Summer Bounty Sausage Casserole

I stumbled upon this recipe when looking for a yummy but different way to enjoy our home-grown tomatoes and zucchini.  I wan't sure if my husband would like it since casseroles aren't his favorite, but both times I made it recently he raved about all the different flavors inside.  He wanted me to make sure I kept the recipe for next summer!  Thanks, Carrie, for such a winner!  The only thing I did differently was to make my own cream sauce instead of canned mushroom soup.  And I can never put just one clove of garlic in... I probably used at least 5!

• 1 lb . Ground Italian Pork Sausage
• 2 c . Finely Diced Zucchini
• 4 c . Cooked Rice, (white brown or long grain)
• 1 c . Diced Fresh Tomatoes
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
• 10 oz . Cream of Mushroom Soup or homemade cream sauce
• 1/2 c . Low Fat Chicken Broth
• 1 c . Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Start by preparing your rice. Depending on which kind you use this can take any where from 5-20 minutes. I used instant white rice so mine only took about 5 minutes.
3. While the rice is cooking, brown the sausage in a skillet on top of the stove until it is cooked through and no longer pink; then drain off any excess grease and place in a bowl.
4. Add the remaining ingredients minus the cheese to the bowl and mix well.
5. Place the mixture in an oven safe casserole dish, sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

We love Chicken Cordon Blue and this is a great recipe!  Thanks to Tasty Chicken for the recipe!

Ingredients

• FOR THE CASSEROLE:
• 1 whole Cooked Chicken, Bones Removed, Meat Diced Or Shredded (rotisserie Chicken Is Excellent, Should Be 5-6 Cups Of Chicken
• ½ pounds Very Thinly Sliced Deli-style Honey Ham, Rough Chopped
• ¼ pounds Thin Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 3 cups Whole Milk (or A Bit More If Needed; Whole Milk Is Required)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• ¾ teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• ¼ teaspoons White Pepper
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 1-½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• ½ teaspoons Seasoning Salt
• 1-½ teaspoon Crushed Dried Parsley

Preparation Instructions

(2/19/2015—Please note: due to comments about the salt content of this recipe, the amount of salt has been reduced.)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Put cooked shredded or diced chicken on the bottom of the baking dish. Rough chop the ham and scatter it over the top of the chicken. Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.
For the sauce:
Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, smoked paprika and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.
For the topping:
Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once it’s melted. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the panko bread crumbs, crushed dried parsley. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake casserole uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving

Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole

This is a super easy and delicious casserole that we love from Delicious As It Looks.

Ingredients

3 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced small
        (about 1.5 lbs. or 4 1/2 cups)*
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 green onions, sliced (green parts only for low-FODMAP/low-fructose)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (use 1/2 cup lactose-free milk whisked with 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour for low-FODMAP)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 9" baking pan or casserole dish.
2. Spread half of the diced potatoes in bottom of pan (see note below on parboiling the potatoes*). Place the diced chicken breasts evenly on top. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half the bacon crumbles, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and half the green onions.
3. Spread the remaining diced potatoes on top, followed by the remaining bacon, another 1/2 cup cheese, remaining green onions and another 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour heavy cream (or lactose-free milk and flour mixture) over top of casserole and then dot with the butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes. In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake until melted. Serve.

A new favorite Oatmeal Bake

I love my oatmeal casserole, but the directions don't call for soaking the oats, which I like to do for better nutrition. I found this recipe and have been using it instead. We really like it. I usually pour milk over it for Karis because she loves to eat it that way :) I got this recipe from Keeper of the Home, a blog I really enjoy.

1 cup oil (I use any combination of butter, coconut oil, or olive oil)
1 ½ cups sugar (I use honey- about 1/2- 3/4 cup or even less. Because we also add fruit, this seems to be enough sweetness for us. I've also used maple syrup with great success.)
4 eggs
6 cups oats
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon (a bit more cinnamon is good, too!)
2 cups yogurt or milk
Variations: Adding chopped apples or raisins (or both) before baking is a wonderful addition, almost like eating dessert for breakfast!

1) Prepare (oil) a 9x13 pan. Mix oats well with milk or yogurt mixture. If you used yogurt, let soak in pan overnight for better absorption of nutrients. Then add in the rest of the ingredients the next morning; mix well.
2) Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned.
3) We pour raw milk or cream, and add raisins or other fruit (if not added during baking) before eating.

Layered Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

Wednesday night I was planning on making our favorite chicken cordon blues. But my kids were clingy and I just didn't have the time to flatten the chicken, dip it in the bowls, roll it up, etc. I was lucky to get my chicken trimmed. So I decided to layer the ingredients to save time and we all loved it! Addition: the next time I made it I added in a layer of diced pineapples! Yummy!

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts, cut into whatever size pieces you want (strips, nuggets, etc. :)
ham
swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese
sliced pineapples if desired
Garlic if desired

Directions: Place chicken in pan; sprinkle with garlic powder. Chop up ham and cover chicken. Cover ham with pineapples and cheese. Bake at 350 for about 45 min, til chicken juices run clear.

