Burrito Casserole

This was dinner for the second Bible study meeting that I had.  Served it with some white queso dip & chips and the ever-popular sopapilla cheesecake.  I really enjoyed this one a lot and think the girls did too!

 the leftovers after dinner

my portion the next day :)

Burrito Casserole
from Tast of the South magazine
 8-10 servings

1 (10.25 oz.) can beef gravy
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 (1.25 oz.) envelope taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
2 (16 oz.) cans refried beans
10 to 12 flour tortillas
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 (8 oz.) package shredded cheddar cheese

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In a small bowl, combine beef gravy & enchilada sauce; set aside
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat on stovetop, brown ground chuck & drain grease.  Add taco seasoning & water.  Continue to cook until liquid has been absorbed (5-10 minutes).  Add refried beans to meat mixture & stir well; set aside.
• Line a greased 9x13 in. casserole dish with one-third of tortillas.  Spread half of meat mixture over tortillas, and top with half of sour cream.  Repeat layers, ending with the final third of tortillas.  Pour gravy mixture over casserole and top w/grated of cheese.
• Bake for 30-45 min. or until casserole is hot & bubbly.  Remove from oven & let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.  
• To serve, cut into squares & top with your favorite burrito toppings!

Baked Spaghetti

I made this recently for a dinner w/the CRU leadership team.  They loved it--not even one serving left!  I didn't get a picture of the finished casserole b/c we baked it somewhere else, but I've got some step-by-steps.

 browning the meat & onions

 preparing the sauce

 meat & sauce mixture

layering the casserole

Baked Spaghetti
adapted from Paula Deen

2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 clobes garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes 
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 small bay leaves
8 oz. angel hair pasta
1 (8 oz) package shredded cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz) package mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, cook ground chuck, onion, and garlic over medium heat, stirring until beef is browned and crumbly and vegetables are tender.  Drain well.

In a large Dutch oven, combine crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and spices.  Add meat mixture.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring  occasionally.  Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove and discard bay leaves.

In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions, drain well, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Spoon one third of sauce mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish.  Top with half of pasta, then one-third of cheese.  Repeat layers, ending with sauce and reserving remaining one-third cheese.  At this point you can refrigerate pasta until ready to bake, or bake, uncovered for 45 minutes.  Top with remaining one-third cheese, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Pot pie & Mashed potatoes

I think that this has been one of the favorite meals that I made for my Bible study girls--one of them said "this is exactly what I wanted for dinner tonight & I didn't even know it!"  And between 6 people they ate almost all of the potatoes & pot pie (in a 9x13 dish!).  I also served this w/garlic green beans, and Paula Deen's gooey butter cake for dessert.  Perfect comfort food!  (but the dinner also included nearly 4 sticks of butter and 3 cups of cream!  Eep!

It's funny, for so long I've only been interested in baking and barely ever tried new dinner recipes b/c all Patrick likes to eat is chicken cordon bleu, but now I"m getting to try all these great new dinner recipes & I love it!

Chicken Pot Pie
adapted from Paula Deen & Taste of Home

2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk, divided
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (1 pound) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
Pot pie crust (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13x9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, milk, & spices.  Roughly chop vegetables & mushrooms if pieces are too large.  Stir in vegetables & chicken.  Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.  (Can be refrigerated without crust at this point until ready to bake.  When ready, prepare crust:

Pot pie crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
2 tbsp. cold water

In a large bowl, combine flour & salt; cut in butter until crumbly.  gradually add water, tossing w/a fork until dough forms a ball.  Roll dough into a rectangle large enough to fit the 9x13" pan, place on top of filling, crimping edges if necessary.  Cut slits in crust to vent.  (You may also brush with some cream or egg wash to help crust brown--i did not do this & the crust was very pale.)

