Meatball and Sausage Casserole

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Meatball and Sausage Casserole

As the grandfather of six oft-hungry children, Pierre Franey sought to develop dishes that would “capture their attention.” This hearty, kid-friendly casserole of meatballs, sausage, onions, peppers and mushrooms did not disappoint. It's sort of a cross between a casserole and a stew, and can be served over pasta or polenta, or with a huge hunk of bread to sop up the herb-y tomato sauce. If you'd like, you can easily substitute ground chicken, turkey, pork or veal for the beef in the meatballs (or any combination of them all). The meatballs are seasoned with Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, cumin, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Depending on the composition of the meatballs, you might want to try other favorite spices, too, like ginger, coriander seed or fennel.

Rating

Ingredients

  • 3/4pound ground turkey, chicken, beef, pork or veal or any combination
  • 1/2cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1egg
  • 1/4cup fresh or canned chicken broth
  • 1/8teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 4teaspoons chopped parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4sweet or hot Italian sausages, 1 pound
  • 1cup chopped onions
  • 1/4pound mushrooms, sliced
  • 1large green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2cups crushed canned tomatoes
  • 2teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/2cup dry white wine
  • 1bay leaf
  • 4tablespoons chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley
Set base servings to enable scaling:

Directions

Put the meat in a mixing bowl and add the bread crumbs, cheese, egg, broth, nutmeg, cumin, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Blend well and shape the mixture into 24 small meatballs.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick or enamelware skillet and add the meatballs. Cook, turning often, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs and set aside. Prick the sausages with a fork and add them to the pan. Cook, turning often, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Scatter the onions, mushrooms, green pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon garlic around the sausages, and sauté, about 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and the accumulated juices back to the pan (the pan will be crowded).

Add the tomatoes, rosemary, wine and bay leaf and stir to dissolve any browned particles on the bottom of the skillet. Cover closely and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and sprinkle with basil when served.

Nutrition

Info
Trans Fat: 0 gramsFat: 45 gramsCalories: 664Saturated Fat: 14 gramsUnsaturated Fat: 30 gramsSodium: 1192 milligramsSugar: 8 gramsFiber: 5 gramsCarbohydrate: 20 gramsProtein: 41 grams

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4766-meatball-and-sausage-casserole