Breakfast Casserole

32 oz. frozen shredded hash browns
3/4 cups melted butter
Pinch of salt
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups jack cheese
3 cups meat (ham, breakfast sausage, or bacon)
1 cup evaporated milk
6 eggs
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

Grease 9X13 pan. Pour hash browns in pan. Pour melted butter and a little bit of salt over hash browns. Mix. Press in hash browns to form crust. Bake at 425 for 25 min. Fill with layers of cheese and meat. Beat eggs, milk and seasoned salt together well. Pour over potatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Pumpkin rolls!!

SO we have family dinner every month and this month was at my house and we were doing a fun theme.... pumpkiney :) hahaha I just made that up, but I decided to make pumpkin rolls and they are the most scrumdidilly I have had!!! So I googled pumpkin rolls and came across this recipe!!! Enjoy!!!! oh and most people wont even know that there is pumpkin in them!!! hahaha so for those picky eater children.. here ya go!

36 Servings
Prep: 30 min. + rising Bake: 15 min.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the pumpkin, butter, sugar, eggs, salt and whole wheat flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into three portions. Roll each portion into a 12-in. circle; cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges from the wide end and place pointed side down 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 3 dozen.

Olive Garden's Caprese Flatbread

If you've ever had Caprese Flatbread at Olive Garden you know how good it is. I was pleasantly surprised to find this recipe on Olive Garden's website. I've been making over the last two years when my Father-In-Law's delicious tomatoes are ready for harvest. It's always a hit....even with my Italian chef father. That's saying something!

Go to the Olive Garden recipe here.

Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Can you tell that I LOVE sour cream?!?!

This is another favorite. It's really like coffee cake. It's can be a dessert and it's also great for brunch.

1 box butter recipe cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 heaping cup sour cream
1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans or walnuts)
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Combine cake mix, sugar, eggs, oil & sour cream in mixer. Fold in nuts.

In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar & cinnamon.

Grease bundt pan with butter then line with flour. Put 1/3 of the brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 the cake batter. Layer another 1/3 of the sugar mixture. Add the remaining cake batter. Top with remaining sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes.

White Almond Sour Cream Cake

I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but as a hobby, my SIL & I decorate cakes.

Our favorite cake isa White Almond Sour Cream (WASC) cake that we usually pair it with a Mexican Vanilla buttercream. This cake stays really moist, but at the same time it's sturdy enough to carve and shape.

2 boxes white cake mix

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teas. salt

8 egg whites

2 2/3 cups water

4 Tbls. vegetable oil

2 cups (16oz carton) sour cream

2 teaspoon clear vanilla flavor

2 teaspoons almond extract

View full recipe

Mix all dry ingredients by hand using a whisk in a very large mixing bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients and beat on low speed for 2 minutes.

Bake at 325 degrees

(This is a wedding cake we made for our Aunt's wedding at the Botanical Gardens. It was an outdoor wedding with a dutch oven dinner so we displayed the cakes in dutch ovens.)

Spinach 'n Sour Cream

I love sour cream. I find reasons to use it. The first recipe that came to my mind when I saw the weekly ingredient was Spinach 'n Sour Cream. A lot of people are grossed out by creamed spinach, but this has a great onion flavor behind it and it's definitely worth a try.

2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen, chopped spinach

¾ cup white sauce (see below)

1 heaping cup sour cream

¾ TBSP. onion powder

1 tsp. chicken bouillon

½ tsp. salt

grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

WHITE SAUCE

1 TBSP. butter

2 TBSP. flour

2/4 cup milk

Melt butter; add flour and milk. Stir until thick.

View full recipe

Spinach in Sour Cream

Cook spinach according to directions and drain well. Blend together white sauce, sour cream, onion powder, bouillon, and salt. Combine with spinach and combine in casserole dish. Cover with cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

The PERFECT Roast Beef

I found this method of cooking a roast on recipezaar. I tried it today and it truly is perfect!


I cooked mine medium-rare so it does look quite pink. I should have let it sit longer to avoid losing all this juice, but it doesn't matter, it was moist and delicious! I find that often the beef flavor gets covered up by all the herbs and other ingredients that recipe's call for, but this recipe actually lets you taste the beef.

