Italian Pesto Potato Pasta #5FIX
- 1 (20 ounce) package Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns
- 13 tablespoons basil pesto
- 4 cups pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
- 34 lb hot Italian sausage
- 1 (24 ounce) jar pasta sauce with mushrooms
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium bowl put the potatoes, 6 tablespoons of the pesto and 1 1/4 cups of the mozzarella cheese and toss until well mixed.
- Set aside.
- In a small dish put 1 tablespoon of the pesto and 1/4 cup of the cheese and toss well.
- Set aside for part of the garnish.
- In a medium skillet cook the sausage until cooked through, browned and crumbled.
- Pour off grease into a small heat safe dish and set aside.
- Add the jar of spaghetti sauce and the remaining 6 tablespoons of the pesto and mix well with the meat mixture.
- Bring to a simmer stirring and remove from heat.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the meat sauce for the garnish.
- In a 9x9 inch square baking dish pour one teaspoon of the reserved sausage grease into the dish.
- Brush sides and bottom of dish well with the grease.
- Add more if necessary to cover the dish.
- Set dish aside.
- Pour the meat sauce and 2 Tablespoons of the remaining leftover sausage grease over the bowl of potatoes and toss mixing well until the potatoes are all covered.
- Pour half the potato mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Smooth out.
- Sprinkle 1 1/4 cups of the cheese over top.
- Pour remaining potato mixture on top of the cheese and again smooth out.
- Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 1/4 cups cheese and put back into the oven UNcovered for 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Remove pan from oven.
- Cut into desired amount of pieces.
- Put about one tablespoon or more of the reserved meat sauce on top and in the center of each piece as a garnish.
- Then divide evenly the reserved pesto/cheese mixture and put in center of the sauce on each piece to finish as the garnish.
- Serve hot.
- Makes 4-6 servings.
potatoes, basil pesto, mozzarella cheese, hot italian sausage, pasta sauce
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/italian-pesto-potato-pasta-5fix-497130 (may not work)