Beef and Italian Sausage Casserole

Submitted by Dancer

"This is a hardy casserole, our friend Joe, loves making this. He changes up the sausage from time to time but always uses something with a kick to it."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage or 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 1 (28 ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons juice)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed, drained
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb mostaccioli pasta, cooked al dente, drained
• 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• nonstick cooking spray
• 12 ounces fontina or 12 ounces provolone cheese, grated

directions

1. Cook first 6 ingredients in large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until sausage and beef are brown, crumbling with fork, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, 2 tablespoons juice (from tomatoes), tomato paste and pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon.
3. Add kidney beans and heat through.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add mostaccioli, Parmesan and parsley and toss to combine.
6. Spray 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
7. Transfer mixture to prepared pan.
8. Sprinkle with cheese.
9. Bake until cheese melts, about 30 minutes.

Reviews

[Josephine L.]

This recipe is amazing!!! I can't say enough about it. I've made it twice now and both times I eliminated the Thyme simply because I don't use it too often and I keep forgetting to buy it! Even so, I'll probably never add Thyme because we love it without it and I'm afraid it will change the taste of it. I've used provolone cheese both times. It really makes all the difference. Most people expect mozzarella, and to be honest I wasn't too sure about using provolone, but it really is the perfect flavor for this casserole. Kudos to your friend Joe for the recipe and to you for posting it!!! (There's no oven temp posted, so I've been going with the standard 350'. I hope that's right.)