Foodie Fridays: Lazy Sausage Casserole

Hey Humble Readers...

I'm just barely going to squeak this post in on time today.  Yikes!  I've missed the last couple of Foodie Friday posts because I've been so tired, but I'm back and this recipe is a great one!

This is another recipe that I found through Pinterest.  I love the flavour combo, the flexibility of the ingredients to use whatever is available, and the low maintenence way this tastiness all comes together.   I made a few minor changes to the original recipe that comes from KayoticKitchen (great step by step pics!).

And by the way, when I say tastiness, I mean TAST-I-NESS!  It's one of those rare recipes where, as I was eating it the first time I told my Beloved that I was going to make it again the next week.  And I did.  I don't like cliches when it comes to food, but it's totally a party in your mouth.

Lazy Sausage Casserole

4 sausages (beef or pork.. I used hot italian sausage)
5 med potatoes
1/2 pound carrots (I used half a bag of pre-cut and peeled carrots)
1 bell pepper
1 large onion
1 fennel bulb (a few of the fronds reserved for garnish)
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 pint button mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
freshly cracked black pepper
Italian herbs (I used about a tsp each of oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes)
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450F.  Peel and quarter the potatoes.  Peel onions and cut into wedges leaving the root end intact.  Cut the fennel bulb into wedges.  Slice the bell pepper into thin strips.  Combine all veggies (potatoes, onion, fennel, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes in a large roasting pan.  In a medium sized bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, herbs and chicken broth.  Wisk together and pour mix over veggies.  Add freshly cracked black pepper (to taste) and toss the veggies to coat with all the herby-oily goodness.  Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Brown the sausages in a frying pan.  You don't need to cook the sausages through, just crisp up the casings.  When the veggies come out of the oven, remove the foil (veg will be fork tender).  Place the sausages on top of the veggies, and then pour the balsamic vinegar over the whole glorious mess.  Put back into the oven, uncovered.  After fifteen minutes, remove and baste everything with the juices from the bottom of the pan.  Continue to  bake for another 10-15 minutes.  Top with the reserved fennel fronds. 

That's it... beautiful tangy yumminess.  And, like many of my favourite recipes, it's easily adjustable.  If you don't have carrots, no sweat, just add more fennel or more taters.  Feeding an army?  You are only limited by the size of your roasting pan. 

Easy and yummy.  The best of both worlds.