Italian Casserole for a Crowd

Submitted by Theresa P

"Great casserole for a dinner party when you need something easy. Serve with garlic bread and salad and you have a meal."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 16-20

ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package noodles
• 1 1⁄2 lbs bulk Italian sausage
• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
• 1 (6 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese

directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; set aside.
2. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion and green pepper until meat is done and vegetables are tender; drain fat.
3. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and seasonings; simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in corn, olives, and noodles; mix well.
5. Divide into 2 oiled 9x13 baking dishes and top with cheese.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350°F.

Reviews

[Heidi in Wisconsin]

My highest praise for this recipe! I needed something quick for a potluck supper and found this recipe to be quick, easy and delicious. Others brought Italian-type casseroles to the potluck supper but this one was emptied quicker than all the others (my biased opinion: The others weren't nearly as good). People went back for seconds and thirds! 50+ people can't be wrong! My husband even requested this the following week because he didn't "get enough" of it the previous week--he doesn't do that very often! Yum! It was even better the 2nd time around! I used 2 jars of spaghetti sauce because I didn't have the tomato paste/sauce on hand the night I first made this. Also, I cut up the sausage (pre-cooked Italian) into chunks, seasoned everything and cooked it all with the ground beef. I also used a bit of mozzarella cheese on top for a special effect. Very easy, it does make a ton for extra an extra meal or extras. Great great GREAT recipe! Thanks!

 

[Dreamgoddess]

This recipe came together very quickly, so it would be great for nights you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry. I omitted the Italian sausage because my family doesn't like it. Other than that, I followed the recipe as far as ingredients. I did cut all the ingredients in half making only one 9x13" dish, but it was still way too much for my family to eat at one meal. I didn't add the cheese in with all the other ingredients. I topped the casserole with it the last five minutes of baking. I did feel like the casserole was missing something as it was in my opinion just a wee bit bland. Maybe this was due to my omitting the sausage. If I make this again, I'll probably play around with some more spices to add in just to jazz it up a bit.

 

[Claudia Dawn]

This is a terrific recipe! It makes a ton so I always freeze one for later. Thanks for sharing Theresa.