Sausage and Rice Casserole with Cheesy Cabbage

For any recipe that lists margarine, you can substitute butter. And if you think that butter has more calories than does margarine, you are correct. However, butter contains less sodium and is a more natural ingredient than margarine.

Sausage and Rice Casserole Ingredients

• 2 ribs of celery
• 1 onion
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 cup of uncooked white rice (not instant)
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 4 cups of hot water
• 2 pounds of cooked Polish sausage

Sausage and Rice Casserole Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a large casserole dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Cut the sausage into slices and put them into a large skillet. Cut the peppers in half, remove the stems, clean out the seeds and membranes, and wash them with cold water. Wash the celery ribs. Peel the onion and then chop the onion, celery, and peppers and put them into the skillet with the sausage. Brown the sausage on your stovetop on medium-high heat, and then turn all of the contents into a colander to drain the fat. Dump the mixture into the casserole dish and then add the rice, soup, and hot water, and then stir until everything is combined thoroughly. Bake for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the rice is done.

Cheesy Cabbage Ingredients

• 1 stick of margarine
• 3 cups of milk
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 large bag of coleslaw mix
• 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers

Cheesy Cabbage Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 10" x 13" casserole dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Using a large skillet on your stovetop, melt two tablespoons of margarine over medium heat. Add the coleslaw mix and stir-fry until the cabbage is somewhat tender, and then remove from heat and set aside. Melt the rest of the margarine in a small saucepan over low heat. Raise the temperature to medium and stir in the flour and milk until the mixture is smooth. Increase the temperature to high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Pour the sauce over the coleslaw mix, add the cheese, excepting 1/2 cup, and then stir to combine all of the ingredients. Turn the mixture into your casserole dish. Top with the crushed crackers and then the remaining cheese, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles and the cheese melts.