Six Layer Casserole

Every now and then you just want a bit of comfort food... something from your youth, something from the fall, something.... mushy and salty.

The thing I remember loving about Seven Layer Casserole was the sausages. With the little bit of sweet from the tomato soup. Not much else, actually. But now, when I look forward to it, I look forward to all of those flavours meeting up in the potatoes.

Today I know that “onions are the enemy” – and hopefully that knowledge will take me to a new level of enjoying this.  That, and a substitution of brown rice.  We’ll see. I’ll know more in an hour or two.  For the moment, I’ll prepare the recipe for posting.

Seven Six Layer Casserole:

2 medium sized potatoes
1 cup carrots (frozen, if you want it like mom’s, canned if you want it like my childhood.  Chopped, fresh, if you’re like me and don’t stock canned.)
1 cup peas (frozen, if you want it like mine, canned if you want it like my childhood and possibly mom’s.)
1 handful or so of brown rice (I have a “cooks in 20 minutes” brown rice.  If you don’t have that, you may want to opt for white rice.)   And that’s a true story.  Mom says a handful or two.
Breakfast sausages (One try. If you can find a smaller tray than I found, you’d be better off. I have way too many sausages on mine.  Pity.  Heh.)
1 can condensed tomato soup

Assemble the layers as follows:

Layer 1:  Peel and slice potatoes, and place in the bottom of a 2 qt casserole dish.  (I chopped them into hash brown size squares this time.  Maybe it’ll cook quicker?) 

Layer 1.5:  If you’re partial to onions, chop a medium onion into rings – place over potatoes.

Layer 2:  chop and place carrots over potatoes.

Layer 3: partially thaw peas and place over carrots

Layer 4:  shake 1-2 hands full of rice over peas

Layer 5:  place sausages side-by-side on top of rice.  (Ever since my nephew told me they looked like fingers, I’ve started cutting them in half.  Heh.)

Layer 6:  pour tomato soup on top of all, spread out.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350º.  I’ve never had this complete in time.  Those darn potatoes are never ready.  I’ll let you know how it goes this time.

Edit: Mom says that the actual recipe is to bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. :) Mystery solved. :)