Mama Rox's Hungry Boy Casserole

1.5 ground beef, turkey or chicken

1 C sliced celery

1/2 C finely chopped onion

1/2 C finely chopped green pepper (or red or yellow or mixed)

1 clove garlic minced  (or equivalent in garlic powder)

Cook the above in a skillet over med heat until veggies are tender. Drain any excess fat, if any.

ADD:

3/4 C of water

6oz. can of tomato paste

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. paprika

Reserve 1 Cup to roll up in biscuits.

ADD:

1 med can undrained pork & beans

1 med can of un drained navy beans

1 med can of un drained beans of choice (i.e. lima, kidney, etc.)

Let simmer while preparing biscuits.

BISCUITS:

1.5 cups AP flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix to combine.

Cut in:

1/4 C butter

Add:

1/2 C milk or buttermilk

(option my aunt used was 1 to 2 drops of yellow food coloring in milk)

Mix dough & knead very lightly, & roll out to a 1/2" thick rectangle. Spread the 1 Cup of reserved sauce & roll up & slice like sweet rolls.

Put the meat & bean mix in a greased casserole, & lay the biscuit rolls on top. Bake @ 425 for 25 to 30 min, until biscuits are raised & golden.

Great served with a big green salad.

5 minute(ish) Taquito "Enchiladas"

For this recipe you'll need:
20-30 frozen taquitos
enchilada sauce*
cheese

Spray your baking dish to prevent it from sticking. Add a little bit of your sauce to the bottom of the pan. Layer your frozen taquitos next. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top. sprinkle cheese on top of the whole thing. Garnish with olives if you like. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.

I served mine with a side of green salad and some black beans.

*You can use any enchilada sauce you like. I used a sour cream enchilada mixture which consists of a small container of sour cream, a can of cream of chicken and a can of mild green enchilada sauce.  You could also skip the sour cream and go for a plain green sauce or even use a can of red sauce or for that matter "doctored up" salsa.

Arvada Dinner Post

Basic Roasted Chicken with Stuffing.

Choose favorite stuffing and fill cavity of bird (account for additional cooking time with stuffed birds). Massage butter into top of bird and season with S&P (as well as additional spices to taste).

Cook until juices run clear.

Celery Casserole - recipe below.

We also had mashed potatoes and gravy. - Perfect meal for a cold day!

Baked Celery Casserole

4 cups sliced celery

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cans sliced water chestnuts drained

1/4 cup sliced almonds sauteed in butter

1/2 cup corn flake crumbs

melted margarine or butter

Parboil celery in water with a little salt added, zap in the microwave for a few minutes or sautee in a pan for a few minutes to take the bite off. Combine drained celery with water chestnuts and undiluted soup. Place in casserole. Top with crumbs and margarine. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti

Oh. My. This was so delicious!! My kids ate a lot of it and kept saying "Mmmm!" Well Mmmm is right! This was such an awesome dish. Easy and so yummy! It makes a lot too. So I'm excited for left overs for lunch this week. Here is the recipe: (Only I did 1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can of cream of chicken and just did boneless, skinless chicken breasts.)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

**Make sure you make it over to her site to look at her step by step photos. They really help!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice Casserole Variation

Long live casseroles! I am a busy mother of 4 and absolutely love the fact that
A.) casseroles are quick and easy to throw together with minimal dishes dirtied,
B.) they can be  assembled early and cooked at your convenience and
C.) they feed a lot fairly inexpensively and are pretty tasty. 

Sorry these are not exact amounts, I typically just dump it all together, sometimes even using leftovers.

Prepare to make your normal chicken and rice casserole. 

For me, that would roughly include rice,  1 can cream of chicken soup, cut up chicken and cheese. 

To "spice it up" add to that the following:

1 CAN STOKES GREEN CHILI SAUCE

FROZEN CORN

1 CAN DRAINED BLACK BEANS

FRESH CILANTRO

SEASONING TO TASTE (I used a little garlic and onion powder)

In the past I have even topped with a bit of Salsa before baking, but my kids aren't big Salsa fans, so I left it out this time. Goes well with a green salad and corn chips. YUM.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

My mom would make this one regularly as my sisters and I were growing up. Now, I make it regularly! It is super easy and delicious as well. Simple substitutions make it more healthy for you and there really isn't much of a taste discrepancy.

