Breakfast Casserole

This favorite breakfast dish recipe is everywhere. I had to post it here, too. So easy to make, and delicious with ham or sausage.

Prep: 10 minutes

Bake: 50 minutes

Ingredients

6 slices white bread, or any bread (Old bread works well.)

1 t. dry mustard, divided

Salt & pepper

1 lb. ham, chopped into little bitesize chunks (or browned ground sausage)

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

6 eggs

2 ½ C. milk

3 T. butter

Instructions

Butter a 9 x 13 glass dish. Break half of bread into pieces and place a single layer into bottom of dish. Cover with half of ham and cheese, a little salt, pepper and dry mustard. Repeat another layer with the rest of the bread, ham, cheese, salt, pepper and ½ t. dry mustard.

Into a bowl beat eggs and milk. Pour gently over the dry ingredients of the casserole dish. Dot with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

When ready, uncover and bake in a preheated oven at 375° F., for 50 minutes. Serve immediately.

Saag Paneer

So delicious, this recipe tastes better than any saag paneer I've had at any restaurant. Preparation is easiest if you first pre-measure your spices into 2 little bowls (I use coffee cups), one for each of the two paragraphs below. The cooking goes fast. My family enjoys this meal so much that I always double the recipe!

Ingredients

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

Pinch of cumin seed

2 cardamom seeds

1 stick of cinnamon

2 or 3 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

1 t. each fresh ginger and garlic

1 small fresh tomato, sliced

1 t. black pepper

1 box frozen spinach, chopped (thawed, and not drained)

1 t. salt

1 t. cumin powder

½ t. turmeric

1 t. ground coriander

½ t. garam masala (optional) – recipe below

1 C. whipping cream (heavy cream), or substitute ½ C. buttermilk + ½ C. plain Greek yogurt

1 t. tomato puree

¼ C. fresh cilantro, chopped

16 oz. paneer, plain or breaded (I prefer breaded.)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large sauté pan and sauté chopped onion until light brown.  Add cumin seed, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, ginger, garlic, sliced tomato and black pepper and sauté about 30 seconds.  Add chopped spinach and sauté for 1 minute.

Add salt, cumin, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala.  Mix well with spinach while it is sautéing.  Add cream, tomato puree, cilantro and cubes of cheese (paneer). Cook it well, stirring so it doesn’t scorch. When cream boils, cook another 1 ½ minutes over high heat.  Serves 6.

Serve over rice – basmati rice preferred. (Goes well with baked breaded chicken breasts as an added side dish, if you feel the need to eat meat.)

(When eating, you will want to avoid the bay leaves, cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick and whole cloves.)

To make garam masala: 1 T. + 1 t. cardamom seed

                                         2 three-inch cinnamon sticks, crushed

                                         2 t. whole cloves

                                         1T. + 1 t. black peppercorns

                                         3 T. cumin seeds

                                         3 T. coriander seeds

Dry roast in heavy skillet on low temp 5-10 minutes until brown.  Cool, then grind into powder. (Can use electric coffee grinder or blender.) Keep in a jar. Good for several months.

Pork n' Bean Casserole

Sometimes, the simplistic taste of comfort food and the easy preparation is just what you need to end your day. This is that meal. It's a remix of a bacon cheeseburger and pork n' beans rolled into one casserole. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2-tubes reduced fat crescent roll dough (the regular is too greasy)

Mustard (any flavor)

1-lb. ground sirloin

½ t. salt

Onion powder

Garlic powder

1- 28 oz. can Bush Original Baked Beans

 3 T. Bacon bits

1/3 c. ketchup

1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 C. cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with crescent roll dough, sealing the edges together with your fingers. Slather the dough with mustard. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the ground sirloin on high heat season with ½ t. salt. When meat is browned, add onion and garlic powders, pork ‘n’ beans, bacon bits, ketchup and mozzarella cheese. Stir and allow the food to heat up.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan. Top with cheddar cheese.

Bake 30-minutes. Cheese should look a little toasted when done and crust golden.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Just the right amount of sweet strawberry and tangy rhubarb with a buttery oat crumble topping makes this one of the best recipes for this dessert I've ever come across.

Prep Time: 25 min. 

Cook Time: 1.5 hr

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
½  C. sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest (1 orange)
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (1 orange)

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ C. sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oats
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the orange zest together in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

For the topping, in a bowl combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt and oatmeal. Cut in the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 90 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. 

