White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

picture from allrecipes.com

We had this for lunch today.

YUM!

It goes against all of my normal recipes since it takes some prep time, quite a few ingredients, dirties a couple different pots, and is SO not low in the calories.  But IT IS GOOD!

Cowboy Quiche

I like to call this casserole cowboy quiche because it is the "American" version of a French favorite of mine. No self respecting French person would put half of these ingredients in a quiche, but it is scrumptious all the same and very fast & easy to prepare which is nice.

10 eggs
1 lb of Monterey Jack Cheese, grated, (Medium Cheddar works fine too)
1 t Baking Powder
1/2 c Flour
16 oz cottage cheese (2 cups)
1/2 c melted butter
1 can diced green chilies
1/2 t salt

Mix all ingredients and pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish and bake for 50 minutes at 350.

Chicken Pastina

1 cup of pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 cup chicken breast (cubed)
1/2 c diced onion
1 garlic clove
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c parmesan
1 T Butter

Preheat oven to 400
-salt water & cook pasta for five minutes & drain.
-In saute pain, add the olive oil and cook the chicken for three minutes on medium
-add the onions & garlic to the saute pan and cook for another five mintues
-add chicken mixture to the pasta along with the tomatoes, cheese, parsley, salt & pepper, and stir well.
-put in 8x8 glass dish
-mix bread crumbs, parmesan and cheese and sprinkle over the top of pasta.

Bake 30 minutes.

Baked Orzo

I love orzo pasta, and it is generally really kid friendly. This is a versatile dish where I can usually throw in whatever "extras" I have on-hand in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 and butter a 9x13 glass baking dish.

-Bring 4 cups of chicken broth to boil, add 1 pound of orzo & cook 7 minutes over medium high.
-Set aside Orzo (it should not be quite al dente because it will continue to cook in the oven)
-In a skillet saute 1 chopped onion, some mushrooms (sliced), 1 cup of Marsala wine (you can substitute chicken broth, but trust me the Marsala tastes better). After the onions are translucent and the mushrooms nicely cooked combine skillet mixture with orzo.
-Add to the orzo: 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese (fontina is also excellent), some frozen peas, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
-pour into baking dish and top with: 1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan, 1/2 cups of bead crumbs & 1 teaspoon of Thyme

Bake 25 minutes

Chili Pasta Bake (or Mexican Lasagna if you prefer)

I found this recipe on a can and adapted it to use only ingredients I keep on hand and make it my own. It was extra quick, easy & hearty & we enjoyed it, hope you do too!

Servings: 6 Hearty portions

10 oz. penne pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 T chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can tomato sauce (those little cans)
1 jar salsa (I used our homemade pint jar.......so that is about two cups worth if you are using it from a big bottle)
1 c diced green chilies, drained
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

**preheat oven to 350
1. Cook pasta & drain
2. Meanwhile brown meet, add onion
3. Once meat is cooked and excess liquid drained, add in chili powder, salsa, chilies & tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes.
4. Toss with pasta , spoon into 13 x9 pan and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
5.

French Toast Casserole

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 loaf brioche or challah bread, sliced into 1 1/2 inch slices (don't worry Texas toast works too!)
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk (I used evaporated milk)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
confectioners’ sugar for accompaniment
pure maple syrup

combine the melted butter and sugar in the bottom of a baking dish.
make a nice even layer of the mixture to cover the entire area.
arrange the bread slices on top, squeezing them in place.
whisk the eggs, add all the remaining ingredients except the pecans.
pour over the bread, letting it soak in.
top with pecans and cover with plastic wrap. {the casserole will not look real moist, don’t worry I promise it will be so when you eat it}
keep refrigerated for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.
set out at room temperature for 20 minutes before popping into a hot oven set to 350 degrees.
bake until lightly browned and set, 35 to 40 minutes.
remove and slightly cook if you can wait a few minutes.
serve hot or warm with sorghum, cane or maple syrup.
serves 8