Another major bonus: this roast took less than an hour to cook!

Try it next time you're making a Sunday roast!

Death by Oreo

This is a spin on Hello Dolly's but for Oreo lovers. But beware! they are highly addictive so I suggest you make them to take to a function so they're not sitting around your house.

1 pkg Oreo's
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Grease 13 x 9 x 3 pan with PAM.

Place Oreo's in gallon size Ziplock bag. Crush with rolling pin. Add melted butter.

Spread 1/2 the Oreo's in pan. Spread chocolate chips & marshmallows. Cover with remaining Oreo's then evenly spread sweetened condensed milk on top.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

My mother-in-law made this on Sunday and it was so good that I had to share!

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp. butter

14 oz. chicken broth

3 lbs chicken breast tenders

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke heart quarters, drained

¼ cup butter

¼ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

¾ cup half & half

½ cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. cooking sherry

½ tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled

View full recipe

Saute mushrooms in 2 Tbsp. butter until golden brown. Set aside.

Place chicken in simmering broth in single layer. Cover. Cook 20 minutes. remove from broth. Save ¾ cup broth.

Arrange chicken slightly overlapping in a 8“ x 12” casserole dish. Top with artichokes.

Melt ¼ cup butter. Stir in flour, salt & pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in ¾ cup chicken broth and half & half. Cook & stir as mixture boils and thickens. Blend in Parmesan, sherry and rosemary. Pour over artichokes. Sprinkle mushrooms on top.

Bake at 325° for 30 minutes.

***Great with Garlic Mashed Potatoes!

Sweet Corn Bread

This is the recipe my mom always used for cornbread. I love it! And it's is wonderful with Crock Pot Chicken w/ Black Beans and Cream Cheese!

1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups cornmeal
3 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 cups milk

Cream margarine and sugar. Add 3 eggs, beat one at a time.
Sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Alternate adding wet and dry mixtures to creamed margarine.
Bake in a greased/floured 13“x9”x2" pan at 350° for 45-50 minutes.

***Note: Recipe may be halved and baked in a 8"x8" pan.

Crock Pot Chicken w/Black Beans and Cream Cheese

I like to search recipezaar when I'm in the mood to try something new. I always search by rating. If 900 people give a recipe and average of 4 1/2 out of 5 stars it must be pretty good. I was looking for something easy because I had a busy Saturday ahead of me and the missionaries coming over for dinner at 5:00. Enter Crock Pot Chicken w/Black Beans and Salsa.
It's not the most appetizing to look at, but you won't care once you taste it. And it's so easy!

4-5 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz.) jar salsa, any kind
1 (8 oz. ) package cream cheese

Place FROZEN chicken breasts in crock pot.
Add beans, corn and salsa.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until chicken in cooked.
Add cream cheese (just throw it on top) and let sit until melted.
Stir & enjoy!

This is excellent with sweet corn bread.


***Note: Someone on recipezaar commented that using hot salsa would give this more flavor. I used wal-mart's Great Value brand of hot salsa and it was excellent. The next time I made it, I used Pace's Picante Hot Salsa. It was SO HOT that we couldn't eat it. We tried. We really hate to throw away food, but we simply couldn't eat it. So, if you're sensitive to heat, be careful of the salsa you choose.

Honey Chicken

I got this recipe a few weeks ago and have already made this chicken 3 times!  My kids LOVE it and it's SO easy!

Honey Chicken
1/2 C honey
1/2 C melted butter
1/4 C mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder
Mix together and pout over an 8x8in pan full of chicken breasts.  Bake on 350 for 50-60 min or until chicken is cooked through.  Serve on rice.

I have to double this for my family and use a 9x13 pan of chicken, and I use chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I love this recipe. It is easily one of my favorite dinners and it is pretty easy to make. The first time you make it, you might want some help just because they are so many things going on at once. After one time of needing help while I made it, I was ready to make it by myself. It has a great taste but be careful about breathing in the sauce while it is cooking on the stove. It is pretty pungent stuff.

This dinner also reheats pretty well, so I make extras and my husband takes it to work the next day for lunch.


