#2,811: (GF) Beef and Corn Noodle Bake

This recipe had the one ingredient in it that my boys (big boy and little boy) do not particularly enjoy...corn (although they hate peas way more).  I however, could eat corn probably every day and not get tired of it.  Even as I look at the photo above, I can barely see the corn and I used way less in the recipe because I knew they'd complain.  But the little one (6 yrs) saw one piece on his plate and immediately scowled.  The big one (41 yrs) managed to pick every little kernel out.  I swear if he just would have eaten it all mixed up he wouldn't have even tasted it.

Regardless  the girls and I loved this dish and were happy to go back for seconds (one of us may have gone back for thirds, but I won't rat anyone out!).  I made these with gluten free noodles and no one in the group could tell the difference.  I also wanted to give them more veggies (heck I was pushing my luck with the corn anyways!), so I added half a can of petite diced tomatoes, and then pureed the second half and threw that in there as well.  Mmmm....I might have to make this again this week!

2 pounds ground beef (I only used 1 lb. 2 lb seemed like a lot!) 

1 cup chopped onion

12 oz. can kernel corn, drained

20 – 24 oz. tomato soup – this can be creamy tomato soup that is gluten free or gluten free condensed tomato soup (I used a 14 oz can and then added another can of water)

1 Tbsp. ketchup

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups cooked gluten free noodles (I used Tinkyada shells)

1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
I also added: minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried basil.  

  

Brown the ground beef until no longer pink, adding the onion about halfway through cooking time. Put cooked meat mixture, corn, soup, ketchup, and seasoning in a bowl and mix.

Cook noodles (al dente). Drain. Mix into the other ingredients. Pour casserole into a baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, covered. Uncover for the last 10 minutes of cooking.  

#1,745: Taco Pasta Bake

Here is a simple casserole that my family loved for dinner recently!  It was super simple to make and it's a great recipe to use especially if you have some leftover taco meat, or if you just double the amount of taco meat you are preparing so you have it ready for a dish like this.  My family was a big fan of this recipe so we will definitely be making this one again. 

1 box of large noodle pasta such as ziti
1 lb of ground beef
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 cup water
1/2 pkg of cream cheese (about 4oz)
1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Boil pasta until just cooked (al dente), drain.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef and crumble.  Add taco seasoning and water with the ground beef and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced. 

Add the cream cheese to the beef mixture, stir until melted and combined, remove from heat.  Mix in the pasta.   Place in a lightly sprayed/oiled 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle on the shredded cheese. 

Bake at 350 uncovered for approximately 30 minutes.    

#1,663: Southwest goulash

My family liked this recipe a lot, but they weren't totally in love with it.  Did they eat it for dinner, yes!  Would they ask me to make this again for them, probably not.  :(  It was good though...just not my family's favorite thing to eat.  Personally though, I liked it.  LOL

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 pound lean ground beef 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

2/3 cup frozen corn

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, corn, tomato sauce, chilies, cumin, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Drain macaroni; add to meat mixture and heat through. Stir in cilantro.

Freeze option: Freeze individual portions of cooled goulash in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary. Yield: 6 servings.

#1,639: Twice-Baked Potato Casserole

I know this isn't the best picture of this recipe, but I made this to take to a church pot luck so I couldn't pull out a scoop of it first to get a better/closer picture.  Sorry folks, this is the best I could get.  However, this recipe has been unnecessarily sitting on a pinterst board for THREE years.  I have no idea why I waited so long to make this.  It was a hit at the potluck, and my family really enjoyed it as well.  I was lazy, so I used real bacon pieces (not bits) in this recipe, but obviously real bacon would have been better.  I also cut way back on the sour cream, and still thought it turned out great!

1-1/2 pounds red potatoes (about 6 medium), baked (I used 3 lb of baby gold potatoes)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used 1 container of real bacon pieces)

3 cups (24 ounces) sour cream (I used 16 oz)

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese (I used about 4 oz)

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (I used about 4 oz)

2 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut baked potatoes into 1-in. cubes.

