Green Bean and Shoepeg Corn Casserole

I've been meaning to try this recipe for awhile now. I just never got around to it. Wow! I won't make that mistake again. This is fabulous. Even the normally finicky eaters at my house went for seconds.

The recipe comes from Christy Jordan's cookbook Southern Plate. I definitely recommend you purchase it, and not just for this recipe. She shares many family recipes that are just wonderful Southern dishes. Give it a try.

I wasn't quite sure what "shoepeg corn" is. I consulted with my Mother and used a can of whole kernel corn. It worked great. I know you'll enjoy it!

Green Bean and Shoepeg Corn Casserole

1/2cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
One 11-ounce can shoepeg corn, drained
One 11-ounce can French-style green beans, drained
One 11-ounce can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1/2 pint sour cream
1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) margarine or butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together except for the crackers and margarine. Place in a casserole dish. Melt the margarine in a skillet and mix with the crushed Ritz crackers. Spread over the top of the vegetables and bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

I never expected to be drawn to recipe in the Wal-Mart sales paper. But there it was. I know. They’re just trying to sell products. And they’re doing a good job, I might add. This recipe sounds like just something I would love and all the items in the recipe as items I generally have on hand. That’s always a plus. You just never know when you’re going to happen on to a wonderful recipe.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

1 bag Ore-Ida Hash Browns
1 can (10.75 oz.) cream of chicken soup
2 cups Daisy Sour Cream
1.2 teaspoon salt
2 cups Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1.3 cup green onions, sliced
¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
2 cups corn flakes, crushed
¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 13 x 9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together soup, sour cream, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese, onion, and hash browns until well mixed. Spoon evenly into baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together cereal and butter. Sprinkle evenly on top of hash brown mixture.

Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional sliced green onion if desired.

Mac and Cheese Veggie Chicken Casserole

It was the photo that got me. I turned the Woman’s Day magazine (March 2013) as I finished it and there, staring up at me, was a scrumptious looking casserole. I had to read the ingredients. I had to share the recipe.

Easy Mac and Cheese Veggie Chicken Casserole

4 tablespoons Country Crock Spread, melted, divided
1 cup 2% milk
8 oz. cooked rotini pasta
2 cups diced cooked chicken
4 cups frozen vegetables, thawed
2 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine 3 tablespoons Country Crock with the milk, pasta, chicken, veggies and cheddar cheese in an 8-inch baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and remaining Country Crock in a small bowl; sprinkle on top.

Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6 servings.

Enchilada Casserole

This recipe won the 1989 Picante Sauce “Pick Up The Pace” Recipe Contest. Or, at least, that’s what the old newspaper clipping says. The winner was Alison Boyd of San Antonio, Texas. The Grand Prize was worth $3,000 so it must be good!

Enchilada Casserole

1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ½ cups picante sauce
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 ½ teaspoons salt
12 corn tortillas
1 cup dairy sour cream
¾ cup (3 oz.) shredded Monterey jack cheese
¾ cup (3 oz.) shredded cheddar or additional Monterey jack cheese
Shredded lettuce (optional)
½ cup sliced rip olives

Brown meat with onion and garlic; drain. Add picante sauce, spinach, tomato sauce, tomatoes, bell pepper, lime juice and salt. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Arrange 6 tortillas on bottom and up sides of lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, overlapping as necessary. Top with half the meat mixture. Arrange remaining tortillas over, overlapping as necessary. Spread sour cream evenly over tortillas. Top with remaining meat mixture.*

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from ove; sprinkle with cheeses. Let stand 10 minutes; cut into squares to serve. Garnish with lettuce, if desired, and olives. Serve with additional picante sauce.

Makes 8 servings.

* NOTE: At this point, casserole may be refrigerated up to 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.

Microwave oven directions: Prepare casserole as recipe directs in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole. Cook uncovered at HIGH 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly, rotating dish once after 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses; cover with wax paper and let stand 10 minutes. Serve as recipe directs.

Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac 'N Cheese

This recipe -- another great one from Pillsbury -- is especially for those of us who LOVE cheese. And it's easy! Just note that if you check labels, you'll find a whole lots of sodium in this dish.

