Cheesy Potatoes

This is a recipe my Grandma Twinkle always made to go with a Honey Baked Ham.  They go together perfectly!  This makes such a great Easter meal!

Cheesy Potatoes

1 lb. frozen hash browns

1 cup chopped onions

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter, melted

8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 9x13 pan.  Mix all the ingredients together until combined.  Press potato mixture into prepared pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown on the edges.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

It is about time, right?!!! I have been SOOO off the grid lately.  Call it moving across the country, call it summer vacation, call it laziness, call it whatever you want but I think it is high time I get a new post on here. If for no other reason than to NOT have to look at the cinnamon sticks any more!

I have been so NOT in the mood to cook lately, so I am forcing myself to come back slow and easy.  And that is exactly what this recipe is, well the easy part anyway!  I found it over at Picky Palate. My whole family loved it and the leftovers were great too!  I may have changed the recipe slightly...

Chicken Florentine Pasta
(8 servings)

2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic minced
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
2 cups Philadelphia Cooking Creme (found in the cream cheese section at the grocery store)  I used reduced fat Italian flavored, yum!
1 pound pasta, I used bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 in pan with cooking spray.   Place the oil in a large pot and when it has heated up add onion and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the spinach leaves and stir until wilted.  Add the cooked and shredded chicken and pepper and cook until heated through.  Add the cooking creme and mix well. Lastly, add the cooked pasta until combined. Salt to taste,  I didn't add any.  Transfer this mixture to the baking dish and top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Serve with salad and breadsticks.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

We have a beautiful garden, my husband totally has a green thumb. It is producing squash like CRAZY! So I have started to get creative. That is where this recipe comes in. It is totally vegetarian because when you have gorgeous veggies in your back yard who would want to go to the store? I just used what I had. I will tell you what veggies I used but really, the *options are endless!

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

(about 9 servings)

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 medium yellow squash, sliced

2 tomatoes, quartered

1 medium onion, sliced

6-8 cloves of garlic

1 red bell pepper, sliced

extra virgin olive oil

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

no-boil lasagna noodles

24-oz small curd cottage cheese

2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

32-oz marinara sauce, homemade or your favorite store bought brand

fresh spinach

Turn your oven on to broil. Cut your veggies and place them on a cookie sheet. Leave the peel on the garlic cloves while you roast them. Drizzle the veggies with the olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss them with your hands to coat evenly. Place under the broiler for about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. They are done when they start to look dark brown (but not burned) on the edges. Remove the peels from the garlic and finely chop. I like to remove the tomato skins as well. Chop tomatoes and red bell peppers into chunks. Place these back on the cookie sheet and toss to mix.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Then put a layer of noodles followed by a layer of cottage cheese, then a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and finally a layer of roasted veggies.  Top the veggies with sauce and start the process over again.  You will want to divide all ingredients into 3 equal portions because that is how many layers you will make.  The top layer will be sauce and then mozzarella cheese.  Cover the whole thing with foil and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.  Allow the lasagna to sit for 10-20 minutes before serving to let it set.  (I was obviously to excited to let mine set before I served it!) We LOVE to serve ours on a bed of fresh spinach, the spinach gets slightly wilted but not over cooked this way.  It is so good!

*You could also use carrots, mushrooms, kale, etc...

Day 112 - Chicken Noodle Casserole

What a wonderful weekend!
I say that because I was finally able to be productive and get some housework done!
Ok, I was really only able to do laundry, but the mounds just kept growing during the week because I hadn't had any energy to do much of anything.
Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get through the day without taking a nap.
I've done that every day this week!
Being sick stinks!
Everyone, stay HEALTHY!!

This is adapted from my New Doubleday Cookbook.

Chicken Noodle Casserole - serves 4

¼ cup butter
¼ cup sifted flour
½ teaspoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken seasoning
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated pepper
2 cups bite-size pieces cooked chicken
8 oz. thin noodles, cooked according to package directions until al dente, and drained

Topping

3 potato hamburger buns sliced into small cubes and tossed with 3 tablespoons melted butter
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat and blend in flour and poultry seasoning.