Chicken & Rice

This is always a favorite of mine on a cold day or when I'm not feeling well.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 envelope dehydrated onion soup mix
1 soup can of milk
1 cup uncooked rice
6 chicken breasts

Heat oven to 350*, mix soup with milk. Mix half of that mixture with rice and 1/2 of onion soup pouch and pour in baking dish (I like to make mine in the 6 quart Crueset Casserole dish with a lid -- it bakes faster), place chicken on top of mixture (I often use frozen chicken tenders and use 8-10)...pour reserved soup mixture over chicken and sprinkle onion soup mix on top. Bake covered for 1.5 -2 hours, until rice is done (if you are using Cast iron it usually bakes in about an hour), bake uncovered for 15 minutes longer!

Conference Casserole

We made these casseroles for General Conference in YW. They are easy, freeze well and delish! Enjoy!

1. Brown your favorite meat bacon, sausage, ham, etc. (I used about 15 strips of bacon chopped up and it was great)
2. Take a 9 x 13 pan and put a layer of hashbrowns about 3/4 inch think (I use frozen ones, but you could use fresh as well)
3. Take your browned meat and put it in an even layer over your hashbrowns.
4. Grate Cheddar Cheese and sprinkle in an even layer over the meat.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together: 7 eggs, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 cup of milk
6. pour egg mixture over casserole.

Bake at 350 for one hour covered with aluminum foil, then take off the foil for 15 additional minutes.

-We made this casserole on Wednesday and I stuck it in the freezer until Conference......yummo!

Hearty Ham Casserole

This is really yummy+easy=perfect (at least in my mind) So here it goes....(also, I do this as a 1 pan/pot meal instead but first I'll give the real directions and then my own)

2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 cups diced cooked potatoes
1 can of corn drained (15 1/4oz)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped onion (I use more)
1/4 cup butter
1 3/4 cups milk
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
350* oven 25-35 minutes

In a large bowl combine the first 4 ingredients and set aside. In a saucepan, saute onion in butter for2 minute, stir in the flour then slowly add the milk and pepper, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Poor over the first 4 ingredients and stir to combine. Poor that into a 9/13 pan, cover and bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Remove foil and cover with cheese place back in oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Here is where I make my changes....I use my large skillet pan, throw my potatoes into the microwave to bake and then chop them along with the ham, and parsley all on a large cutting board (they hang out there until I am ready to add them) I also added only 1 cup of milk and used cream for the other 3/4 of a cup that was needed. When my rue was ready I just picked up my cutting board and dumped, followed by dumping a can of corn that I had drained. After mixing it all together I covered it with tinfoil and placed it in the oven. I never added cheese to it but it is yummy with or without it.

(PURE CHEESE QUICHE)

This is the essence of Madame Quiche's recipe — I can proudly say that when you make this, you will be tasting a very near replica of the small quiches she sells each Saturday at the Louviers market. There are a couple of keys to success here — be sure to let the pastry rest in the fridge before rolling it out. Don't stint on freezing the pastry — cold pastry that goes into a hot oven becomes extra flaky and delicious. Be sure to fully pre-bake the pastry as well, which guarantees crisp pastry on the bottom. Finally, whole milk makes a difference here — I highly recommend it over any lower fat varieties. When I make this Quiche I usually make it with Bacon.

Servings: Serves 6 to 8.


One recipe for basic pastry or pie
6 large eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
1 cup milk (preferably whole)
8 ounces gruyère, emmenthal, or other Swiss-type cheese (if I can't find Gruyere I use Pepperjack)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg - optional

Roll out the pastry to fit a 10-1/2 inch glass or metal pie plate (not removable bottom). Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, and place the pastry in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Line the pastry with aluminum foil and pastry weights and bake in the bottom third of the oven until the pastry is golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the aluminum foil and pastry weights. Return the pastry to the oven to bake until the bottom is golden, an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and the milk until thoroughly blended. Season with the salt and pepper, then add the cheese and stir until it is blended, Turn the mixture into the pre-baked pastry, and spread out the cheese evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg if you've used a Swiss-type cheese, and bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed, and is completely baked through, about 30 minutes. To test for doneness, shake the quiche - if it is solid without a pool of uncooked filling in the center, it is done. You may also stick a sharp knife blade into the center of the filling and if it comes out clean, the quiche is baked through.