This meal is easiest made in an electric skillet.

Chicken Ingredients :
2- 3 lbs of chicken
cornstarch
3 eggs
Cut chicken into pieces. Make a bowl of cornstarch and add a little bit of garlic salt. Make a bowl of the eggs whisked. Dips the chicken into the eggs and then into the cornstarch. Put in at pan at 375 , pretty hot with oil. Brown in sections, set aside on paper towel. Add oil each time each time you add a new batch.

Sauce –

3 cups of sugar

1 ½ c. vinegar

1 ½ c. chicken broth (or water and a bouillon cube)

3 tbs ketchup

3 tbs soy sauce

3 teaspoons garlic salt

Simmer 5-10 minutes

Turn down electric to 240

Pour liquid in pan

Stir in thickening of 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch with water, then stir in pan.(in a thickening all you do is add the right amount of cornstarch and then add enough water to make a small paste. This will help thicken your sauce up.)

Tomato and Spinach Pasta Toss

I know that this one doesn't have chicken in it, but I've been meaning to put this up. This is currently my husband's FAVORITE meal. It has been a hit with everyone we've shared it with. You have to try this.

Tomato and Spinach Pasta Toss

12 oz Italian Sausage
6 oz baby spinach leaves
2 1/2 c rotini pasta
2 T Parmesan cheese, grated
1 c mozzarella cheese, grated
14-20 oz diced tomatoes, Italian style

Brown sausage in large nonstick skillet. Drain grease, lower heat, then add tomatoes and spinach to the meat. Heat until spinach is wilted.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain water.

Add meat mixture and pasta together. Stir, and add both cheeses just before serving. Toss just until mixed through.

Be prepared to be wowed. This stuff is so good. And it's really yummy as leftovers because the noodles absorb the sauce. Oh man, good!!

Tomato Noodle Soup

My husband and I have been in ultra save money mode recently and I have been try to come up with recipes that need as little meat as possible. This one only uses 1/2 lb of ground beef but you could always use a full pound if you like your recipes a little meatier. I personally made this recipe up but I am sure it is really similar to a lot of others out there.

Chop up a carrot and celery add to a couple of cans of tomato soup. You can keep your soup condensed and just use more cans but that is a little thick for me, so I diluted it with milk. I used whole milk to make it really creamy but you can use a lower fat milk if you want.

While those ingredients are heating together, make a package of pasta as directed and brown a 1/2 lb- to a full pound of ground beef. Drain the beef, add to the soup. Drain pasta when tender and add to soup.

Let the soup all simmer together until the celery and carrots are tender. I add Italian seasoning and a little bit of dill to my soup to top it off.

Enjoy.

Fresh Corn and Wild Rice

Okay I've been a little MIA for a few weeks... or months. Things are not really settling down, but I'm trying to get back to the things I did before baby #2. Yes, yes I know, I sound wimpy because there are moms out there who have 3, 4, even 5 kids and have an easier time getting back on their feet. But, I have a bit of a special circumstance.....

Here's my thanksgiving side dish, from none other than the PIONEER WOMAN. I love this lady, and I made this corn side dish last year and it was a HUGE hit, I LOVED it, and can't wait to make it again this year.... maybe, if I get around to it. :)

Here it is:

Fresh Corn and Wild Rice 

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 3-4 cups fresh corn kernels (scraped off the cob)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1-2 teaspoon kosher salt (or table salt to taste)
• cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2-1 cup milk, for thinning

Directions

1. 
   

   1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 
   

   2

   Cook wild rice in chicken broth until almost done. Rice should still have a firm (but not crunchy) bite. Drain rice and allow to cool.
3. 
   

   3

   Scrape corn kernels into a large mixing bowl. Add in cream, butter, beaten eggs, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir together.
4. 
   

   4

   Add in cooled wild rice, stirring gently. Splash in milk so that mixture is stirrable, but not overly juicy.
5. 
   

   5

   Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or cayenne pepper if needed.
6. 
   

   6

   Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until just turning golden brown on top and mixture is somewhat set.