Ingredients
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup (I use the 98% fat free kind)
2 cans of tuna
1 bag of egg noodles (I use the whole wheat kind)

Directions
Cook pasta; drain and return to pot
Add both cans of soup (NO WATER) and both cans of tuna; stir it up, baby!
Plop it all into an oven-safe bowl and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so.
Sprinkle cheese (any kind...probably not parmesan, though) on top and let melt
before serving.

Serves 4...healthy, adult-sized portions.

Pioneer Woman's Mac n Cheese

I love the Pioneer Woman! Have you ever been to her site? She's awesome. If you haven't checked her out, do so right now. Not kidding...here is the link:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks OK you can wait until you check out my dinner post ;)

She just happened to be on Good Morning America today. I love homemade mac n cheese. It is just so yummy and comforting. Her recipe looked easy enough and I had all the ingredients already. So I went for it. Was not disappointed at all!

I used minature farfalle (bowtie) pasta instead of elbow macaroni. And I also put 1/4 tsp of nutmeg in for that little something that makes you go "what is that?" For sides I did fresh broccoli steamed in Ziplock's Steamer Bags you throw in the microwave. Have you tried them? They are so awesome! Then just buttered, salt and peppered the broccoli. My kids love broccoli. And crescent rolls. Yum.

Here is the recipe.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/macaroni-cheese/

I love the way she photo documents each step. She also is completely adorable and has a great sense of humor. She makes gourmet food look easy. And so far her recipes with the step by step photos have been fairly easy to follow. The other cool part is she has it set up so you can click to print out all of her recipes. I will probably do a lot more of her recipes to share here with you. As well as a few other of my favorite food people. Enjoy!

Layered Mexican Bake

Hello there! I'm Tristan, Carrie and I are cousins in law. Which means we married guys who are cousins ;) So here is my frist recipe contribution.

Layered Mexican Bake

I got the recipe and the photo from Kraftfoods.com. Sorry I didn't take my own photo, I forgot. I'll do better next time I promise. ;)

This dish is so yummy! My kids even like it. As long as I use mild salsa. Last night I accidently used Hot Salsa and didn't know it until I was cleaning up after I put it in the oven and looked at the jar. Ooops! So last night's version was pretty spicy. So I served my kids Campbell's chicken noodle soup. The hubby and I ate the dish for dinner and then again for lunch today. It is a great leftovers recipe. Warms in the microwave really well. So here is the recipe! Enjoy!

1-1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped (I use just one, cuz my kids are not big fans)

4 tsp. chili powder (I always just use a packet of taco seasoning)

2-1/2 cups chunky red salsa (I just pour a whole 16 oz jar in)

2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen corn (I only use one, cuz it is plenty)

6 high-fiber whole wheat tortillas (8 inch) (I have also used just 10 inch flour tortillas when I didn't have whole wheat ones)

1 cup Sour Cream (I always end up using more cuz it isn't the easiest to spread and it cools off some of the spice that my kids don't like)

1-1/2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided (I use the Mexican blend, and 2 cups...cuz well, who doesn't love cheese?)

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BROWN meat with onions and peppers in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in chili powder; cook 1 min. Add salsa and corn; mix well. Simmer 5 min.

SPREAD 2 cups meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 2 tortillas, 1 cup meat sauce, sour cream and 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with 2 tortillas, 2 cups of remaining meat sauce and half of remaining cheese; top with remaining tortillas and meat sauce. Cover with foil.

BAKE 30 min. or until casserole is heated through. Top with remaining cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until melted.

Chicken and Rice with Garlic and Mushroom Asparagus

The Chicken and Rice is actually a Campbell's recipe. You can get it HERE.



The Asparagus was a concoction of stuff I had around the kitchen. I hate mushy green vegetables, so I normally bring the asparagus just to a boil on Med heat in a bit of water. Today I added mushrooms and minced garlic with some Smartbalance butter.

Oh! and for those few who are as asparagus ignorant as I used to be: You need to break off the thick end of the spear. My rule of thumb is to hold the thick end with one hand and the base of the leafy part and bend. it breaks where it should.

