Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole
Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 mins Bake 30 mins Eat 1:00
Add flavor and reduce the calories in your Mac and Cheese with this Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole. Americans love our Mac and Cheese, but sometimes you want to have your Mac and eat healthy too. An old-fashioned casserole is real comfort food. Throw some favorite ingredients together and have an easy hearty weeknight meal while you hunker down for the evening. I love that this recipe can be made with whatever you have in your fridge, garden and pantry. Improvise with different vegetables, cheese and protein or keep it all veg.
What’s also great about this recipe is you can do a little prep when you first get home and then prep the veggies as needed for the next steps. You keep things moving along in between checking the mail, putting on your comfy clothes and feeding the dog and cat.
Grab your favorite pot and make the Veggie and Sausage Sauce.
White onion and chopped fennel are the base of the veggies.
Many good casseroles start with onions. I use white onion, which is more gentle on my tummy. Here I add in some fennel that grows in my garden to add extra flavor.
Sliced mushrooms and sausage get added to the onions.
Once the onion softens, I add sliced mushrooms and sausage removed from the casing. Cook until the sausage browns. The aroma of home cooking is filling your kitchen.
Use fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste and chopped carrots.
Next goes in the tomatoes, tomato paste and carrots. Season with salt, pepper, herbs. Cover and let all the flavors simmer together. I had some overripe tomatoes in my freezer that were perfect to add to this recipe, but canned tomatoes are just fine.
While the sauce is cooking, cook the macaroni and in the last few minutes of cooking, add some chopped greens (Swiss chard, kale, collards, spinach).
The Veggie and Sausage Sauce is Ready!
The Veggie Sauce is ready to layer between the macaroni noodles.
I love the colors in this sauce with a tomato base, but so much more deliciousness blended together!
Assemble the Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole.
First layer of macaroni in casserole dish.
Start with a layer of the noodles and greens in your favorite casserole dish.
The Veggie and Sausage Sauce covers the macaroni.
The Veggie and Sausage Sauce nestles into the macaroni.
I sprinkled a spare amount of queso fresca over the veggie sauce.
Top with your favorite cheese (ricotta, mozzarella, queso fresca, cheddar) and repeat with another layer. I used a spare amount of queso fresca because that’s what I had in the fridge. You can put on a thick layer of cheese if you want to go for it!
Repeat with another layer. Cover and put in the oven for 20 minutes, then relax and unwind from your day. Remove cover for remaining 10 minutes to brown the top a bit.
The Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole is ready for your guests.
In 30 minutes, your Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole is ready to be devoured. Enjoy!
The Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole is perfect for sharing.
This is a great dish for sharing. Make ahead for a party or a potluck event.
Also, check out my Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Greens.
Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole
I call this a healthy Mac and Cheese. I love that this recipe can be made with whatever you have in your fridge, garden and pantry. Improvise with different vegetables, cheese and protein or keep it all veg. Use your favorite greens. Choose between Swiss Chard, kale, collards or spinach. You can go sparingly with the cheese or go for it with extra. What’s also great about this recipe is you can do a few minutes of prep to get started and then prep the veggies as needed for the next steps. A great dish for sharing, make ahead for a party or a potluck event.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup fennel bulb, small dice (optional)
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 Italian sausages, casings removed
3 large carrots peeled and diced
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 teaspoon each assorted dried herbs – basil, oregano, fennel seed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
4 cups fresh greens, chopped (Swiss chard, collards, kale, spinach)
6 ounces + crumbled/shredded cheese (ricotta, mozarella, queso fresca, cheddar)
Procedure:
1. Bring pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a large pot, heat canola oil and add diced onion and fennel if using.
3. Once the onion softens, add sliced mushrooms and sausage removed from the casing. Cook until the sausage browns.
4. Next goes in the tomatoes, tomato paste and carrots. Season with salt, pepper, herbs. Cover and let all the flavors simmer together for 15 minutes or more.
5. While the sauce is cooking, cook the macaroni in boiling water according to package directions. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped greens to wilt. Cook until macaroni is al dente and drain.
6. Assemble the Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole. Grease the bottom of a casserole dish or 9 x 13 pan with canola oil. Layer half the macaroni and greens. Ladle half the Veggie and Sausage Sauce over the macaroni. Top with half of cheese and repeat with another layer of macaroni, veggie sauce and cheese.
7. Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes Remove cover and bake additional 10 minutes to brown the top a bit. Serve immediately.
Servings: 8 – 482 calories per serving
Oven Temperature: 375°F
Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 1/2 cup fennel bulb small dice (optional)
- 1/2 pound mushrooms sliced
- 3 Italian sausages casings removed
- 3 large carrots peeled and diced
- 1 15- ounce can diced tomatoes or 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
- 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon each assorted dried herbs - basil, oregano, fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound Elbow Macaroni uncooked
- 4 cups fresh greens chopped (Swiss chard, collards, kale, spinach)
- 6 ounces + crumbled/shredded cheese ricotta, mozarella, queso fresca, cheddar
Instructions
- Bring pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 375°.
- In a large pot, heat canola oil and add diced onion and fennel if using.
- Once the onion softens, add sliced mushrooms and sausage removed from the casing. Cook until the sausage browns.
- Next goes in the tomatoes, tomato paste and carrots. Season with salt, pepper, herbs. Cover and let all the flavors simmer together for 15 minutes or more.
- While the sauce is cooking, cook the macaroni in boiling water according to package directions. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped greens to wilt. Cook until macaroni is al dente and drain.
- Assemble the Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole. Grease the bottom of a casserole dish or 9 x 13 pan with canola oil. Layer half the macaroni and greens. Ladle half the Veggie and Sausage Sauce over the macaroni. Top with half of cheese and repeat with another layer of macaroni, veggie sauce and cheese.
- Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes Remove cover and bake additional 10 minutes to brown the top a bit. Serve immediately.
- Oven Temperature 375°
- ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com
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