Spicy Fiesta Chicken & Sausage Casserole

In a small bowl, stir together the oregano, basil, dry mustard powder, salt, black pepper, cumin and cayenne. Put chicken pieces in a large Ziploc bag. Sprinkle spice mixture on top of the chicken and shake well to coat chicken with spices. Refrigerate until needed.

Slice sausages into 1/2 inch rounds. Cut carrots into coins. Thinly slice onion. Slice bell peppers into thin strips. Slice jalapenos into coins. Peel garlic cloves and mince. Place all the fresh vegetables in a large bowl and stir well to mix.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add sausages and stir often until lightly browned. Remove sausages and set aside. In the same pan, brown chicken pieces. Place chicken pieces in a large roaster or a large baking dish (I use a lasagna pan). To the frying pan, add the fresh vegetable mixture and the juice from canned tomatoes. Stir and scrape up the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables just start to soften. Stir in sausages. Pour over chicken pieces in roasting pan. Cover with foil or a tight-fitting lid. Bake in the center of a 400ºF oven for about 1 hour. Take foil off and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Note: I like to use 10 chicken drumsticks instead of the legs and breasts. The juice that is in the pan after baking tastes wonderful on top of rice. I find that the juice becomes thicker after sitting for a few minutes. Hope you will enjoy!