Almost Wasn't Sausage and Rice

I think that I subconsciously mess things up or have near misses so that I have something to write about. Tonight, for example, I was making Sausage and Rice. It is a good, hearty meal to have during fall/winter weather. It is also extremely easy. Well, easy unless you are me and working to get everything done before everyone gets home. I will make an excuse for doing what I am about to relate. I got little sleep last night, so I was tired oh that and other things. It's those other things that really got me. So yes, back to being tired. Yes, that's it...I was extremely tired!

Here is my thought process as I begin to make this casserole. "Self," I say. "You need to take the sausage out of the refrigerator so it can finish defrosting." (Takes sausage out of the fridge.) "Self, this sausage doesn't look like it has any casing on it." (Little voice telling me that just can't be the case.) "Go away little voice! I know what I'm doing." (I poke the sausage as if that's the determining factor of whether or not it has a casing.) So I take the sausages out of their packaging and place them ever so nicely in a hot pan waiting to brown them up. I let them sit for a minute because they are still a bit frozen, but then I notice the outside is starting to burn, but they aren't cooked. "Self, what is happening?" (Tries to cut them with the spoon to no avail. "Uh oh." Light bulb goes off. I am so out of it and unresponsive that I am totally not surprised to realize I had not peeled the casings off!) "Ha." I think. I quickly turn the pan off, burn my hands a bit quickly peeling the casings off and all is saved. Yea!

"You idiot." I say with laughter and continue preparing the meal. Oh the joys of cooking and talking to yourself in your mind and having no one hear your plight. Lesson learned once again.

The interesting part of all of this is that I have made this before...same exact ingredients and everything. Yes, sausages are almost always put into a casing...I've even seen them made on TV. So, you'd think I would know to automatically pull it off. Oh well. OBVIOUSLY I'm not the brightest cook in the kitchen. Cooks need a lot of sleep before preparing gourmet creations!.....heh heh....You don't believe me?

Sausage and Rice

Rice...Sausage(sans casings)...Mushrooms, Marinara sauce(homemade or preferred jar brand)...Mozzarella Cheese.

Layer in a casserole dish. Rice, Sauce(has been mixed with sausage/mushrooms), and slices of Mozzarella cheese. REPEAT. Bake for 30 min at 350F