I’m way too lazy to layer this recipe in the next step, so I dumped it all into a bowl and mixed to combine.  Then I topped with a little more bacon (that I had reserved) and some extra cheese.  Way easier!

Place half in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper and bacon. Top with half of the sour cream and cheeses. Repeat layers.

Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Sprinkle with onions. Yield: 6-8 servings.

#1,628: Spaghetti Casserole

This was a super easy meal to make during the school week, and it made such a large pan that it gave us leftovers for another meal!  My family really, really enjoyed this spaghetti dinner and I would definitely make this again!

½ pound whole-wheat spaghetti noodles (I used regular noodles)

2 eggs

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil + extra for greasing the casserole dish

½ onion, peeled and diced

½ green bell pepper, de-seeded and diced (I omitted)

1 pound ground beef

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon salt

Crushed red pepper, to taste 

26 oz jar of your favorite red spaghetti sauce 

¾ cup ricotta cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

¼ cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a rectangular baking dish with olive oil and set aside.

Cook the spaghetti noodles al dente, drain, and then mix with the eggs and ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Put in the bottom of the casserole dish.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, but not brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the beef to the pan and break up the meat with a spatula. Cook until the beef is brown all the way through. Drain and discard the fat.  

Add the garlic, salt, and red pepper, and cook for 1 more minute before adding the red sauce to pan. Heat for an additional few minutes.

Pour the meat/sauce mixture on top of the noodles in the casserole dish. Top with dollops of ricotta cheese, grated mozzarella, breadcrumbs, and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm and enjoy.

#1,469: Biscuit Topped Pizza Casserole

I had about 1 lb of ground turkey to use up and a bunch of random ingredients in the fridge, so I decided to create my own meal out of it.  Thankfully the family LOVED it...so much so, the 8x8 pan was completely gone after dinner!  (Literally there was nothing left!)  I will definitely be making this one again!  It's so versatile too...add in whatever pizza toppings you normally enjoy or whatever you have in the house (at least that's what happened in my case!)

1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
1/2 onion, diced
12-15 oz pizza sauce
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp dried oregano (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cans of buttermilk biscuits (or get an 8 count and a 4 count one...I just used half of the second can for this recipe and made the extra biscuits for my family to eat)
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)

Additional add-ins (I did not do this b/c I didn't have any pepperoni and my family wouldn't have eaten anything else that I like): diced bell peppers, pepperoni slices, sliced olives, mushrooms, etc. 

In a skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onion and ground meat, breaking up the meat and cooking until it is no longer pink.  Once cooked, add the Italian seasoning, dried oregano, garlic and pizza sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I added about 12 oz of pizza sauce, but you can definitely add more or less depending on how "saucy" you like your meat.  If you have any other add-in pizza toppings add them at this point too.  

Lightly grease and 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour the pizza sauce meat mixture into the pan. 

Sprinkle the shredded Monterrey Jack cheese on top.  (You could also add mozzarella or whatever you have on hand).
Cut the biscuits into quarters and place on top of the meat mixture, placing the biscuits right next to each other to cover the entire top of the meat.  (See photo on right).

Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.  Sprinkle the biscuits with Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.  

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes or until biscuits are browned and cooked through.  

#1,393: Mexican Cornbread Casserole

This is a great recipe to use up leftover taco meat.  OR if you make a double batch every time like I do, you'll have the meat mixture ready to go and in the freezer ready to use when you are ready.  I decided that using two types of corn in this for my non-veggie eating husband was pushing my luck, so I only used the can of creamed corn.  I also made a smaller batch of this and used one box of cornbread mix.  I put the entire can of creamed corn into the cornbread mixture instead too.  Why not, right?!?

My family enjoyed this, but was not totally in love with it like I was.  But I love tacos and cornbread, so what's not to love?

Nonstick cooking spray

1 pound ground beef

1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

2 (8.5-ounce) boxes corn muffin mix

1 (14.0-ounce) can cream-style corn 

1 (14.0-ounce) can corn kernels, drained (I omitted)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Add the taco seasoning per package directions.

Mix the corn muffin batter per package directions. Stir in half of the cream-style corn and half of the regular corn.