Macaroni Grill Chicken Cannelloni

I love Macaroni Grill, but we hardly ever go there because my hubby doesn't really care for it. So I was pretty excited to find this recipe online! If my baby doesn't come this week, I'll try it and let you know if its as good as the restaurant! I would imagine that it would freeze pretty well, too.


Cannelloni Filling
8 ounces chicken breast (about 2), cooked thoroughly
1 ounce fresh spinach, chopped
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
16 ounces ricotta cheese
3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon table-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 lasagna pasta sheets, approximate size of 5 x 6 inches

Cannelloni Sauce
16 ounces Asiago cream sauce, or your favorite Alfredo sauce
16 ounces Macaroni Grill tomato sauce, or your favorite
tomato-based pasta sauce
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions: Once the chicken breast has been cooked thoroughly, allow it to cool to an internal temperature of 45 degrees F.

Dice the cooled chicken breast into 1/2-inch pieces and place into a large mixing bowl. Add spinach, tomatoes, ricotta, mozzarella, pepper and salt, and mix thoroughly.

Arrange precooked pasta sheets on a cutting board and place two or three rounded tablespoons of filling mixture down the center of each pasta sheet and carefully roll pasta around filling in a cigar fashion. Place the rolled cannelloni, side by side, into an ovenproof shallow baking dish. Place Asiago sauce (or Alfredo sauce) and tomato sauce in bowl and mix until well incorporated. Pour sauce over cannelloni covering completely. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over top of sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes.

Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached. Remove from oven and serve family style or on individual plates garnished with fresh diced tomatoes, and basil or Italian parsley.

Grandma Connie's Holiday Scalloped Potatoes

Oh, I love these! Mark thinks eggs in your potatoes are a little weird, but we ate these at every holiday growing up and they were my favorite :)

Ingredients:
4 cups boiled, sliced potatoes
2 Tbs. margarine
1 ½ Tbs. flour
1 cup milk
½ tsp. salt
3 hard boiled eggs
½ cup cubed cheddar cheese
2 Tbs. chopped pimento if desired
¼ cup shredded cheese

Directions: Prepare cream sauce from margarine, flour, milk, salt. Butter casserole dish. Layer potatoes, eggs, cheese, and white sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with shredded cheese. Cook for 30 to 40 min at 350.

Mom's Apple Chicken Bake

My Mom made up this recipe when she ate a similar dish at Cracker Barrel and it was so delicious! Very easy and another one of my favorite "comfort food" meals :)

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts
Sliced apples
Basic White Sauce
Ritz Crackers
Melted Butter
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Cooked Bacon (optional)

Directions:Make a white sauce; Layer the sliced chicken in a greased casserole dish, then the white sauce, apple slices, then some cheddar cheese, then Ritz cracker crumbs mixed with melted butter. I like to add some crisp bacon with the cheddar cheese under the Ritz crackers :) Bake at 350 for about 30 min til bubbly and chicken is no longer pink.

This recipe is part of Kelly's Korner SUYL

Layered Spaghetti Casserole

I made up this recipe on Thursday when I decided at the last minute to take dinner to a family who had lost a loved one. I needed something that I had on hand, but that was better than plain old spaghetti. So this is what I came up with. I made one for us, as well, and we loved it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. browned ground beef
cooked noodles: whatever you like best :)
1 can spaghetti sauce
basic white sauce
1/2 cup or more of whatever cheese you have on hand: mozzarella or Monteray Jack works great! I added a bit of cream cheese, too, but it wouldn't be necessary :)
shredded cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions: Make basic white sauce; season to taste with salt, pepper and maybe some minced onions. Add in whatever cheese you are using, stir til melted and mixed with white sauce. Mix with cooked noodles; make sure you have enough for it to be soupy. Pour into a greased baking dish. In another bowl, mix browned ground beef with spaghetti sauce. Pour over creamy noodles. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes til bubbly.
*Depending on what size dish used, you can do several layers or just two.

K & W mac and cheese

I'm not sure how my grandmother got the recipe from K & W, but this is probably the easiest and yummiest mac and cheese ever. I used to make it for my brother and his friends in college and they loved it when I added diced ham to it and would eat it as a complete meal :)

Ingredients:
8 oz macaroni, uncooked
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg, slightly beaten
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. Salt

Directions: Cook macaroni according to package; drain. Mix all ingredients, reserving ¾ cup cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top. Bake in buttered baking dish until bubbly on top; approx. 35 minutes at 350

Gigi's Sweet Potato Casserole

A must-have for any Jones Family gathering! The sweetest and yummiest sweet potatoes ever!   

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

½ cup sugar

¼ cup milk

1/3 butter, melted

1 tsp. Vanilla or caramel extract

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

¼ tsp. Cloves 

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup chopped pecans 

Directions: Combine 1st nine ingredients; spoon into lightly greased baking dish. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until lightly browned *I like to puree the sweet potatoes with my immersion blender before adding the other ingredients to make sure there are no strings

Zach and Brian's Sausage Hashbrown Casserole

A yummy casserole that is good for breakfast or any other meal :) I used to make it for my brother and his buddies in college and they loved it!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Bulk pork sausage
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 carton (8oz) French dip
1 cup chopped onion
1 pkg. Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

Directions: Cook sausage in skillet until no longer pink; Drain off grease. In a large bowl, combine 1 ¾ cups cheese and next 7 ingredients; fold in potatoes. Spread half into a greased shallow 3 quart baking dish or rectangle casserole dish. Top with sausage and then remaining potato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer until heated through.

