Soup #1 - Easy Potato-Corn Chowder

 The Year of Soup

Soup #1 - Easy Potato Corn Chowder

    So, this was a fun recipe. The recipe "Speedy Potato Chowder" is in the Favorite Recipes, Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup (Over 8,000 Delicious Mix and Match Recipes. The recipe gives you four ingredients and then you select a liquid, canned vegetable and a meat from a chart. For the liquid, I chose milk. For the vegetable, I chose corn. And, for the meat, I chose to use diced potato in lieu of meat. I did also add salt, pepper and paprika to mine. 

   By the way, liquid options were beer & water, milk, milk & light cream and evaporated milk & water. Vegetable options were mixed vegetables, corn, Lima beans and diced carrots. The meat options were hotdogs, chicken, ham and tuna. 

      I'll write out the recipe how I made it. I really enjoyed this chowder. I hope you try it!

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, diced (feel free to use more)

1/2 cup chopped onion (I used about 1/2 of a medium onion)

2 1/2 cups milk (I used more liquid than the recipe suggests)

1 10 3/4 oz can condensed cream of potato soup

1 15oz can whole kernel corn (The original recipe suggests using an 8oz can; I used low salt)

1 medium russet potato, diced

2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley, plus more for decoration if you wish

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

In a 3qt saucepan over medium heat, heat a tiny bit of oil and add bacon. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. You can drain the bacon drippings, reserving 1 tbsp. I did not, because I only had a little more than a tbsp. Add the chopped onion and diced potato to the drippings and cook until the potato is somewhat tender; you don't want it super tender, because you're going to keep cooking and that will make it tender. Add milk, corn with it's liquid, the bacon, parsley, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook on low-medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

Easy Potato-Corn Chowder

Easy Potato-Corn Chowder

Casserole #18 - Barley Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #18 - Barley Casserole

    This recipe is in my 1990 edition of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook was first published in 1896, titled The Boston Cooking School Cook Book, by Fannie Merritt Farmer. I wanted to try something different and this fit the bill. I liked this casserole; it felt pretty healthy with the use of barley. Serve it as a side dish, or add chunks of chicken to make it a main dish. I did make some modifications, which I will show in italics. Try it and let me know what you think. 

Ingredients:

3 tbs butter

1 cup barley

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper (I used a whole, small green pepper)

1/2 cup cashews, chopped (I used cashews, but leave them out if you like)

3 cups chicken broth, boiling

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

paprika seasoning to taste

3 slices thick cut bacon, diced (optional)

1/2 cup Kerrygold blarney cheese, shredded (this is a creamy Gouda style cheese) (optional)

toasted breadcrumbs (optional)

cornstarch to thicken the sauce, because my dish was very, soup-y when I placed it in a casserole (if desired)

 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a large skillet. Stir in barley and onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly cooked. Add the green pepper and cook for two minutes more. Add cashews, followed by the broth and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Thicken sauce with cornstarch by mixing together a little water with cornstarch and pouring, while stirring, into the sauce. At this point, you can simply serve from the skillet. Pour into a lightly greased 2-qt casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese, followed by toasted breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve. 

Barley Casserole

Barley Casserole

Casserole #17 - Lemonchick's Broccoli Rice Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #17 - Lemonchick's Broccoli Rice Casserole

    I made up this recipe myself, and I hope you like it. It is simple and I thought pretty tasty. I used a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. You may want to use a 2 quart dish, as the 1 1/2 quart dish was really, full. I give a 30-45 minute window for cooking time; you'll want to keep an eye on the casserole. You want it golden brown on top, not burned!

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 - 3/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup Stove Top stuffing mix, crushed or bread crumbs

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese

2 cups cooked white rice

12 oz frozen broccoli, cooked

chili pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook broccoli. Combine rice, broccoli, chicken broth and soups in a large mixing bowl. Stir in seasoning, followed by 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Spray your casserole dish with cooking spray and pour the broccoli and rice mixture into dish. Top casserole with remaining half cup of cheese. Sprinkle with bread crumbs/crushed stuffing mix. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving. Serve with baked chicken or pork. 

