My morning started trying to decide what to do with two cups of cherry tomatoes. I also had Italian Sausages in my refrigerator and during this time staying home with limited trips to the store, it is time to cook with what I have on hand. I roasted the tomatoes and made a casserole of Italian Sausage and Rice. I rarely make a casserole, however, it just seemed like we needed a bit of comfort food. A great combination and a wonderful satisfying dinner.
Remember, if you do not have fresh herbs, you can always substitute dried herbs you might have on hand. Use brown rice instead of white rice or ground beef/chicken/turkey for the sausage. It is time to be creative in the kitchen!
Italian Sausage and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- 1 pound Italian sausage, remove casings
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, diced or shredded
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Saute onion and mushrooms in oil until tender. Add sausages in small pieces and break apart while cooking, cook until browned, drain. In a mixing bowl combine rice and cheese, add sausage mixture. Transfer mixture to a greased 2 quart baking dish. Combine eggs and parsley, pour over rice-sausage mixture. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with tomato confit.
Tomato Confit
tomatoes are slow-cooked with olive oil, garlic, and herbs into a luxuriously rich condiment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 springs fresh rosemary
- 2 springs fresh thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients in a baking pan – approximately 8 x 8. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove garlic, rosemary and thyme. Leftovers can be refrigerated, bring to room temperature prior to serving.