Tag Archives: cheese

Cheesy Sausage, Onion, and Pepper Breakfast Casserole

29 Jun

It has been a while since I’ve made a breakfast casserole. I’ve had the breakfast sausage for a while in the freezer, and while at the grocery store, my girls picked out red, orange, yellow, and green bell peppers. Along with an onion, milk, eggs, and Bisquick, I knew it would make a delicious breakfast casserole! Plus, it was really pretty too, very colorful!

Prepping the breakfast casserole

One great thing about a casserole like this, you can make it up ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours before baking it. So, you can make this the night before, wake up, take it out of the refrigerator, preheat your oven, and then bake it.

Also, if you are hesitant about bell peppers, substitute in other vegetables that you like! I would do this again with broccoli or spinach and mushrooms, maybe even spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Or, change out the sausage for bacon or ham. Whatever you would eat in an omelet or you like with your eggs, try in this casserole!

Cheesy Sausage, Onion, and Pepper Breakfast Casserole

Cheesy Sausage, Onion, and Pepper Breakfast Casserole

What you need:

1 pound breakfast sausage (if there are casings, remove them)
1 small red onion, diced
2 bell peppers, diced (I used 1/2 red, 1/2 orange, 1/2 yellow, and 1/2 green)
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 1/4 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick
1 cup milk
9 eggs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, break up and brown the breakfast sausage. Add in diced onion and bell pepper. Cook until onions and peppers have softened. Drain the excess grease from the pan, and pour the sausage, onions, and peppers into the casserole dish. Spread the 2 cups of shredded cheese on top.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the baking mix, milk, eggs, paprika, salt and pepper. Pour evenly into the casserole dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a knife comes out clean from the center.

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Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Burritos

23 Jun

Since I only used part of a jar of salsa the other night to make our Quesadilla Chicken Sandwiches, I wanted something to use the rest. So, I immediately thought of Sour Cream Salsa Chicken and the burritos I have made with it, but I decided to skip the sour cream. And, instead of Spanish Rice, I thought why not Cilantro Lime Rice and black beans to be like the burritos we get when we eat out at Chipotle?  They turned out perfect, and one burrito each was more than enough to fill us up. This made about 8 burritos, with a little rice and chicken leftover. Again, more to tomorrow for lunch!

Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Burritos

Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Burritos

What you need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can black beans
Cilantro Lime Rice
Large burrito size tortillas
Shredded cheese

How to make it:

In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt.

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chicken breasts. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend, top with salsa. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. When ready to serve, shred chicken.

In a small pot, heat black beans. Use a slotted spoon to stir and then drain when making the burritos.

Place a large skillet or griddle on stove over low heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet and warm for a few minutes. Remove from heat to counter top or cutting board to assemble burrito. Scoop shredded chicken, rice, black beans and shredded cheese onto the tortilla toward one end. Begin to roll from side closest to you, fold in sides, and roll until completely closed. If desired, cut in half for easier eating.

Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Burrito Assembly

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Quesadilla Chicken Sandwich

22 Jun

When my daughter asked for Cilantro Lime Rice for dinner, I knew that I wanted chicken to go with it. I just wanted to come up with something a little different. I really wanted Fiesta Lime Chicken, but neither of my kids is a big fan of how it looks. So, inspired by the Quesadilla Burger at Applebee’s, which I love as well, I decided it might be interesting to put the grilled chicken breasts in tortillas, along with the sauce and shredded cheese used in the Fiesta Lime Chicken. It was a big hit, and I’m sure I will make it again!

Quesadilla Chicken Sandwich

Quesadilla Chicken Sandwich

What you need:

Marinade for chicken:
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon tequila, optional

Sauce for quesadillas:
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup ranch dressing

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
8 8″ flour tortillas
Butter or olive oil
Shredded Mexican blend cheese

How to make it:

In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a gallon size zipper bag or large baking dish and pour the marinade over chicken. Fully coat the chicken in the marinade, seal bag or cover the baking dish, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade, and discard any remaining marinade.  Grill chicken until cooked through juices run clear.

In a small bowl, mix together the salsa and ranch dressing.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Spray with olive oil or butter one side of a tortilla. Place it sprayed/buttered side down on the skillet or griddle. Place shredded cheese on the tortilla, then the grilled chicken breast, then the salsa/ranch sauce, and a little more cheese. Spray with olive oil or butter one side of another tortilla, and place it on top with the sprayed/buttered side up. Cook for a few minutes until the bottom tortilla is browned, then flip to cook the other side. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

Cut the finished sandwiches into fourths (I used a pizza slicer). Each of us ate 2 of the fourths, they were very filling! So, we had plenty of leftovers to enjoy again the next day for lunch.

