Stuffed Pepper Enchilada Casserole

The boyfriend found this recipe a couple of weeks ago, just as I was thinking it was time for stuffed peppers (a co-worker has been gifting me with fresh peppers from her garden).  I made an Instant Pot version last week, but he really wanted to try this one.  He thinks I should have left the pepper pieces bigger since the pictures on the blog post show half peppers,  But I wanted it to be more bite size (but not diced).  Also, he would have liked some chicken or beef in it, but be warned, it makes a lot as written.  I also left out the cilantro as he gets the soapy taste from it. Also, I used a whole packet of taco seasoning and didn't bother with the homemade version.

• 16 ounces low fat cream cheese 2 packages
• ▢1 ounce Taco Seasoning Click for Homemade Recipe!
• ▢15 ounces can corn, drained and rinsed
• ▢15 ounces can black beans, drained and rinsed
• ▢15 ounces can diced tomatoes, drained
• ▢4.5 ounces can chopped green chiles
• ▢3 tablespoons red enchilada sauce
• ▢¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• ▢4 cups cooked white rice
• ▢2 green bell peppers chopped into large pieces, seeds removed
• ▢2 red bell peppers chopped into large pieces, seeds removed
• ▢1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• ▢1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese divided
• ▢diced tomatoes and cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a large bowl, heat the cream cheese in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or until softened. Mix in the taco seasoning, corn, beans, tomatoes, chiles, enchilada sauce, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Stir in the rice and ½ cup of each of the cheeses until fully combined. Set aside.
• Spray a large baking dish with nonstick spray. I used a 10” round dish, but you can also use a 9×13.
• Start by making a layer of the green peppers along the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the rice mixture, and use a spoon to smooth out as much as possible.
• Layer in the red peppers and top with last half of the rice mixture. Top with the remaining ½ cup of each of the cheeses and sprinkle with more cilantro.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted and the casserole is fully heated through.
• Remove from the oven and top with more cilantro and diced tomatoes. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

NOTES:

• This is a vegetarian version, but it’s also delicious with meat added in! Add in some browned hamburger or rotisserie chicken (about 1 ½ cups) for some extra flavor!
• To make this dish a bit healthier, you can scale back on the cheese. You can leave the shredded cheese out all together, or just add a sprinkle on top, up to you!

Chicken Tetrazzini

The boyfriend found this recipe and it was the perfect time since I had just poached up a big package of chicken breasts (half were cubed and half shredded).  I used shredded for this recipe.  Also, as you can see by the picture, I opted for the casserole dish instead of cooking in the dutch oven (the cast iron dutch oven can't go in the dishwasher - the glass 10x13 pan can!)  The blog author included cooking times for both options (see recipe notes at the bottom).

Ingredients

For the Chicken Tetrazzini:

• 12 oz thin spaghetti or linguine
• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken *or cook 2 lbs chicken breast
• 1 lb button mushrooms thickly sliced
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

For the Creamy Sauce:

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups half and half or sub with equal parts milk & heavy cream
• 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until aldente according to package instructions then rinse to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.
2. Cut 4 cups of chicken meat from a rotisserie chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces and set aside. 
3. Place a large dutch oven or pot over medium/high heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil then add sliced mushrooms and sauté 3 min or until softened. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft and golden, 5-7 min. Add minced garlic and sauté another 1-2 min until fragrant. Remove to the cutting board with chicken.
4. In the same pot, melt 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in 1/3 cup flour until lightly golden (1 1/2 min). Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and whisk until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups half and half and bring to a simmer. Season sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Return chicken, mushrooms, onions and pasta to the pot then sprinkle in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded mozzarella, cover and bake at 350˚F for 30 min then remove lid and continue baking 15 min.**

Recipe Notes

*To cook your own chicken: in your dutch oven or pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season 2 lbs chicken breasts with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Once oil is hot, saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). Remove to cutting board to cool then cut into bite-sized pieces.

**If baking in a 13x9 casserole dish, cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes then bake uncovered an additional 10-15 min (it bakes 5-10 min faster in a casserole dish)

Crunchy Beef Casserole

Before onions & cheese

I'm still on a cool weather casserole kick.  Last night's casserole was also from Southern Plate, just like last week's.  As she says the green pepper is optional, I only ended up adding in about a half cup.  This is a very easy recipe to put together.  While the pasta cooks, cook the ground beef, and between tending them, chop your green pepper and start putting your soup and tomatoes in your mixing bowl.  I also threw on some extra cheese on top of the french fried onions.  Because why not?