 

Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac 'N Cheese

 

3 cups uncooked penne pasta (10 oz)

1 can (18 oz) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ creamy three cheese cooking sauce

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic in water (from 4.5-oz jar) or 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

2 oz American cheese loaf, shredded (1/2 cup) or 4 slices American cheese, diced

1 bag (2.5 oz) cooked real bacon pieces or bits

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper, if desired

Garnish, if desired, Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

 

Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat cooking sauce, milk and garlic to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses until melted. Stir in pasta, bacon and bell pepper. Spoon into casserole.

 

Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli

This is another one of those wonderful recipes from KRAFT. It almost sounds too simple and easy. But, then, that's what we all need some days.

 

Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 package (14-oz) frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups Kraft 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Savory Garlic Cooking Creme
1/2 cup milk
24 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine chicken, broccoli, Cheddar cheese and cooing creme in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Cover.

Bake 25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix cracker crumbs and butter.

Stir chicken mixture. Top with crumbs. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Makes 6  servings of about 1 cup each.

Kraft suggests serving this casserole with a green salad or fresh fruit.

Cheesy Cornbread Casserole

This recipe comes from KRAFT and it's a special one for some folks I love. Personally, I avoid jalapeno peppers. Nothing fun for me about hot, hot, hot. That isn't true for everyone so this recipe is for them.

 Cheesy Cornbread Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped

1 can (15 oz.) enchilada sauce

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained

1 teaspoon garlice powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 package (8.5 oz.) corn muffin mix

1 package KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese with a Touch of Pheladelphia, divided

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
BROWN meat with onions and peppers in large skillet. Stir in next 4 ingredients; cook and stir 3 min. or until heated through. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish.
PREPARE muffin batter as directed on package; stir in cheese. Spread over meat mixture.
BAKE 20 min. or until toothpick inserted in center of cornbread topping comes out clean. Cool slightly.

Make Ahead

Prepare meat mixture. Refrigerate 3 to 4 days, or freeze up to 1 month. When ready to use, spoon into baking dish. (Thaw first, if frozen.) Top with muffin batter and continue as directed.

Special Extra

Bump up the flavor by stirring chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or chopped fresh chives into muffin batter before using as directed.

Creamy Baked Ziti

This is yet another recipe for Kraft. I latched onto it because I love baked Ziti. Yummy! Kraft also lets us know that you can prepare this recipe for up to eight hours before you need it. Just put it in the refrigerator until you're ready. Just increase the baking time to 30 or 35 minutes or until heated through.

I've never had a problem finding ziti past. If you do, Kraft suggests using other types of tubular pasta, such as penne or rigatoni.

Creamy Baked Ziti

4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked
1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
3/4 cup sour Cceam
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Remove from pan; drain. Meanwhile, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.

Layer half the pasta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

Makes 8 servings.

Greek Pasta and Beef

I clipped this recipe from a magazine more years ago than I can possibly remember. Naturally, I have no idea which magazine it came from. This is just one of those recipes you hold on to. I like that it feeds alot of people.

Greek Pasta and Beef

1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 taspoon pepper
1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sauce
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain.

Stir in tomato sauce, water and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine macaroni, egg and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Sauce: In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cinnamon, until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese.

In a greased 3-quart baking dish, spread half of the macaroni mixture. Top with beef mixture and remaining macaroni mixture. Pour sauce over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Squash Casserole

Sometimes it's easy to understand why the Deep South is know for being a little overweight. Not that we would ever cook anything that would adhere directing to one's thighs.

Squash Casserole is not something for those concerned about calories and weight gain. It is for anyone who loves something truly mouth-watering wonderful. This is my Mother's recipe. Indulge!

Squash Casserole

2 lbs. yellow squash
1 to 2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 stick margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
plain bread crumbs
extra shredded cheese

Wash squash. Cut off ends and discard them. Cut up squash into one to two inch pieces. Place squash in water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Drain off water and mash squash until it resembles a course batter.

Stir together squash, mayonnaise, onion, egg, cheese and margarine.

