Potato and Italian Sausage Bake

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purple.alien.giraffe

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Potato and Italian Sausage Bake

This is not a low calory dish. You probably can figure that out just by the title. It is a really tastey dish and is good as a side to a large green salad (or other veggie heavy dish).

You will need a 9" x 9" baking dish. I used a ceramic casserole dish and that worked well.

1/2 lb sweet or mild Italian bulk sausage
Potatoes, any kind (I used 8 small to medium yukon golds but the number of potatoes you need will vary depending on potato size), thinly sliced, enough for three layers in your baking dish
2/3 cup sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion (about baseball size), thinly sliced
About 1 tblsp minced or crushed garlic
3, 1/2 tsp oregano (there are three layers, you need 1/2 tsp for each)
3, 1/2 tsp basil (there are three layers, you need 1/2 tsp for each)
1/4 cup grated asiago
1/2 cup grated parmesan split into two equal portions
Flour
Milk or cream

Lightly brown the sausage, breaking it up into small chunks and crumbles as it cooks. When finished, drain extremely well and set aside to cool. Slice, chop, mince, etc. the peppers, onions, garlic, and potatoes. Grate the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Lightly oil or butter the sides and bottom of your baking dish. Sprinkle flour into dish and shake around to coat the bottom and sides. It's OK if there is a small amount of loose flour left.

Begin with a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the dish. The layer doesn't have to be overlapping, you can leave little gaps. Sprinkle 1/3 of the sausage over the potatoes, letting some of it settle into the gaps. Sprinkle in half of the garlic making sure to get a little all over the layer. Sprinkle in 1/3 of the red pepper. Dust all of this with a small amount of flour (like you would for scallop potatoes). The flour should lightly coat everything without being so thick that you can't see the ingredients underneath. Now sprinkle half the parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp basil over the layer. Layer on 1/3 of the thinly sliced onions.

For the next layer, repeat the above process but use the 1/4 cup asiago in place of the parmesan. For the final layer, repeat the process again only without the garlic and using the remaining parmesan.

Once the layers are finished, gently pour in milk or cream, just enough to come up the sides and just barely cover the top layer of potatoes. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, then turn the oven up to 400 F and bake for another 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes to give it time to set up (this is the hardest part because it smells really good). Cut, serve, and enjoy.
 
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This sounds very rich and tasty. I make a quicker, dairy-less version when I'm in a hurry to get supper in the oven on the way to our tummies. I use link Italian sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces, plus chunks or wedges of a mix of veggies: potatoes, onions, green, yellow and orange peppers, plus the Italian seasonings. I mix it all with a bit of olive oil and spread it in one layer on a baking sheet (or two) and put into a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Stir it once or twice while baking so that all the pieces get a bit caramelized. If I have firm zucchini I might chunk and toss those in about half-way through. Quicker and easier, but maybe not quite as yummy as yours. I think next time I make mine I'll add some fresh-grated Parm to the finished product.
 
When I drain meat, I save that fat and then brush it on the baking dish. Any food items needed for the complete dish, can be sautéed in that fat before adding to the final dish.

That fat is very useful for a frittata dish when sautéing the potatoes, peppers and onions. It really adds that extra flavor throughout the whole presentation. What is left over goes into my bacon fat can. (Kept in the fridge.) :angel:
 
Potato and Italian Sausage Bake

This is not a low calory dish. You probably can figure that out just by the title. It is a really tastey dish and is good as a side to a large green salad (or other veggie heavy dish).

You will need a 9" x 9" baking dish. I used a ceramic casserole dish and that worked well.

1/2 lb sweet or mild Italian bulk sausage
Potatoes, any kind (I used 8 small to medium yukon golds but the number of potatoes you need will vary depending on potato size), thinly sliced, enough for three layers in your baking dish
2/3 cup sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion (about baseball size), thinly sliced
About 1 tblsp minced or crushed garlic
3, 1/2 tsp oregano (there are three layers, you need 1/2 tsp for each)
3, 1/2 tsp basil (there are three layers, you need 1/2 tsp for each)
1/4 cup grated asiago
1/2 cup grated parmesan split into two equal portions
Flour
Milk or cream

Lightly brown the sausage, breaking it up into small chunks and crumbles as it cooks. When finished, drain extremely well and set aside to cool. Slice, chop, mince, etc. the peppers, onions, garlic, and potatoes. Grate the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Lightly oil or butter the sides and bottom of your baking dish. Sprinkle flour into dish and shake around to coat the bottom and sides. It's OK if there is a small amount of loose flour left.

Begin with a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the dish. The layer doesn't have to be overlapping, you can leave little gaps. Sprinkle 1/3 of the sausage over the potatoes, letting some of it settle into the gaps. Sprinkle in half of the garlic making sure to get a little all over the layer. Sprinkle in 1/3 of the red pepper. Dust all of this with a small amount of flour (like you would for scallop potatoes). The flour should lightly coat everything without being so thick that you can't see the ingredients underneath. Now sprinkle half the parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp basil over the layer. Layer on 1/3 of the thinly sliced onions.

For the next layer, repeat the above process but use the 1/4 cup asiago in place of the parmesan. For the final layer, repeat the process again only without the garlic and using the remaining parmesan.

Once the layers are finished, gently pour in milk or cream, just enough to come up the sides and just barely cover the top layer of potatoes. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, then turn the oven up to 400 F and bake for another 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes to give it time to set up (this is the hardest part because it smells really good). Cut, serve, and enjoy.
Sounds good for a winter's day when you've been out in the cold.
 
Oooh, adding green beans sounds like a good idea. Thanks!

CG, I make something a lot like what you mentioned only with sweet potatoes in place of the regular potatoes. It's really good and I imagine it would be really good with regular potatoes too.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Discuss Cooking mobile app
 
p.a.g., I'll have to try it with sweet potato. I look for ways to hide them in food since I know they're supposed to be better than white potatoes, but I just can't cozy up to them standing alone.
 
All day I have been thinking of the sausage bake. So at midnight I went out to the kitchen and made a big pan for a frittata. Potatoes, onions, garlic, and cut up sausage. I wish I had some broccoli on hand I would have tossed some of that in. Beat up five eggs, tossed it in with the whole thing, and then browned the top under the broiler. By the time I had everything prepped and cooked, it was quite late. The Pirate and I each had a small piece. I put the rest in the fridge. I woke up later and went out into the kitchen to get a cold glass of water from the fridge. I looked at the frittata and there was just enough for two small helpings. Evidently it must have been good. Or The Pirate was testing it to make sure while I was sleeping.

There were three large potatoes, one very large Vidalia onion, four small cloves of garlic, and two Italian and four breakfast sausages cut up into small pieces. Add five eggs to all of that. That should have been enough us to eat tonight and also for lunch tomorrow. I don't know how I managed it, but it was perfectly seasoned. So what the heck can I make tomorrow. Will have to scour the cupboard. Tomorrow will be a mystery meal. :angel:
 
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