Slowly stir in broth and milk, add salt and pepper, and heat, stirring until mixture thickens.

Off heat, mix in all remaining ingredients except topping.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Oh. My. Goodness!
Yes, this is one of those recipes that IS a keeper!!
The whole family absolutely loved this dish tonight, and unanimously decided that it earned 4 rolling pins! 
I rate everything that I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best of the best.
The sauce was so delicious and I think it was largely in part due to the fact that I used the Montreal Chicken seasoning.  That seasoning is great when we grill chicken, so I knew it would give this dish that extra boost I was looking for.  Also, instead of using the 1 teaspoon of granules I used 2 for even additional flavor.
This was SO yummy!!!!!
The only thing I think I'd change, is to double the amount of sauce.  The noodles weren't dry, I just like things really saucy.
Saucy.  I like that.
I'm so glad this was better than those Nutella sour cream cookies I made yesterday.
What a relief!
Happy baking!

Day 43 - Tuna Noodle Casserole

          It was a very busy day today between errands, shuttling children here and there, enjoying a boys' high school volleyball game and having lunch with a wonderful friend, Karen, so taking the time to bake something complex wasn't in the cards.  I didn't even exercise.  So, I decided to bake dinner.  The great thing is I was able to prepare it, stick it in the fridge before we left for the volleyball game and then popped it into the oven when we came home.  I didn't want to bake it while we were gone because like the lasagna, it would have overcooked and I really didn't want to eat an overdone tuna casserole with crunchy noodles.  Besides, the cooking time is shorter than the lasagna.  I've made this dish so many times over the years that I now have it memorized and can't remember where the original came from.  Mom used to make this, too, but I don't think it's hers.
     Since giving birth to our son almost 14 years ago, the only seafood I have been able to eat or smell is tuna, and at times even that makes me nauseous.  Oh, and on rare occasion I can eat Tilapia.  Other than that, NO way!  When we moved west from Rhode Island, it wasn't that big a deal for me leaving most things New England because I really can't stand beach sand (YUCK!) and even the thought of eating seafood make me want to...well, I won't go there, you know what I mean.  Therefore, this may be the only fish-type recipe you will see during the course of 365 days.  Maybe there will be some sort of Tilapia dish, but don't hold your breath.

     Tuna Noodle Casserole  serves 4
    
     3 cups wide egg noodles
     1 tablespoon butter
     ½ cup onion, minced
     2 large stalks celery, diced
     1 5oz. can solid white tuna in water, drained
     1  10 3/4oz. can condensed cheddar cheese soup
     1½ cups milk
     1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
     1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Boil noodles according to directions, drain and set aside. 
Melt butter in large skillet.  Add onions and celery and sauté til tender, about 5-10 minutes. 
Empty condensed soup into a medium bowl.  Add milk and whisk together.  Set aside.
Add tuna to skillet, breaking apart with a fork.  Add soup/milk mixture and bring to boil. 
Stir until heated throughout, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add noodles.  Mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
Spoon into an 8x8-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix together Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Sprinkle evenly over top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

     I have also substituted Cream of Mushroom soup for the Cheddar Cheese, but I like the cheesy goodness better.  It's like mac and cheese with tuna mixed in.  Ok, not really, but kinda.
     My rating system is on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  The Tuna Noodle Casserole earns 3½ rolling pins.  I like the cheese, it's not too tuna-ey (new word), and the bread crumbs with the parmesan cheese give it extra flavor and a nicely textured topping.
     Spring break for the kiddos next week and a daughter home from college.  I plan to have them helping me out a few days in the kitchen with some recipes I think they'll enjoy.  Time to put these youngins to work.
     Happy baking!

Day 41 - Shepherd's Pie

     (Just so you know, I'm having font issues.  I wanted to use a different font for the recipe, but it is a heck of a lot smaller than I'd like it to be because I can barely read it.  I attempted to fix it, but have not had much luck because it just reverts to what I originally used.  Now I'm frustrated and I'm going to bed.)
     P90X this morning - the cardio DVD.  Well, after I became motivated enough to do it and stopped putting it off, I started it around 11:00, but it was technically still morning.  At times, I wasn't really enjoying myself, especially the two times I really thought I was going to pass out. Seriously.  I have to admit though, I am very glad that I did it.  Now I could use a nap.
    
