BEST CHICKEN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS MACARONI CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS:
- 14 ounces chicken sausage, casings removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 (14.5 oz can) petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 cups marinara sauce (I used my own homemade)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning or dried thyme
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 oz uncooked Delallo whole wheat or gluten free elbows
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large deep non-stick skillet, brown the sausage over high heat until cooked through, seasoning with a pinch of salt and breaking it up into smaller pieces as it cooks. Set aside on a dish.
- Add olive oil to the skillet, reduce heat to medium and add the onions,
garlic and peppers; sauté until the vegetables soft, about 6 to 7
minutes. - Return the sausage to the skillet along with the remaining ingredients except for the pasta and cheese.
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
- Spoon just enough of the sausage/vegetable mixture to cover the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
- Cover with uncooked pasta. Spoon remaining sauce mixture evenly over the top and sprinkle with cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Divide into 8 servings.
NUTRITION INFORMATION:
Yield: 8, Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups
- Amount Per Serving:
- Freestyle Points: 8
- Points +: 8
- Calories: 326 calories
- Total Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Cholesterol: 61mg
- Sodium: 574mg
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 2g
- Protein: 19g