Spread half of the batter in the baking pan. Top with the meat. Mix the remaining cream-style corn and corn kernels and spread that over the meat. Sprinkle with half of the cheese, then the green chiles. Spread the remaining batter on top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese (I didn't add more on top). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cornbread is baked through. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then cut into squares to serve

#1,389: Cheeseburger Casserole

I was really, really, really sure that my family would hate this recipe.  But I still thought I'd try to pull it over on them anyway and see if anyone would eat it.  I have to admit, I was really surprised that most of my family enjoyed this.  It was SO easy to make, and I made the meat mixture ahead of time and froze.  Then when we were ready to eat it, I let it thaw in the fridge over night, cooked some elbow macaroni noodles, mixed it all together and then baked in the oven with some cheese on top.  It was so simple to get on the table after work.  
2 cups (6 ounces) uncooked rotini pasta (I used elbow macaroni)

2 teaspoons canola oil (I used olive oil)

1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pound 95% lean ground beef

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 tablespoons ketchup (I felt it needed a lot more, so adjust to your taste/preferences)

4-5 large Roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced (I omitted)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I felt it needed a lot more, so adjust to your taste/preferences)

2 cups low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup dill pickles, finely chopped (I used pickle relish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Boil the pasta in a large pot according to packaged directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet on medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and saute until onions are transparent. Add the garlic and stir about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the ground beef and fully cook through until brown. If using 95% lean ground beef, there is no need to drain. But if you are using a less fat version, drain the fat and return to the stove.

Stir in the seasoned salt, ketchup and mustard until well combined. Add the chopped tomatoes and pickles. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 2 minutes or until the mixture is thickened.

Add the cooked and drained noodles to the meat and stir well. Pour into the prepared baking pan and evenly sprinkle the cheese across the top. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and slightly cool before serving. 

#1,385: Loaded Chicken and Potato Casserole

I really have got to give my family a little more credit...every time I think they are going to hate a recipe, they enjoy it!  Maybe that means I am expanding their food repertoire and experiences enough that they are actually enjoying different foods and recipes.  I for sure thought the green onion and bacon in this recipe would make them all just look at this recipe and not want to eat it.  I was wrong.  :)  I think this would be better with regular bacon instead of turkey bacon like I used, but I already had some cooked and in the freezer so I was going with what was on hand.  I will definitely be making this again for my family!

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch pieces

5 medium Russet or Idaho potatoes, cut in 1 inch pieces

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cooked, chopped bacon

2 green onions, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.

Spread the diced chicken and potatoes evenly into the baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour mixture evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Stir to coat the chicken and potatoes.

Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 55 minutes (I cooked mine for about 45 minutes).

Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with the cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, and onion. Bake another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

#1,301: Yum Yum Chicken

I hate when I make a recipe with a stupid name.  This is one of those recipes because I'll never remember this recipe since I can't find it without the tag "yum yum."  Although the name is forgettable, this is a recipe I will be making for my family again.  I wasn't sure they were going to enjoy this one because of the "creamy" mixture in the middle, but they loved it.  Allison had thirds of this recipe I think and Brian wanted me to save the leftovers for lunch the next day (always a very good sign).  I used a rotisserie chicken and chopped up the meat ahead of time.  Then I froze the chicken until we were ready to make this recipe (I defrosted it over night in the fridge).  This is such an easy, prep ahead of time meal (at least the chicken part) and then whip together the night you are ready to make it.  

1 to 1 ½ lb. chicken, cooked and cut up (I shredded one rotisserie chicken)
8oz sour cream
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Cream of Celery soup
1 box Cornbread stuffing, uncooked (Stove Top)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 350.

In 9x13 baking dish, lay chicken in the bottom of the dish.  In separate bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup and sour cream. Spread over the chicken.

Sprinkle the uncooked stuffing over the soup mixture, (note: if herb packet is not mixed with stuffing mixture, top stuffing with herb packet).  Mix together the broth and the melted butter and pour evenly over all.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

#1,289: Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole

If you have company coming over for breakfast, this is a recipe to make.  Not only is it ridiculously easy, but it looks like you've spent some time on it AND it's delicious.  I made this for my sister's breakfast after her bachelorette party.  Although I couldn't enjoy this because I'm eliminating carbs and dairy right now, it went over very, very well and I got a ton of compliments on it.  I will definitely be making this one again!  SO good.  