Lemonchick's Broccoli Rice Casserole

Lemonchick's Broccoli Rice Casserole

Lemonchick's Broccoli Rice Casserole

Casserole #16 - Hominy Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #16 - Hominy Casserole

    This recipe is based on a recipe in the Garvin County Extension Homemakers "Recipe Book 1980". The Garvin County Extension Homemakers is a group associated with Oklahoma State University's extension in Paul's Valley, Oklahoma.  The original recipe was submitted by Oleda Flud of Erin Springs. I will give you the original recipe and normally I show my modifications in italics, however I'll write out my whole recipe for you, because I changed it just enough to warrant it being a new recipe. I really liked this dish, even though I did not have fresh or canned jalapeno, and put too much pickled jalapeno (which I did have) for my taste. I had had to use jarred pickled jalapeno, because I thought I had canned chilis and didn't. I suggest adding jalapeno or green chilis to taste. 

Hominy Casserole (my version):

16 oz can white hominy, drained

1/2 cup green chiles or diced jalapeno (canned or fresh), optional

1/3 cup onion, chopped, optional

8 oz sour cream

1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (use cheddar or Monterrey Jack)

1 tsp taco seasoning

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine hominy, jalapeno, onion, sour cream, seasonings, and most of the cheese, reserving about 1/2 cups. Spray a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour hominy mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (the cheese should be bubbly). Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving as a main dish or with baked chicken. When serving, sprinkle with extra seasoning if you like.

Hominy Casserole

Hominy Casserole

Hominy Casserole 

Hominy Casserole

Hominy Casserole - Oleda Flud's Version:

3 cans yellow hominy

2 small cans chopped green chiles or jalapeno 

1 large carton sour cream

2 lbs shredded cheddar cheese

cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in casserole dish at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. 

Casserole #15 - Lemonchick's Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #15 - Lemonchick's Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

    So, I've had a lot going on, and I finally just this morning, made casserole number 15. Overall, it has just not been a good year and not a good year for the blog either. Part of the reason is that I feel as if I am writing this only for myself. If you see this and try this or any of my other recipes, please let me know. It would make me happy and feel like someone out there is paying attention. 

    This is a recipe of my own creation, and I hope you like it. Substitute diced potatoes for the tater tots if you like.  You can also use turkey sausage, hot/mild/maple sausage (I used hot sausage). It's okay if you don't do the layers exactly as I wrote below; mix it up! I'm very, happy with how this turned out, and I hope you love it. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb sausage, browned and crumbled

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup diced tomato (canned or fresh)

1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeno (or fresh)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp chili powder (or your favorite spicy seasoning)

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese (divided use)

7 or 8 eggs

1/8 cup to 1/4 cups milk

16 tater tots

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake tater tots until crispy. In a large skillet, begin browning sausage. Chop onion and dice the jalapeno. Add onion and jalapeno to sausage. Sprinkle salt, pepper and chili powder (if desired) to mixture in skillet. In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs with milk and add paprika. Spray a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Layer half of the tater tots in casserole and spoon sausage mixture on top. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over top of this layer, and add the rest of the tater tots. Pour egg mixture over all. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup cheese on the top. Bake for about 30 minutes and cover the casserole with foil to help prevent further browning. Cook for about 15 more minutes, until egg mixture is completly cooked. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve. 

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole

Charley The Muffin Man watching me take pics of this Tater Tot Casserole. 

Uh-oh, Charley The Muffin Man is getting closer to the Tater Tot Casserole

Casserole #14 - Meat-Noodle Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #14 - Meat-Noodle Casserole

    This recipe was submitted to the Favorite Recipes From Southern Kitchens - Meats: Favorite Recipes From Progressive Farmer Readers cookbook by Janet Lynn Wilson of Jacksboro, Tennessee, and the cookbook was published in 1967. This recipe is in the Ground Pork section and calls for lean ground pork. I modified and used ground turkey. You could use ground beef as well.  It was good, but could use more seasoning; consider adding chili powder to taste and/or garlic (powder or minced fresh). My friend who was my taste tester liked it and had a second helping! My modifications to the recipe are in italics. Also note that I re-wrote the directions. 

