Sausage Noodle Bake

Chef Patti Battista

Those cold days are approaching sooner than we'd like but I have a kid-tested recipe that will warm them up and get you in and out of the kitchen in a hurry. This recipe is from Bon Appetite's "Too Busy To Cook" and is a favorite among the kids I frequently service, not to mention the adults. Add a salad to this and some bread sticks and everyone is happy!

Sausage Noodle Bake

1 10 1/2 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. pork sausage, cooked and crumbled. I recommend Jimmy Dean regular.
1/4 lb. noodles, cooked...I use wide egg noodles
2 tbsp. chopped green pepper or veggie of choice.
2 tbsp. chopped pimentos (optional)
Buttered cracker crumbs.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter (spray) a 2 qt. casserole dish. Combine soup and milk in large bowl, mix well till blended. Add 1 cup of cheese and mix well. If mixture is hard to combine, microwave on 50 % power for 30 seconds and resume mixing.

Add sausage, noodles and the veggies and mix until well blended.

Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and cracker crumbs. Cover and bake 20 minutes, remove cover and bake 15 minutes more till top is golden and bubbly.

Serves 4 - 6.

This recipe easily doubles or triples, and can be used with just about any left over plain pasta you have. It also freezes well for a hearty lunch entree.

As always, try to keep hot foods above 140 degrees while they are out of the oven. This prevents any bacteria growth from starting due to the "danger zone" of holding temperatures. Once the casserole has cooled, place it in appropriate serving sizes for your family and refrigerate or freeze for up to 2 months. Make sure you label it with the date and contents so it won't end up a mystery food in a few weeks. If refrigerating it, use within 2 days to maintain its great flavor.

The Sausage Noodle Bake can be adjusted in many ways by trying different cheeses, veggies, noodles, creamed soups, and different sausages. It is similar to macaroni and cheese but has veggies and meat in it which makes it a hearty meal. Make it to fit your picky eaters and it will soon become a favorite. It is a great thing to take to pot-luck dinners as well, as most of it can be made ahead of time and baked at the last minute.

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