2 cans of refrigerated cinnamon rolls
1/2 cup Cinnabon coffee creamer
3 eggs
1 stick of butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Melt stick of butter and pour it into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Cut each cinnamon roll into four pieces and add to the melted butter in the baking dish. (set frosting aside for later)

In medium sized mixing bowl, beat eggs until blended.  Add creamer (if you don't have Cinnabon you can use cinnamon vanilla or even just vanilla), vanilla and cinnamon.  Once eggs and creamer mix are well blended, pour over the cinnamon rolls.  Sprinkle with pecans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until baked through. Top with frosting and serve.

#1,285: Sausage, Egg and Biscuit Bake ...with bacon

I made this recipe to serve for breakfast at my sister's bachelorette party weekend.  I loved this recipe because it required minimal ingredients and I was able to make the meat ahead of time and spend less time in the kitchen.  This was not only easy, it was really, really good.  In all honesty, I only tried one bite because I'm not eating foods like this right now, but it was a recipe I wish I could have enjoyed more!  The recipe says to make in an 8x8 pan, but I used 4 cans of biscuits and made this in a 9x13 foil pan.  I will definitely be making this for breakfast (especially if for guests) again. This link will take you to the photo of the original recipe.  The recipe posted below includes the larger portion size as well as the changes I made.

Not pretty, but you get a better idea of
what it looks like from the inside 

4 cans of buttermilk biscuits, cut into quarters
1 lb bulk pork sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
9-12 eggs
1 1/4 c milk
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.  Layer the quartered biscuits so they completely cover the bottom of the pan (I really squeezed them in).  Top with cooked pork sausage and bacon.

In a bowl combine the eggs and milk and whip to combine.  Add salt and pepper.  Pour egg/milk mixture over the biscuits and cooked meat.

Bake uncovered in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.  Return to the oven, uncovered, and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

#1,239: Mexican Casserole

This may not be the healthiest thing I've made for my family, but they LOVED it.  I'll admit, I was a little bit shocked they liked it as much as they did considering it has cream of chicken soup in it (weird!).  But, it was a huge hit.  I had to leave out the ranch style beans, and I had to puree the tomatoes, but other than that, they liked it a lot.  :)

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can Ranch Style beans (I omitted)
1 10-12 ounce bag tortilla chips, crushed
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (I used salsa and pureed it)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
sour cream and salsa for serving

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, onion, taco seasoning, soup and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Put down a layer of crushed tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture, then half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa.

#1,236: Turkey & Quinoa Taco Bake

Photo coming soon....I can't find where I took it.  :) 

I made this to eat for lunch last week and I ate it every single day!  I really, really enjoyed eating this easy, healthy meal!  I will be keeping this for my lunch meal rotations for sure! 

1 cup uncooked Quinoa

20oz package 93% Lean Ground Turkey (that it way too lean for my liking. I used 85/15)

1 can Tomato Sauce

1 ½ cups chopped Red or yellow or green pepper

½ cup chopped onion 

diced Jalapeno (to taste)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Juice of 1 lime

Garlic 3 cloves minced

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Hot Sauce to taste (optional)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Add Quinoa to 2 cups water in a Medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

Spray frying pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno and sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up as it browns. Cook for about 5 minutes and add the peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until meat if no longer pink.

Add the juice of 1 lime, cumin, chili powder and cilantro. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Remove from heat and add the quinoa to the meat and veggie mixture. Pour in the tomato sauce and hot sauce if using and stir. Add ¼ c of shredded Cheddar Cheese.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

#1,228: Cornbread Hamburger Pie

Yum, yum, yum!  This Cornbread Hamburger Pie was not only easy, it was quite good too.  The tomato soup gave this a different flavor, but it was still very good.  However, I made a huge mistake with this recipe.  I didn't puree the salsa like I normally do.  So what did my family do?  They kept picking out all of the peppers and tomatoes.  Ugh, I hate when I forget to do something so simple like that.  As soon as I puree it, they have no idea it's in there.  I will definitely make this again though...and remember to puree my salsa or use picante sauce so it's less chunky.  