Ingredients:

8 oz noodles (Use your favorite: macaroni, egg noodles, dumpling style, bow-tie, etc)

3/4 lb ground meat (lean pork, hamburger or turkey) *Ms. Wilson used lean ground pork

2 small onions, chopped

2 cups diced celery

1 small green pepper, shopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp minced garlic (optional)

1 10oz can condensed tomato soup

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup grated cheese *Ms. Wilson used American cheese and only 1/2 cup

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Cook noodles in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water. In a large skillet, brown meat, drain and add onions, celery and green pepper. Add minced garlic if using. Cook until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper and additional seasoning if you are using.  Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.  Mix together tomato soup and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Alternate layers of meat and noodles in the casserole dish, starting with meat mixture. Over the first layer of noodles sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Finish with a layer of noodles, and pour the tomato soup over top. Sprinkle the last 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Bake for 45 minutes. *The original recipe gives the yield of 6 servings. 

Meat-Noodle Casserole

Casserole #13 - Lemonchick's Scalloped Potato Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #13 - Lemonchick's Scalloped Potato Casserole

    This is my recipe. Feel free to adjust seasonings as you like. This is a version of a scalloped potato casserole that my mother used to make when I was growing up. My mother didn't like much spice (I like spice though), so I mostly grew up without a lot of seasoning in food. My mother also would not have used garlic salt (she'd have used regular) and would not have added onion, like I did. The Pyrex casserole dish I used is a copy of the one my mother had and it brings back a lot of memories. This is comfort food for me. I hope you try this casserole and that you love it!

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed

1 cup ham, chunked (You can leave this out if you are vegetarian)

1/2 cup onion, chopped (Optional)

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped (Optional)

1 1/4 cups shredded or cubed cheese; use your favorite combination of cheddar, Monterrey Jack or mozzarella, divided use

1 recipe medium white sauce (below)

White Sauce:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk, heated (I heat mine in the microwave for two minutes)

1/2 tsp salt 

1/8 tsp pepper

White Sauce Directions:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Blend in flour, letting it get bubbly, before slowly adding the heated milk. Stir constantly until thickened. For this casserole, mix in 1 cup cheese and stir until melted. 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a large pan with water and add potato chunks. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender; adding the onion to the potatoes for the last about five minutes.  Drain potatoes and onion and return to pan. Add ham. Pour cheese sauce over top and stir until all of the potato and ham mixture is covered. Lightly grease a 2 1/2 qt casserole dish. Pour potato mixture into casserole. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over top. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and cool for a few minutes, before serving. Serve with a side salad or your favorite vegetable as a side. 

Casserole #13 - Scalloped Potato Casserole

Casserole #12 - Ham and Noodle Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #12 - Ham and Noodle Casserole

    I really loved this casserole from Treasured Southern Family Recipes, published in 1966.  I added garlic powder, a sprinkle of parsley flakes and had to use cream of chicken soup in lieu of cream of mushroom soup. I'm happy to say that the cream of chicken soup worked really well with this.  I used macaroni noodles, but you could use rigatoni, bow-tie, or egg noodles. My modifications will be in italics. 

Ingredients:

2 tsps salt

4 oz noodles (macaroni, egg, bow-tie or try your favorite)

water

2 tbsps butter

1/4 cup chopped onion (I used closer to 1/2 cup, because I wanted to)

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 1/4 cups diced, cooked ham

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken and it was good)

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp chopped pimento

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

parsley for decoration, if desired

1/2 cup grated cheese (the original recipe says American cheese; I used Monterrey Jack)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot about half full with water. Bring to a boil and add salt and noodles. Boil rapidly until al dente. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes while you finish with the other ingredients. While heating water to boil, melt butter in a saucepan. Add onion and green pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ham and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat soup with milk, ensuing they are well combined. Stir in pepper, pimento and garlic powder. Thoroughly drain noodles and return to saucepan. Pour soup mixture over noodles, add ham and veggie mixture and stir until well combined. Pour mixture into lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese, place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes or so. Serves 4 - 6.

Ham and Noodle Casserole

Ham and Noodle Casserole

Charley The Muffin Man is so jealous!

Cucumber 'n Onion Salad

 Cucumber 'n Onion Salad

    This is a quick little salad I decided to make on the spur of the moment. It's from the Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese 100th Anniversary Cookbook. The book was published in 1981.  Although I forgot to mix the cream cheese with the cream cheese, and then add the onions and cucumber, it still turned out good. I did also add pepper and dill to the recipe (those modifications will be in Italics). This recipe makes about two servings. You could easily double this recipe. It is perfect for a hot day. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

3 oz Philadelphia cream cheese (or other brand) softened

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 tsp celery seed (add more if desired)

dash of salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/4 to 1/2 tsp dill 

1 cup peeled cucumber slices, sliced thinly

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion rings

Directions:

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and seasonings until well combined. Stir in cucumber and onion, mixing lightly. Chill until ready to serve. Makes about two servings.

