b. Slightly cover the top of the meat with Paprika. (approx equal to 1 tablespoon)

c. Add 1 tsp. Chipotle Chili Powder, 2 pinches of celery seed and 1 pinch of poppy seed.

d. 2 shakes of Lemon Peel and Orange Peel.

e. Add a light covering of dried Oregano ( approx 1 tbsp), Basil (1 tsp.) and Italian Parsley (1 tbsp) and a big pinch of dried Rosemary.

f. Salt and Black Pepper to taste.

g. Combine all the ingredients into the meat and set this mixture aside covered. The spices need time to meld together. This will take about 1 hour.

Step 4: While the meat and spices are blending, in a sauce pan add your tomato sauce, tomato paste, 8 drops of Tabasco, 1 pinch of sugar and place on medium heat. When the sauce begins to boil, turn the heat down to simmer. Add the 3 Bay leaves to the sauce and allow simmering for about 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cover the sauce to prevent splatter.

Step 5: After the meat and spices have set for an hour, add a covering of Worcestershire Sauce. I recommend approximately 4 hard shakes. Too much and your casserole will taste like Worcestershire sauce and very salty.

Step 6: When the meat mixture is ready and the sauce is finished, add both to the 5 qt. skillet. Add the 15 oz. can of cream style corn and turn heat to simmer. Remember to remove the Bay leaves.

Step 7: Take the bag of Wide Egg Noodles, I prefer Ronco not the generic brand, and break them inside the package. I take the point of a knife and puncture a small hole in the middle to let the air out and take the palm of my hand and beat the bag several times. You do not want the egg noodles too large. Boil the egg noodles in a sauce pan until tender. I add 1 tblsp of butter to my noodles and salt. Drain the noodles and add to the meat and sauce mixture.

Step 8: Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Step 9: Pour the casserole into a large casserole baking dish. I use the Pampered Chef Stoneware. It holds in flavors over time as you cook with it.

Step 10: Spread the 1 and a half package of Shredded Mexican 4-Cheese over the casserole. Next sprinkle a cup of Parmesan Cheese over the Mexican 4-cheese.

Bake until the cheese is golden with a hint of brown on the edges of the pan. Using care, remove from the casserole dish from the oven and let sit a few minutes. It will be very hot.

Light bread, Texas or Garlic toast make a great compliment to this meal.

Tip 1: If the spices and the heat of the dish are too strong for some of your guest, you can add about a tsp. of sour cream to a serving and mix well and it will lessen the effect of  the heat and spices.

Tip 2: If you want more “heat” to this meal, I suggest adding 4 shakes of Louisiana Hot Sauce and/or 1 tsp. of Mazetta ‘s Habanera Sauce. You get the full flavor of the habanera pepper without the full force of the heat with this brand.

Tip 3: You can substitute the shredded mexican 4-cheese package for the “Pace” Mexican 4-Cheese in a jar. A richer flavor with more heat.

Tip 4: You can add “Pace” Pico de Gallo featuring jalapenos and onions for a topping. For a half plate serving add 1 tbsp. Add 1 tsp. for a ¼ plate serving. The flavor is strong and you will need to judge by your taste.

Tip 5: Another tip for a better flavor is to make the preparations the day before you plan to serve. Bake at 250 degrees for about 30 minutes and then add the cheese toppings and bake at 350 degrees untill the cheese is melted.