Name: Sausage Casserole With Cheesy Rice and Squash
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 2 delicata squash (2 pounds total), halved crosswise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing, crumbled (1 cup); 1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups); 1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped (1 1/2 cups); 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted, diced tomatoes; 3 cups cooked white rice; 12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, such as Polly-O, cut into small cubes (2 cups)

Sausage Casserole With Cheesy Rice and Squash

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It's a satisfying, crowd-pleasing dish that's easy to put together.

Greg Lofts

Published on December 15, 2024

sausage casserole with cheesy rice and squash — Photo:
Murray Hall

Prep Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Servings:

4 to 6

Minimal effort and maximum flavor, that’s this sausage casserole. It packs the comforting textures and hearty flavors of stuffed squash into an easy casserole with sweet sausage, bell pepper, canned tomatoes, and rice. The squash (we call for delicata, but any thin-skinned variety would work) is roasted to concentrate its sweet flavor and create those coveted golden-brown edges. Then it's mixed right in the baking dish with the other ingredients, layered with mozzarella, and baked to melty, crispy-topped perfection. The result is a colorful, hearty, crowd-pleasing dish to share with your favorite crowd.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Sausage: This recipe was developed with sweet Italian sausage, which is how we prefer it. However, you can swap in spicy Italian sausage, chicken sausage, or plant-based sausage if you like.

Winter Squash: Delicata is our go-to squash for this casserole. Its thin skin and cute rings make it the star of the dish. Acorn or carnival squashes may be used in lieu of delicata. Cut these larger squashes into 1/2-inch-thick wedges to roast instead of rings.

Canned tomatoes: We don't use any old canned tomatoes for this casserole; we opt for fire-roasted canned tomatoes because they bring a delicious smokiness to the dish. They are sold in the same section of the grocery store as regular canned tomatoes.

Cheese: Low-moisture mozzarella is the best cheese for this casserole. It browns better and is more strechy than regular mozzarella, which can be substituted if you can't find the low-moisture variety. You can also swap in another cheese that melts well, such as Gruyère, but it would bring a different and more pronounced flavor to the dish.

Equipment Needs for This Casserole and Alternatives

This dish is so streamlined it's almost a one pot. Most of the action happens in a large oven-proof skillet. If you don’t have one, transfer the casserole mixture to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish before topping with remaining squash rounds and cheese and baking.

The only other equipment needed besides the absolute basics—knife, cutting board, can opener, and wooden spoon—is a baking sheet to roast the squash on.

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Ingredients

2 delicata squash (2 pounds total), halved crosswise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing, crumbled (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted, diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked white rice
12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, such as Polly-O, cut into small cubes (2 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven; roast squash:

Preheat oven to 400˚F. On a rimmed baking sheet, lightly drizzle squash with oil and season; spread into a single layer. Roast, flipping once, until tender and wrinkling at the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.
Cook sausage and vegetables:

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet, such as cast iron, over medium. Add sausage, onion, bell pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add seasoning, stir in rice and tomatoes:

Add Italian seasoning and pepper flakes; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and rice and continue cooking until heated through, about 2 minutes more.
Fold in half squash and 2/3 of cheese; top with remaining squash and cheese:

Remove from heat, gently fold in half of the squash and about 2/3 of the cheese. Top with remaining squash and cheese.
Reduce oven temp and bake:

Reduce oven to 350˚. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden in a few places, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes, before serving.