Beef Taco Bake

I found this recipe in Campbell's Casseroles & One-Dish Favorites. I'm really liking this magazine so far.

Takes about 40 mins
makes about 4 servings

1 lb ground beef
1 can Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
1 cup Pace Chunky Salsa or Picante Sauce.
1/2 cup milk
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas or 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup (4oz) shredded Cheddar cheese

1) Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned. stirring frequently to separate meat. Pour off any fat.
2) Stir in soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half of the cheese into the skillet. Pour into a shallow baking dish and cover.
3) Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 mins or until hot. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

We like cheese so I used more then what was called for. I like things a little spicy so I used medium salsa. Also was good as a leftover.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

I got this recipe out of the Campbell's Casseroles & One-Dish Favorites.

Prep is about 15 mins
Mkes about 4 servings

1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked regukar long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese.

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir in soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper, and vegetables in a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
2) Top with the chicken, season are desired. Cover and bake for 50 mins or until chicken is cooked all the way through and rice is tender.
3) Sprinkle with cheese and let stand for 10 mins or until the cheese is melted. Stir rice and serve.

The magazine also has a few variations for a different flavor:
Mexican: In place of the onion powder and pepper use 1 tsp chili powder. Substitute Mexican cheese blend for Cheddar cheese.
Italian: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1tsp italian seasoning. Substitute 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan for Cheddar.
Alfredo: Substitute broccoli flowerets (I found these in the frozen veggie section at the grocery) and 1/4 cup Parmesan for Cheddar. Add 2 tbsp Parmesan with the soup and sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan on the chicken at the end.

I found this super easy and liked that you use only one dish to make. This also reheated wonderfully for leftovers.

Beef & Mozzarella Bake

I also found this recipe in the Campbell's Cassaroles & One-Dish Favorites magazine.

Makes about 6 servings
Takes about 45 mins to make

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup Prego Traditional Italian Sauce
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 cups cooked shell pasta

1) Cook the beef, basil, pepper, and garlic in a large skilletover medium-high heat until well browned. Pour off any fat.
2) Stir in Italian sauce, soup, water and 1 cup of the cheese. Then stir in the pasta to coat it with the sauce. Pour into a medium size (about 2 quart) shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
3) Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 mins or until hot and bubbling.

Note: I used about 4 cups of cooked pasta and added a little extra cheese to the top. I liked how it came out, but think I'm going to use my spagetti sauce instead of the Prego next time. Perfect for leftovers too.

Leftover Ham- Casserole

So we needed to use up our ham from Sunday.
this is basically Funeral Potatoes with Ham


I shredded up about 2 cups of ham
Added 1 bag of shredded hashbrowns
1 family size can of Cream of Chicken
1 Tbs dried onion
1/2 - 1 cup of sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Topping: Crumbled up Rice Chex in melted butter

350 till bubbly and starting to turn golden brown

Mac 'n' Cheese

Last Weeks Denver Dinner Post
(Sorry I'm a bit behind:-)

1 lb pasta
2 tbl butter
1 tbl olive oil
3 tbl flour
1.5 cups milk
1-2 cups sharp Cheddar
1-2 cups spicy jack
1/4 - 1/2 pkg cream cheese
S&P to taste

Boil Pasta per package instructions
Make a basic rue in the pan with oil, butter and flour. Allow flour to cook a minute before adding milk slowly, whisking as you add.
Allow sauce to thicken while pasta is cooking.
Drain pasta and set aside (do not rinse)
Add cheese to rue starting with cream cheese (as it is the thickest), then stir in remaining cheddar and jack using a figure eight or S stirring pattern to prevent clumps. Sauce should be thick and cheesy.
Add pasta and stir to coat. .
Serve hot off the stove ...or... pour mac 'n' cheese into a casserole dish, add breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese to the top and bake at 350 until top is golden and crispy.

Mac 'N' Cheese

This is my best friend Stefanie's recipe and one of my favorites.

16oz pkg elbow macaroni noodles
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
16oz-18oz Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
milk
bread crumbs (I like to use Italian bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Make the noodles per the instructions on the bag.

