Penne a La Vodka Casserole

For Husband's birthday dinner, I referred to an old favorite--Emeril's Penne a La Vodka casserole. It's hearty, delicious, feeds 12 people (which is perfect for a crowd OR when you're trying to stretch your groceries) AND it gave me an excuse to use another goody from my Foodbuzz Tastemaker package--Emeril's Original Essence seasoning. Sometimes I cheat a little (such as using Vodka Sauce from a jar instead of making it from scratch) but you really can't tell the difference. This time I added roasted red peppers for a little extra kick, and I loved the flavor they added. Bonus: It tastes even better the next day--our leftovers lasted us almost a week!


Penne a La Vodka Casserole
adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
1 pound hot Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
2 large onions, diced
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 jar Vodka sauce
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, sliced into strips
1 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence
1 pound penne pasta
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
11/2 cups grated mozzarella

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the sausages and cook, stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are just soft, about 4 minutes. Add the red peppers, basil and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the Vodka sauce and Essence; stir to mix, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Heat about 4 quarts of water with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well. Combine half of the ricotta cheese and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano in a large mixing bowl. Add the pasta and toss to coat evenly. Add the sausage mixture and mix well. Add the remaining ricotta cheese and the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix well.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until bubbly and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Mexican Casserole

We had a potluck dinner with our Sunday School class the other night, and as usual, I fretted over what to make. I wanted to do something that was easy, could feed a large crowd and most importantly—really, really yummy. I curled up on the couch surrounded by my cookbooks, magazines, recipe cards and a glass of wine (I find that wine always helps in any cooking process). Husband looked at me at one point and said “I think you’re over-thinking this”. Duh.

I finally settled on a new favorite in our house—Mexican Casserole. My sister gave me the recipe a few weeks ago and it was a big hit. You can’t go wrong with this one—cheese, rice, ground beef, Rotel and Doritos. What’s not to love (although, it tastes better than it looks!).

I think I might experience with the topping to see if I can get it to look more like "Gourmet Casserole al la Mexicana" and less like “Congealed Cheese Mess”. I added a little garnish to the top, but you can see what good that did. ;) Luckily, no one seemed to mind. I even heard one guest say it was his “favorite dish by far”. Maybe that will keep me from freaking out the next time I need to cook something…but probably not.

Ingredients:

1 Family Size package of Saffron Rice (gold package)
1 ½ lbs. of lean ground beef
1 lb. of Velveeta cheese
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can of Rotel Tomatoes and Diced Chilies (I used Hot for an extra kick, but Mild still adds good flavor)
1 bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos
2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese (a Fiesta blend works great as well)


Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook rice according to package directions.
3. Brown ground beef and drain the fat.
4. Cut the Velveeta into cubes so it will melt easier.
5. Combine the cooked rice and meat with the cheese, mixing until well blended.
6. Add soup and Rotel, stirring until blended. Pour into 9x13 casserole dish.
7. Crush Doritos and spread on top of casserole. Add shredded cheese over Doritos.
8. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until heated through.

The Doritos really make the dish, believe it or not. I’m thinking of creating a similar recipe using my favorite Doritos-Cool Ranch. Maybe a Chicken, Bacon and Ranch Casserole? I’ll keep you posted.