Sausage Noodle Casserole, like Mac & Cheese, but Better

Do you crave something like mac and cheese only a little meatier? This Sausage Noodle Casserole is just the ticket. Glorified mac and cheese, full of comfort and love, dotted with spicy bits of sausage and juicy peppers.

Casseroles are some of my favorite things to prepare for dinner. Not only are they hearty, but they freeze well, bake up beautifully, and leave only one main dish to wash.

If you play your cards right, you can even sneak any amount of nutrition into a casserole while the kids and spouse aren’t looking. Mushrooms, onions, and peppers? Oh yeah, they hide very well in casseroles.

This Sausage Noodle Casserole has gone over extremely well at my house. It’s got all the homey comforts of macaroni and cheese, but extra oomph from the spicy sausage, veggies, and rich sauce. My kids keep asking for me to make it again and again.

How to make this sausage noodle casserole

So basically, this is a glorified mac and cheese, which isn’t all that complex, except for one thing. I do insist that you use Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup to prepare it. The homemade sauce really does take it over the top. A canned substitute just won’t do it. So, while you’re making the sauce, make extra so you can make several batches of this Sausage Noodle Casserole.

Trust me.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Rinse and drain.
3. In a large skillet, cook the sausage links until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove them from the pan. Once they are cool enough to handle, slice them thinly.
4. Saute the pepper, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in the drippings. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. In a large bowl, combine the soup and pesto. Whisk to combine.
6. Stir in the cooked noodles, sausages, and vegetables as well as the sundried tomatoes and 2 cups of the cheese. Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly

What kind of noodles are best for this sausage noodle casserole?

I like to use a short pasta – like a corkscrew pasta or penne. This type of pasta is best because it soaks up the homemade sauce.

Of course you can use what you have or what is on sale.

Can I use turkey sausage?

You absolutely can. Turkey sausage will make this dish a bit leaner as well. 

How I make this good and cheap:

This Sausage Noodle Casserole is pretty economical by virtue of its being a simple pasta dish. Here are some of the strategies I use to make this recipe even more affordable:

• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale! When I see a great price on pasta, I buy a lot of it. We almost always have a stockpile of noodles in the pantry. Bell peppers and Italian sausage go on sale often, so I load up when I can.
• Shop at your cheapest stores. This may vary based on where you live and how close you are to great stores. For me, Costco and ALDI are the best game in town, even though I have to drive a town over to get to them.
• A little dab will do ya. Sundried tomatoes and pesto are packed with flavor so you don’t need to use a lot.

Tools I use to make this recipe easy:

This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment to cook pasta! However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.

This post contains affiliate links which provide a means for me to earn fees linking to Amazon and other affiliate sites.

• large stockpot – Mine is a Kitchenaid that I’ve had for 14 years!
• collander – We just bought this one this year to replace a broken plastic one.
• large pasta bowl – I have this one and love it!
• plastic cutting board – I have several: blue for veggies; white for meats
• Ergo chef chef’s knife – some of my favorite knives

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4.5 from 2 votes

Sausage Noodle Casserole

Do you crave something like mac and cheese only a little meatier? This Sausage Noodle Casserole is just the ticket. Glorified mac and cheese, full of comfort and love, dotted with spicy bits of sausage and juicy peppers.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 573kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb penne pasta or other short noodle
• ▢ 19 oz hot Italian sausage links
• ▢ 1 bell pepper (any color) any color, cored, seeded, and chopped
• ▢ 1 onion chopped
• ▢ 8 oz mushrooms (sliced)
• ▢ 2 clove garlic peeled and sliced
• ▢ salt
• ▢ black pepper
• ▢ 4 cup Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
• ▢ 2 tbsp pesto
• ▢ 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (julienned) drained if packed in oil
• ▢ 3 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Rinse and drain.
• In a large skillet, cook the sausage links until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove them from the pan. Once they are cool enough to handle, slice them thinly.
• Saute the pepper, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in the drippings. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, combine the soup and pesto. Whisk to combine.
• Stir in the cooked pasta, sausages, and vegetables as well as the sundried tomatoes and 2 cups of the cheese. Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly

Notes

You can substitute turkey sausage to make this dish a bit leaner

Nutrition

Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.2g | Protein: 27.3g | Fat: 31.3g | Saturated Fat: 9.8g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 1467mg | Potassium: 560mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 5.2mg

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