I love easy and cheesy pasta recipes, like this pork sausage casserole: it features tasty ground pork, sautéed onions and bell peppers, and lots and lots of white cheddar!
The HUSBAND and I returned from our honeymoon last weekend: two weeks of bliss in the Mediterranean. It was simply amazing! But amid all the delicious food, lazy pool time, and incredible excursions, sometimes I still missed home. I missed my puppies! And I really missed cooking! I know, I’m nuts, right?
Seriously, though, this dish is an example of why I say that. It is like the definition of comfort food, and makes me crave those late nights curled up at home under a blanket on the sofa with my new hubby and the puppies! (Watching Game of Thrones, most likely.)
I love noodle casseroles because 1) I love pasta, and 2) they are so simple. This recipe, for example, comes together in just an hour, with a chunk of that time dedicated to the oven! Easy peasy.
I’ve seen a lot of chicken pasta bakes recently, which I do love (obviously), but for this one I wanted to try something different. The saltiness of the pork plays very nicely off the crunchy red and green bell peppers. Bell peppers are one of my favorite vegetables to put in casseroles like this because they hold up really nicely to the heat and they bring a beautifully peppery flavor profile that complements most types of meat.
I also think dried spices are hugely underrated, and one of my goals now is to make better use of them. In this recipe, I featured dried oregano (seriously, how delicious is oregano? #underated!), thyme, and paprika for a little bit of heat.
And of course it wouldn’t be a cheesy pork sausage casserole without some a lot of cheese! This recipe features lots and lots of white cheddar, but if you prefer a different type of white cheese you could easily substitute it out for something less bold (such as mozzarella or gruyere) if that is your thang!
Related: Creamy Chicken Ramen Casserole
Now it’s your turn: what is your favorite way to enjoy noodle casseroles? Let me know by commenting below, and be sure to post your favorite recipe!
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium-sized onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 lb. ground pork sausage
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ¼ tsp. dried thyme
- ¼ tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ cup white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup light sour cream
- 12 oz. egg noodles
- 1 ½ cups white cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook egg noodles until al dente according to packaging. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water when straining noodles.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil. Sauté onion and bell peppers for about 6-8 minutes, until onions are translucent. Season with a pinch of salt. Add ground pork and break down meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook mixture until meat is browned, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oregano, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper and stir until meat is fully coated in spices. Add white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to medium-low and add heavy cream and sour cream, stirring just until combined. Remove pan from heat and stir in cooked egg noodles and 1 cup of white cheddar cheese. Stir until mixture is combined.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining ½ cup white cheddar cheese and panko bread crumbs. Stir until combined.
- Transfer noodle and pork mixture to a large casserole dish. Top with panko and cheddar cheese mixture. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and drizzle over the top of the casserole. Cover with tin foil and cook for 20 minutes in preheated oven.
- Turn broiler on. Remove tin foil from casserole dish. Broil casserole for 5 minutes, until panko and cheese mixture is golden brown and bubbling. Enjoy!
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