UBER-BRATEN KIELBASA AND SAUERKRAUT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. Grease the inside of a 2-1/2 to 3-quart casserole baking dish; set baking dish aside.
• 2. Cook egg noodles as per directions on package; set aside.
• 3. Cut Kielbasa or smoked sausage into chunks, then cut each chunk in half; set aside.
• 4. Melt the 1/3 cup of butter in a large saucepan. (I used a 3-quart saucepan).
• 5. Stir in the flour, garlic power, onion powder, pepper, and mustard.
• 6. When mixture is well combined, gradually add the milk. Bring mixture to a boil for 1 minute; stirring constantly until the sauce has thicken. (Mine started to thicken in less than a minute.)
• 7. Add the cup of cheese to the pan, stir until melted.
• 8. Add the Kielbasa or smoked sausage, plus the drained sauerkraut to the pan, and stir.
• 9. Pour mixture into the greased baking dish, then stir in the precooked noodles.
• 10. Top the casserole with a mixture of 4 tablespoons of bread crumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
• 11. Bake casserole (uncovered) for 25 minutes in a 375º oven.
• 12. Note: When preparing this casserole, you can use a Bavarian Sauerkraut in place of regular sauerkraut. Plus the original recipe states to use 2 cups of the kraut, but I just use 1-1/2 cups. Also, you can use smoked sausage in place of the Kielbasa. I used smoked sausage, and the brand of sausage I used was, Eckrich.