Macaroni & Hot Italian Sausage

A macaroni casserole is always welcome in most families. Use mild sausage or bratwurst if you prefer. I like a bit of spice so I like to add a couple of jalapenos chopped and perhaps some olives or some hot sauce. Make it as hot or as mild as you like. Good meal for those fall/winter days ahead. Serve with a green salad and crusty rolls and there's your meal.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  lbs  hot Italian sausages, remove casings
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 8  ounces  medium mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• 2  cups  uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1⁄4 cup sherry wine
• 1⁄2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 (10 ounce) can  beef consomme
• 1 (10 ounce) can water
• 1  cup sour cream or 1  cup 2% fat cottage cheese, whipped until smooth
•  chopped fresh parsley
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese or 1⁄4 cup asiago cheese

Directions

1. Spray a skillet with oil, heat.
2. Add sausage, cook until crumbly, break it up as you are cooking the sausage, pour off excess fat.
3. Add mushrooms and onion, cook until tender.
4. Turn sausage, mushrooms and onion into an oven proof dish (approx 9x13").
5. Pour sherry into the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to scrape up the brown bits.
6. Pour sherry over the sausage mixture.
7. Stir in the tomato sauce, beef consommé, water and pasta.
8. Bake in 375°F oven (covered) for 1 hour or until pasta is tender.
9. Stir in sour cream (or cottage cheese).
10. Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley.
11. Serve.