we have quite a bit of chicken sausage in our fridge because my mom so generously bought us a costco size pack to stock up our fridge. i was hunting around for a creative way to use chicken sausage and i found this great dish! usually when i think casserole i think high calorie/carb, creamy, and super heavy, but this casserole is light and healthy!
(photo and recipe courtesy of The Kitchn)
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1/2 lb chicken sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2/3 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- thyme
- red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper
Directions:
1) Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
2) Cut the cauliflower head into bite-sized florets. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat and stir in salt. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for 2 minutes. Drain into a colander and run cold water over the florets to stop the cooking process.
3) Place a sauté pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sausage and cook until it gets crispy. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the onion, garlic, thyme, and red peppers flakes to the pan. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4) Toss the sauce with the cauliflower and then spread the cauliflower and sausage mix in the prepared baking dish. Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan and sprinkle evenly over the cauliflower. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
5) Place the baking dish in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until breadcrumbs have browned and the sauce is bubbling. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
6) Enjoy!
this dish was surprisingly tasty! according to the original recipe, a little bit of sausage can go a long way. the sausage was balanced by the nuttiness of the cauliflower, which soaked up the sausage and tomato saucy goodness. yum! we ate this dish with salad and some pasta and it was perfect!
happy sunday everyone!
alice in cook-ING land 