Breakfast Casserole

This was the recipe I used for Emily's baby shower on May 24. Let's just say I ate like half of it myself... It's really similar to Heather's quiche (posted May 14).

It's a really easy one because you can just make it however you like it. I use bacon with a mixture of mozzarella, mild cheddar, and colby jack cheese. I think next time I'll add it some mushrooms too.
Breakfast Casserole

Serves: 8-10
Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 large (30 oz) bag of frozen hashbrowns (shredded potatoes)
1 cup butter
4 cups cheese (any combination)
1 lb. (2 cups) bacon or sausage
6 eggs
2 cups half & half
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Thaw hashbrowns and pack into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (make like a crust). Melt 1 cup butter and pour over the top of hashbrowns. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. While the cust is baking, cook the meat. Drain excess grease, and mix with the 4 cups of cheese. Put meat and sasage mixture over the cooked hashbrowns crust. Whisk the half & Half, eggs, and salt together. Pour over the entire casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole looks set and starts to brown.

Smoky Corn Chowder/Pan-Seared Dumpling Salad

I found a few great recipes in my Real Simple magazine a few weeks ago that we really enjoyed. Here's a great non-traditional combination for a soup & salad night.

Smoky Corn Chowder:

Serves: 4-6
Time: 25 minutes

8 oz sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 lg sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 10oz pkgs frozen corn
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cups half & half
4 scallions, trimmed & thinly sliced
salt & pepper

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Spoon off and discard all but 2 tbsp of the drippings and return the pan to medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in the corn, broth, and half & half. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pan, add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir to combine. Divide the soup among individual bowls and top with the scallions and reserved bacon.

Pan-Seared Dumpling Salad:

Serves: 4

Time:25 min

2 tablespoons canola oil

12 frozen dumplings, pot stickers, or Japanese gyoza

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 bunches watercress, thick stems removed

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

salt

Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dumplings and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add 3 tablespoons water and cook, covered, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.Meanwhile, heat the remaining canola oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the edamame, ginger, and 2 tablespoons water. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until the edamame are heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the watercress and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss until just wilted.Divide among individual bowls and top with the dumplings.Whisk the sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl and drizzle over each salad.

Cheezy Chicken and Broccoli Calzones

Serves: 4
Time: 20 min

"This is so Blog-worthy" "I could eat this everyday!" "We should make these to impress our friends." "Everytime you make this meal it is good for 3 free footrubs." These are just a few of the things that Dave said about this meal. And it is so quick and easy to do!

2 (13 oz) pakages of pizza dough

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 cup shreded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken

2 garlic cloves minced

Cornmeal

Preheat oven to 425*. Cook and cube chicken (I cooked mine in the microwave for 10 min from frozen.) In a bowl mix all ingredents (not dough). Separate pizza dough into 4 eaqual parts. Roll out to make 4, 8" circles. On a cookie sheet lined with tin foil (for easy clean up) and sprinkle cormeal around sheet. Fold each circle in half and transfer to sheet. Open each and fill with 1/4 of mixture in center and away from edges of dough. Fold each in half again and pinch around edges to seal. Bake in oven for 10 min or until crust is a nice golden brown. Serve hot.

King Ranch Chicken

I've made this recipe for baby showers and other get-togethers and it always seems to be a big hit. My kids love this easy meal and it's one of our family's favorite dish. Sorry, I can't give the prep time, etc. I suppose it all depends on how fast you want to prep and cook it.

Ingredients:

¼ c. margarine or butter

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (hot or mild), undrained

2 c. cubed cooked chicken

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

tortilla chips

Toppings:

sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced olives

Directions:

Sautee onions and pepper in margarine, for about 5 minutes. Add soups, RO*TEL, chicken and cheese, stirring until well blended over medium heat. Heat until bubbling. Serve over tortilla chips, topped with sour cream, shredded cheese and olives (and anything else you'd like to add). Serves 8.