Remove the quiche from the oven and serve immediately.

Variations:

Bacon and Cheese Quiche:
To make a bacon and cheese quiche (one reader reminded me that Alsace is the home of the quiche, which to deserve its name there has bacon, not ham, in it - ham is a Normandy variation), remove the rind from 4 ounces good-quality slab bacon, and cut it into thick slices, then cut the slices in half, lengthwise, and crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place these in a heavy pan over medium heat and cook the bacon until it is crisp. Drain it on a paper-towel covered plate, and sprinkle it over the pre-baked pastry before adding the custard.

Onion and Cheese Quiche:
Peel and halve a medium-sized yellow onion. Cut it in quarters then slice the onion paper-thin. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the onions and stir, season lightly with salt, cover, and cook until the onions are very tender and translucent, and just slightly browned at the edges, 10-15 minutes. Remove them from the heat, and spread over the pre-baked pastry before before adding the custard

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My mom makes this for my dad every year for his birthday. It is a family favorite and very easy!!

1 whole chicken - boiled and shredded
(You can also used canned chicken if you are pressed for time...you will need about 3-4 cans)
2 cans green chili enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
flour tortillas
Italian seasoning
Garlic Powder
Lemon Pepper
Cajun Seasoning
Cheddar cheese

Take the shredded chicken and add the seasonings to taste.
In another bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce and cream of chicken soup.
Pour half of that mixture in with the chicken.
Use half of what is left to put on the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish.
Tear up some flour tortilla and layer them on top of the sauce. Layer the chicken mixture on top of that. Continue to layer tortillas and chicken until you run out. (The last layer should be tortillas)
Put the remainder of the enchilada sauce mix on top.
Put cheddar cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Chicken Stuffing Bake

2 cans Cream of Celery Soup
1 Cup milk
2 Tablespoons Finely chopped onions
¾ cup frozen petite green peas
dash of pepper
4 cups cooked chicken cubed
1 can sliced water chestnuts (drained and quartered)

Mix in a large bowl – set aside

1 ½ cubes melted Butter
4 cups (8 oz) Pepperidge farms herb seasoned stuffing

Stir together in a separate bowl

Spread ½ of stuffing mixture into a 9x13 pan Pour chicken mixture over the top Sprinkle the other ½ of stuffing mixture on top Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until top is slightly browned.
Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Tam, she gives credit to Julie Woodfield

Zucchini Casserole

6 cups fine cubed zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup butter
1 package Stove Top Stuffing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1-16 ounce carton sour cream

Boil zucchini, carrots and onion in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain. In another bowl, melt butter and add stuffing mix. Mix well. Place 1/2 of stuffing in bottom of casserole dish. Add soup and sour cream to the vegetable mix. Spoon over stuffing in casserole. Top with other half of stuffing. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Tam

Zucchini Romano

1/3 cup olive or salad oil
1 cup diced celery
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds zucchini, washed and sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup buttered bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Heat oil in heavy casserole over low heat. Sauté celery, red pepper, onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Add zucchini, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the cover and sprinkle top with bread crumbs and cheese. Bake in moderate oven 375°F for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is browned and crisp.

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Tam

Chicken Enchiladas

1 whole chicken, skinned, boned and shredded (or 3 breasts)
1 pt. sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken
1 can sliced olives
3 C. cheese
1 lg. green enchilada sauce
1 sm. green enchilada sauce
flour tortillas
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Filling: Put the chicken in a bowl. Add 1 can soup, ½ of sour cream, olives, cheese, and ½ lg. enchilada sauce. -STIR-
Sauce: In a separate bowl mix the remaining enchilada sauce, sour cream and soup.
Assembly: Spray bottom of casserole pan and pour a little sauce into the pan (just so the bottom is covered). Spread filling onto each tortilla and then roll. Place tortillas on top of the sauce in the pan. Continue until all filling is used. Pour the remaining sauce evenly on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven for an hour or until bubbling in the middle. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Put back in oven until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minuets before serving. Then, dig in!

