Tag Archives: casserole

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

28 Dec

I LOVE this casserole.  I don’t make it very often because it makes so much and I don’t want to feel like I have to eat it all.  It is definitely a family favorite, and has become a favorite of friends that I have made it for as well.  My college friends refer to it as Corn Flake Surprise, referring the to crushed corn flake topping.  This was another of our Christmas dinner sides this year and I was so happy my mom made it.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

What you need:

1 32-oz frozen Southern style hash brown potatoes, thawed
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (10 3/4-oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted, divided
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cups corn flakes, slightly crushed

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine hash browns, cheese, soup, sour cream, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Spread into a greased 13in x 9in baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Combine corn flakes and remaining butter, sprinkle on top.

Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until heated through.

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Macaroni and Cheese

23 Dec

 

My sister first had this at a friend’s house for dinner and found the recipe online for it.  She has made it for us every time we come for a visit, and it’s so delicious.  It’s a little different from a traditional cheddar macaroni and cheese; it uses white cheddar and romano cheeses.  Tonight, we had it with peas and Avanti’s bread.  For those of you not familiar with Avanti’s bread, it’s from a restaurant in Central Illinois that is a sweet bread and is very good.  I may see if I can find a recipe for it some day.  Anyway, back to the macaroni and cheese, it’s a recipe from Martha Stewart Living.  It is a little time consuming to make, but well worth it in the end.

 

Martha Stewart Macaroni and Cheese

What you need:

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
  • 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
  • 5 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
  • 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni

How to make it:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer’s directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.  Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

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Creamy Turkey Vegetable Pasta Casserole

25 Nov

I always buy a much bigger turkey than I need for Thanksgiving.  There are usually some good deals to be found on them, so it’s a good opportunity to get a larger one than needed and use the leftovers for other dishes or to freeze for another time.  With mine, I was envisioning some kind of casserole bake with turkey, pasta, and vegetables, namely, California blend vegetables, which are broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.  Of course, I couldn’t find an exact recipe of what I wanted, so I read a bunch of similar recipes and came up with this.  Experimenting is a tough thing to do, you never know how it will turn out.  But, if you know what kind of things you like to eat, and do some reading about how you would like to approach a dish, your results will most likely come out good.  If not, there is always pizza delivery!

Creamy Turkey Vegetable Pasta Casserole

What you need:

1 pound pasta, like rotini or fusilli
1 16 oz package frozen California blend vegetables, thawed
2 cups cooked turkey, shredded (could also use cooked chicken)
2 10 3/4 oz cans of cream of chicken soup (could also use cream of mushroom)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
1/2 cup bread crumbs

How to make it:

Cook pasta al dente according to the directions on the box.  Meanwhile, in another large pot, add vegetables, turkey, soup, milk, and Italian seasoning blend.  Heat on medium-low heat until well blended.  Pour over pasta and mix well.  Grease a 13×9 casserole dish and pour in pasta mixture.  Spread evenly.  Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for 5 minutes longer, or until casserole is bubbling.

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Bread & Celery Dressing

24 Nov

I admit, I love Stove Top stuffing.  My kids do too.  And it’s quick and easy.  But, occasionally, I like to make it from scratch, not from a box.  Now, I have made it the last 3 years for our Thanksgiving meal, but haven’t seemed to get it just right.  This year, I made it exactly how my husband and I like it.  I used the 9 grain bread from Bountiful Baskets for the bread cubes, celery that I had blanched and frozen, and an onion I got recently in a basket.  This turned out not too soggy, not too dry, just right.

Bread & Celery Dressing

What you need:

1 loaf of bread
3/4 cup butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 14 oz can chicken broth
1 egg, beaten

How to make it:

Cut bread into cubes and let air dry 1-2 hours.

Melt butter in a large pot.  Add celery and onion until it becomes soft.  Add poultry seasoning and mix well.  Stir in the bread cubes until they are moistened evenly.  Pour in egg and chicken broth., and gently stir until coated evenly.  Grease a 9×13 baking dish and evenly spread the dressing mixture into the dish.   Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes.

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Green Bean Casserole

24 Nov

Green Bean Casserole is one of our favorites.  You can find the recipe on a can of cream of mushroom soup, sometimes on a can of green beans, or on a container of fried onions.  This time, I used fresh green beans, and I don’t think I had quite enough, it was more soup than green beans.  But, it was still really good!

Green Bean Casserole

What you need:

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans (or 2 14.5oz cans of green beans, drained, or 2 9oz pkgs frozen green beans, thawed)
1-1/3 cups fried onions

How to make it:

Stir soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, beans and 2/3 cups onions in an 8×8 casserole dish.

Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir.

Top with remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes more.

 

Tip:  If you forgot to thaw your green beans, like I did, put them in a medium sauce pan on the stove.  Let them heat up for a few minutes, then add them milk, soup, soy sauce and pepper.  Let that heat on the stove a few minutes, mix in the onions, and transfer to the casserole dish to bake it.

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Wild Rice & Sausage Dressing

23 Nov

My Aunt Paula started making this for holiday meals a while back, and I just loved it.  Her recipe is super simple, 1 box of Uncle Ben’s wild rice, 1 package of breakfast sausage, 1 beaten egg.  Make rice according to the box, brown the sausage and crumble, mix it together with the egg, and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.  This year, I wanted to make it more into a dressing, like the traditional bread & celery dressing, and make it a gluten-free dressing, so that it could be an alternative for a Thanksgiving meal.  Or, in our case, an addition to our meal.  We don’t have anyone in our household that needs to eat gluten-free, but I wanted to try this out in case we need it in the future or have someone over.

