Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole with Jalapeno Chicken Sausage

Last week I made spicy corn on the grill.  While I was grilling the corn, what you didn’t see on the right side of my grill was a package of spicy chicken jalapeno sausages roasting away.  I cooked them for the same amount of time as my corn (12-14 min).  As my corn and sausage did its thing on the grill, I thought about what I wanted to make with my (planned) leftover corn that could be made ahead and reheated easily later that evening for dinner… Casserole!  One of my most favorite things to make as the weather begins to become more fall like is casserole.  Who doesn’t like cheesy, creamy goodness filled with squash, grilled corn and sausage??  No one I know.  So, next time you’ve got some leftover corn… make this casserole!  It freezes well, could be made a day ahead and satisfies anyone’s craving for comfort food.  If you don’t feel like grilling corn or don’t have any leftover, you could use any type of corn you have on hand like canned or frozen varieties.  If possible, use frozen roasted corn to get that same charred flavor.  If you go the frozen corn route and don’t plan on firing up your grill, I also recommend cooking your sausage in the broiler or in a skillet to get some good color on it.  If you’re unsure how to cook spaghetti squash, I linked to a great tutorial by my buddy Janetha over at Meals and Moves below in the ingredient list.  Her method is by far the best I’ve tried.  Once the squash is done, I like to freeze it in one cup increments for future use.  I do the same thing with brown rice and quinoa for meals just like this.  That way, the next time I need a bit of cooked squash or quinoa, all I have to do is throw a quick defrost on it.  Serve this casserole with a dollop of Greek yogurt, hot sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro and thinly sliced green onion if desired.  

What You Need:

1 ½ cups cooked spaghetti squash (12 oz)

1 cup enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)

2 ears spicy grilled corn, kernels removed (or 1 ½ cups corn)

3 ½ grilled spicy jalapeno chicken sausages cut into small pieces (from Trader Joe's)

½ cup cooked grain, rice or small pasta like orzo (I used quinoa)

¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided

1 large egg

Foil

Cooking spray

Small casserole dish that can hold about 7 cups/ 2 quarts

What To Do:

Heat your oven to 350* and spray the inside of your casserole dish evenly with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients except for ¼ cup of the cheese and mix well.  Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining cheese and cover with foil.

Bake 45-50 minutes.  You’ll know it’s ready when the casserole is bubbling around all the edges.

Remove foil and hit the broiler setting on your oven to brown the top.  Stay close, as things can get burnt easily in the broiler.  Set a timer for 2 minutes and check and see if it’s browned.  If not, add 2 more minutes.

Serve immediately or allow the casserole to cool to room temperature and store in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to eat.

**Edited to add: Makes 4 - 1.5 cup servings

Nutritional Stats for 1 Serving

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Bon Appétit!

Mary

Spicy Greek Grilled Vegetable & Orzo Salad

You’ll want to make sure you keep your orzo warm by not rinsing it after it cooks. Instead, I like to toss it with a half teaspoon of olive oil after draining it. When it’s warm, the pasta can better absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette. Now the trick with the olives, peppers and onions is to make sure that everything is the same size. The best way to do this is to quarter your olives first so you know what size you’re going to want your pepper and onion to be. Make this salad as spicy as you like by just dialing up the red pepper flakes. We like really spicy food, so I used a rounded teaspoon here. I recommend starting out with a half of a teaspoon and going from there, making it to suit your taste. Serve at room temperature for best results. If you didn’t feel like heating up your grill, you could sauté the onion and pepper in a teaspoon of oil over medium high heat for about eight minutes or until well browned.

What You Need:

½ lb orzo
1 red bell pepper, quarter – remove seeds & membrane
1 medium red onion, sliced horizontally in ½“pieces – leave skin on, it burns off on the grill
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
2 tsp fresh oregano, minced & divided
2 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs olive oil, plus ½ tsp
½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste – I use 1+)
¼ tsp kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper

What To Do:

Cook orzo according to the packages instructions in well salted water to al dente. Once the pasta is done, drain and toss with ½ tsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, whisk together lemon juice, 3 Tbs olive oil, 1 tsp oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the warm pasta into the dressing, mix well and set aside.

Heat an outdoor grill to 400*. Over a medium high heat, grill onions and peppers until deeply browned on both sides. The time will vary depending on the thickness of your vegetables. Mine took about 15 minutes.

Cut grilled pepper and onion into ¼ “pieces. They should be about the same size as the quartered olives. Add vegetables, olives and remaining oregano to the pasta and vinaigrette – stir to combine. Serve at room temperature with additional red pepper flakes to pass at the table.

Serves 6

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**Edited to add: Here are the nutritional stats for 1 of 6 generous servings.**

Bon Appetit!
Mary