Blog

Visit us each Thursday for our healthy, fun recipe of the week. Send us your favorite yummiest and healthy recipe. If we publish it, you’ll win a $25 Gift Certificate to our online store. Send recipe to Brittney@milestonessportsjewelry.com .

It’s time to welcome fall and what better way than with this recipe for a hearty Italian Barley & Sausage Casserole.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
4 ounces uncooked bulk turkey Italian sausage or smoked turkey Italian sausage link, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms (8 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked barley*
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 cup bottled roasted red sweet pepper, chopped
1/4 cup pitted green olives, chopped
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1/2 cup red and/or yellow grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat four 12- to 14-ounce individual casseroles with cooking spray; set aside. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until bulk sausage (if using) is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, using a wooden spoon to break up bulk sausage as it cooks. Drain off fat.
Stir barley, pasta sauce, 1 cup of the cheese, the roasted pepper, olives, and 1 tablespoon of the basil into sausage mixture. Divide mixture among the prepared casseroles. Cover with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is melted. Top casseroles with tomatoes and the remaining 1 tablespoon basil.

*TIP:

For 2 cups cooked quick-cooking barley, in a medium saucepan bring 1 1/3 cups water to boiling; stir in 3/4 cup quick-cooking barley. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until barley is tender; drain. For 2 cups cooked regular barley, prepare as directed, except use 2 cups water and 1/2 cup regular barley; simmer, covered, about 45 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 346 kcal cal., 13 g fat (6 g sat. fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat), 42 mg chol., 704 mg sodium, 40 g carb., 7 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 20 g.