Brunch Casserole

Everyone in the world probably already has this recipe, but I'm making it this weekend at the Beach House and I didn't want to have to take my recipe card with me. So, here it is...

6 slices store-bought bread, crusts removed
6 eggs
2 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard (opt.)
1 lb. sausage, fried & drained
1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 C. onion, chopped

Mix eggs, milk, salt, and (opt.) mustard. Set aside. Butter one side of each slice of bread and make a bottom layer in a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with sausage and cheese. Pour egg mixture on top. Cover and let stand in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until center is set.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

This is perfect for when I find that I have too many peppers on hand, either from a bountiful garden harvest or from an overzealous, duplicate Costco purchase.

The original recipe is from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book under "Stuffed Green Peppers." When I search online, there are only different recipes from them for stuffed peppers, so I suppose they've updated it several times since my "new" cookbook was published in 1989! It's a classic, though, and so easy. We love it!

We make this version instead of stuffing the filling inside whole or half peppers, as is traditionally done. We like it better this way.

Of course, to feed my large family, we need a large quantity. The recipe appears below in two versions: the first is already doubled(ish), the second is already quadrupled(ish). The original is half of the first, and fits in one 11x7 pan. One of these years I suppose that size will be right again for just the two of us, but for now, it's large quantities around here.

Casserole for 4-6 (Makes one 9x13 pan.)
This is the original post from 2009.

3-4 sweet bell peppers, coarsely chopped into chunks
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 15-oz can tomatoes, undrained
2/3 C. long-grain rice
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper (or SPG)
1-2 C. shredded cheese (calls for American; I use the 2 C. Kraft melting blend bag)

1. First, cook the meat and onion in a skillet and drain.
(Often, I cook large batches of meat ahead of time and freeze them in 2-lb. quantities. If I've done this, I'll thaw it out and just saute the onion in olive oil and combine them. I like this better because the onion retains its flavor better and I don't have to drain grease out of the meat on the cooking day.)

2. Stir in undrained tomatoes (smash them up in small pieces with your fingers), uncooked rice, Worcestershire, basil, 1 C. water, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. (I use 1 tsp. SPG)

3. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rice is tender (usually 20-30 mins.)

4. While that is cooking, I chop the peppers into chunks and generously line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with them. (You could easily half the recipe and use an 11x7 for a smaller family.) You want them on top of each other and almost halfway up the side of the pan. I always spray the pan first, but don't know if you'd really need to. By the time I finish getting the peppers ready, there are usually 5-10 minutes left on the timer for the meat mixture, so I put this pan of peppers in the preheated oven for a couple of minutes to soften them up just a bit.

5. When the meat/rice mix is ready, I stir in 1/2-1 C. of the cheese, then spoon the entire mixture on top of the peppers. I top with the remaining cheese from the package (usually about a cup) and put it back in the oven to melt the cheese. They originally suggest putting the meat mixture on it, baking it at 375 for 15-20 minutes, then topping it with cheese. I find that if I pre-soften the peppers just a tad the way I mentioned, this cooking time is overkill and I just go ahead and put the cheese on and stick it in the oven for a very few minutes until it is nicely melted. Everything else is hot and ready.

Casserole for a Crowd (Makes two 8x12 pans.)
This is a duplicate version I accidentally posted in 2015. It has morphed a bit over the years.

6-8 large sweet peppers of any color combination or variety
3 pounds ground hamburger (or combination of hamburger and Italian sausage)
1 large onion, diced
2 15-oz cans tomatoes, broken up (undrained)
1 1/2 C. long-grain white rice (uncooked)
1/4 C. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. dried basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning
2 C. water
2 tsp. SPG (homemade salt/pepper/garlic salt blend)
2 C. sharp cheese, shredded (I use a combination of sharp cheddar and parmesan, but any will do.)

1. Remove stems and guts from peppers, then cut into generously sized squares. Layer them in the bottom of 2 greased 8x12 pans. (If you're not going to pre-cook them a bit as indicated above, don't double them up too much or they won't cook well.)

2. Cook the meat(s) and onion until meat is done and onion is tender. Drain fat.

3. Stir in undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, Worcestershire, basil, water, SPG.

4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

5. Stir in 1 C. of the cheese. Spread this filling mixture on top of the uncooked peppers in your casserole dish(es).

6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until heated through and peppers are crisp-tender.

7. Top with remaining cheese and let stand 1-2 minutes before serving.

Shrimp and Feta Casserole

2 eggs
1 C evaporated milk
1 C plain yogurt
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 lb swiss cheese, shredded
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb angel hair pasta, cooked
1 16 oz jar salsa (I used the yummy fresh kind from the produce section of Publix)
1 lb medium shrimp, uncooked and peeled (I used the frozen bag that has about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom and sides of an 8 x 12 dish with cooking spray. In separate bowl, blend eggs, milk, yogurt, feta cheese, swiss cheese, basil oregano and garlic. Spread half of pasta over bottom of baking dish. Cover with salsa. Add half of shrimp. Spread remainig pasta over shrimp. Pour and spread egg mix over pasta. Add remaining shrimp and top with mozzarella. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken With Pasta

6 to 8 boneless chicken breasts (I sliced them into about 9 big strips each breast)
8 oz cream cheese
2 C fresh mushrooms sliced (big slices)
1/2 stick butter
1 pkg dry Italian dressing (Good Seasons)
1 C White wine or white cooking wine
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box bow tie pasta

Cook chicken, cream cheese, mushrooms, butter, Italian dressing, wine and mushroom soup in crockpot on low for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally (my new crockpot is SO hot that I only cooked it 4 hours on low and it was plenty!!) Serve over cooked and drained pasta.