Tonight's dinner is from The New Doubleday Cookbook, p.176; authors, Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna; publisher, Doubleday, a division of Random House; ISBN 0-385-19577-X. 
     I make this dish at least two, if not three times a month.  The family likes it a lot, especially the two boys (my husband and son) because it is a really good meat and potatoes dish.
  I found this on http://www.whatscookingamerica.net/ regarding the history of the Shepherd's Pie in the 17th century,

English women were baking pies long before the settlers came to America. The pie was an English specialty that was unrivaled in other European cuisines. Two early examples of the English meat pies were shepherd's pie and cottage pie. Shepherd's pie was made with lamb and vegetables, and the cottage pie was made with beef and vegetable.   Both are topped with potatoes.

     Shepherd's Pie
     1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
     1 sweet green pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped (optional)
     2 tablespoons beef or bacon drippings or cooking oil
     1¼ pounds ground chuck
     1 beef bouillon cube
     ½ cup boiling water
     1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
     1¼ teaspoons salt
     ¼ teaspoon pepper
     1 tablespoon steak sauce
     3 cups hot seasoned mashed potatoes


     Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Saute onion and green pepper in drippings in a large skillet over moderate heat 10 minutes until onion is golden.  Add beef and saute, breaking meat up with a spoon, about 10 minutes, until lightly browned; drain off fat as it accumulates. 


Boiling potatoes and browning the meat with the onion and green pepper.

Dissolve bouillon cube in water, add to cornstarch mixture, then stir into skillet along with salt, pepper and steak sauce.  Heat, stirring, 1-2 minutes.  Spoon into an ungreased 1½-quart casserole,

spread potatoes over surface and roughen with a fork.

(Note:  Recipe may be prepared to this point ahead of time, cool, cover, and chill.  Bring to room temperature before proceeding.) 
Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes, then broil 4" from heat 2-3 minutes to brown.

     I confess.  That biscuit you see on the plate is not something I baked.  I feel very guilty about that because I'm doing a baking blog and I go out and by Pillsbury Grands.  I had a recipe out so that I could make some homemade biscuits, but then I started digging through my coupons and planning today's shopping trip and that took longer than I expected.  It was well worth it though;  I went to the store with $111.00 cash and my total came to $112.41, so I had to use my debit for that $1.41.  I saved $158.09 - 59%!  I suppose this could've gone on my couponing page, but I'm here, so this is where it is.

     I have to say that the pictures don't really do the dinner justice.  It is a lot tastier than it appears to be.  I like to add about a 1½ tablespoons of A1 Steak Sauce even though it only calls for 1.  It definitely adds more flavor.  I also put about 3/4 cup shredded cheddar/monterey cheese into the potatoes when I'm seasoning those.  It was greasier tonight; more so than usual because I mistakenly picked up 85% lean ground beef instead of the 90%-95% I normally buy. 

     I have a rating system of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  The rating for the Shepherd's Pie:  3½ rolling pins.  There is never that much of this left over when I make it, but if there happens to be, it's even better the next day as leftovers. 

     Happy baking!

Day 33 - Chicken with Rice

     I found this recipe card for Chicken with Rice among my cookbooks today.  I remember my mom making it and really wanting to know how to prepare it.  She gave me the card, but I never received a personal cooking lesson.  I make it sound like it's complicated when it took me all of 10 minutes,  I think to put the ingredients into the pan.  I'm all for easy, especially when it comes to busy nights with various family activities; there's nothing better than being able to pull something out of the freezer that's already been prepared, some crock pot recipe that I can start in the morning, or a dish that takes little time to prepare and will be done by the time we arrive home (like the lasagna, but you probably want to make sure you cover it, so that it doesn't become crusty like mine did ;-) ).  Hmmm...that reminds me, what do I make for dinner tomorrow night?
     Chicken with Rice
     1 cup uncooked rice
     1 chicken-cut up
     1 pkg. onion soup mix
     1 can cream of chicken soup
     1 cup sherry
     1 cup water

     Place rice in 2 qt. casserole, cover with water and wine. 

