Potato, Vegetable, and Sausage Casserole

  

  Cold, winter weather calls for comfort food. I usually turn to making soups. I like to start in the morning, double the recipe, and let it simmer on the stove until dinner time. 

  While looking for a potato soup recipe (potato soup is my favourite!), I happened across a recipe for a cheesy potato and sausage casserole. It looked heavenly, but a little plain. 

  So, naturally, I fixed that.

Ingredients:

4 cups potatoes, quartered and boiled

1 onion, chopped

1-2 stalks of celery, chopped

5 cloves of garlic

4 carrots

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

2 cups smoked sausage (you can also use ham), sliced

2 cups cheese, shredded and divided (I used orange cheddar and Gouda) 

2 cups milk

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste

*Note: you can increase any of the amounts to suit your preferences 

1. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop onion, celery, and garlic. Saute in olive oil in a large saucepan. Cut carrots into rounds and put in a steamer. Add corn. This recipe is extremely versatile, so feel free to add bell peppers, frozen peas, and anything else you have in the fridge! 

 2. Cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces. I had three different sausages left over from Christmas, and I used a little of all three.

3. Add the sausage to the onion mix and increase heat. Place boiled potatoes in a large casserole dish, and add corn and carrots.

4. Once the sausage is lightly browned, add to the casserole dish. Toss lightly with two forks to mix.

5. Now the sauce! Mix milk, flour, and butter in a small pot. Add 1 cup of cheese (I did one cup of Gouda) and stir until the cheese is melted. Pour over the casserole. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.

6. Cook for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted. I found waiting for it to cook was hands down the hardest part. Once it's finished, serve warm.