Cucumber 'n Onion Salad

Casserole #10 - Shipwreck Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #10 - Shipwreck Casserole

    I wanted to be adventurous, so tried this recipe from the Classic Cooking with Coca Cola cookbook. Published in 1994 and 1998, all of the recipes include a Coca Cola product. I write about recipes whether or not I liked them and this was a recipe I did not like. I think if I were to make this again, I would use undiluted tomato paste, not undiluted soup. Along with the Coke Zero (It's what I had on hand and was an appropriate substitute), the finished casserole was way too soup-y. This recipe also did not say to cook the ground beef and I did not want to put raw meat into the casserole, so I browned the ground beef. I would also figure out seasonings to add, because the recipe only had salt and pepper to taste. I sprinkled Italian seasoning when I tested the recipe. Although I did not like the finished recipe, it was pretty easy to make and you might like it. Play around with seasonings and try chili or chipotle powder, Italian or add chopped garlic or garlic powder. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 lb ground beef, browned

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped or 6 mini sweet orange/red/yellow peppers chopped

1 large potato, sliced

1 can red kidney beans

1 can tomato soup (undiluted) or small can of undiluted tomato paste

salt to taste

pepper to taste

10 oz Coca Cola

sprinkle Italian seasoning

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread oil in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Layer ingredients in order listed, finishing by pouring the Coca Cola on top. Bake for one hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over casserole when plated. 

Shipwreck Casserole 

Easy Potato Soup

 Easy Potato Soup

    This recipe is based off of a recipe from a former co-worker. This soup is easy to put together. You can adjust seasonings and add ingredients as you like. This recipe is easily made vegetarian/vegan, by using all vegetable broth and vegan gravy packet. Alternatively, you could use all chicken broth and/or add diced ham or bacon.  If you don't like onion or peppers, you can leave out those ingredients. This makes a large a big pot of soup and you'll get numerous servings out of it. Actual servings depend on how large you make them! I really enjoyed this soup and I hope you do as well. 

Ingredients: 

32 oz bag frozen diced (hash brown) potatoes (For extra variety, use the O'Brien styled hash browns)

48 oz chicken or vegetable broth, or a combination of the two

1 packet white, country gravy mix

1/3 - 1/2 cup diced onion (cook in butter/margarine, in the microwave for one minute)

1 tsp butter or margarine

1/2 cup diced green/red/yellow/orange peppers 

salt to taste

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp or to taste, chili powder seasoning

1 cup diced ham, optional

Optional Toppings: shredded cheese, finely sliced green onion, crumbled cooked bacon

Directions:

Empty the potatoes into a large cooking pot. Pour vegetable/chicken broth into the pot. Add onion, peppers and seasoning. Add ham if using. Cook on medium to medium-high heat until gently boiling. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a side salad if desired. 

Easy Potato Soup

Charley the Muffin Man was interested in my Easy Potato Soup

Casserole #8 - Broccoli Supreme

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #8 - Broccoli Supreme

    I love community cookbooks in which individuals in a community, club or church group submit recipes. This recipe is from the 2009 Richardson Citizen Fire Academy Alumni Association cookbook. This is my favorite casserole so far in this Year of Casseroles!! This casserole could be made with cream of celery soup, not cream of chicken if you want a totally vegetarian casserole. Use vegan cream, cream soup and stuffing mix for a vegan casserole. Alternatively, this could also become a main dish, with the addition of chicken breast. The original recipe says you can substitute  zucchini or asparagus in lieu of broccoli. 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs fresh broccoli or a 10oz package of frozen chopped broccoli

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup diced onion

1/4 cup grated carrot

1/8 tsp pepper

3/4 cup herb seasoned stuffing mix (or use plain stuffing mix and add 1 tsp Italian seasoning)

2 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. If using fresh broccoli, cut broccoli into 1-inch or so sized florets. Cook 5 to 8 minutes in boiling water. If using frozen broccoli, cook according to directions. In a mixing bowl, mix together soup and flour. Add sour cream, carrot, onion and pepper. Stir until combined. Drain broccoli completely and add to the soup mixture. Stir completely and pour into a greased 2-quart casserole.  In a small bowl, mix stuffing and melted butter (adding the Italian seasoning if using plain stuffing mix). Sprinkle around the edge of the casserole dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cools slightly before serving. Serve with rolls and salad alongside chicken, pork or steak. 

