Baked Spaghetti Casserole with Andouille Sausage

Just YUM! 

 
It's Day 2 of Casserole Week with Creole Contessa and I've just created some serious Casserole Goodness!  My Baked Spaghetti Casserole with Andouille Sausage is just plain YUM!

I can't really explain the level of baked goodness happening, so you must make this dish to fully understand what I am talking about...

After we brown the ground turkey and fresh andouille sausage in olive oil, I add the tomato paste, this is a very important step.

The whole point is to "bust" the tomato paste open by cooking it with the meat before adding the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth.

Next, we allow all the ingredients to simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes before tossing in the parmigiano reggiano.

Hello people, taste your food as it cooks, we need to make sure our flavor is on point!

I boiled my pasta in a big pot of salted water, only cook the pasta for 9 minutes because the pasta will finish cooking as it bakes.

Don't forget to toss in the fresh Italian Parsley.

Just YUM!

I know, more pictures, but this looks so good, I can't help myself...lol!

Last one people, and YES, it's a close up!

Baked Spaghetti Casserole with Andouille Sausage

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes up to 4 hours
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 lb andouille sausage, fresh, casing removed
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb spaghetti pasta, cooked 9 minutes
1 red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon creole seasoning or seasoning salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
4 oz. parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup jack cheese, grated
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti 9 minutes. We will finish cooking it in the oven.

Mix seasonings and set aside.

In a large soup pot heated over medium heat add 2 tablespoon of olive oil, add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add ground turkey and andouille sausage and break apart.  Season with 1 tablespoons of seasoning blend and cook until browned about 15 minutes.

Add tomato paste and mix well, cook for 5 more minutes. Season with 1 tablespoon more of spice blend and mix well. Add tomato sauce and chicken broth, season with remaining seasoning blend and mix well.

Lower heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chopped parsley and mix well and allow sauce to cook about 15 more minutes. Add 1/2 cup of parmigiano reggiano and mix well. Stir in cooked spaghetti.

Transfer mixture to a greased 13X9 inch casserole dish. Dot the top with mozzarella cheese, cover with sharp/jack cheese mixture and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes covered with foil.

Remove foil and broil for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool 10 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.