Ingredients
2 Cups Corkscrew Macaroni (Rotini)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¾ C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
¾ tsp Seasoned Salt
1 lb Ground Beef
1 can (14 oz) whole or diced tomatoes
¾ C Green Pepper (optional - I leave it out for the kids)
1 can french fried onions

Instructions

Cook pasta as directed, rinse and drain. Brown beef, drain fat. Combine all ingredients except french fried onions. Pour into greased 2 quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 for thirty minutes. Uncover, top with french fried onions, and bake five minutes longer.

Country Casserole

This had been on my list to make for a few years now and the cooler weather we've finally been having made it a good time to give it a try.  It's fairly quick and easy to throw together.  And it definitely makes a good amount.  If I start running into occasions that I need to bring food to somebody, this would definitely be a good place to start (I mention this because if you read Christie's blog, she specifically states that).

Ingredients

• 2 cups small shell pasta, cooked and drained
• 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained
• 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
• One can French fried onions, divided
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can use canned chicken or rotisserie )
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything in a large bowl, reserving half of the cheese and half of the onions for topping later. Spoon into 9x13 casserole dish. Bake for twenty five minutes. Top with remaining onions and cheese, bake until cheese is melted, about five minutes more.

Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

I love biscuits and gravy, so I decided to try this recipe for our New Year's brunch.  It was fabulous!  It makes a bit more than two people can eat, however, and it's not possible to cut it in half unless you waste half of the biscuits.

I served it with Cranberry Orange Bread and Caramelized Ham and Swiss Buns.  Perfect combination!

Click here for the original link to the blog Lemon Sugar.

Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

INGREDIENTS

1 can large, flaky biscuits (such as Grands)

½ pound ground breakfast sausage

3 Tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 and ½ cups milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

Prepare a small casserole dish (approximately 7x10) with cooking spray. Set aside.

Open biscuits, and cut biscuits into quarters.

Layer half of the quarters in prepared pan.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare gravy.

In a heavy skillet, brown the ground breakfast sausage over medium high heat until fully cooked.

Sprinkle the cooked sausage with 3 Tablespoons of flour.

Use a wooden spoon to stir flour into sausage until completely absorbed.

Lower heat to medium, and cook flour/sausage mixture for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add milk, and stir to combine.

Add salt and black pepper.

Stir frequently until mixture comes to a slight boil.

Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. (I usually add more black pepper)

If the gravy is too thick, add a bit more milk. You want the gravy to be thickened but not too thick, not "globby," it should still be slightly runny.

Pour gravy over the cooked biscuits.

Layer the remaining uncooked, quartered biscuits over the gravy.

Place casserole dish on a baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. If they start to over-brown, you can cover with foil for the last 10 minutes or so.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Egg Noodle Casserole

The other day, we didn't feel like going to the store and didn't particularly have anything on hand for dinner, so the boyfriend looked in the cupboard, spotted the egg noodles and cream of chicken soup I had picked up for tuna noodle casserole, as well as some canned chicken.  He got on the internet and found this recipe.  Fortunately, we had nearly everything for it, including the sour cream because of my recent obsession with making my own buttermilk ranch salad dressing.  The only thing we didn't have was butter crackers, so we used a 1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs instead.  We were pleased with how it turned out and the boyfriend suggested we try it again yesterday with the crackers (the picture is with the cracker version).  We found that the bread crumbs gave more coverage to the dish - the butter drenched crackers were great tasting, but the bites of them were further in between - unless I need to be better about crumbling them finer.


Ingredients
6 cups uncooked egg noodles (about 12 ounces)
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 20 crackers)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook noodles according to package directions for al dente; drain.
2. In a large bowl, whisk soup, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken and noodles. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a small bowl, mix crushed crackers and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 8 servings.