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Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese

25 Apr

Lori at My Kinda Rain posted this recipe a little over a week ago, and when I saw it, I knew we had to try it. I love a lot of the meals she shares, quick and easy for families on the go. Since I stopped buying boxed meals a few years ago, I love when I can find something similar that I can make.

I did make a few adjustments to Lori’s recipe. You can find her recipe here.

– 1 teaspoon cumin instead of 1 Tablespoon
– Added 1/2 teaspoon oregano
– Used 2 cups of beef broth instead of 2 cups water
– Didn’t have a 15 oz can of tomato sauce, so used 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
– Only used 1 cup of shredded cheese instead of 2 cups

We all LOVED it, and will be having it again soon!

Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese

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Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole

25 Aug

I recently got a bag of potatoes, which I haven’t gotten in a few weeks, and wanted to make something with them and with ground beef.  I considered making the packets again, but started looking more at casseroles since it was raining and I didn’t want to be outside grilling.  I came across this recipe, and thought it sounded delicious.  I decided to make a couple of modifications, one being to season the ground beef a little more and skip the celery and some other seasonings.  This turned out really good.  It doesn’t look real pretty, but it’s good.  My only wish is that the potatoes came out a little softer, but I was hungry and pulled it out a little soon.  Or, I just need to boil them a little before putting them in.  I used my food processor to slice them into thin rounds.  I think we’ll be having this again, all the leftovers are even already all gone!

Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole

Cheesy Hamburger and Potato Casserole

What you need:

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2.5 pounds potatoes, cut into thin rounds
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef.  Add onions and garlic, and cook until they are translucent.  Add in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook until most of the liquid has cooked off.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Mix in flour, and cook over low heat for a few minutes.  Slowly pour in milk, whisking to prevent any lumps.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and cook until thickened.  Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Arrange potatoes in the bottom of the pan, then pour in the ground beef mixture.  Stir slightly to mix up.  Pour cheese sauce over the meat and potatoes.  Cover pan with foil, and place in the pre-heated oven.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until casserole is bubbly and potatoes are soft.  Allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve.

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Loaded Baked Potato Salad

4 Jul

This was part of our 4th of July meal.  I looked around at a few different recipes before settling on this combination.  I think it turned out pretty good!

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

 

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

What you need:

2 pounds red potatoes, skins left on, and diced into 1″ pieces
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
8 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus some  for garnish
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
Chives, for garnish (optional)

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Lay potatoes on a baking sheet and spray with a little olive oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Allow to cool completely.

Once potatoes are cool, add them to a large bowl and mix in chopped hard-boiled eggs, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese.

In a separate small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard.  Pour over the potato mixture and stir in until well coated.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.  If desired, top with more shredded cheddar cheese and chives.

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Zaycon Events for July 2013

28 Jun

I usually post after an event, but wanted to post before some upcoming events so that you don’t miss out!  They have a number of events going on right now, although some are limited to certain areas.  The best way to know what is coming and available for your area is to create an account and sign up for their e-mails (here is my referral link to sign up) .  They are available now in 20 states!

Here is the list of current events happening:

  • Fresh 93/7 Super Lean Ground Beef
  • Fresh Premium Hickory Smoked Bacon
  • Fresh Strawberries
  • Hot ‘n’ Spicy Buffalo Wings
  • Natural Non-Homogenized Whole Milk
  • Orchard Peaches
  • Fully-Cooked Breaded Chicken Tenders

In my area, the bacon pick up was a little over a week ago.  Next up, is the chicken tenders and buffalo wings, which is mid-July for me.  Then, at the end of the month, the ground beef will be arriving.  I’m not sure yet if we’ll get peaches and strawberries, but I’m hoping that we do!  They sent out a message asking about interest for AZ, but I haven’t heard yet what the results were.

The milk isn’t available widespread yet, but they are doing a milk survey for interest.  You can find all the details on their milk here, and if you are interested, you can sign the petition on the right side to bring the milk to your area.  I signed because I would at least like to try it out.  The price is higher than what I am used to paying, but if it’s good, quality milk, I don’t mind paying more.

Finally, they sent out an e-mail asking about interest in cheddar cheese for Arizona.  If you are in Arizona and would be interested in cheese, I encourage you to fill out the survey.

So far, I have been very pleased with every event through Zaycon Foods, and have enjoyed having a freezer full of meat to pull for meals instead of remembering to get it at the store and catching it when it’s on sale.    I’m hoping that they come back with a seafood event soon, that was the one we really enjoyed, but it’s been a while since they’ve been here with it.  For now, we’re happy with the rest!

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