Yummy recipe!!

I found a yummy recipe that I bought the stuff for and tried today. I'm not going to get all fancy and show pictures the way my niece, Maria, does but I will at least post it. The cool thing about it is you do all the cooking only once and it gives you 2 (yes, I said 2) 13 x 9 pans of casserole. MMMMMM!!!

Three-Cheese Kielbasa Bake

12 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni
2 lbs. kielbasa or Polish sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 medium carrots, grated
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes (I would use diced next time because the stewed tomatoes were in too big of chunks and Sarah and I are not fans of tomatoes)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 carton (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 green onions, chopped

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the sausage in oil over medium heat. Add the onions, zucchini, carrots and garlic; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Drain the macaroni.

In each of two greased 13 x 9 baking dishes, layer a fourth of the macaroni and meat sauce. Combine egg and ricotta cheese; spoon a fourth over sauce (I used a rubber spatula and kinda spread it gently over the sauce so it wasn't in clumps). Sprinkle with a fourth of the cheddar and mozarella. Repeat layers. Top with green onions.

Cool one casserole; cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles (8-10 servings each).



I suppose that you could add mushrooms, bell peppers, yellow squash, green chiles or whatever you wanted to. This is kinda like a mixed up lasagna. It is very yummy!!! Enjoy!!!