Broccoli Supreme

Broccoli Supreme

Casserole #7 - Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #7 - Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

 I'll start off by saying that for a little twist, I used a combination of cauliflower and broccoli. You could also make this with a different vegetable mixture, with chunks of chicken added in, or with a bread crumb topping. This recipe is in from The County Fair Cookbook, published in 1994. My modifications are in Italics. 

Ingredients:

20 oz (2 10oz packages) frozen cup-up broccoli, thawed (I used a cauliflower/broccoli mix)

8 oz cottage cheese

6 oz (1 1/2 cups) Cheddar (or Monterrey Jack), grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp spicy seasoning (optional)

1 chicken breast, cut into chunks and cooked (optional)

Optional - Bread Crumb Topping:

  3 tbsp melted butter or olive oil

  1 cup bread crumbs (Seasoned or add your favorite seasoning to crumbs)

Bread Crumb Topping Directions: Stir together oil/melted butter and bread crumbs until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle over top of casserole before baking.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8x8 square baking dish or equivalent casserole. Mix all ingredients, until combined. Do not over mix. Spoon mixture into greased dish/casserole. Top with bread crumb mixture if using. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and browned on top. Sprinkle with spicy or other seasoning if desired. Serves six. 

Hurry-Up Broccoli Casserole

Casserole #6 - Lemonchick's Cheesy Sausage & Potato Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #6 - Lemonchick's Cheesy Sausage & Potato Casserole

This recipe is a creation of mine. You can substitute your favorite spicy seasoning in place of Penzey's Arizona Dreaming salt free seasoning if you like. Or even try your favorite seasoning. I hope you like it. 

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 medium onion or 1/2 of a large onion, peeled and diced

1 green pepper, cored and cut into chunks

8oz andouli or Kielbasa sausage, sliced into about 1/4-1/2 inch slices

1 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded, plus more to sprinkle on top

1 tsp or more to taste of Penzey Spice's Arizona Dreaming salt free seasoning

1 tsp Penzey Spice's dried minced garlic or fresh minced garlic

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups white sauce:

  1/4 cup butter

  1/4 cup flour

  2 cups milk, heated 

  1/2 tsp salt

  1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boiling and cook the chunks of potato until they are fork soft (You don't want them mushy and you don't want them hard). Drain the potatoes and pour chunks into a large bowl. Cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Stir in sausage, green pepper and onion. Mix shredded cheese into white sauce, pour over the sausage & potato mixture and store to combine. Pour mixture into a greased, 3-qt casserole. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake for 30 minutes. 

White Sauce: Melt butter on low. Blend in flour. Slowly stir heated milk. Add salt and pepper and stir. 

Lemonchick's Cheesy Sausage & Potato Casserole
Picture being supervised by Charley The Muffin Man

Casserole #5 - Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #5 - Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

    This recipe is from a 1989 Minute Rice (General Foods) cookbook. The original recipe calls for a 9-inch square casserole. However, I used a large round casserole dish. I believe it was a 3-qt dish. I added chili powder to the original recipe, but you could use whatever spicy seasoning you like, or make it like the original, without spicy seasoning. 

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow summer squash, diced

1 medium zucchini diced

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup milk (I made this with the original 1 1/2 cups milk called for in the recipe. However, the casserole had so much liquid seeping out; it still tasted good, but was way too liquid-y)

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup Minute Rice (or generic quick cooking rice)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning or 1 tsp chili powder/spicy seasoning

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Grease the casserole dish and pour the squash & zucchini mixture into the casserole dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle extra Italian seasoning or chili powder/spicy seasoning over top when serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