Tastes good served warm with ice cream.

Salmon & Dill Chowder

This is a light, easy to make but elegant tasting salmon chowder made fragrant with wine, dill and a hint of lemon. The salmon is delicately balanced with sweet corn, peas, onion, potato and celery. I began with the original recipe from Rachael Ray but added more salmon and peas, and threw in some corn to make this recipe even hardier. Serve it up along with fresh bread for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients
3 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 1/3 bottle (1 1/2 cups) dry white wine
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 slices lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 to 4 small ribs celery, chopped
1 large Idaho potato, chopped
1 tablespoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
2 cups chicken stock
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¾  cup frozen peas

¾ cup frozen corn

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

Instructions

Season salmon with a little salt and pepper. Place pieces in a small skillet with the wine, just enough to come up to the top of the fillets. Add the bay leaf and lemon slices. Bring the fish to gentle boil, lower the heat, and then simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until opaque.

While the fish poaches, in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onion, celery, and potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and crab boil seasoning. Cover and sweat the vegetables for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and stir in the flour. Add the stock and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the Dijon and cream. Cook for 3-4 minutes to thicken.

Turn off the heat under the salmon. Strain the broth from the skillet directly into the chowder pot. Remove the bay leaf and lemon from skillet. Flake up the salmon in the skillet (smash with a spoon) then add into the chowder.

Add in the peas, corn and dill and heat through. Serve.

So Simple Eggplant Parmesan

One taste will have you hooked on this better way to make an Italian favorite. Bake the breaded eggplant planks instead of frying, to cut down on oil and mess. So easy and incredibly delicious!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Baking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise into ½ inch planks

Salt

3 eggs + water

1 C. Flour

1 3/4 C. Seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 C. Parmesan cheese, shredded

Garlic powder

66 oz. Ragu spaghetti sauce

3 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

 Heat oven to 425° F.

Line two baking sheets with foil and grease them with olive oil.  Set up 3 pie pans (or cake pans) for dredging: one with flour, one with the eggs beat with ¼ C. water, and one with bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese.

Lightly salt the eggplant. Dip each piece first in flour, then eggs, and then crumbs mixture. Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle eggplant with garlic powder and a fine drizzle of olive oil. Bake 30 minutes or until golden, turning pieces halfway through time. Remove from oven.

Lower oven temperature to 375° F.

Put thin amount of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a deep casserole dish. Put a layer of baked eggplant in the bottom. Pour more sauce over the eggplant, then sprinkle 1 C. mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat layering with eggplant, rest of the sauce and 2 C. mozzarella on top. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until cheese is golden brown. Serve.

Serves: 8

Hunters Hash

What's better on a cool, fall day than eating sausage and potatoes, peppers, onions, squash and a few surprise ingredients thrown in? The answer is NOTHING. This dish, which has a touch of heat, savory and sweet, will have you watching the clock, waiting for it to be meal time, again!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

1 Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1 large Onion, chopped

1-each Red and Green bell peppers, chopped

1 t. Garlic, minced

2-14 0z. Andouille sausage, thinly sliced (I used Johnsonville brand.)

6-8 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed

Garlic powder, to taste

Onion powder, to taste

A pinch Cayenne pepper

2 t. Paprika

1 t. Cumin

1 t. Coriander

1 C. Dried mixed fruit, chopped

½ C. Maple syrup

Instructions

Heat oven to 400° F.

Pile cubed butternut squash onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and mix with your hands to evenly coat. Spread pieces apart and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

In the meantime, put 2 T. olive oil into an iron skillet on medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Add red and green bell peppers and garlic. Cook for another few minutes, until peppers are soft. Remove vegetables to a bowl.

Into the same skillet on medium high heat, put the andouille sausage and fry until browned. Remove the sausage to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables. Keep the grease in the skillet.

Now put potatoes into the same skillet on medium high heat. If needed, you can add a little olive oil. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, cumin and coriander. Brown the potatoes, turning them about every 4 minutes. Cook until potatoes are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Turn off heat.[Alternatively, you can roast the potatoes on a separate foil-lined sheet pan at the same time as the butternut squash in the oven, on a separate rack, but bake for 30-40 minutes.]

Into a large stew pot, combine the reserved cooked vegetables and sausage, potatoes and roasted squash. Add dried mixed fruit. Stir. Heat through on medium heat for just a few minutes to reheat the ingredients. Add maple syrup and stir. Serve.