Taco Soup in Ones

Ingredients:

1-medium onion- chopped
1 lb ground beef
1-can beans (kidney or black or other dark bean)- rinsed and drained
1-can stewed tomatoes
1-can whole kernel corn
1-cup beef broth
1-bag taco seasoning
1-bag tortilla chips (we like the scoop kind)

In the pan you'll cook the whole soup in cook onion and beef together (this is how I make things faster and add some flavor to the meat).

Add beef broth and taco soup.

Add beans, stewed tomatoes, corn.

Cook till heated through (boiling-ish) and serve with tortilla chips.


Notes: I use beef granules, that way I can add just a smidge more than one tsp to give the soup a little added flavor.

All cans are your typical 14.5 oz size.



That's it.

It is a family favorite, my brother even likes it and he hates taco soup. It's because I use the beef broth instead of tomato paste *gag.*

Bananas & Lemons

I know that I'm not even close to the right weekly ingredient but these are just too good. I will start with the Lusciously Lemon cake. Doesn't that just sound awesome?

1 pkg yellow cake mix
2 c cold milk
1 1/4 c water
2 pkg (4 servings each) Jell-O Lemon flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1/3 c sugar
2 TBSP powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour into greased 13x9 in baking dish; set aside.

Pour milk and water into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes and granulated sugar. Beat with wire whisk 2 min or until well blended. Pour over batter. Place baking dish on baking sheet to catch any sauce that might bubble over sides of dish as dessert bakes.

Bake 55 min - 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes (sauce will thicken slightly as it cools). Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve.

This is great with some vanilla ice cream. Seriously, this is amazing!

And now for Triple-Layer Banana Cream Pie Bars

1 1/2 c crushed Nilla Wafers (about 60 wafers)
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/3 c butter/marg
3 bananas, sliced
3 c cold milk
2 pkg Jell-O Vanilla Flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 1/2 c thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs, pecans and better in 13x9 in baking dish; press firmly onto bottom of dish. Bake 8 min. Cool 10 min.

Top crust with banana slices. Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min or until well blended. Spoon 2 cups of the pudding over banana layer.

Gently stir 1 c of the whipped topping into remaining pudding; spoon over pie. Top with remaining 1 1/2 c whipped topping. Refrigerate 3 hours. Serve.
Makes 16 servings.

You really have to try both of these, they're great!

Grilled Salmon with Veggies

So I almost feel like this is cheating for the weekly ingredient, but it does have cilantro in it, so here goes. By the way, we LOVE cilantro at our house! We use it in a lot of things, but this is what we had tonight, so I was thinking about it when I saw the ingredient of the week.

I buy frozen salmon at Costco or Sam's Club and they come prepackaged in serving sizes. I just defrost the meat, then put it on a piece of tin foil. We add whatever veggies we happen to have in the fridge, but tonight's was especially yummy, so here's what was in it:

Salmon
One chopped zucchini
One lime (squeezed over the salmon before cooking)
One diced tomato
Cilantro, diced up small
One small chopped onion (whichever kind you like)
A few cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Just defrost the salmon (if you get frozen like me), put it all together in the tin foil and roast it on the barbecue for a few minutes on each side. It's really tasty! Even my husband will eat this, and he's not real big on fish.

I paired it with mashed potatoes and asparagus, but it is also good with rice and broccoli or your favorite veggie.

Homemade Salsa

I LOVE homemade salsa. It's pretty good canned as well, but nothing beats fresh salsa and tortilla chips. Mmm... my mouth is salivating right now. Seriously, this is the best.

So there isn't really an amount to anything here, just make as much as you want. But when I make it, I make alot. So I'll give you what I usually do.

6-7 tomatoes
3/4 green pepper, chopped
1 lime, squeezed
1 chopped jalepeno (remember the seeds inside are what is really hot, so don't just chop the whole thing and put it in unless you like it REALLY hot... I'm telling you this from experience. Although, that batch did last a long time, because we couldn't put very much on each chip!)
1/2 onion, chopped
cilantro - optional
salt
garlic powder

I cut the tomatoes first, and see how much I have, then add a small amount of everything and keep adding what I want until it tastes just right. But those amounts are generally what I end up using. Sorry, this is kind of generic but it gives you the opportunity to make your best salsa, just how you like it!