January 2011: Enchilada-Style Casserole

Enchilada-Style Casserole

From Campbell's Casseroles and One-Dish Favorites (published 2009)

    2 10 3/4-ounce cans Campbell's condensed cheddar cheese soup   
    1/2 cup water                                                  
    1 16-ounce jar Pace chunky salsa (used mild and only half the jar)
    4 cups cubed cooked chicken (used rotisserie picked and shredded)
    12 corn tortillas or 8 flour tortilla (6-8 in.), cut into strips (I used corn and cut in thirds and then strips for bite-sized pieces)
    1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz) - You KNOW I used more approx1.5 to 2 cups

1. Mix the soup, water, 1/2 cup salsa (I used 1/2 the jar) and chicken in a bowl. Stir in the tortillas. Spread the chicken mixture in a 13x9x2 in shallow baking dish. Top with the cheese. COVER
2. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Serve with remaining salsa (which I didn't because of putting extra inside the casserole).

January 2011: Spinach & Artichoke Mac 'n' Cheese

Spinach & Artichoke Mac 'n' Cheese
From Rachael Ray's Look + Cook

    Salt                                                           
    1 pound semolina or whole-wheat penne                          
    2 tablespoons evoo                                             
    3 tablespoons butter                                           
    1 medium onion, finely chopped                                
    3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated                      
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour                                
    1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chicken broth)                  
    2 cups whole milk                                              
    1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste                
    1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped artichokes, defrosted and drained (I couldn't find frozen so I used jarred artichokes and drained and chopped them.)
    1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
    Pepper                                                         
    1 1/2 cups shredded Italian fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
    1 1/2 cups grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta, salt the water, and cook the pasta to al dente.
2. While the pasta water come to a boil, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with EVOO and the butter. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until very soft, about 10 min
3. Heat the broiler and position the rack in the middle of the oven.
4. Turn up the heat under the pot to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pot. Cook for about 1 min, then whisk in the wine and cook for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the spinach, and salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and the vegetables are warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add 1 cup of each of the cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.
5. Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and brown under the broiler for about 3 min.

November 18th: Ranch Pork Chops

Ranch Pork Chops
http://tastyplanner.com/
Cook: 20 min     Serves: 4

1 Tbsp. oil
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4" thick
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup canful milk (I accidentally used a whole can and it was still very good)
1 pkg (1 oz or 3 Tbsp) ranch salad dressing mix

Heat oil in skiller. Add chops and cook until browned.
Add soup, milk and salad dressing mix. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 10 min or until done. Sprinkle with paprika.

November 13: Roast Beef with Chive Roasted Potatoes

Roast Beef with Chive Roasted Potatoes

From Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious Oct/Nov 2010

Using up Leftovers

Yield: 6 servings    Prep: 20 min    Bake: 25 min

2 pounds red potatoes, washed and cut into 1" cubes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced chives
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

1/4 c. butter, cubed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 c dry red wine or beef broth

2 c cubed cooked roast beef

1 c beef broth

1. Place potatoes in a greased 15"x10"x1" baking pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with chives and 1/4 tsp salt; toss to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 425F for 25-30 min or until tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onions and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add the garlic, rosemary, pepper and remaining salt; cook 1 min longer. Stir in wine. Add beef and gravy; heat through. Serve with potatoes.

November 10th: Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

Serves 6 (Questionable!!)

From Betty Crocker's Casserole & One-Dish Meals

Prep Time: 15 min      Start to Finish: 50 min

1 pound ground turkey breast

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 c)

1 (1 oz) pkg taco seasoning mix

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies

1/2 c Original Bisquick mix

1 c milk

2 eggs

1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack-Colby cheese blend (2 oz - But I used more!!)

1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 c)

1 1/2 c shredded lettuce

2 medium green onions, sliced, if desired

1. Heat oven to 400F. Spray a 9" glass pie plate with cooking spray.

2. In 10" skillet, cook ground turkey and onion over med-high heat 5 to 7 min, stirring occasionally, until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in taco seasoning mix. Spread in pie plate. Top evenly with chilies.

3. In medium bowl, wtir Bisquick mix, milk and eggs with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour over turkey mixture.

4. Bake 25 min. Top with cheese and tomato. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5. minutes before serving. Sprinkle with lettuce and green onions (if desired).

A couple of personal notes.... I used more cheese than called for. (We can't get enough cheese in our house!) Also, my tomatoes had spoiled so I spread salsa on top before adding the cheese! I'm not sure which would be better but my men don't like raw tomato anyway, so it probably was for the best in our household. I didn't use green onions but I served it with sour cream on the side to dip each bite into.

November 8th: German-Style Beef Roast

German-Style Beef Roast for the Slow Cooker

From Taste of Homes Simple & Delicious - October/November 2010
Prep Time: 10 min          Cook Time: 8 hrs

1 (4 lb) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
1 tsp. pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 (12 oz) bottle beer or nonalcoholic beer
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour, more if needed
1/4 cup cold water

1. Cut roast in half; sprinkle with pepper. Place onion and roast in a 5 qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the beer, ketchup, and brown sugar; pour over top. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hrs or until meat is tender.
2. Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. (I strained the onions from this liquid.) Bring liquid to a boil. In a small bowl, combine flour and water until smooth. Gradually stir into the pan. You may need more flour and water mixture depending on how much water your get from the roast and how thick you like your gravy. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min or until thickened. Serve with roast.

Save leftover beef and gravy to roll over into Roast Beef with Chive Roasted Potatoes... recipe to follow in a future post.