Cook like Milktooth Chef Jonathan Brooks

There’s no better way to kick off the holiday season than with Chef Jonathan Brooks’ sausage casserole dish. Happy cooking.

Jonathan cooking with his son in a kitchen

There’s nothing better than cooking with loved ones during the holiday season.

Photo via Jonathan Brooks

Table of Contents

Tis the season for steaming hot bowls of soup, warm gingerbread cookies, spiked eggnog, and time in the kitchen spent making memories that will last a lifetime. Enter: Chef Jonathan Brooks, the creative force behind Milktooth in the Fountain Fletcher district, with a mouth-watering recipe for his mom’s sausage casserole.

The dish emphasizes high quality sausage and pimento with an option to use locally sourced ingredients like one of Tulip Tree Creamery’s cheeses and bell peppers from one of Indy’s four winter farmers markets. Here’s everything you need to get started.

Arlene Brooks’ Sausage Casserole

Makes 4-6 servings if served as a main dish, 6-8 if served as a side.

🧅 Ingredients

  • 1 pound sausage
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 chopped sweet onion or scallions
  • 1 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 1 cup raw white rice
  • 1 can cream mushroom or chicken
  • 1 can cream of celery
  • 1 jar pimento
  • 1 cup (or more) grated cheese

📝 Directions

  1. Brown the sausage, drain.
  2. Add all other ingredients.
  3. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
  4. Then bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes in a heavy greased casserole dish.

Still want Chef Brooks to cook for you? Visit him at Milktooth (which earned him both Food and Wine’s “Best New Chef” and Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurant in 2015) or check out his other eatery on the near east side: Beholder.

More from INDYtoday
Indy’s coldest day on record was Jan. 19, 1994 when the city hit -27°.
Dining in Indy is always a fresh experience with new restaurants popping up all the time — and more on the way.
Bookmark this guide for a curated list of events taking place each month that we’re most looking forward to.
Got a hot new fling? Hoping to spice things up with your longtime partner? We’re here to help plan your next date in the Circle City.
Avril Lavigne? Check. Keith Urban? Check. It’s not a bad idea to triple-check this list and get your concert tickets before they sell out.
Rethink your home design this year by introducing dark wood, outdoor living zones, and other up-and-coming trends, as seen in these Indianapolis homes.
Learn more about influential figures in Indy’s history and the buildings, parks, and museums that commemorate their legacies.
The Hoosier State has plenty of signature dishes; what if we added custom Girl Scout cookies to the fray?
Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie built a handful of libraries in central Indiana between 1901 and 1918. Here’s where you can find them today.
Can’t wait to get on the road again — but don’t want to wander too far from home? Try these nearby destinations for day trips.