Sort of Timballo

Working through college, I held the ubiquitous waitress position – or positions. I worked in coffee shops, Mexican joints and Italian restaurants; I picked up catering and bartender gigs during football seasons. It amazes me, that out of those abundant experiences, I can still recall certain dishes or specific, quirky patrons.

I served my last plate at a Johnny Carino's, several years ago. While working there, almost every week, an elderly couple would come in and perch in the same booth, if it was available. They'd order two dishes – one was the chicken and sausage timballo. I can't remember the specific details of the dish, but it was comprised of spaghetti, sauteed peppers and onions, tomato sauce and mozzarella. It was cooked and served in a cast iron skillet.

Faced with cobbling together dinner the other night, this timballo popped into my head. With leftover turkey sausage, a few veggies and some adaptability, it worked. Granted, it wasn't the most memorable dish; yet, it was filling, healthful and best of all, contained cheese.

Sort of Timballo

2 large sausage links, about a pound

½ green bell pepper

½ yellow bell pepper

½ red onion

1 tablespoon of minced garlic (or more if you prefer)

1 cup of tomato sauce

1 ½ – 2 cups of brown rice

1- 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning

salt, pepper and basil to taste

1/2 cup of cheese

If you're using cast iron or another oven-safe pan, you can almost make this a one-dish meal. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If not done already, cook your sausage, slice into ½ inch rounds and set aside. Go ahead and cook your rice, too. Add minced garlic to a bit of oil, and saute your chopped peppers and onion. Incorporate the rice, tomato sauce, cooked sausage and Italian seasoning. Italian seasoning can be overwhelming, so you may want to season to taste with it, as well as with the salt, pepper and basil – dried or fresh. Sprinkle the mixture with cheese. I used about ½ a cup of shredded Gouda, but since I firmly believe cheese shouldn't be regulated – there are only a few foods that fit this bill – use as much of your favorite variety as you like.

Slide the skillet from the stove top to the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes. Everything should be warm and cooked through before baking, so just ensure the cheese is melted thoroughly.

Amidst some light timballo research (I wasn't exactly sure what a timballo was), I found this more traditional recipe from Food Network's Mario Batali. I've put it in my parking lot, hoping to approach it – despite the long ingredient list – one day.

Master at cobbling together meals? Share your recipes.