Rotini Chorizo Casserole

My husband is from Phoenix AZ and ♥'s chorizo sausage. For those of you who have never heard of chorizo, it is a spicy Spanish pork sausage. Mexican verities are often soft sausages marinated in paprika, chilies and vinegar. Chorizo can be a major diet killer as it is usually made with fattier ground pork for a more flavorful taste. So this recipe is an attempt to maintain the flavor without sacrificing our health :)

Utensils:
9 x 13" casserole dish (mine is glass)
cutting board and knives (for chopping veggies)
Small saucepot (For cooking the pasta)
Tin Foil


Ingredients:

15oz Ground chorizo sausage, cooked and drained

1c - Dry rotini pasta, cooked (do not overcook!)
26oz - Jar of marinara sauce
2c - Chopped broccoli
1 - Chopped onion

1 - Chopped green bell pepper

4 - Cloves garlic, minced

8oz - Mushrooms sliced
8oz - 2% Mexican blend shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat Oven to 350°F. 

2. Spoon a generous amount of marinara sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish (this will keep everything from sticking without using any cooking spray)

3. Spread cooked pasta evenly over bottom of pan. (Pasta will absorb water and juices from the veggies so be sure not to overcook it!)

4. Top with broccoli, peppers and onions.

5. Spread chorizo evenly. (Be sure meat is well drained or it will accumulate in the bottom of the dish).

6. Sprinkle with minced garlic and mushrooms. (Since the mushrooms are dry, now is a good time to pack the dish so everything is even all the way to the corners.)

7. Spread the rest of the marinara sauce over the mushrooms and top the whole casserole with cheese.

8. Cover with tinfoil and bake 45min to 1hr at 350°F.

9. Remove cover and bake another 15minutes.

Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Yield:
8 Servings

Notes:
My chorizo sausage came from an Aldi, so if you are lucky enough to live near one I HIGHLY recommend it! 

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Serving Size = 1/8 Casserole

Calories  345	%DV *
Calories from Fat  148
Total Fat  19g	29.2%
Saturated Fat  8g	40%
Total Carbohydrate  22g	7.3%
Sodium  1210mg **	50.4% **
Fiber  5g	20%
Sugar  11g
Protein  14g
Cholesterol  56mg	18.7%

Vitamin A	50.3%
Calcium	24%
Iron	7%
Vitamin C	67.9%

* Based on 2,000 calorie diet

** I was a little shocked to find that the jar of marinara sauce I used contained 3900mg of sodium (that’s 488mg of sodium per serving!) So if you are watching your sodium intake, please pay close attention to your sauce!

Enjoy!