Cajun Baked Tomato Casserole

• 8 large very ripe tomatoes
• 12 teaspoon sugar
• 12 lb lean ground beef
• 2 medium bell peppers, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
• 12 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Peel and seed the tomatoes and chop them.
2. Place in large bowl.
3. Add sugar to tomatoes and mix well.
4. Set aside.
5. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet then pour off any excess oil.
6. Add bell peppers, onions, celery and garlic to the skillet with the ground beef and continue to brown meat and saute vegetables until they are tender.
7. (about 15 minutes) Stir tomatoes into the skillet and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes.
8. Season with salt and ground black pepper, to taste.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Add in bread crumbs and mix well.
11. The mixture should be fairly thick and stiff, so add additional bread crumbs if necessary.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
13. Use butter or margarine to grease a two quart casserole.
14. Turn out the tomato mixture into the casserole, spreading evenly.
15. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
16. Bake in oven (uncovered) until top begins to brown, about 20-30 minutes.
17. Serve as a side dish to accompany any meat.
18. Note: This casserole may be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to bake.
19. Allow time to thaw or incrase the baking time.

very ripe tomatoes, sugar, lean ground beef, bell peppers, onions, celery, garlic, salt, ground black pepper, breadcrumbs, butter, parmesan cheese

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/cajun-baked-tomato-casserole-62870 (may not work)