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1. Brown chopped onions and meat in butter. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed. Cool.
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2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
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3. Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain. Sprinkle breadcrumbs into a buttered 11 by 14 by 2-inch baking pan.
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4. Place a layer of pasta in the baking pan; then add half the thin cream sauce. Add meat. Sprinkle with ¼ cup grated cheese. Add another layer of pasta and sprinkle with ¼ cup cheese.
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5. Cover with remaining thin cream sauce. Spread thick cream sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake for 1 hour, or until golden.
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6. Let stand 15 minutes to cool, and cut into squares. (Note that you cannot cut the "Pastitsio" easily unless you cool it for 15 minutes.) When ready to serve, reheat in hot oven.
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THIN SAUCE:
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1. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour and cook until mixture turns golden.
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2. Gradually stir in hot milk and cook, stirring, until sauce is smooth and hot.
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3. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks, and then briskly stir in 1 cup of hot milk mixture.
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4. Pour egg-milk mixture into remaining sauce. Stir and remove from heat without cooking the eggs.
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THICK SAUCE:
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1. Heat milk to a simmer and set aside. In a bowl, beat eggs with flour.
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2. Gradually stir hot milk into egg mixture. Return to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is quite thick.
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3. Do not boil after eggs have been added.
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NOTE:
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This dish can be prepared a day in advance, adding the thick cream sauce just before baking the dish.
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