One Perfect Bite: Smoked Sausage Casserole

Monday, September 14, 2015

Smoked Sausage Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe was originally featured on One Perfect Bite in October of 2008. Then, as now, this smoked sausage casserole was a favorite go-to meal on busy days. We will be on the road today and plan to have our main meal while we are in Portland. Dinner will be late and I wanted something that could be quickly made and on the table in a reasonable amount of time. This casserole, which is almost effortless, came to mind and I decided to make it for our dinner tonight. The casserole is made in the microwave and if you have developed reasonable speed with a knife, you can have this meal on the table in 30 minutes. It is great game day food and makes a perfect meal for the first cool days of autumn. I found this recipe, years ago, in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and it's perfect for the needs of the day. It's so simple and delicious that it should, also, be shared with others. This is Eastern European fare come to Oregon via Pennsylvania. My husband loves smoked sausage so this dish was a natural for us. If your family loves hearty, well-flavored food you'll want to give this cold weather casserole a try. The baked apples, topped with caramel sauce, were just a tempting afterthought. They, too, were prepared in the microwave. "Nuff said"!

SMOKED SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
1 yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
1 large onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley or basil

Directions:
1) Combine peppers, onion, garlic, potatoes, sausage, oil and spices in a large microwavable casserole with a lid. Mix well.
2) Cover. Cook on high power for 20 minutes, stirring ingredients every 5 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Stir in cream. Cover and cook another 2 minutes. Spoon into 4 soup bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve. Yield: 4 servings.