** FYI: I prefer to make this recipe in a crockpot. After the onions and peppers are sauteed in a pan, I transfer them into a crockpot and add the remainder of the ingredients, stirring until well blended. Heat on low or medium setting until bubbly. Serve with toppings. Best when it's served warm. There's also a baked casserole version of this recipe at: www.ro-tel.com. Enjoy!!! :)

English Muffin Pizza

1 pkg Thomas English Muffins
1 jar pizza sauce
8 oz Mozzarella cheese


Split the English muffins put 1-2 tsp sauce on each halve and sprinkle cheese. You can add any type of topping. I usually put pepperoni on for the kids and make mine with olives. Sometimes I like to add pineapple. Heat the oven to 350 and cook until the cheese is melted.

For a healthier version, i use the Light English muffins or the ones that have double fiber. Also instead of pepperoni, I sometimes get the turkey pepperoni. As for cheese I have use the fat free shredded but it doesn't melt very well.

Cinnamon Rolls

Does anyone have a good recipie for cinnamon rolls?

More Spinach Salads

Crunchy Spinach Salad

1 package fresh spinach
½ head purple cabbage (sliced into thin strips)
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
1 package Sun maid dried fruit bits (Next to raisins)

Dressing:
¼ c. sugar
½ c. vegetable oil
¾ tsp. salt
1 ½ tbs. dry minced onion
¼ cup vinegar
¾ tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. celery seed
Combine dressing ingredients in a jar. Cover tightly. Shake vigorously. Chill several hours. Shake again before serving over salad. Serves 6-8.

Spinach Salad #2

Dressing:
3 Tbl cider vinegar
3 Tbl Honey
6 Tbl Mayonnaise
1 Tbl. Dijon Mustard
1 Tbl. Finely minced onion
1.5 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
pinch of salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Heat vinegar & honey until honey dissolves
2. Pour into bowl and cool
3. whisk in mayo. must, onion, parsley, and salt.
Gradually whisk in oil Makes 1.5 c- can be prepared 3 days
ahead. cover and Refrigerate.

Salad:
Baby spinach Red Onion
mushrooms Strawberries
Craisins Pine Nuts
bacon-crumbled
Swiss cheese
*Obviously you can substitute with whatever toppings

Hashbrown Quiche

I was making Shelleys coconut cookies and accidentally used the whole egg instead of just the egg whites. I didnt want to waste 4 good eggs so I thougt we would have breakfast for dinner tonight. This is what I came up with. It turned out pretty good.

Serves: Makes a 9 in quiche
Time: 1 hr 20 min

Crust:
3 c hashbrowns (I use frozen)
1/4 c butter
salt

Fill a pie pan with hashbrowns and arrange around pan and up the sides to make crust. drizzle butter all around and bake for 40 min at 450 degrees. Or until it is light brown on sides and cooked on bottom

Filling:
8 eggs
1/4 c milk
1/2 cup chopped onions (green would be good too)
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 c frozen corn
1/2 c chopped spinich
1/2 c grated cheddar chese (any cheese will do)
salt and pepper
add any spices or herbs you like

Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs. Add milk and cheese, mix. Add salt and pepper to taste and any spices or herbs. Pour all other ingredients over crust. Pour egg mixture over that. Bake for 40 min or until eggs are solid in center and puffed up. Let cool for a few minutes and serve. Garnish with sour cream.

Strawberry Spinich Salad

Serves: 4
Time: 5 min

1 bag spinich (6 oz)
2 c sliced strawberries
1/2 c fetta cheese crumbled
Newman's Own Raspberry & Walnut Dressing
1 c Thick sliced deli turkey crumbled or cubed (optional)(good without but with its a meal)

Mix Spinich and strawberries together in a bowl. Sprinkle with fetta and turkey and serve with raspberry dressing. So good! I can eat all of this for lunch.

