I believe casseroles are a beautiful thing. Thinking about all of the thousands of casserole recipes, I got to thinking…where did this word/dish originate? Well, I shall spare you the whole, long story behind it but in short, “casserole” originally referred to the pan in which the dish was cooked/served. Well, that was less than exciting for me. Less exciting than putting my nose to the grind and creating delicious casseroles. Truth be told, this is really more of a pasta bake, but to me it just feels like a casserole. Joe and I sort of pulled our brains together and took bits and pieces of several recipes until we think we found the perfect “casserole” and made it our own. The flavors of the turkey sausage, Rotel tomatoes and cheese just make a perfectly delicious meal that will leave you feeling quite content! This is a great go-to meal that we make often because one…we love it and two…leftovers! Two very good reasons you should give this a whirl we think! And as always, you may leave the jalapeños out if you’re not liking a bit of heat. Happy baking!
Sláinte!
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds turkey sausage (sliced)
- 2 cups onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium jalapeños (diced with seeds)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 14.5 ounce cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup Water
- 3 Tablespoons corn starch
- 1 cup co-jack cheese, grated
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9x13 glass pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In large pot, cook pasta according to directions (make sure it is al-dente).
- While pasta is cooking, in large skillet add olive oil and brown turkey sausage and sauté until lightly browned, about five minutes (do NOT rinse skillet out). Transfer to medium bowl and set aside.
- To skillet, sauté onion, garlic, jalapeños and red pepper flakes for approximately 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, Rotel tomatoes and heavy cream. Simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
- In small bowl, combine water and cornstarch and whisk until smooth and add to skillet. Simmer until thickened, approximately 5 minutes.
- In 9x13 pan layer 1/2 of pasta, turkey sausage, sauce and cheese. Repeat again, ending with cheese on top. Bake until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
*This recipe first appeared on The Thankful Table.
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