Bake pot pie at 350 F for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Fabulous mashed potatoes
adapted from Martha Stewart

5 lbs  baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 in pieces
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
2 oz. cream cheese, cubed
salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot, cover potatoes by 2 in. w/salted water.  Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer & cook until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.  Drain thoroughly.  Put potatoes back into pot and puree using a hand mixer. 

Over low heat, add butter & stir until melted. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until potatoes are stiff, about 1 minute.  Gradually add cream & cream cheese, mixing constantly to combine & until lumps are gone.  Season w/salt & pepper

First Bible study dinner

What do you feed a group of hungry girls??

(sadly, this is the only picture i got..doesn't do it justice--it was fabulous!)

Lasagna of course!!

This was my first time making lasagna and, though I know my mom has a good recipe, I didn't have time to get hers from her so I scoured the massive cookbook collection and finally settled on a recipe from the always-fabulous Taste of Home Cookbook.

I won't lie, the recipe is involved.  There are always several steps to making lasagna, but I think this one takes a bit longer...but what do I know--this is the first time I've made it!!

The girls adored it though, and even my ridiculously picky hubs tried and liked it!  (only two bites, but it's a step!)  It was definitely worth the effort, and I think this will be my go-to recipe. 

Traditional Lasagna
from Taste of Home Cookbook

1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound bulk pork sausage (i used a full pound)
3 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce (i used a jar of prego...always hubs favorite)
1 can (12 ounce) tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 eggs
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 cups (24 ounces) small curd cottage cheese
1 carton (8 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
9 lasagna noodles, cooked & drained
6 slices provolone cheese (i used 12--the whole package)
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (i definitely used more than this...just eyeball it)

1.  In a large skillet, cook beef & sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, seasoning, salt, & pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (after doing this, I odn't think a full hour is necessary.  I haven't made it without doing this, but I think a max. of 30 minutes would be fine--and I felt that it cooked down a bit too much and would have liked to have a bit more sauce).

2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs & parsley. Stir in the cottage cheese, ricotta, & Parmesan.  

3.  Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in an ungreased 13x9" baking dish.  Layer with three noodles, provolone cheese, 2 cups cottage cheese misture, & mozarrella.  Repeat layers ending with noodles, meat sauce, and mozzarella (dish will be full!).

4.  Cover & bake at 375 degrees F. for 50 minutes.  Uncover; bake 20 minues longer or until heated through.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 12 servings

NUTRITION FACTS: 1 serving equal 493 calories, 27 g fat (14 g saturated fat) 143 mg cholesterol, 1,144 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 35 g protein    (for recipe as written, my changes probably make it worse...(; )

This is definitely an awesome recipe to feed a crowd of people that you love--I hope you give it a try!

a brunch for special ladies

Sorry that I have been MIA for a bit...life has been ca-razy.  I will update more on this later, but here in Bowling Green, KY we've also had some of the horrible flooding that has affected the midsouth lately, and it was my birthday, and I have some developments coming up in the next few months that I will tell you at the beginning of June,  and my house is a mess!

Before I post about recent happenings, I decided that I would like to give you some yummy yummy recipes that would be perfect if you want to have a mother's day brunch.  I will be having a family cookout, but I made these yesterday for some other very special ladies--Nurses!  That's right, today is Nurse Appreciation day--so get out there and hug a nurse or bring her (or him...there are male nurses, just not at my office) some goodies!

 some of our lovely nurses in front of their breakfast table

the spread :)

And now for the recipes...

So this coffee cake...when I saw it in one of my holiday baking magazines (you know...when i freak out and spend all my money...) I had to make it.  However, I did not need one this big for me and hubs (i'm already too fat...).  So I made it for my sister-in-law and her girls.  It got rave reviews...but I hadn't gotten to try it!  So when I started planning on what to make for Nurse Appreciation breakfast I couldn't get this one out of my head.  I actually scoured the rest of my recipes for an easier overnight coffee cake, but nothing looked this delicious, so at 8:50 pm I began to make the cake...not even my butter was softened!  I generally go to bed right around 10 and, needless to say, that didn't happen last night.  But I think it was worth it!