Nanny's Ambrosia

Iivo's mother requested this recipe from my mother. (She makes it every year at Thanksgiving. My kids love it. It is almost more like dessert than a fruit salad.)

1 cup mandarin oranges (1 small can, drained)
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pineapple (not crushed, but yes drained)
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup sour cream (I use half plain yogurt.)

Mix all together and serve chilled.

Cheri's Yummy Homemade Limemade

Again, from my friend Cheri. I'll post for her...

So................your Sonic drinks put me in a mood for a limeade after you left and I was thinking I'd head down there for happy hour, not knowing it had already passed. Then I tried to get Tashia to get me one on her way home, but she was late for another outing and I couldn't even get my very adventurous neighbor to get her feet out of her pond long enough to run down there. I lost my motivation to head out, but found a great recipe. It's a bit different, but so lovely....I'm sure I'm hooked.

1/2 c lime juice (I used bottled)

2 c water

1/4 - 1/2 c sugar

5 or so ice cubes

1 1/2 c frozen fruit

Put all in the blender except the ice cubes. Add them one at a time after initial blending. The fruit I had was a mixed bag of raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry. I only had a cup of fruit and it was plenty. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm. I still served it over lots of ice.

Emeril's Chicken & Rice Soup

From my friend Cheri, who hasn't gotten up the nerve to post here yet... so I'll just post it for her:

I just took the rest of this soup out of the freezer and I'm sending the recipe to you both because we have spoken about chicken soup sometime recently....

As I recall, I did not follow the first step of sautéing the carcass, but it was the spices and especially adding shredded cabbage that "wowed" me. I don't think I added any of the other assorted veggies that time, just the onion, carrot, and celery. I can't wait to try it again though with spinach and zucchini. I'm sure I used brown rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chicken (3 pounds) boned, skinned, and visible fat removed, diced, (save the bones and carcass)
• Essence, recipe follows
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 cups assorted chopped fresh vegetables, such has beans, zucchini, yellow squash, or cabbage, small dice
• 1 1/2 cups torn spinach leaves, cleaned and stemmed
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1/4 pound long grain white rice, uncooked

Directions

In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken with Essence. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, bones and carcass and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the meat and bones are brown. Remove the bones and carcass. Add the onions, celery, carrots, green onions, garlic, parsley, basil, and bay leaves. Season with Essence. Sauté the vegetables for 4 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables, spinach, and crushed red pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock and rice, bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Reseason if necessary. Serve hot.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Mrs. Cover's Baked Brie

Layer 8-10 filo leaves that you have painted with melted butter.

Place cheese topped with fresh berries which you can toss in cinnamon sugar or leave plain.

Fold filo over berries until sealed.

Layer a few more buttered leaves on top if needed to seal it well.

Brush with melted butter, place on cookie sheet, and bake at 375 for 30 to 45 min. until you see cheese start to bubble out.

Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal

This is a birthday-morning favorite around here, from my great-cook friend Janet. Since the original recipe is in my husband's nearly illegible hand, and my kitchen helpers are having a hard time reading their father's handwriting, we are re-typing it here.

3 C. old-fasioned oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. melted butter (This is 1 stick, although I use a bit less.)
1/2 C. brown sugar (The recipe originally called for 1 C., but I use half.)
2 eggs, beaten
1 C. milk
dried fruit (optional)

Stir together oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, mixing well. Set aside. Melt butter in 8x12 pan (in oven or microwave); turn to coat bottom and sides. Pour remaining melted butter into a large mixing bowl and add brown sugar. Stir to mix well, then add eggs and milk and mix again. Stir in blended dry ingredients (and optional dried fruit, if desired), stirring to soak and coat well. Pour into buttered pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

We serve in bowls topped with cold milk. It does set up enough to serve on a plate like a casserole, if you prefer, but it will be crumbly as you eat it.

Homemade Playdough

This is the best homemade playdough recipe I've ever found, compliments of my friend Jan.

You will want to make one full recipe per child who wants to play.

(I usually double the recipe to make two batches at once, using a large Dutch-oven sized soup pot.)

Combine in large saucepan:
1 C. water
1/2 C. salt
1 C. flour
1 T. oil
2 tsp. cream of tartar

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a solid ball. (This happens quickly, after only about a minute.)

Dump out to cool on waxed paper. Be careful - it will be very hot at first, but it cools quickly. Give it to them while it is still warm, though; this is the best part!

Store in airtight container for repeated use.

You may knead food coloring into the dough when cool, if colors are desired. My kids always prefer the natural color, though, as they are usually pretending in the play kitchen to bake bread, cookies, pizza dough, doughnuts, etc. (Note: playing this way when young easily segues into really baking when one is older!)