Mary's Baked Oatmeal Casserole

This is delicious, filling, and healthy, too! I grease the pan with coconut oil, which makes it even sweeter :)

Ingredients:
3 cups oatmeal
¾ cups brown sugar
½ cup margarine
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
Raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries, etc (whatever you like)
Milk, cool whip, ice cream or whatever topping you might like

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients together and pour in a 13 x 9 inch buttered pan. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Serve hot with milk, cool whip, or ice cream.

Gigi's Overnight French Toast Casserole

Oh, this is soooo good! My grandmother used to make this for us and my Dad continued the tradition. Now I make it whenever we have company come stay with us. Its great because I make it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning.

Ingredients:
1 stick margarine
½ cup brown sugar
6 eggs
1 ½ cup milk
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 loaf cinnamon raisin bread or French bread

Directions: Mix margarine and brown sugar in a 9x 13 Pyrex dish. If using French bread, slice into 1 inch thick slices. Place bread onto butter/sugar mixture. Blend eggs, milk, nutmeg, and vanilla. Pour over the bread slices. Let chill overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered, 45 minutes at 350. Serve warm with syrup and confectioner’s sugar if desired.

This Post is part of KK's SUYL Breakfasts

Super Baked Ziti

My dear friend Mary Vargas gave me the idea to make all my pasta recipes more rich and creamier by mixing a can of Alfredo sauce with the tomato sauce. Oh, its so good!!!

Ingredients:
1 box ziti noodles
1 can spaghetti sauce
1 can alfredo sauce
1 Cup shredded cheese
*Can add 1 lb browned ground beef, sausage, or meatballs

Directions:
Boil noodles. Mix alfredo sauce and spaghetti sauce together. Add noodles. Pour into baking dish, top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 350

Lynne's Poppy Seed Chicken

This is Mark's idea of comfort food and getting this recipe from his Mama was a requirement for our marriage, I think :) It freezes well, but save the ritz for right before cooking because they get soggy in the freezer :)


Ingredients:
4-5 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 8-oz sour cream
1 stack Ritz crackers
1 stick butter
Poppy Seed

Directions: Cook chicken with onions; set aside. Combine soup and sour cream in small bowl. Line bottom of casserole pan with chicken; Cover with soup and sour cream mixture. Cover top with crushed crackers. Drizzle butter over crackers; sprinkle with poppy seed. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Rich and Easy Manicotti

Mark says he likes this more than what we get at Italian restaurants :) It also freezes well, so I always double it and have one for later:)

Ingredients:
1 pkg manicotti noodles
1 pound ground beef or sausage
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced Italian tomatoes
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions: Cook pasta, rinse and drain. Drain diced tomatoes; mix with tomato sauce in a small bowl. Brown ground beef; stir in cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and 2 cups moz cheese. Spoon into manicotti shells, place stuffed shells in greased 9x13 baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over shells, sprinkle with remaining moz cheese. Bake at 250 for 20 min til bubbly. Let casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Mom's unbeatable Lasagna

We ate this regularly growing up and it is undoubtedly the best lasagna ever! And it freezes great, so make 2!

Ingredients:
2lb ground beef
1 pkg. Onion soup mix
1 cup water
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp. Oregano
¾ lb mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated)
1 small can tomato paste
1 large can tomato sauce
2 lb cottage cheese OR ricotta cheese

Directions: Brown the ground beef in a large skillet or pot; drain. Add onion soup mix, water, spices, sugar, tomato sauce, and paste. Bring to low boil and simmer one hour. Stir often. Arrange in a long baking dish in the following order: meat, noodles, cottage cheese, and mozzarella. Make two or three layers. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top if desired. Bake at 350 for ½ hour. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Brian's Study Break Chicken Casserole

My friend Brian would make this for several of my friends and me whenever we were stressed with exams and didn't have time to cook. Yummy comfort food!

Ingredients:
Cream of chicken soup
Cream of _____(your choice )
Cheddar cheese soup
16 oz. Sour cream
3 chicken breasts or more
2 cups shredded cheese, divided
1 bag egg noodles
ritz crackers

Directions: Cook chicken and noodles; shred chicken. Mix everything except 1 cup cheese, dump in baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and crumbled ritz crackers. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Gigi's Overnight Brunch Casserole

This is great for dinner or for when you want to make breakfast ahead of time!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Sausage or bacon or ham

½ lb. Grated sharp cheddar cheese

8 slices of bread

3-4 eggs

2 cups milk

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. dry mustard

dash of pepper

Directions: Use a greased 9” x 13” casserole dish. Place bread as liner in bottom of dish. Layer cheese, then meat. Sprinkle these evenly over the bread. Mix together eggs, milk, salt, mustard, and pepper. Pour over casserole. Chill overnight. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.