Wild Rice & Sausage Dressing

What you need:

1 cup wild rice blend (I used Lundberg Wild Rice Blend)
2 cups water (or amount specified on package directions)
1 Tbsp olive oil or butter (optional)
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning (make sure blend is just spices, not any “blends”)
1 package breakfast sausage (most are gluten-free, but check the label)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 egg, beaten

How to make it:

Put rice, water, oil or butter, parsley, and poultry seasoning in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer for amount of time on rice package directions, mine was for 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove casings from sausage (if there are casings).  Place in a large skillet, crumble, and brown.  Add garlic, onion, and celery to skillet and continue cooking until onions and celery soften.

Mix together rice, sausage mixture, and the egg.  Pour into a greased 8×8 or 11×7 baking dish.  Bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes.

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Sausage & Potato Pie

21 Nov

 

This recipe came from a cookbook I received called Bake Until Bubbly.  My Papou almost always got me a cookbook for Christmas, and after he passed away, this was a cookbook my mom found in his house, and she figured it was most likely meant for me.  It’s a pretty good cookbook, I wish it had pictures of the dishes, but I do like that it’s dishes made more from scratch, not from a lot of processed foods.  For this Sausage & Potato Pie, I end up not following the recipe exactly, but pretty close.

Sausage & Potato Pie

What you need:

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced.  I prefer Yukon Gold, but a lot of times use Russet.
1 large egg
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes OR 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley OR 1 Tbsp dried parsley

How to make it:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Spray a 9 inch deep dish glass pie pan.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, and cook at a gentle boil until potatoes are soft.  Drain, and return to pot.  Blend egg into potatoes until smooth.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, break up the sausage and cook until browned.  Add onion to the pan and cook until onions are translucent.  Use a slotted spoon and add sausage and onion to potatoes.

Add in mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley, and mix well.  Spoon the mixture into the pie pan, forming a smooth, flat surface on top.  Sprinkle the 1 Tbsp Parmesan over the top.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

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Spaghetti Pie

29 Oct

My mom makes this occasionally when we visit, and while I’ve always enjoyed it, I’ve never actually made it.  I finally got around to asking my mom for the recipe, and while they are in town visiting, we made it for dinner tonight.  Since we had 5 adults and 2 kids to feed, we doubled the recipe and made it in 2 8×8 baking dishes instead of a 10″ round baking dish.  So, while one of my pictures will show it in 2 8×8 dishes, I will give the directions for 1 Spaghetti pie in a 10″ round baking dish.

Spaghetti Pie

What you need:

1/2 box of spaghetti
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, well beaten
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Hot to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain.  Stir in the butter, eggs,  and Parmesan cheese.  Spray a  10″ round baking dish and press spaghetti mixture into the dish along the bottom and sides, forming it like a crust.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef, drain.  Add spaghetti sauce and simmer.

Spread the cottage cheese over the spaghetti crust.  Top with beef mixture.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake 5 minutes longer, or until cheese melts.

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Spinach Manicotti

15 Sep

I still had some spinach left, and I had intended to make spinach artichoke dip, but used some of the ingredients I had on hand for that to make last night’s Radish Dip.  I had wanted to make Stuffed Shells, but the store only had 1 box of shells that was beat up.  The manicotti was right next to it on the shelf, so I decided to make it inside.  The process and end result is pretty much the same, plus, my family really likes manicotti.  Here is how I made it tonight.

Manicotti

1 box manicotti noodles
2 eggs
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb fresh spinach, chopped
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 jar of pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cook manicotti according to directions on box.  Drain and cool on a piece of aluminum foil.  Meanwhile, beat eggs in a medium bowl.  Stir in the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, garlic, spinach, basil, and oregano.  Pour 1 cup of the pasta sauce into a 13 x 9 baking dish, or enough to make sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish.  Fill manicotti with the mixture and place in the dish.  Pour the remaining sauce over the filled manicotti, then sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until sides are bubbling and the cheese is melted.

This didn’t last long in my house tonight!

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Shepherd’s Pie

5 Sep

A good friend of mine told me about a great shepherd’s pie that she made last week and sent me the link to the recipe.  As I was deciding what to make for dinner and thinking about what I had on hand, I remembered the recipe for the shepherd’s pie.  I looked through, had everything but the mushrooms, decided they weren’t really necessary, and decided to try it out.  Turns out it was pretty easy, a little time consuming, and totally delicious!  For this dish, I used the potatoes and celery I got in 9/3 Bountiful Baskets, and carrots and onion from 8/27 Bountiful Baskets.

Recipe can be found here: Beef Shepherd’s Pie

I recommend using leftover mashed potatoes or making the mashed potatoes first so they are ready to go.

The meat mixture goes in the baking dish first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, you spread the mashed potatoes on top, leaving 1/4″ border.  I opted to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ended up baking mine at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes to shave off some of the baking time since I was running late.  It turned out perfect and was mostly gone before I could even take a picture of the finished product.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is a keeper and I will be making again sometime!

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