Category: Casseroles

Casseroles · Chicken

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Thanks to a precious friend of mine who sent me away from Texas with a few of her favorite recipes, I am going to share this one with you. It is so great for a crowd, pot luck or family dinner. Easy and delish, you will be making it over and over.  Thank you Chrissie for sharing it with me and now the world, ha…well maybe that is a little exaggeration!

4-6 chicken breasts

1 (8 oz) sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 tables poppy seeds

1 stick butter

1 roll Ritz crackers

1 toothpick (to pick the poppy seeds out of your teeth)

Cut cooked chicken into chunks. Mix sour cream, soup, poppy seeds in a bowl. Stir in chicken. Place in a 9×13 baking dish you have sprayed with Pam. Melt butter in a bowl and mix in crumbled ritz crackers. Pour cracker mixture on top of chicken. Bake at 400 for 40 min. Makes 8-10 servings.

Serve this along side rice pilaf or mashed potatoes and a salad with crusty bread. Of course you cannot leave the table without having dessert so check out the dessert section of my blog. I know there is one there that will make a perfect ending to this wonderful meal…

Casseroles · Vegetables

Gratin of Vegetables

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

I am in love with brussels sprouts. I have never really liked them until I ate them at my son, Jason’s house. He had bought them still on the stem and the taste is completely different than buying them frozen. So each time I see a recipe that includes these little precious gems, I look it over. This recipe uses my husbands fav cheese, blue cheese, and makes a great side dish to any juicy steak, baked chicken or fish! Found this in a little $1.79 magazine at the grocery store checking out the other day….

1 lb cabbage

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed, outer leaves discarded and halved

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 tables EVVO (extra virgin olive oil) That always drove me crazy when a well known TV chef  would always say, “EVVO, extra virgin olive oil” If she was going to tell you every time what EVVO stood for, why did she bother to always say, “EVVO”?

1/4  teas sea salt, or table salt

1/4 teas pepper

4 oz crumbled blue cheese (about 3/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 425. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cut cabbage into thin wedges, leaving them attached at base. Add cabbage and sprouts to pot and bring back to boil. Cook 3 min and then drain and shake dry.

Arrange cabbage and sprouts with red onion in 13,9 baking dish which you have sprayed with Pam. Drizzle veggies with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring halfway through cooking time, until veggies are tender, about 25 min. Sprinkle with cheese; return to oven for 3-5 min until cheese melts. Serve immediately while hot.

Beef · Casseroles

Swiss Steak and Potatoes

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

This is one of my very favorite meals and I can remember eatting this over 40 plus years. It makes a great Sunday meal or a great dish to serve company or take to those “pot luck” dinners.
5 cups thinkly sliced small red potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 pound beef top round steak, trim off all fat and diagonally cut into 1 in strips
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tables packed light brown sugar
1 tables cider vinegar
1/2 teas dried thyme
1/4 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper
1 large bay leaf
Combine potatoes, onions and garlic in a 2 1/2 qt saucepan and cover with water.Cook until potatoes are partially done. Drain water off of potatoes. Set aside. Lightly coat a dutch oven with Pam cooking spray. Add meat and saute over medium heat until meat is browned. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Stir in the potato mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25-30 min or until meat is tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve immediately.

Casseroles · Meats

Fabulous Friday

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Don’t you just love Friday’s? They just feel so carefree. Maybe it’s knowing all day that because it’s Friday, you can stay up and watch a movie because you don’t have to get up early on Saturday. So let’s celebrate Fri and make this delicious Meatball Lasagna. Because I am in my carefree mood, I’m not even going to beat you over the head with a wet noodle if you buy the meatballs, instead of making them homemade.
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove,minced
1 tables dried basil
4 teas dried parsley flakes
2 teas sugar
Dash of garlic salt
8 uncooked lasagna noodles
24 cooked meatballs ( small as 1 1/2 ” to 2 ” in diam)
1 egg
1 cup rocotta cheese (I use small curd cottage cheese, just because I like the texture better)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Add first 10 mingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 min. Cook noodles (unless you are using the precooked ones) according to directions. Drain them and set aside. Crumble meatballs into tomato mixture. In a seperate bowl, mix the egg and ricotta or cottage cheese. Spoon 1 cup of meat sauce into a greased 13x9x2 inch dish. Top with 4 noodles, half of egg mixture, half of remaining meat sauce, and half of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Repeat the layers. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 min. Uncover and bake another 5-10 min or until light brown. Let stand 15 min before serving.

Casseroles · Vegetables

Sweet Corn Casserole

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

2 large Eggs
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
6 tables butter, melted
1//2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teas salt
1/4 teas pepper
2 tables flour
1 1/2 (20 oz) packages frozen cream-style corn, thawed
Preheat oven to 375. Lighly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish with Pam. In a large bowl, beat eggs, and add milk, butter, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Stir in flour and corn.
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 min or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Casseroles

Spinach Ravioli Lasagna

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Took this out of an insert in a magazine and it is so simple, but worthy of company.
1 (6 oz) package fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed, if not prewashed.
1/2 cup refrigerated pesto sauce
1 (15 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth or (chicken or beef broth will do fine if you don’t have the veggie)
1 (25 oz) package frozen cheese-filled ravioli (do not thaw)
1 cup (8 oz) shredded italian six-cheese blend
Preheat oven to 375. Chop spinach and toss with the pesto sauce in a bowl.
Combine alfredo sauce and broth. Spoon 1/3 of alfreado sauce mixture (about 1/2 cup) into a lightly greased llx7 baking dish. Top with half of spinach mixture. Arrange half of ravioli in a single layer over spinach mixture. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining alfredo sauce.

