Mind Over Matter

This Super bowl Sunday I decided to make an iconic American casserole. It caught my attention one because of the name and two because it reminded me of mac & cheese. And who doesn’t love mac & cheese??

I mean look at this, it’s got chorizo, jalapenos and there’s so much of it! It turned out to be a winner. This dish can be called either, Johnny Mazetti or Johnny Marzetti but I like to call it Maserati!

Ingredients you will need are: water, onions, bell pepper, egg noodles, tomato sauce, chorizo, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and olive oil. Also I did end up adding jalapenos and bread crumbs to top it off, that is optional. I also swapped out the ground beef for chorizo. Lastly I did add garlic, this ingredient was not shown in the picture above. The original recipe did not use garlic, which was not acceptable for me.

Step one: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F & spray your casserole dish with nonstick spray. Chop the onions and bell pepper while you bring to a boil a pot of water with salt.

Step two: Boil the egg noodles for 8 – 9 minutes. Then strain the noodles and set aside.

Step three: In a skillet, heat up olive oil for a few before cooking the chorizo for 5 -6 minutes on each side then set aside. Once cooled off a bit cut the chorizo into pieces.

Step four: Cook the onions and peppers in the skillet for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. You can also add the garlic at this point.

Step five: Add the sliced chorizo back to the pan.

Step six: Add the tomato sauce and water to the pan and give it a good stir. Cook for about 3 -5 minutes.

Step seven: Toss the mixture into the pan you used to cook the noodles. Give the mixture another good stir to make sure everything is evenly coated.

Step eight: Transfer mixture into a coated nonstick tray or casserole dish. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. I added jalapenos on top. I also topped off one half of mine with breadcrumbs! Cook in oven for about 20 minutes. Your Johnny Mazetti will be ready for a fun feast. Fun Fact: This dish originated in Ohio all the way back since 1896. The Marzetti’s later became known for their salad dressings which can be found in grocery stores.

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz) bag of egg noodles
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb chorizo
• 8 oz cheddar cheese
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• Jalapenos (optional)
• Breadcrumbs (optional)
• 2-3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• Salt & Pepper