Pork and Rice Casserole

This is a nice one dish meal that's quick to put together although it takes a while to cook. Mix it up as soon as you get home and then forget about it for a while -- before you know it, dinner's ready!

Pork and Rice Casserole

1 pound Pork Steak, cubed (or boneless chops or tenderloin)
1/2 cup raw Rice
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Celery, chopped
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
Salt to taste (I don't add any)
Pepper to taste
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 soup can Water

Brown the pork. Mix together remaining ingredients. Add pork to mixture. Put in a lightly greased casserole dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees, covered. Stir once in a while. If too thick, add a little additional water. Remove cover for the last half hour of baking.

Note: Add sliced carrots for additional veggie power.

Frittata with Vegetables

We really like this egg dish -- it's a nice alternative to the heavier breakfast casseroles with sausage, bacon, and breads.

Frittata with Vegetables

1 cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, grated
12 large Eggs
2 Tbsp Olive Oil (or cooking spray)
1 Onion, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 Zucchini, thinly sliced
2 cups Mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry White Wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13" x 9" pan with cooking spray.

In a large frying pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (or spray pan with cooking spray) over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper and cook for 5 minutes until onions are soft and slightly browned.

Add zucchini , mushrooms, and wine and saute until zucchini is soft and wine has evaporated. Add salt and pepper.

Whisk eggs then add ricotta and whisk together until smooth. Stir in vegetables. Pour frittata into pan. Top with mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until set. Serve immediately.

Taco Casserole

I started making this in recent years so Josh and Daniel probably haven't had this, but Bree and Dave really liked it (me too!) so it makes the blog :) 

Taco Casserole

1 – 1 ½ pounds of lean Ground Beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup water

½ cup Ortega brand Thick and Smooth Taco Sauce (Medium)

1 small can diced green chilies

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 large package taco shells (18 count)

2 – 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 – 2 small tomatoes, cleaned and diced

½ - ¾ cup sliced green onions

Sour Cream (optional)

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onions. Drain. Stir in water, taco sauce, chilies, and seasoning mix. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes.

Spray a 13” x 9” pan with cooking spray. Break half of the taco shells into bite sized pieces and lay on the bottom of the baking pan. Cover shells with half of the meat sauce. Add a layer of cheddar cheese using ½ of the cheese. Repeat with remaining taco shells, meat sauce, and cheese. Bake in preheated 375˚ oven for 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Top with tomatoes and green onions after removing from the oven. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on the side.

Yield: 6 generous servings

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Casserole

Wow, does this recipe bring back memories. My mother used to make this every time we had ham for dinner -- which was usually at Christmas and Easter. As a kid, I didn't like the way it looked and wouldn't try it, but my brother gobbled it up so eventually I gave in and tasted it. It's completely amazing to me how something that looks so horrible unappealing can taste sooo good. I'd venture to say if you asked Dan what his favorite meal Mo made was, he'd put this recipe at the top of his list. It's a great way to use up leftover ham and you'll easily get a couple more meals out of this.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Casserole

Ingredients:

Potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced using food processor)
Ham (approximately 3 – ½” slices, cubed)
Carrots (sliced)
Onions (sliced)
Cheddar Cheese (grated)
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Milk
Parmesan Cheese
Bread Crumbs
Butter
Flour

In a large greased casserole dish, start layering ingredients in this order:

Potatoes
Ham
Onions
Carrots
Parmesan Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Pats of Butter
Sprinkle of Flour

Continue layering in amounts desired, ending with a potato layer.

Mix together one can of cream of mushroom soup, about ½ can of milk, and about ½ tsp. black pepper. Pour over the top of the casserole ingredients. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Cover casserole with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours or until potatoes are tender. Take foil off for the last 15 minutes of baking to allow top to brown.

Skillet Breakfast Casserole

This breakfast casserole is a little bit more work than the Breakfast Casserole we used to make, but to me, this one is worth the effort. It has everything -- sausage, eggs, potatoes, cheese ... and even a few veggies. We made this and served it at Josh and Jessica's baby shower. I remember we had quite an assembly line going putting these casseroles together!

Skillet Breakfast Casserole

1 package pork sausage (I use Bob Evan’s Original Recipe)

½ large green pepper

½ onion (Vidalia or sweet onion)

7 slices wheat buttertop bread

1 package sliced mushrooms (8 oz)

3 – 4 potatoes

2 cups of Sharp Cheddar cheese

5 slices wheat buttertop bread

6 eggs

1 ¾ cups milk

1 tsp dry mustard

Pepper to taste

Sprinkle of dried Basil

Tomato

In a large skillet, brown pork sausage and break into small pieces. Dice potatoes (skin on) and boil until tender. In a sauté pan, melt 1 – 2 tablespoons butter and sauté mushrooms until fully cooked. When pork sausage is cooked, move to a dish and hold until ready to use. Drain potatoes and put in pan used for sausage along with a tablespoon or two of butter. Cook until browned.

Chop green pepper and onion into small pieces.

Butter one side of all slices of bread. Place 7 pieces into the bottom of a 13” x 9” baking pan, with one piece cut in half so you can fit in pan to completely cover bottom. Layer half the sausage on top of the bread, then sprinkle half the pepper and onion on top of that. Add half the potatoes and mushrooms and then sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Break remaining pieces of bread into small pieces and place on top of cheese. Repeat layering with remaining sausage, pepper, onion, potatoes, mushrooms, and cheese.

In medium size bowl, beat eggs, milk, and dry mustard together. Add basil and black pepper to taste. Pour evenly over the casserole. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.

When ready to bake, take out of refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 45 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is bubbling. Chop one tomato into small pieces and sprinkle over top of casserole. Let sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Breakfast Casserole (Sausage and Pepper Strata)

We used to make this a lot for holiday breakfasts -- like at Christmas, Easter, or Mother's Day. The recipe is originally from the Applehood and Motherpie Cookbook although I've changed it up a little bit.  

Breakfast Casserole (aka Sausage and Pepper Strata)

1 pound bulk pork sausage

¾ - 1 loaf homestyle buttertop wheat bread

Soft butter (approximately ½ cup)

3 - 4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

5 eggs, beaten slightly

2 cups milk

3/4 tsp. dry mustard

1 small green pepper, chopped

Brown sausage. Drain and set aside. Butter one side of each slice of bread; cut or tear bread into 1-inch size cubes.

Spray 13” x 9” pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the pan with enough bread cubes to completely cover bottom. Sprinkle half the cheese on top of the bread cubes. Cover with sausage. Place remaining bread cubes on top of sausage, using additional bread slices if necessary for even coverage. Top with remaining cheese.

Combine eggs, milk and dry mustard. Pour over all the layers in pan. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Before baking, sprinkle top with chopped green peppers. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for approximately one hour or until golden brown and set.

Note: Must do ahead. Yield 4 – 6 servings.

Zucchini Casserole

Yummy way to use up zucchini ... and can be more of a meal if you start adding extras.

Zucchini Casserole

4 Eggs

½ cup Oil

2 – 3 small Zucchini, sliced thin or grated (pat dry to remove excess moisture)

½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 cup Bisquick

Spices: Salt, Pepper, Basil, and Garlic Powder

Beat eggs and add cheese, oil, and spices. Blend well. Add Bisquick. Fold in zucchini. Pour into ungreased pan (9” x 9”). Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle more cheese on top and bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Can double recipe to make 9” x 13” size. Bake for about 45 minutes and use a little more zucchini than used in the smaller size, but not doubled.

Note: This is a nice side dish but could be more like a main dish or a light lunch if chunks of chicken were added. Mushrooms and broccoli would be good too.