*Note: If you want to try cooking the rice first, only use 1/2 cup of milk

Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

Casserole #3 - Breakfast Casserole

 The Year of Casseroles

Casserole #3 - Breakfast Casserole

    I chose to "half" this recipe from 1999's The Centennial Harvest - A Collection of Recipes from The First Unitarian Church of Dallas. Per the directions, I prepared this casserole in the evening, covered with plastic and refrigerated overnight. First this morning, I pre-heated my oven, removed the casserole and the plastic, and baked for 40 minutes. I sprinkled with red pepper chili flakes. This casserole was yummy. I would recommend the recipe as I give it, especially if you are making this for one to four people. Double the recipe to serve eight to twelve people. Substitute spicy breakfast sausage like I did or use plain sausage. Also try turkey or chicken breakfast sausage. Serve with a sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes or drizzle your favorite salsa on top. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 lb breakfast sausage, browned

6 slices of bread

5 eggs

1/2 cup milk (I used oat milk)

1/2 cup grated/shredded cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In an 8x8 baking dish, lay four slices of bread. Tear the other two pieces of bread in half and squish the halves lengthwise on both sides of the first four slices. Sprinkle browned sausage crumbles evenly over the bread. In a small bowl mix eggs with milk, and salt and pepper; use a fork or whisk. Pour egg mixture over the bread and sausage. Evenly sprinkle cheese on top. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, pre-heat oven to 350 F and bake uncovered for 40 to 60 minutes; until the center is set (for me that was 40 minutes). Cool slightly, cut into squares and loosen the edges with a knife. Serve squares of casserole with salsa or red chili pepper flakes. 

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole 

Appetizer #10 - Onion Tartlets

The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #10 - Onion Tartlets

    Betty Crocker's New Choices Cookbook published in 1993 is the first cookbook I bought myself. I believe I bought the book in a Waldenbooks store at White Flint Mall (closed) in Maryland. This recipe is based on the Creamy Onion Tartlets in this book. The original recipe calls for turkey bacon; I used pork bacon and added a dab of cream cheese in the bottom of some of the tartlets (to see how I liked that). So, the biggest issue I had is that the recipe calls for 8 cups chopped onions (about 4lbs). I had four large onions and actually weighed them. None even weighed a pound, so I figured I was good. When chopped there was a huge mound of onion, but I figured "That's okay. I don't have 4lbs of onion." But, the onion did not cook down into a marmalade consistency as the recipe says it will.  I'll give you the recipe and note modifications in Italics. Even though they didn't turn out how they were supposed to, they still tasted fine. I served them with Appetizer #9 - Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets this weekend.

Ingredients:

1 15-piece package of Athena phyllo shells

8 cups chopped onions (about 4lbs) *Note - This was way too much onion; I had a lot leftover and want to figure out what to do with it.

1 cup beef broth

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 diced, cooked bacon (Orginally 2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped)

6 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese

Softened Cream Cheese (Optional)

Directions:

Cook onion, broth, pepper and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low and cook uncovered for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. *Note: The original recipe says cook until all liquid is absorbed and the onions are the consistency of marmalade. This did not happen for me. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place phyllo shells on a cookie sheet. Spoon onion mixture into shells and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each tartlet.  If desired, add a dab of softened cream cheese into the bottom of the phyllo shells, before adding the onion mixture. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until cheese is light brown. You may need to cook a couple minutes longer to ensure that phyllo is crisped.

Appetizer #10 - Onion Tartlets with Appetizer #9 - Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets      

Appetizer #9 - Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #9 - Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets

    I had a friend over to my house this weekend and made appetizers for us to enjoy. I had this idea in my head to do something with sun-dried tomato and this is what I came up with. This is 100% my creation. You will have more filling than needed for the shells, so use it as a spread on crackers or toasted bagels. I ended up leaving them in the oven a little too long, so they turned out darker than I wanted. But, they still tasted great. I will definitely make these again. 

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup, plus about 2 tbsps shredded mozzarella, divided use

1 1/2 oz sun-dried tomato, moistened in water for a few minutes, drained and chopped *Note: This is just how I did this making them for the first time; I may try not moistening them the next time.

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 package phyllo mini tart shells (I used Athena brand; there are 15 shells in the package)

Directions:

Place softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and sun-dried tomato, stirring well before adding the mozzarella. Ensure ingredients are thoroughly combined. Place phyllo shells on a cookie sheet. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, gently fill the phyllo shells. Using the back of a small spoon, lightly press the filling into the shell. If desired, sprinkle a pinch or two of mozzarella cheese on top of the stuffed shells. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes. You need the shells to be a little browned (and crispy), but you don't want the sprinkle of cheese to brown.

Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets
Pictured with Appetizer #10 - Onion Tartlets

 

Pie Number 22 - Lemonchick's Chicken & Vegetable Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 22 - Lemonchick's Chicken & Vegetable Pie

    This is my creation! 100% mine! I loved it. I really loved the seasonings I chose. The only two things I would do differently, is to bake at 375 degrees, not 350 degrees and I would make a gravy with 1 cup water, not 2 cups of water (it made too much gravy). I baked the pie for 35 minutes at 350, but ended up adding at least 15 more minutes. The crust never did get golden, but it was still a good crust.  If I'd baked it at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, I think the crust would have turned out more like how I wanted it to (golden). The first piece out of the pie pan did not come out very, well, but that was because it was still too hot. The second piece I had (the day after) came out just fine. I thought this creation of mine was really good and I hope you like it. 

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast diced

1 medium/large potato, peeled and diced

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 12oz bag frozen mixed vegetables, use the "steam in a bag" kind

1 cup water

1-2 tsp chicken bouillon (I used a low sodium variety)

3/4 tsp onion powder

3/4 tsp garlic powder, 

3/4 parsley flakes, 

3/4 tsp celery salt

3/4 tsp spicy chili seasoning 

3/4 tsp ground sage 

1/2 tsp salt, plus a sprinkle

1/2 tsp pepper, plus a sprinkle

canola oil

cornstarch

two-crust pie crust (unbaked)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle a bit of canola oil in a large heated skillet. In a saucepan, boil diced potato in water until softened, but not mushy. Drain cooked potatoes and set aside. Season diced chicken with a sprinkle of salt, sprinkle of pepper and 1/4 tsp of each of the rest of the seasonings and add to the skillet. Cook completely and remove from skillet. Add chopped onion to the same skillet and cook until translucent. Return chicken to skillet and turn burner to low. In a saucepan, boil 1 cup water and 1-2 tsp chicken bouillon. Use a little bit of water mixed with cornstarch, to thicken the bouillon into a gravy. If it is not thick enough, add a little more water/cornstarch mixture. 

Combine the gravy, potatoes, onion, chicken and vegetables. Pour into unbaked pastry shell, add top crust and crimp edges to seal crusts together. Cut slits into top crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Serve pie with a sprinkle of parsley flakes if desired and serve with a garden salad. 

Serves 8

Lemonchick's Chicken & Vegetable Pie
(cooked by not golden)

The first piece of pie that I took out wayyyy too early.

The second piece of pie that came out wayyyy better. 

Pie Number 21 - Beef and Onion Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 21 - Beef and Onion Pie

    I love the little cookbook that this recipe is in. It is the Tried And True Grit Recipes - 95 Years of Homestyle Recipes. The recipe originally appeared in The Grit Cookbook, on May 4, 1958. The great thing about this pie, is that you can use beef (as in the title), ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork or even ground bison, like I did. The other modification I made was that I added a top crust. The recipe in the book does not call for a top crust, so a top crust is optional. It definitely was more appetizing to look at, with a top crust. 

    I was really happy with how this pie turned out. My crust was good; the texture of the filling was good and "sturdy" and I liked the taste. This was pretty quick and easy to make. You could get up to eight servings from this. You don't need large slices, especially if you are serving the pie with a side salad or vegetable(s) on the side. Try this. I think you'll like it. 

Ingredients:

pastry for a 9-inch pie shell (double crust optional) (I made pastry for a double-crust pie)

1 lb ground beef (or your choice of ground meat; I used ground bison)

2 tbsps butter or margarine

1 large or 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsps salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsps flour

1 cup sour cream or butter milk (I used sour cream, but I think plain, non-fat Greek yogurt would add an interesting flavor)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I didn't realize I was out; I used low sodium soy and it was just fine)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

pimiento strips (optional)

parsley flakes (optional)

Directions:

Cook onion in butter until translucent. Add in ground meat  and cook until meat is completely cooked (browned). Pour off any grease. Stir in salt, pepper and flour. Mix sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and eggs into the meat and onion mixture. Pour into pastry lined pie pan. Cover with top crust if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. A knife inserted at the edge of filling should come out clean. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley flakes and/or pimiento strips and a vegetable or garden salad. 

Bison and Onion PIe

Bison and Onion Pie with Peas

Bison and Onion Pie with Peas