Bake at 375 for 30 min. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake another 5-10 min or until hot and all cheese is melted and bubbling.

Casseroles · Chicken

Chicken and Broccoli Cobbler (or Zucchini if you don’t like broccoli)

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

This cobbler takes 15 min to prepare and is such a comfort food. I am not a huge fan of broccoli unless I eat it raw. But I substituted mushrooms and zuccchini makes this now a favorite of mine.
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups cubed sourdough bread (6 1/2 oz)
1/2 cup preshredded parmesan cheese
3 cups small broccoli florets (or equal amounts of zucchni and mushrooms to equal 3 cups total)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup drained chopped roasted red bell pepper
1 (10 oz) container refrigerated alfredo sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tables dry sherry (or you can use chicken broth or cream)

Preheat oven to 400. Drizzle butter over bread cubes in a large bowl; sprinkle with cheese and toss well.
Combine broccoli (or other veggies) and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon filling into a lightly greased 2 qt. rectangular or oval baking dish or individual baking dishes; top with bread cubes.
Bake uncovered at 400 for 30 min (20-25 min for individual cobblers) or until bubbly and top is toasted.

Casseroles · Chicken

Chicken-Chile Cobbler With Smoked Sausage and Black-Eyed Peas

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

I can already see your face when you read the title. You are thinking that this will be to much trouble and “ooh, it has black eyed peas in it.” You have got to trust me on this one. This is so good and really easy and makes a great dish for company. It comes from an old Southern Living Magazine and it is tried and true.
1 (16 oz) packge frozen black eyed peas
2 tables butter
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 large poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup flour
1 (1.25 oz) envelope white chicken chili seasoning mix
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (to make this simple, use a bought roasted chicken)
Wild Rice Crust Batter *Recipe follows these directions
Cook peas according to package directions; drain.
Preheat oven to 425. Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium high heat; add sausage, and saute 3 min or until iightly browned. Add onions and poblano pepper, and saute 3 mins. Add flour and seasoning mix; cook, stirring constantly for 1 min.
Gradually add chicken broth, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of dutch oven.Cook, stirring constantly, 3 min or until broth begins to thicken. Stir in black eyed peas and chicken, and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, prepare wild rice crust batter as directed. Spoon hot chicken mixture into a lightly greased 13×9 baking dish. Spoon Wild Rice Crust batter immediately over hot chicken mixture. Bake at 425 for 35 to 40 min or until crust is golden brown and cooked through.
Wild Rice Crust Batter
1 (8 oz) pouch ready to serve long grain and wild rice mix (we used Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Ready Rice)
1 cup all purpose baking mix (such as Bisquick)
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Stir together rice and baking mix in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture and stir in milk and egg, just uintil moistened. Use immediately.

Casseroles

Steak & Eggs Breakfast casserole

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

We have precious friends here from Dallas and since we are leaving early in the morning to hit the tour we have all lined out, with the best tour guide, Mr. Randy, who has driven us all over the LA area the last three days. So to avoid having to cook breakfast, thought I would use this casserole since you can put it together the night before and then pop it in the oven in the morning. We will head out the door to Warner Bros Studio Tour, hoping to catch sight of a few celebrities, will keep you updated about that. But in the meantime, here is a great different breakfast casserole.
2 lbs sirloin, cut into 1 in cubes
1 teas each salt and pepper
3 table oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (14 oz) package English muffins, torn into 1 in pieces
1 (8 oz) package shredded Monterey Jack and Colby cheese blend
1 ( 8 oz) package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 teas italian seasoning
12 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup whole milk
In a large bowl, combine steak, salt, and pepper, tossing gently to coat.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add steak; cook for 5 min stirring frequently. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper; cook for 4 min or until veggies are tender
In a 3 qt baking dish, place english muffins evenly over bottom. Top with steak mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses and italian seasoning.
In a large bowl, beat heggs, with half and half and milk until smooth; pour over casserole. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hrs.
Remove casserole from fridge and let stand at room temp 30 min. Preheat oven to 350 while casserole is sitting out for the 30 min. Bake it for 1 hr and 10 min to 1 hr and 20 min depending upon your oven. Cover with aluminum foil, if necessary, to prevent excess browning. Let stand for 10 min before serving. Serve with fresh fruit and toast……

Casseroles

Hash Brown and Sausage Casserole With Caramelized Onions

Chocolate Castles5 Comments

Another winner from Paula Deen! If you are like me and just are wild about eggs or omelets, but love breakfast food that consists of something other than toast or oatmeal, this is a wonderful dish to take to brunches or serve along side fruit dishes in the morning to family and friends. *If you would like to use this recipe for dinner or a luncheon, I have substituted wild rice for the potatoes and use 3 1/2 cups cooked wild rice. Goes great with baked chicken. Follow directions as directed, otherwise.
2 tables butter
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 lb pork ground sausage
1 (8 oz) package sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 (30 oz) package frozen country style hash brown potatoes, thawed *or wild rice, see above.
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, divided
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 teas dried crushed rosemary
1 teas ground black pepper
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 min. or until tender. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring constantly, until onions are browned and caramel colored. Remove onions and set aside.
Add sausage and mushrooms to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sausage is browned and crumbly; drain.
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with Pam. In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, sausage mixture, hash brown potatoes, 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese, soup, sour cream, rosemary and pepper. Spoon dixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 30 min or until hot and bubbly. Let stand for 10 min before serving.