YUM!

Cinnamon-roll coffee cake
Cuisine at home Holiday baking 2009

For the Caramel Topping:

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• pinch table salt
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

For the Streusel:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp table salt

For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (I used regular sour cream)
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350* F.  Coat a 9 inch round, 2 inch deep cake pan w/nonstick spray (i did not have this size pan, and used a 10 in. round springform pan.  a bit of the filling leaked out of the bottom, so if you go that route I would recommend lining your springform pan w/parchement, or at the very least, set it on top of a baking sheet--which i did)

Stir together the 3/4 cup brown sugar, cream, and a pinch of salt for the caramel topping in a measuring cup (not sure why the measuring cup is "necessary").  Pour caramel into the prepared pan, spreading to coat bottom of the pan. Sprinkle pecans over caramel.  Also, I was a bit "off my game" last night and measured this out backwards at first...1/4 cup brown sugar to 3/4 cup cream.  Then I realized it was WAY too liquidy...anyone know a recipe that calls for that mixture that has already been combined??


Process the 1/2 cup born sugar, 1/3 cup flour, the 1/2 stick butter, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. salt fo rthe streusel in a food processor, pulsing until the mixture is sandy but without clumps; set streusel aside.

Whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. table salt for the cake in a bowl; set dry ingredients aside.

Whisk together buttermilk, yogurt (or sour cream), and eggs in a measuring cup with a pouring spout (pouring spout is helpful here...); set aside.

Using a hand mixer (?? I used my kitchenaid), cream together the 1 stick butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a bowl, only until combined.  Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the creamed mixture, strating and ending with dry ingredients.  Blend only enough to incorporate the dry ingredients into the batter.

Spread half of the batter over teh caramel in the cake pan, then sprinkle w/half the streusel.  Carefully spread remaining batter over streusel in cake pan; top w/the remaining streusel. Okay, I don't think the seperation of the streusel is necessary.  Half of what I had on the bottom just made a mess and fell off, so when I make this again I will at least do 3/4 in the middle, maybe all of it.

Bake coffee cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.  Cool cake for 5 minutes on a rack, then run a paring knife around the sides to loosen cak.  Invert onto a serving platter while hot.  Let cake cool slightly before serving. 


Next is an overnight sausage breakfast casserole, a la Sarah!  I got some basic guidelines from Cooks.com and then threw together a dish based on what I had on hand.  Here it is!

Overnight Sausage Breakfast Casserole

• 1--1 1/2 pkg. Kings Hawaiian Bread 
• 1 lb. pork sausage, cooked and drained
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk (or one cup skim milk + one cup cream)
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cup fiesta blend shredded cheese
• 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (i really just eyeball the amount of cheese...) 

Tear Hawaiian bread into bits and layer across the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan 
Layer half the sausage over bread, followed by half of the cheese.  Then repeat layers.
Whisk together eggs, milk, and spices until combined.  
Pour over bread/sausage/cheese mixture, pressing down on the top of the solid ingredients to make sure that egg mixture reaches the top.
Refrigerate overnight if desired.
When time to bake,  preheat oven to 350* F.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until set.

**I also think this would be GREAT with veggies mixed in...peppers, onion, mushrooms, etc...but there are some picky eaters at my office so I stuck to meat and cheese ;) 

some favorite recipes

Here are some of my go-to recipes that I have not yet posted on:

Hash Brown Casserole
adapted from Taste of the South magazine

1 bag southern style hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 stick melted butter
1 tub sour cream (i think 16 oz?)
1/2 block velveta cheese, cubed
approx 1 cup fiesta blend shredded cheese (i just grab a big handful and throw it in)
1 can cream of chicken soup
dash pepper
approx one sleeve ritz cracker crumbs, crushed.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients but cracker crumbs in a large bowl until combined.