Fleming's Potatoes

Serves: 6-8

Time: 1 hour (including prep)

These are the best potatoes in the world! This is like the recipe from Dan and my fav restaurant called Flemings.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse Potatoes

1-1/2 C. heavy cream
1 C. half-and-half
2 t. salt
2 t. black pepper, finely ground
1 small jalapeño
3 oz. leeks
3 C. cheddar cheese, grated
4 lbs. russet potatoes

Heat cream and half-and-half in large sauce pot on medium high heat to simmer. Add salt and black pepper. Finely dice the jalapeño. Cut off ends of leeks, clean them and dice only the bottom 3 inches of leek into 1/2-inch dice. Place jalapeños and leeks in a large mixing bowl. When cream is hot, remove from heat, add cheddar cheese and blend in thoroughly. Peel potatoes and slice into 1/4-inch-thick circles on a mandoline slicer, by hand or with the slicing blade of a food processor. (these potatoes are sliced like scalloped or au gratin potatoes would be) Combine potatoes and cream mixture in mixing bowl with leeks and jalapeño and mix well. Spray sides and bottom of a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place potato mixture in pan and evenly distribute the potatoes. Cover with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil (the plastic wrap melted on me but I think it was because I needed to cover it bettter with the aluminum foil but if you can try to find oven safe plastic wrap because it is necessary to keep the moisture in). Bake in 350°F. oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove wrap and foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes to brown top.

Cheddar Bread Bowls for Your Fav Chili

Serves: 4

Time: 20 min

Cheddar Bread Bowls

These bread bowls are so easy and I just serve them with my favorite chili that I like to make.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1pound fresh or frozen pizza dough, thawed according to package directions. ( I buy made pizza dough from the store but you could make it very easiliy)

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar

Directions:

Divide dough into 4 equal parts and roll each portion into a ball. Place balls on prepared baking sheet, top with shredded cheese and bake for 15 min. (I had to bake for like 20-25 min, depends on oven I guess. But, just so that they are nice and golden and the cheese is crispy and golden). Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle, cut a small portion from the top of each ball like you would cut a pumkin top off. Spoon your favorite homemade chili into bowl ..top it and enjoy.

Toasted Garlic Bread

Serves: depends
Time: 7 min

1 loaf french bread sliced into 1 1/2 in slices on a diaganal.
3 garlic cloves
5 T butter or margrine
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 tsp dry basil
1 T parsley flakes

Blend ingredients in a food processor and spread on both slices of bread. Cook in a pan over medium heat till golden brown, about 3 min per side. Serve warm. Butter can be kept in fridge in an airtight container for a while.

Glazed Salmon

Serves: 4-6
Time: 40 min

1 Salmon fillet ( I get the frozen pre-sectioned fillet in the freezer fish section from Walmart $7.00)
1/4 c balsamic vinigar
2 T mustard
1/4 c honey (give or take)
2 T oil
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 T Parsley Flakes

Line a cookie sheet with Tin foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place frozen separated sections of salmon on sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley. In a bowl wisk together remaining ingredients. I use the measurments as a guide and add whatever is needed to the glaze to taste. Spoon over Salmon. Bake in oven for 30 min or until done.

Mild Chili

Serves:about 6
Time: about 30 min

1 lb ground beef
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatos
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
2 cans beans (15 oz) your choice I like red beans and pinto beans together
1 small onion chopped ( i use dry minced)
1 pakage McCormicks toco seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with parmesan, grated cheese, sour cream or tortilla chips

Brown beef. When beef is 1/2 cooked put in onions and cook the rest of the way. Add all other ingredients and simmer for about 10 min. Easy!

Index

Welcome everyone.

I hope that this can be a good resource for you when you have no idea what to make for dinner. Feel free to post salads, sides, main dishes, starters, salsas, soups, whatever you want. Please use the label box at the bottom of the posting page to label your post for the index. Use words like, soup, salad, ,main dish, starter, side. Please keep it general. Also if you could put a label with the main ingredient like chiken, beef, black beans, broccoli, ect. This is for the nights when we look in the cupboard and all you see is beans or canned tomatos and you dont know what to make. If this is too confusing dont worry about labeling and Ill go back and do it for you.

Please add at the top of your post the serving size and time it takes to make like this
Serves:
Time:

Please feel free to post as often as you like. The more the merrier right? If you made something for dinner that you like post it, even if its every night (if you have the time or remember what you put in it).

Happy cooking everyone!