Ham and Potato Bake

{courtesy of Betty Crocker's Good And Easy Cookbook}

I have spent a long time mocking recipes like these...{classic toddler-esque reaction of "I don't like it" without even trying it}...but you know what? I tried it and I'M SOLD. Couldn't get enough of this one. Yum Yum Yum. I'll never mock a recipe again.

1 package (1 lb 4 ounces) shredded or cubed hash browns
1 cup fully cooked ham, diced
1 can (11 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk

1. Grease 9x13 casserole dish
2. in large bowl, mix soup, eggs and milk. Add potatoes and mix well. Optional: add a handful or two of shredded cheddar. I thought what the hay and threw it in.
3. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is light brown and center is set.

EXCELLENT for a brunch, I think. I threw in a bag of frozen broccoli so I wouldn't feel guilty about feeding this to my family for dinner. I'm sure you could add ANY vegetable.......

Alfredo Pasta Pie with Toasted French Bread Crust

Recipe from BWeed

16 oz. package spaghetti, cooked and drained
18 (-ish) thin slices French bread
butter
1 C. shredded white cheese (recipe calls for swiss, I used mozzarella)
2 Tbs. fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil
1 jar alfredo sauce
3 roma tomatoes, diced
Parmesan cheese

Butter bread. Place bread butter-side up in a 9x13, going up the sides of the pan. Bake about 10 minutes at 350º or until slightly golden. Mix cheese with alfredo sauce, add basil, then toss with pasta. Spoon into baked crust. Sprinkle tomatoes over the top. Lightly press ingredients down into crust. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. bake 15-20 minutes or until hot.

Sweet Love Pasta Pie

Recipe from BWeed

16 oz. tube pasta
22 oz. marinara sauce
2 c mozzarella
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
bread crumbs

Cream Sauce Ingredients:
1 Tbs butter
1 1/2 c cream
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 c Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside in large mixing bowl. Cook cream sauce by melting the butter and cream together, stirring often and watching carefully. When cream mixture boils, stir in nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Reduce heat and cook 3 more minutes, stirring. Add cream mixture to pasta, then add marinara sauce. Add mozzarella cheese to the noodle mixture and stir well. Pour into greased/sprayed 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the top with a bit more nutmeg, then sprinkle with break crumbs and 1/2 c of parmesan cheese. Bake 25 minutes at 375º.

Baked Zitti

(By Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt
pepper
Basil
1 lb Zitti noodles
3 T Butter
3 TB Flour
Nutmeg
3 Cups Milk
1/2 cup Asiago cheese **
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese**
1 cup cubed Mozzarella cheese

** I get the Parmesan blend (which includes Asiago and other cheeses) that comes in those shakers, and add a full cup.

Directions:

1. Start cooking noodles. Remove when slightly chewy.
2. Saute garlic for 2 minutes.
3. To garlic, add tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add 1/4 TB Basil and simmer another 10 minutes
5. To create a white sauce, heat a separate pan and melt butter and whisk in flour, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of Nutmeg. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble. Stir constantly and don't let sauce stick to bottom of pan. Cook 4 minutes, or until thickened.
6. In a casserole dish, mix noodles and tomato sauce. Press down slightly with wooden spoon.
7. Poor white sauce over the top BUT DO NOT MIX.
8. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Asiago cheeses and then top with Mozzarella chunks.
9. Broil on Low until cheese on top is melted and slightly browned. (approx 7 minutes). If broiled on High, watch carefully, remove after approx 3 minutes.

Breakfast Casserole

1 loaf French bread
12 eggs
8-12 sausage patties/links (I use the pre-cooked TURKEY kind)
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 can cream or mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
butter or cooking spray

Butter/spray 9x13 pan. Cut/Tear French bread into large bite-sized cubes and put into pan. Blend eggs and pour over bread (mix bread around trying to get the most bread possible soaked with egg). Add grated cheese. Add cooked and crumbled sausage. Refrigerate overnight. Next morning, mix cream of mushroom and milk. Pour over top of pan. Bake for 45 minutes at 350º.

I usually make this for dinner rather than breakfast. Enjoy.

"Upside Down Pizza

The recipe itself calls for sausage and mushrooms; I made it with green peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and diced tomatoes instead, and it turned out as a great vegetarian version of this recipe! I imagine you could make the "toppings" out of any ingredients that you like on pizza...

Upside-Down Sausage and Mushroom Pizza
Recipe courtesy Robin Miller 2007

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound sweet or hot turkey sausage, casing removed
1 cup onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 cups pasta sauce
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook for 3 minutes, or until browned and cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon. Add onion and mushrooms and cook 2 minutes, until soft. Add pasta sauce, pizza sauce and olives and bring to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer sauce to the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and oil until blended. Whisk in flour and salt until well blended. Pour mixture over sauce in pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Sweet Potato Souffle

This is the recipe of a friend's grandmother who is from the deep south. It's yummy!

3 C sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 T sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 C milk
1/2 t vanilla

topping:

1 C dark brown sugar
1/2 C flour
3/4 stick butter
1 C chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Add to sweet potatoes the sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour potato mixture into a well-buttered baking dish.

Mix topping: melt butter; add sugar and flour. Blend well. Add pecans. The mixture should be paste-like. Spread the topping over the potatoes. Bake at 350 for 40 min. Let sit for about 10 min before serving.