Coat a 12" x 12" baking dish with cooking spray. Pour mixture into the dish.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over top of mixture. The top should be lightly covered.

Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven

Sprinkle grated cheese on top of crumbs. Bake an additional five to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Eggplant Casserole

My Dad's sister was probably the most wonderful cook ever. She could cook virtually anything. A trip to her house was like an awesome adventure. I could eat and eat and eat and never have enough because it all tasted so good. Okay. Maybe not the turnips. I don't like turnips. But everything else was fabulous.

She was raised on a farm with my Dad and two way younger brothers. She could churn her own buttter -- and did -- and make biscuits and cakes and can vegetables and ... Well, you understand. Sadly, she died many years ago from cancer. I still miss her Cornbread Dressing every year at Thanksgiving.

This recipe is one I got from her. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Eggplant Casserole

1 large eggplant
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
grated cheddar cheese
saltine crackers

Wash and peel the eggplant. Cut it into chunks and boil in salty water for about 15 minutes. It will be tender.

Drain the water out and mash the eggplant with a fork or other kitchen tool until it's the consistency of batter.

Stir in egg and milk. Place in an oven-safe container. I usually use a pyrex dish. Sprinkle the cheese and crumble saltines on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

If you're trying to feed a larger crowd, this recipe is easy to enlarge. Just add an extra egg for each eggplant. You don't need to increase the milk by that much. Just stir a little extra in the "batter."

My aunt always sprinkled grated onion on top with the cheese and crackers. I prefer not to do it that way. I guess it's a personal preference type of thing. Much of Southern Cooking is that way.

Taco Salad

Okay. How many folks out there are watching their pennies these days? Yeah. That's what I figured. Most of us are doing that right now. I found the most wonderful site recently. It's kraftfoods.com. It was in an insert in the newspaper. I figured I'd try it out. I didn't have much hope though. Usually those coupon things are for products I don't use and really don't want to try. That was so not the case this time. Lots and lots of coupons for things I actually buy and use. Check it out.

Taco Salad is one of those perfect items to take off from home when the trip calls for a covered dish. Especially this time of year. It's easy to prepare and folks seem to like it. I never get to bring any home.

Taco Salad

1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 (16-oz) can of red kidney beans, drained
1 (16-oz) can cream-style corn
tortilla chips, crushed.
lettuce, washed and shredded
shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium tomato, peeled and diced

Cook the ground beef in a skillet until it's brown. Stir to crumble. You can add a little water, like maybe a tablespoon or so, to make it less likely to stick while it cooks. When it's brown, drain the fat and water off.

Add the taco seasoning mix, corn and beans. Stir until completely mixed.

Place crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of a serving bowl. I use a glass pie plate or a shallow corningware bowl. Make sure to cover the bottom. Place the meat mixture on top of the chips.
Put lettuce on top of that. Then add the cheese. I always put lots of cheese because I love cheese.
Add the tomato, spreading around on the top to make it look pretty.

This makes a fairly large amount though it won't seem that way when people start eating. It goes fast. One thing I love though is that you can use half the meat mixture and make a smaller taco salad. Refrigerate the other half and make a "fresh" salad another day. That's especially wonderful when you're taking it off from home. You have a Taco Salad to take and a Taco Salad to keep.

Dorito Casserole

Sometimes the very best recipes come from people who "don't cook." That's certainly true in this case. This casserole is easy and yummy!!!

I use the "mild" Rotel tomatoes. If you like things hot and spicy, obviously choose the "hot" version. Spoon the ground beef mixture on to the crushed Doritos. If you pour it in, the Dorito layer has a tendency to slide up the sides of the casserole dish. I never measure the Doritos. We buy them in a larger bag. I simply crush enough to cover the bottom of the casserole.

This casserole is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it too!

Dorito Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can (5.33 oz) evaporated milk
1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes with diced green chiles
1 pkg. (8 oz) Doritos
1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef, adding the onion, salt and pepper as it cooks. Add the soups, milk and Rotel tomatoes. Cook until heated through.
Spread crushed Doritos on the bottom of a 9 x 13-in. pan. Spoon the meat mixture over the Doritos. Top with grated cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!