Sausage and Noodle Casserole

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish or spray it with cooking oil spray.

3. Cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling salted water following the package directions.

4. Drain in a colander and set aside.

5. Crumble the sausage into a large skillet and add the chopped onion and green bell pepper. 

6. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sausage has browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off excess drippings.

7. In a large bowl, combine the sausage mixture with the cream of chicken soup, water, and cooked noodles. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

8. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with crumbled french fried onions.

9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

10. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

• Consider browning large amounts of sausage and other kinds of ground meat ahead of time for meals throughout the week. Season as you like or add seasoning when you use it in a recipe. Freeze browned and well-drained ground meat in meal-size portions for up to 3 months. Be sure to label each container with the name and date.
• The casserole calls for a topping of crumbled french fried onion rings, but buttered breadcrumbs would work as well. Or skip the crumb topping and scatter about 1 cup of shredded cheddar or cheddar jack cheese on the casserole just before it comes out of the oven.
• Use your favorite brand of sausage in the casserole. Sweet or hot Italian sausage or chorizo would be delicious in the dish or use a country style breakfast sausage or a turkey sausage blend. 
• To add some color to the dish (along with nutrients) add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of lightly steamed frozen peas, mixed vegetables, or peas and carrots. Or add some freshly chopped parsley to the dish.
• While condensed soup is a convenience, you might prefer to make your sauce from scratch. The canned soup and water may be replaced with 2 cups of a basic white sauce. 
• Or add milk or half-and-half to the condensed soup for a richer sauce.
• The recipe calls for cream of chicken soup, but cream of celery or cream of mushroom may be used if you prefer, or if that's what you have on hand.