Tortellini Minestrone Casserole



I saw this recipe on the Betty Crocker recipe site and it looked way yummo so I had to give it a try!! I love easy casseroles on a cold day after working all day. This was way easy to throw together, but it does bake for about an hour, so be sure to plan for that.  When it was done it was on the runnyside, and I almost didn't post it, but the flavor was delicious and my family ate the entire casserole!! I think if you let it set for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving maybe some of the juice will soak up into the tortellini's a bit. It reminded me of the Italian sausage Tortellini soup that I have on my blog, but a little different, more veggies and no, it wasn't THAT soupy. I even had to sneak some to put in Jim's lunch for the next day before it was all gone! I did change it up from the original recipe, I didn't add any extra water like the recipe calls for, and I added the hot sausauge. I would serve this with a garden salad and crusty french bread to soak up the juice! Enjoy!! (also we had eaten the whole casserole before I remembered to take a picture of mine, so the picture above is borrowed from the Betty Crocker site) :o)

Tortellini Minestrone Casserole
1 (1lb) package Jimmy Dean HOT sausage
1 package (9 oz) Buitoni refrigerated three-cheese tortellini
1 bag (12 oz)frozen Birdseye Italian Blend Steam fresh vegetables
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, rinsed, drained **see note below
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano
Dash or two of salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Mozzerella cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375°F.
Remove sausage from package and brown in a medium skillet. Drain off the fat.
In ungreased 13 x 9 glass baking dish, mix all ingredients except cheese. Yes, just throw everything into your casserole dish, veggies still frozen, and your tortellini right out of the package, see how easy?? (your Tortellini will cook while baking) Stir around a little bit, and cover with foil.
Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and stir well. Sprinkle with both cheeses. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer or until center is hot and cheese is golden brown.
Makes  about 4 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each)

**for more color, you can substitute  red kidney beans or Cannellini beans are a good substitute for great northern beans too.