Smoky Four Cheese Macaroni Bake

The boyfriend found this recipe a few years ago, but we haven't made it again because I found some other macaroni and cheese recipes to try and, well, one can only eat so much mac and cheese.  But I've been thinking of this one lately and thought it was time to make it again.  I love the addition of the liquid smoke.  And all the different types of cheese.  I used preshredded cheeses from the store, and because of that, used a colby-jack blend.  And a whole pound of elbow pasta - I don't think I've seen it in 12 ounce packages (although that was a mistake as I lost track and dumped the whole box into the boiling water before I remembered that it was only supposed to be 12oz).


1 (12 ounce) package macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,cubed
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook for 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, and continue cooking until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 2 minutes more. Slowly stir in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
Stir in the half-and-half and milk, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in mustard powder and liquid smoke; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, along with the cream cheese, Swiss, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheeses; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the drained macaroni noodles. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs over the macaroni
Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Ziti (aka Rosemary Ziti)

The boyfriend found this recipe about three years ago and it's now our default baked ziti recipe.  We love the touch of rosemary in the dish.

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork sausage
1 1/2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
salt to taste
1 (6 ounce) package provolone cheese, sliced
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1 (6 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese


1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook onion in oil until tender. Stir in rosemary and garlic. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Place ground beef and sausage in the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Stir in the onion mixture and the spaghetti sauce. Season with salt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In the prepared dish, layer 1/2 of the cooked pasta, provolone cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, and a little less than 1/2 of the meat mixture. Then layer the rest of the pasta, mozzarella cheese, remaining meat mixture, and Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and cheeses are melted.

Biscuit Nugget Chicken Bake

This recipe came from a casserole cookbook from Taste of Home (I've mentioned it previously on this blog - this particular one was *filled* with lots of great recipes).  It's easy to throw together, and definitely a comfort food dish on a cold night.  Similar to a chicken and biscuit recipe, it's different with the extra seasonings and cheese on the biscuits.  Oh, and I used a bigger package of biscuits than it called for because I wasn't paying attention, but it still came out wonderful.

Ingredients
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
TOPPING:
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Cook and stir
over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until heated through; keep warm.
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the cheese, onion, parsley
and paprika. Separate biscuits and cut into quarters; add to bag and
shake to coat. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400°
for 5 minutes.
Transfer chicken mixture to a greased 8-in.-square baking dish; top
with biscuits. Bake, uncovered, for 10-13 minutes or until bubbly
and biscuits are golden brown. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

I pin a lot of recipes.  But for some reason, I never think to check my Pinterest boards when I'm planning my week's menu.  Last weekend, I did.  And I discovered I had pinned this GEM of a recipe!

It was absolutely fabulous!  And so very easy.  I love a casserole that calls for raw chicken so I don't have to take the time to cook it first.

I used garlic cheese croutons, but any flavor would be delicious.  I didn't have fresh basil, so I used dried.  I might use garlic powder next time. It's hard to "sprinkle" minced garlic.  I skipped the red pepper flakes and used black pepper instead.

The only thing I had to change was I had to cover it about half way through because the top was getting pretty brown.  I was worried to bake it for 20 more minutes without covering the top.  Next time I will cover it first for 20 minutes, then uncover it for the rest of the baking time.

Here is the original link, in case you're interested.  It comes from emilybites.com.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

2 lbs raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
2 cups marinara/pasta sauce
1 ½ cups 2% reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, divided
3.5 oz garlic croutons, roughly crushed, leaving some larger pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread the cubed pieces of chicken across the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle the minced garlic, red pepper flakes and basil evenly over the chicken. Spread the sauce evenly across the top.

On top of the sauce layer, sprinkle ¾ cup of the Mozzarella and one ounce of the Parmesan evenly across the dish. Sprinkle the crushed croutons across the top and follow with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I thought it would be fun to try another version of chicken pot pie (yes, we still have quite a bit of chicken).  This one isn't the same as making a full version of chicken pot pie, but it's quite tasty and makes for a quick weeknight version when it's cold and wintery.

1 2/3 cups Green Giant™ frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Original Bisquick™ mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 400°F. In ungreased 9-inch pie plate, stir vegetables, chicken and soup.
In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.
Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until crust golden brown.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I've never been big on Tuna Noodle Casserole, but still, every so often, it comes up in the dinner rotation - as in the boyfriend says, "let's have tuna noodle casserole," which is what happened yesterday.  So I cooked up this recipe that he found and I actually liked it well enough that it's in the oven again tonight.