Spread into one greased 9x13" baking dish, or 2 8x8" baking dishes.

Sprinkle the top evenly with cracker crumbs (you can mix them or top them w/extra butter if you want. Bake for 45 min-1 hour or until bubbly and smelling good!



Don't forget to let your pup lick the bowl (this is the most important part of the recipe, it makes sure that the extra love gets in)

This is one of my most requested pot luck recipes. I found it and made it a few years ago for my Bible study girls while they were still in college and it became an instant favorite. It is super easy and you can make it in advance. There is absolutely NO nutritional value or culinary prowess required. It's just good plain comfort food. It's also good for breakfast, can be made into a yummy cheesy potato soup when pureed with milk (using your fancy immersion blender that you got for Christmas last year) and heated over the stove, and it helps make you fatter! (exactly what we're all looking for right?) But seriously, my proudest moment with this casserole was when I took it to hubs' grandmother's little country church potluck, and this was the only dish that was completely! (and you know those old country ladies are good cooks!)

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Yellow Squash Muffins

2 cups cooked pureed yellow squash
2 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
3 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Combine squash w/eggs and butter.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of dry mixture, add squash mixture to dry ingredients, stirring only until moist.

Spoon into greased muffin tins filling 3/4 full.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Doggies like this batter too...

I found this recipe somewhere online after receiving a massive amount of summer squash and being unable to eat it all myself (i am just one person!). I knew that there just had to be some kind of bread or muffin recipe using squash, and found a great one on my first try! Of course, the orginal recipe was a "healthier" version which involved applesauce and maybe oil...I made it unhealthy, but oh well. These have been a hit wherever I have taken them--even with people who hate squash! They really taste like a corn muffin, just without a cornmeal texture. Very very good for breakfast or with dinner! (sadly, hubs still won't try them....)

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Eggnog bread pudding

1/2 loaf day old sourdough bread, cubed (could also use brioche or any sweet-ish bread)
2 tbsp. melted butter
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups prepared eggnog from grocery
1/2 cup packed brown sugar.
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
(can include a splash of rum)

grease 8x8" pan
layer pecans and bread cubes
mix remaining ingredients, pour over bread cubes and press down so that the tops of the bread are covered by the wet mixture.
allow to rest in refridgerator for at least 1 hour (best overnight)
bake for 45 minutes at 350 F.

This is the first recipe that I ever came up with myself, and also the first dessert that I made COMPLETELY from scratch, in that I used my homemade sourdough bread for this. I love to pour some extra eggnog over the top of it as a sauce--especially for breakfast! I honestly do not like eggnog to drink, but I really enjoy this. As I've gotten more accustomed to baking I play around more with the spices in this (i now have more spices than "pumpkin pie" and cinnamon!) but this is my base recipe. It would be good with a hard sauce or something like that too.

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Pumpkin Roll
original from Two Peas and Their Pod

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
¾ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt

Filling
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
4 T butter
½ tsp vanilla

Beat eggs and sugar together. Add pumpkin and lemon juice and mix together. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture.

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray. Spread pumpkin mixture evenly in pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Turn out immediately onto a clean dishtowel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove the parchment paper. Sprinkle more powdered sugar on top of cake. Start at one end, carefully rolling towel and cake together. Cool on countertop or in fridge.

Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, cream cheese, and butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Gently unroll cake, remove the towel. Spread filling evenly over cake. Roll back up! Cover with foil and put in fridge or freezer. Best when made a day ahead.

**Okay...I'm cheating a little here b/c this is not the exact recipe that I make. This is the base recipe that I have adapted, but I have to keep some of my adaptations a secret on this one b/c I get the most orders for it. The filling is exactly how I make it though. This is amazing for dessert, or can even be eaten for breakfast!**

dessert table at one of my open house events

Well, these are some of my favorites and are all really easy--I hope you try and enjoy them!