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1 pound ground beef
salt and pepper
1 can (10 ounce) condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 package (8.5 ounce) Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a 10-inch ovenproof sauté pan, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in the beef and cook, breaking it up and stirring, until no pink remains, about 4-5 minutes; drain off grease. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the soup, salsa, and ketchup until thoroughly combined.

In the meantime, in a medium bowl, whisk together the corn muffin mix, egg, and milk. Let sit for 2 minutes.  Spoon the corn muffin mix over the beef. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until golden browned.

#1,201: Lawnmower Taco

I have no idea how or why this recipe is called Lawnmower Tacos.  I think Taco Casserole would be more appropriate, but I will admit, I did look at the recipe solely based on the name.  :)  I was looking for an easy, ground beef recipe that my kids might enjoy when I stumbled upon this recipe.  It was definitely easy to make. Easy and delicious.  This got big thumbs up from everyone in my crew.  Nothing super special, but still quite yummy!!  Tomorrow is leftover night for dinner....I think we will all be fighting for this one!  (Except for me who will be eating corn beef and cabbage!)

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1-2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or beef broth
9 ounces tortilla chips, crushed
2 cup grated cheese
For day of serving: shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, black olives

In large skillet, brown ground beef. Stir in taco seasoning. Sprinkle flour over top. Stir to combine. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens. Grease 9×13 inch baking pan. Place 1/2 of crushed chips across bottom of dish. Layer with half the meat sauce and then half the cheese. Repeat layers: chips, meat, cheese. If cooking right away, place in 325° oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.

If making as a freezer meal, do not bake. Instead, cover with foil, label, cool, and freeze. On serving day, thaw casserole and follow baking directions, adding up to 10 to 15 minutes baking time, depending on how cold or frozen the casserole is at the start.

Serve with desired toppings.

#1,127: Taco Pie

This recipe is dedicated to my cousin Mike Ryan!  I appreciate any of you that regularly follow my blog and I'm sorry that I'm not getting recipes posted as often as I normally do (or I would like!).  So...hopefully this is a recipe you all will enjoy...but especially Mike...even if it isn't a crockpot recipe  :)

There is absolutely nothing bad I can say about this recipe...except maybe that it isn't the healthiest.  But who doesn't love taco meat, crescent rolls, Doritos and cheese??  I also added a jar of salsa to the taco meat to get in some veggies.  I was going to make and 8x8 pan instead of a 9x13, but I'm glad I went with the original recipe amount because my family devoured this!  All five of us enjoyed this one!!  Definitely going into our favorite meal category and another meal I need to add to Allison's recipe collection/ future cookbook.

1 lb. Ground Turkey (or ground beef)
1 tube Crescent Rolls
1 cup crushed Taco Flavored Doritos
1 packet Taco Seasoning
8 oz jar of salsa
8oz. Sour cream
8 oz Shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend Cheese

Cook ground beef until browned, add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water, stir and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Press crescent roll onto bottom of pie pan or casserole dish (I used a 9x13 pan).  Add cooked meat to crescent roll crust.  Add 1/2 cup of crushed Taco flavored Doritos on top of meat.  Add 8 oz. sour cream, spread over meat and chips.  Add cheese and top with remaining 1/2 cup of crushed chips

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, cut and serve warm.

#1,121: Chicken Tamale Casserole

This recipe got very mixed reviews in our house.  Allison and I both really enjoyed it, Matthew would only eat it if he was sitting on my lap, and both Chloe and Brian asked not to have it again.  Unfortunately that means this is a meal I will not make for our family again, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try it for yours.  I loved this!  It was so good with the cornbread and the green enchilada sauce.  It was a little spicy though so I had to serve it with sour cream to cut down on the heat and I didn't even add in the mild green chilies.  So if you are a family that doesn't like much spice, this might be too much for you.  I enjoyed it though!