10 1/2 ounces cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced celery
6 ounces albacore tuna
6 ounces cooked egg noodles
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Mix the cream of chicken, mayonnaise and milk together in a large bowl.
Add the diced celery and onion.
Fold in the tuna, followed by the cooked egg noodles and shredded cheddar cheese.
Salt and pepper to your taste.
Place in a casserole dish. Cook at 375 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, just until the top starts to brown.

Egg Casserole for Kids

This year I decided to do a New Year's brunch for Chris and me.  I already knew I wanted to serve the Caramelized Ham and Cheese Buns I discovered last month in Taste of Home.  I was looking for something egg-based to go with it in The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever by Beatrice Ojakangas.  I didn't find anything I wanted to try in the "Breakfast and Brunch Casseroles" chapter, but I found a winner in the "Casseroles for Kids" chapter!

This recipe is so versatile -- you can put in whatever veggies or meat options you like and it would be just as good.  I used bacon instead of ham, and I added broccoli to mine and left out the mushrooms (Chris doesn't like them).

The secret ingredient?  CROUTONS!

Egg Casserole for Kids

2 cups seasoned croutons (I love garlic and cheese flavor)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 cup diced cooked ham
6 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp prepared mustard

Preheat the oven to 325.  Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Spread the croutons over the bottom of the pan.  Top with the cheese, mushrooms, and ham.  (Or whatever you've chosen to use -- my broccoli was sticking up out of the egg mixture and it worked out just fine.)

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and mustard.  Pour over the layers in the pan.  Banke for about 1 hour, until the eggs are set.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

This isn't very good for you.  But OH is it worth it!

Lately I've been tweaking recipes, either because I don't have exactly what the recipe calls for or I want to jazz it up a bit.  Here is what I did instead:

• I never buy garlic salt, so I used minced garlic.  I think it was a little less than 1/2 tsp.
• I've never even heard of onion salt!  I chopped up 2 green onions from the garden instead.
• I use penne all the time.  I thought gemelli would be more fun!
• When I read this recipe I was surprised it didn't have any mustard in it.  So I added about 2 Tbsp of dijon.  I think the sauce would have tasted flat without it, so I highly recommend adding it.
• Next time I think I'd also add some thyme to it.

This recipe appeared in the September/October issue of Taste of Home.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

3 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic dalt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups sliced cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
3/4 cup cubed fully cooked ham
3 Tbsp dry bread crumbs

My additions:
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 tsp thyme
chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta according to directions for al dente.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat cream and cream cheese over medium heat until smooth, stirring occasionally.  Stir in one cup of cheese, onion powder, garlic salt and pepper until blended.

In a bowl, combine chicken, bacon, ham, and pasta.  Add sauce.  Toss to coat.  Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with bread crumbs.  Bake, uncovered 18-22 minutes or until heated through.

Oh So Good Chicken (chicken rice casserole with salsa and sour cream)

My cousin mentioned a few weeks ago (on facebook) that she was planning to make this dish for dinner that night.  I asked and she found the recipe for me and I'm so glad she did.  It's a fairly easy dish to throw together and very tasty!  I used regular (as in not minute) rice as that's what I had in the cupboard.  I used an 8 oz package of pre-sliced mushrooms (which yields slightly more than the two cups the recipe calls for, but I like mushrooms), and two 4.5 oz cans of chicken.  Yes, cooking the chicken myself would have probably given it a slightly better flavor, but with the sour cream, salsa, and cheese, it wasn't that noticeable (and certainly easier since I didn't have any leftover chicken on hand).  I also guessed at the 4 oz of cheese, just used about half (well, a little bit more than half) of the package.  The recipe doesn't state (and none of the comments I looked at really said) the size of the casserole dish.  I ended up using a big mixing bowl to get everything evenly incorporated, but my square baking dish (approximately 8x8, 2 quart).  One comment did mention adding some chips (to make it more presentable, which I don't think is necessary - it looks fine the way it is!) but which I think would be tasty.  Others also mentioned adding black beans, black olives, corn, green onions, and hot sauce - which I think would make for a very different dish!  Alas, I've gotten out of the habit of blogging recipes, so I completely forgot to get a picture!  (edited 8-18-13 to add photo - recipe shown doubled, in a 13x9 dish).