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Mo

Zucchini & Tomato Casserole!

A friend sent me this recipe and I got a chance to try it and it was really tasty! It just tasted like harvest time!

Zucchini and tomato casserole with Asiago crust
Try to find tomatoes that are firm enough for baking not overly ripe.

1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 pounds medium to large tomatoes
2 pounds zucchini
1 C shredded Asiago cheese (about 1/4 lb)
3/4 C bread crumbs
1/4 C olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 C silvered fresh basil

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread shallot slices evenly over bottom of a 9x11
inch baking dish. Slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick. Slice zucchini about
1/4 inch thick on the bias. lay tomato and zucchini slices in rows,
alternating zucchini and tomato slices. You shoudl be able to fit 3 rows in
the dish.

In a small bowl, mix cheese, bread crumbs and olive oil until combined.
Season tomatoes and zucchini with salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese
mixture. Try to place cheese mixture in the middle of each row so you can
see the contrast of red and green.

Bake for 30 minutes or until top is crispy and golden brown.
Makes 6 servings
(This dish can be doubled in the same baking dish. Add another layer of
tomatoes and zucchini and bake for an extra 10 minutes.)

Jimmy Dean Maple Breakfast Casserole

So, I found this recipe yesterday as I went to make breakfast, it looked super yummy!!! Also this casserole can be assembled the night before up to 12 hours. Just make sure that you cover it with plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator until ready to cook.

1 pkg of Maple Flavor Pork Sausage
10 Eggs lightly beaten
3 cups Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
6 cups Bread cubed
2 cups Golden Delicious Apples peeled and chopped (I used pinks)
2 tbs Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
8 oz shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven 325*. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, and vanilla; stir well. In a small bowl toss the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Distribute half of the bread into a buttered 9x13x2 baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the sausage, half of the cheese, and half of the apples. Repeat the layering using the rest of the ingredients. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole. Bake uncovered for 60 minutes, or until eggs are set. Tent with foil if top of casserole begins to brown to quickly.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Okay Aubrey, here you go.

This macaroni and cheese is a bit different as it has cottage cheese and sour cream in it. It is so good though, and very easy to make.

8 ounces elbow macaroni
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (12-oz) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350* F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water t a boil, add pasta and cook until done; drain. In 9x13” baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Taco Skillet

1 lb ground beef
1 can tomato soup
½ c. salsa
1 can corn
½ c. water
6 corn tortillas cut into 1" pieces
½ c. grated cheese

Cook ground beef. Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Simmer for 5 minutes. Top with cheese.


Recipe courtesy of Auntie Mo

Baked Spaghetti

Hello! I'm the newest little piggy! My name is Aubrey Sorenson. I have the most wonderful husband and the cutest little girl (16 months) I'm excited to be a contributor to this food blog and share some of my favorite recipes.

This is a staple at our house. My husband requests it all the time.


Baked Spaghetti
Spaghetti noodles (enough to fill about 3/4 of a casserole dish)
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
Optional: green pepper, onion, mushrooms
1 pound ground beef or turkey
Shredded cheddar cheese or Parmesan

1. Cook noodles, drain and place in the casserole dish. Soften cream cheese.
2. Add sour cream to cream cheese and mix. Then add desired amount of Italian seasoning and onion power. Spread evenly over noodles.
3. Cook meat and saute onion and green pepper. Mix meat, onion, pepper, etc.
4. Spread sauce over sour cream and cream cheese. Sprinkle cheddar over top.
5. Bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes. If it starts to bubble, it's done.

Tips:
You can make it like the recipe says, or I like to mix EVERYTHING together in a big bowl before putting it into the casserole dish. I find that its not as dry this way.