Pepperoni Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook the elbow macaroni as per instructions on the packet and drain.
3. In a skillet, cook sausage slices on medium heat until they are evenly brown.
4. Using a casserole dish, combine cooked pasta with sausage and pasta sauce.
5. In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese, olives and mozzarella cheese.
6. Spoon the cheese mixture over sausage mixture.
7. Top with pepperoni slices.
8. Bake for 25 minutes until browned.

Trivia

• "Casserole" is a French word used for the vessel in which the food is cooked in the oven as well as served.
• The casserole dish was invented by a French-Canadian immigrant, Elmire Jolicoeur in 1866 in Berlin, New Hampshire.
• The original recipe of casserole constituted of pounded and pressed rice which was filled with flavored meat.
• Pepperoni Casserole is a variation of the U.S. and continental Europe casseroles which denote a dish that entails pieces of meat with vegetables and starchy elements like flour, rice or pasta, topped with some kind of cheese.

Casserole in countries like the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand refer to a dish similar to stew.