INGREDIENTS:
4 teaspoons olive oil
6 tablespoons sour cream
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
2 cups cooked white rice
8 ounces boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute mushrooms.
2. Combine mushrooms, sour cream, cheese, salsa, rice, and chicken. Place in a greased casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes.

Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini

I had intended to make this with our leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  But we ate it all.  So I cooked some chicken breasts to shred instead!

This recipe comes from The Repository, our local newspaper.  What I loved most about it is the delicious sauce.  And by not cooking the linguine all the way, it doesn't get mushy when you bake the casserole itself.  I love mushrooms, but Chris does not.  I didn't have any, so I skipped it.

Also, this makes A LOT.  I halved the recipe and we still had lots of leftovers.  If you have a big family, leave it as is!  It serves 8.


Turkey Tetrazzini

6 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced 1 inch thick
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 can (14 1/2-ounce) chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 pound linguine, broken in half
4 cups cooked turkey meat, shredded (about 4 cups)
1 package (10-ounces) frozen peas, thawed

Preheat oven to 400.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter, add mushrooms and onions, season with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender. Remove.

For sauce:
In same saucepan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add milk, broth, and wine. Bring to a near boil, reduce to medium and simmer 10 minutes, whisking often. Add 2 cups Parmesan and the thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta half the time on package. Drain and return to pot. Fold in sauce, turkey, peas, and mushrooms. Divide between two shallow two-quart baking dishes, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake until browned on top and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: Top with cheddar or provolone cheese last 10 minutes or butter Italian bread, dice and spread on top.

Chicken Florentine Casserole

Time for another cooking creme recipe.  As usual, the prep time was longer than indicated.  And I hate spinach - I can never get it to defrost for me!  I also sprinkled some extra mozzarella on top with the bacon.  The spinach makes you forget how much cheese you're eating!  Overall, very tasty and a recipe I'll make again.


1 tsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme
3/4 cup milk
2 cups cooked farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir 6 to 7 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in all remaining ingredients except bacon.

SPOON into 1-1/2 qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; cover.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through, uncovering and sprinkling with bacon after 15 min.

Meatloaf & Potato Pileup

I saw this recipe in an issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray, and then saw her make it on her show one morning. The video on the show's website wasn't available for a little while, but she verbally says that you can use any combination of meat that you want, as well as saying that they gilded the lily by adding the pesto. So, I halved the recipe, using a medium onion, one beet (halving that would've been a pain, and what to do with the rest?), and a pound of ground beef, and completely skipped the pesto. I messed up when reading the instructions for the cheese sauce, so my cheese didn't melt in the way that it should have. And I probably didn't get the beet wrung out well enough, as there was beet juice in the bottom of my casserole dish. It was a significant amount of work and dirtied a lot of dishes! Tasty overall, but probably not one we'll add to regular repertoire (although the boyfriend might have like it better had I gotten the cheese sauce done the right way!), especially considering the amount of work it took.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds baking potatoes, scrubbed and sliced crosswise 1/8-inch thick
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, quartered, one quarter finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half, warmed
• 6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper
• 2 carrots, peeled and quartered
• 1 small beet, peeled and quartered
• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 pound ground dark meat turkey
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1/2 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Yields: 8

Preparation

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

In a large pot filled halfway with boiling, lightly salted water, cook the potatoes for 3 minutes. Drain and spread them out evenly on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to cool.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour for 2 minutes, then pour in half-and-half and bring to a boil, whisking constantly; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Let cool.

Using a food processor, chop the remaining onion and the carrots. Transfer to a bowl. Add the beets to the processor and chop. Transfer to a kitchen towel, wrap and squeeze out any excess moisture.

Whisk the eggs, marinara, breadcrumbs, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into the carrot mixture. Crumble in the turkey, beef and beets, and mix well. Transfer to a 9x13” oval casserole, pressing into an even layer. Top with the potatoes and cheese sauce.

Place the casserole on a baking sheet and bake until the edges are bubbly and top is browned, about 40 minutes. Cover with foil and continue cooking until a meat thermometer placed in the center of the loaf registers 175°F, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Purée basil, EVOO, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve with the meatloaf.