Great Harvest Breakfast Casserole

I made this the other day and loved it. Chris couldn't get over the 'soggy bread' thoughts he had in his head, but still ate it. The sauce (stolen from the Apple Pudding Cake) makes it especially scrumptious.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of Great Harvest bread cut into 1" cubes (I think any bread would do, but man I love Great Harvest)
8 eggs
3 c. milk
4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (I used 2-3 tsp., YUM)
3/4 tsp. salt

Topping:
2 Tbsp. butter (cubed)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Sauce:
1 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. whipping cream (not whipped)

Directions:
Place bread cubes in a greased 13 X 9 baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread. Cover & refrigerate for 8 hours or over night. Remove from refrigerator 30 min before baking. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Cover and bake @ 350 for 45-50 min or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. While baking, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Add the cream, and stir together until well mixed (this may take a while). When the casserole is done, remove from oven (duh) and let sit for 5 min. Serve warm with lots o' sauce.

Number Of Servings: 12

Preparation Time: 10 min. prep./overnight chillin'/45 min. baking

Easy Ravioli Lasagna

1 package frozen cheese-filled Ravioli
1 package frozen chopped spinach- thawed with water squeezed out
Grated mozzarella- about 2 cups
1 26 oz. jar marinara sauce (or about 1 qt. homemade)
Grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)

1. Place a little marinara sauce in a 9 X 13 pan
2. Put half of frozen ravioli on top of sauce
3. Break up thawed spinach and put over the pasta.
4. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over spinach.
5. Put the rest of the Ravioli over the spinach and cheese.
6. Spread marinara sauce over all.
7. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sauce. You may sprinkle some Parmesan with the mozzarella.
8. Bake in oven at 350 until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling up on sides, about 30-40 minutes.

mock chicken pot pie

Just so you know, I should be riding my bike right now since everyone is asleep, but I was so excited that I wanted to get in on the fun!

1/2 bag mixed frozen veggies (I use frozen corn and peas and I always add extra)
3 cups cubed and cooked chicken (throw the frozen chicken tenders in the pot when you cook the potatoes)
1 C cubed and peeled potatoes
1 C cubed and peeled sweet potato
1/2 cup carrots peeled and chopped (I use the baby carrots just cut into chunks)

Cook veggies and chicken until fork tender and drain.
Mix together and cook
1/4 c butter
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground sage (thyme is really a really good substitute)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 c water w/ 2 chicken bullion cubes dissolved in it
3/4 c milk until bubbly
Pour gravy over veggies and chicken in a 9x13 pan and put into a hot 375 oven until bubbly.
Remove from oven and drop favorite biscuit dough evenly across the top or use the store bought refrigerator biscuits. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes or until biscuits are browned.
Very important that the mixture is bubbly before you put the biscuits on top or they will be doughy on the bottom.
This reheats really well and the biscuits don't go soggy.

Tofu 102: Casserole Filling

To make a simple and versatile casserole component, simply do this:

Crumble pre-frozen tofu with your fingers, pressing the water out as you crumble it.
Add 2 cups of cottage cheese and mix well.

There! Now you can use this to make recipes like these--I don't have exact measurements for them because I have the recipes in my head. But they're not the kinds of recipes where it matters if you're exact

1) TOFU TORTILLA CASSEROLE.

1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
diced onion
12-18 corn tortillas
grated cheese
olive oil
1 chicken bullion cube
1 package taco seasoning (or other seasonings--I use adobo, cilantro and cumin)

Put some olive oil in a saucepan until hot. Add the diced onion and bullion cube; cook until the onion is golden. Add the can of tomatoes and taco seasoning (or your preferred blend of seasoning) and mix well. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the tofu/cottage cheese mixture, can of black beans and can of corn. Add the cooked tomatoes and onion. Mix well.

In a glass baking dish, place a layer of the mixture on the bottom, followed by a layer of cheese. Place a layer of corn tortillas above, then a layer of mixture, then cheese, then tortillas...as many layers as you have mixture. Bake at 350 until everything is heated through--I don't know how long that takes. 30-45 minutes?

2) TOFU LASAGNA

Since someone posted a lasagna recipe below, I'm not going to rehash it because that recipe looks delicious...but you can use the tofu/cottage cheese mixture instead of the meat.

Cheesy Corn Bake

I love this recipe. This is for all the corn fans out there.

4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream-style corn
1 pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk cream cheese and milk until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients until well-blended. Pour into 13 x 9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 34 to 36 minutes or until golden brown.

Crusted Chicken and Noodle Casserole

I give credit to Saralyn Workman for this! She made it for our dinner group and we went crazy over it. I've changed it a bit, so here's the original recipe with my changes at the bottom.

Ingredients:

Mix together and set aside:
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Combine and set aside:
1 1/2 cup crushed dry stuffing mix
1/2 package dry ranch mix
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 t. garlic
1/2 t. cumin

Mix together and set aside:
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken Soup
1/2 can milk
1/2 package dry ranch mix

10 Chicken tenders (cut into 3 inch cubes)
Wide Egg noodles (about three cups cooked)
Dip chicken pieces in milk mixture and then in stuffing mix mixture. Let sit for 20 minutes. Fry in 2 Tablespoons olive oil about 2 minutes on both sides at medium high heat. Transfer to cookie sheet and broil for about 20 minutes or until tender. Boil noodles in water until slightly tender. Drain and mix noodles with sour cream mixture. Add chicken to noodle mixture and stir. Sprinkle left over stuffing crumbs on top. Cover with tinfoil and put in oven at 350 for about 1/2 hour.

So, I use chicken breasts cut into chunks. I just fry it, because who wants to fry and then broil? But here's the best part that I think makes it much better--I heat up the sauce on a pan, and then just pour it over the noodles and chicken, then put the stuffing mix on top. NO BAKING. I think that this makes it a lot more sauce-y and I looooooove it. Try it!