Need a pasta casserole idea that can stretch a pound of Ital sausage over 2 nights

[HappyGrace]

It doesn't have to be a casserole but I thought that might stretch the sausage further. It is loose sausage, not links. I need to be thrifty right now so even better if it doesn't need much cheese, etc.

[Blueridge]

I've made a huge pasta casserole with a pound of hamburger that was enough for 2 meals. I added lots and lots of veggies to stretch it. Black olives, green olives, onions, celery, canned chunk tomatoes, corn...anything that I had available at the time to mix into the sauce. A little parm on the top and it was great.

[AndyJoy]

When I just have a bit of sausage or hamburger I make my elegantly named "Italian pasta stuff":lol:

 

I just mix cooked penne pasta, a bit of meat, spaghetti sauce, and whatever items I have on hand or can get for cheap that seem like they would fit. Italian squash, yellow squash, zucchini, onion, green pepper, olives, mushrooms, and carrots are the ones I can think of of the top of my head. If I have cheese on hand, I sprinkle with a bit before serving. I buy french bread on the clearance bread rack if I'm going to serve it that day or use random leftover sandwich bread to make garlic bread. It's cheap, dh likes it, and it cleans out my fridge! It's basically my Italian version of stir-fry.:001_smile:

[AndyJoy]

I've made a huge pasta casserole with a pound of hamburger that was enough for 2 meals. I added lots and lots of veggies to stretch it. Black olives, green olives, onions, celery, canned chunk tomatoes, corn...anything that I had available at the time to mix into the sauce. A little parm on the top and it was great.

:iagree:Looks like I was a bit slower to post! It always turns out yummy.

[Melinda in VT]

Do you have a can of pumpkin and some cream? There's a yummy pumpkin sausage sage pasta sauce that I think would work fine with half a pound of sausage. That would give you the other half for tomorrow.

[whitestavern]

You could also just split the sausage and create two separate meals, ie one soup and one pasta dish, or pizza one night and an egg strata the next. As previous posters have noted, stretch it with lots of veggies, etc.

[kathkath]

baked ziti

[Soror]

You could also just split the sausage and create two separate meals, ie one soup and one pasta dish, or pizza one night and an egg strata the next. As previous posters have noted, stretch it with lots of veggies, etc.

 

That is what I'd do. How about a sausage and rice w/ lots of veggies and then a sausage and pasta casserole.

 

I had 1 cup of chicken last night and I made a huge pot of Thai Cocnut Curry, adding lots of dehydrated carrots, canned tomatoes, frozen green beans and peas served over rice. It was very filling w/ the veggies and the coconut oil I sauteed it in and was enough for our family to have 2 meals and feed our 2 priests as well.

[elfgivas]

how many people are you feeding each night?

 

if you are feeding four, then any recipe where you are putting the meat in a sauce will work. if you are feeding eight, then that's a little harder....

 

this recipe looks good for the second night because you could use any leftovers from the first night as part of the casserole. i'd half the recommended amount of cheese, too.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-penne-with-italian-sausage/

 

so maybe spaghetti the first night and the baked penne the second night?

maybe make small meatballs to go with the spaghetti the first night.... combine some grated zucchini and oatmeal with an egg with half the sausage, and that should stretch it enough to serve 4-6 well enough.... and sneak in added veggies to boot ;).

 

hth,

ann

[HappyGrace]

I was hoping to not do anything with red sauce since we're having red sauce from the freezer another night.

 

I also already have three soup meals on for the next two wks, some of them stretching over two nights.

 

I might look up a sausage/rice recipe for the one night and a pasta casserole for next night, good idea.

 

OR maybe just do the pasta casserole as suggested up the thread and maybe make a white sauce to bake it in to make it creamy, and add some veggies. I don't have many veggies, but maybe just onion and garlic and celery (which I have on hand) and buy one green pepper to cut up in it.

 

Yes, we are feeding four people.

[JFSinIL]

I've made a huge pasta casserole with a pound of hamburger that was enough for 2 meals. I added lots and lots of veggies to stretch it. Black olives, green olives, onions, celery, canned chunk tomatoes, corn...anything that I had available at the time to mix into the sauce. A little parm on the top and it was great.

 

Yeah - add lots of veggies and use lots of pasta - enough cheese/sauce will work wonders. Broccoli is good, too - you can peel and cut up the stalks, too, you know. Think of you pound of sausage as flavoring more than as a main ingredient.

 

Add a can of beans to increase the protein and you are good to go. If folks ask why are their beans in the pasta dish call it pasta -fazoile casserole.

[Blueridge]

I was hoping to not do anything with red sauce since we're having red sauce from the freezer another night.

 

I also already have three soup meals on for the next two wks, some of them stretching over two nights.

 

I might look up a sausage/rice recipe for the one night and a pasta casserole for next night, good idea.

 

OR maybe just do the pasta casserole as suggested up the thread and maybe make a white sauce to bake it in to make it creamy, and add some veggies. I don't have many veggies, but maybe just onion and garlic and celery (which I have on hand) and buy one green pepper to cut up in it.

 

Yes, we are feeding four people.

 

I see...how about still adding veggies of any kind and then making a simple alfredo sauce by making a white sauce and adding garlic and parm? Yummy! That for one night, the rice (add onion, garlic, pepper, and celery) and sausage for the other, and they look totally different. :)

[TheReader]

I see that you have several soups planned already, so you might not want this for this time, but I make a delicious potato soup that is a thick, creamy soup and easily feeds the 5 of us for 2 meals.

 

Cut up 6 to 8 potatoes, depending on size (the more potatoes, obviously the farther it stretches) and put in the crock pot on low (or you can do this in a soup pot on the stove at dinner time) with water, a chicken or veggie bouillon cube or 2, and pepper. Put the sausage in at the same time, and you can stretch if farther by mixing in lentils or split peas as well (put them in at the same time as the potato).

 

About 30 mins before it is done, put in milk, sort of mash up the potatoes (to thicken), take the lid off if needed to get rid of excess water, and add in shredded parmesan cheese & a little butter. Stir this in well and let cook in and thicken for about 30 mins.

 

Just before you serve, add in two large handfuls of shredded kale or other green (fresh spinach would work, for ex). Stir well. Serve with extra parmesan shredded on top and a crusty bread on the side.

 

Another option for sausage is chili -- a mix of various types of beans, the sausage, serve over rice, top with shredded cheese. Add in peppers, tomatoes, etc. to further stretch it.

 

Or if you don't want soup, brown the sausage and split it between two meals -- make one baked potatoes and offer the sausage, cheese, etc. as topping, serve with a salad.

Edited June 5, 2012 by TheReader
sausage, not chili....

[HappyGrace]

Thank you so much, everyone! I knew you would all have some great ideas! I wrote them down for next grocery shopping week too (I shop every two wks) because there is another pound of Ital sausage in the freezer for then!

[KungFuPanda]

This feeds a crowd and is easy:

 

1 lb ground, browned sausage

1 jar sauce

I can chopped tomatoes drained

2-4 cups mozzarella cheese (or more)

1 small tub ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)

1 lb cooked (or slightly undercooked) ziti

Bell peppers (as many as you like in whatever color) cut into strips

 

Mix it altogether, reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top, and bake until bubbly (about 30 minutes)