Place chicken over rice (in one layer if possible).  I used boneless chicken breasts.

Sprinkle with onion soup mix.

Cover with chicken soup.

Cover and bake at 325ºF - 350ºF for 1-2 hrs.  Remove cover; brown 30 minutes longer.

     It is an extremely simple recipe, but somehow, I managed to screw it up. Haha  Ok, not really funny.  As I said, I used the boneless chicken breasts, so I knew it should be in the oven or thought it should be in the oven for a different amount of time than it called for.  I started it at 350ºF for 30 minutes at which point I removed the cover and turned the heat up to 375ºF for another 30 minutes.  Why, you ask?  Um, because it was already 6 o'clock when I started to make dinner and I didn't have 1½ - 2½ hours to wait.  I have teenagers, remember?  And one of them is a boy.  So I figured before they filled up on snacks, I'd better speed dinner up.

     The chicken was delicious, very tender and flavorful because of the sherry, soup and onions.

 HOWEVER, the rice was a tad bit underdone and a little crunchy.  Next time, I'll probably use chicken breast again, but will bake for the allotted time at the temperature I'm supposed to.  The family liked it even though the rice was crunchy.  I'm still trying to pick bits out of my teeth.   The rating: on a scale of 1 to 4 rolling pins, I give this a 2½ because of the rice.  

     Happy baking!

Day 21 - Chile Cheese Casserole

     I didn't see that woman's car today at school during drop-off, but you can be sure that I was looking!  I had to do a lot of talking to myself this morning while I was working my way through the parking lot, so I wouldn't become frazzled.  It worked.  I came out unscathed.
     The 21st recipe is Chile Cheese Casserole from the Food Network website.  No recipe, but here is the link:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chile-cheese-casserole-recipe/index.html
     I was needing to bake something today that would use up the egg whites I had leftover from making the Créme Brulée yesterday.  I love the Food Network site because in their search field you can type in any ingredient and recipes will come up containing it.  So, I typed in "6 egg whites" and voila:  Chile Cheese Casserole.  It was either that or omelets and those wouldn't work 'cause they aren't baked.  My initial thought was that this dish would be too eggy for a dinner and would be best suited for breakfast; maybe I should add some cooked chicken to it.  But we had chicken last night for dinner and I try not to repeat things two nights in a row.  As it was baking, my daughter said that it smelled really good, so I was excited to try it, as was she.  Here are the pictures of the process:

     Chile Cheese Casserole
     The ingredients.

The diced green chiles and cilantro added to the mixture of eggs, egg whites, chili powder, and pepper.

The crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of the baking dish and the final mixture with the cheeses added to it.

After being poured into the pan.

In the dish with the additional layer of tortilla chips.

End of initial baking time before the additional cheese was added.

Out of the oven.

Ready for dinner.

The recipe suggested serving it with sour cream and green salsa verde.  I did neither and served it with Greek yogurt and regular jarred salsa.  Nobody even knew the difference.  The same daughter who told me it smelled good while it was baking took two bites and didn't eat the rest.  My husband and son said it was ok, finished it or nearly finished, but never went back for seconds which is a nightly occurrence around here.  I really didn't like it.  Yes, it was extremely eggy, but it did call for 6 egg whites and an additional 4 eggs.  It wasn't as spicy as I expected though and I have to say that the yogurt and salsa on top made it better.  My recommendation if you're looking for a way to use up those egg whites from the créme brulée you made the day before, make omelets for breakfast or some meringue cookies.  Oh yeah, I almost forgot the best part.  Right after dinner my husband took me to a movie. Upon walking into the house, I was overcome by the smell of dirty diapers.  It was horrible!  Yes, it was the remaining smell from dinner.  I need to burn a candle.  Just something to think about if you're looking to try this one.  Or, you could make it on a night when you're having company you're not particularly thrilled to see.

     My rating for the Chile Cheese Casserole:  1 rolling pin.

     Happy baking!