1 cup Mexican blend cheese, divided (Sadly I only had mozzarella so that's what I used)

1/3 cup fat-free milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained (I omitted)

Cooking spray

1 (10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

 

Combine 1/4 cup cheese, milk, egg, cumin, red pepper, corn, muffin mix and green chiles in a large bowl, stirring just until moist.  Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until set.

 

Pierce the entire surface liberally with a fork. Pour the entire can of enchilada sauce over the top and top with chicken.  Cover with the rest of your cheese (3/4 cup). Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.

#1,025: Sausage, Veggie and Egg Casserole

I am in a constant search for breakfast recipes that I can make and eat all (or most) week when school starts again.  I had very high hopes for this recipe and it is delicious hot and right out of the oven.  It's not something I'm running to get from the fridge every morning though.  I'm not loving the coconut milk in this recipe; it's too sweet.  I probably won't make this again...still hunting for that perfect breakfast recipe.


2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut to ½ in cubes
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 lb of natural pork sausage (I used organic chicken sausage)
3 cups of frozen or fresh spinach (I used sautéed peppers and carrots)
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
12 eggs
1 cup of coconut milk from a can
⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste


Below is the directions for the original recipe (not w/my changes):

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Season the sweet potatoes with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until cooked all the way through and lightly roasted. Once you are done roasting the sweet potatoes, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Peel and cut your large onion and in a frying pan warm about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and slowly caramelize your onions. It should take about 20-25 minutes. Cook on medium to low heat and constantly stir the onions to avoid burning.

Once your onions are complete, take them off the heat and place them in a bowl off to the side. In the same pan, add a little more olive oil, probably no more than 1 tablespoon, and brown your 1 lb of pork sausage. Cook on medium heat until most of the pink is gone. When you are complete put the pork in another bowl and put to the side until you are ready to assemble the casserole.

Whisk all 12 eggs, 1 cup of coconut milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl.

Take your 13×9 in Pyrex pan and lightly grease it. First you will place your browned sausage on the bottom of the pan.  Next, you will place the caramelized onions.  After the onions, place your roasted sweet potatoes. It is important to note you can add any vegetable in this casserole.  Next, add the 3 cups of frozen or fresh spinach.

 The last step in the assembly process is to add your egg and coconut milk mixture. For all the steps you want to make sure you spread the ingredients evenly so each bite has every ingredient but this is the most important rule where it applies because you want to make sure the egg mixture covers all the ingredients.

Roast the entire pan uncovered in the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

#930: "Skinny" Hash Browns, Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Casserole

I love breakfast.  I used to not be a breakfast eater but the older I get the more I enjoy eggs and egg/breakfast dishes.  I wish I could get my family to enjoy it as much as I do, but they really aren't egg fans.  I can't blame them.  Growing up the only way I would eat eggs was if they were scrambled and had at least 1 1/2 slices of American cheese melted on top.  I've tried giving it to my kids multiple times and they just don't like it.  Oh well, more for me. 

Although I definitely enjoyed this recipe, I think I enjoyed it more because I added some veggies.  Next time I'm adding some shredded cheddar cheese too.  It needs it. 

12 slices bacon or turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1½ cups onions, chopped and sauteed
½ cup fat-free sour cream
½ cup fat-free cottage cheese
½ cup fat-free milk
2 eggs (I used 1/2 cup of egg substitute)
2 egg whites
¾ teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt or salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
4 cups frozen hash browns, not defrosted
Broccoli and yellow bell peppers, cut up/diced

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add cooked onions, crumbled bacon, sour cream, cottage cheese, milk, eggs, egg whites, broccoli and bell peppers, ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt or salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Pour mixture into baking pan. Spread evenly.  Cover the top evenly with frozen hash browns.  Make sure to break up the chunks of potato. Spray the top generously with cooking spray.  Sprinkle top with ½ teaspoon seasoning salt or salt and a little pepper.  Cover casserole with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes. To crisp the hash browns, place under broiler for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Be sure to keep an eye on it while broiling to not burn.  Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes to set. Cut into 6 slices.

This casserole can be reheated and it freezes great too!  It can be easily doubled and made in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Makes 6 serving (each serving, 1 slice)

According to the original website, 1 slice is 6 ww+ pts.