Sauce:

While the noodles are cooking, in a medium sauce pan put both cans of mushroom soup. Fill the empty cans about 3/4 of the way with milk and swish a round to get extra off sides then pour in pan. (I like to use a whisk when mixing sauce to keep out clumps and it from sticking to the bottom.) Bring to small boil then pour in 3/4 of the grated cheese and cook until cheese is melted.

Once the noodles and sauce is done pour both into a 9"x13" pan. Spread the rest of the grated cheese on top and sprinkle the bread crumbs over that (this will give it a nice top crust when baked).

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 mins or until cheese is melted and a little crispy.

Substitutions:

Noodles: You can use what ever kind of noodles you would like. Sometimes I use bowtie or shells. Also on occasion you come across character, ABC,etc noodles and these can be fun too.
Cheese: Sharp cheddar is the best but as I prefer Colby Jack, I mix together half sharp cheddar and half Colby jack.

Note: I got this recipe from my best friend Stef and her oldest son doesn't like the crust with bread crumbs so she does hers half sprinkled with cheese & bread crumbs and the other half with just cheese. Also, my hubby likes this with pork chops or by itself.

Food report #2

I should title these things "Wow, I'm glad this actually turned out ok." or "Cooking improv: whose dish is it anyway?"

I originally had planned enchiladas. We are living with my DH's grandpa who LOVES enchiladas. The tortillas we had in the fridge were too big so he went to the store for me. He brought back super small ones instead. I thought I'd make due, but the darn things kept falling apart every time I rolled them up! So, I ended up ripping them apart and making a sort of Enchilada Casserole. I also found out, much to my dismay, that he has no sour cream. I decided to try cream cheese instead.... you know, it was really good! Who knew?

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 can chicken (or you can boil and shred/dice some)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small can green chilies
fresh cilantro to taste
1-2 tsp garlic powder/salt to taste

Mix above ingredients in a bowl. No need to heat through. Our family loves cilantro, so we use a lot, but it is optional, and you could use dried or completely leave it out if you prefer.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 small can tomato sauce

Mix above three ingredients in separate bowl. You don't want the bean mixture really soupy- just moistened through.

6 tortillas, cut into bite size squares
3-4 cups grated cheese

Take a knife or your pizza roller and cut all the tortilla into bite size pieces. You need about 2 tortilla per layer, so you might choose to cut them 2 at a time.

Lightly spray a 9 x 11 baking dish. Spread a thin layer of chicken/soup mixture on the bottom to prevent sticking and burning. Layer two cut up tortillas over this. Follow layering pattern below.

From the bottom, layer in this manner:

Chicken/Soup mixture
Tortilla Bites
Chicken/Soup Mixture
Cheese
Tortilla Bites
Bean/Salsa Mixture (use all of it)
Cheese
Tortilla Bites
Chicken/Soup
Cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with salad or rice.

I have also sprayed my crock pot insert and layered this casserole inside and heated through, 3-4 hours. It works fine, too...

Chicken Rotini Casserole

1 pkg prepared Rotini
2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Can Hunts Chunky Vegetable Spaghetti sauce
2 cups chopped bell pepper (colored not green)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast cooked in your favorite seasonings and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Once Rotini is done and drained, mix all ingredients in greased casserole dish and put in oven for 20 minutes until warm all the way through.

Eat with some french bread and you're good to go!

Cheesy Burger Casserole

1 large bag Tater Tots
1 can Campbells Cheese Soup
1/2 lb (or more) hamburger

Start by spraying a glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Make a layer of Tater Tots on the bottom. (about one tater thickness is usually good) Put this in the oven to start baking. About 375 degrees. (I say this because the tots are frozen, and if you wait to put it in the oven- it will take a really long time to cook.)

While the bottom layer of tots are heating, Season and brown your hamburger. Feel free to brown with onions, if you want. (Use your favorite seasonings- I sometimes use, onion flakes or powder, seson- all, or garlic salt)

Drain meat.

Pull out warmed tots and sprinkle cooked hamburger over tot layer.

Open can of cheese soup and spoon uncooked soup all over tot and hamburger mixture. Be sure to spread cheese soup over entire surface. (use an extra can if coverage is sparse)

Top this layer with another layer of Tater Tots.

Bake another 1/2 hour- 45 minutes, until tots are cooked through (they start to brown slightly), and soup has melted.

Serve with favorite veggies or salad.