Our Recipes - some of our family's favorite recipes: Casseroles

Showing posts with label Casseroles. Show all posts

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Jack's Easy Green Bean Casserole

Jack's easy Green Bean Casserole

1 pound Green Beans

8 oz of shredded extra sharp cheese

16 oz sour cream

1/8 stick of butter

1 egg yoke

3 or 4 scallions, chopped

Paprika, salt, white pepper to season

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Melt cheese, sour cream, butter and seasoning in pot. Add egg yoke.

Steam beans, put in 9x11 or round baking dish, pour on cheese sauce…

sprinkle on bread crumbs and chopped up scallions.

Bake a 325 for 1/2 hour.

Chile Relleno Casserole (peppers)

Jack’s Chile Relleno Casserole (yum!)

Adapted from Cook-Eat-Share

Egg Mixture Ingredients:

12 fresh roasted Anaheim peppers (or Pablanos or your favorite chili peppers if Anaheims are not available).

6 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups low-fat milk

6 tablespoons flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 cups shredded Jack Cheese

1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar

Sauce Ingredients:

1 can of tomatoes

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

fresh oregano 1/4 cup

salt, pepper

fresh cilantro 1/4 cup

fresh parsley (small bunch)

fresh basil (small bunch)

fresh thyme (a few sprigs)

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

How to roast peppers: see our post "Roasting Peppers" for “how-to” here. Or view the "labels" in the right column.

How to make Jack’s easy sauce:

Place all ingredients in blender and mix until desired consistency. Pour into sauce pan on stove and cook at low heat until sauce is ready.

Casserole:

Devein peppers and strip of all seeds (unless you like it REALLY hot!), and set aside on paper towels to cool and dry.

Lightly grease bottom of baking dish with favorite oil. Layer peppers on bottom of casserole dish to create a solid bottom. Sprinkle a layer of cheese mix. Then add another layer of peppers, and more cheese.

In large bowl, beat egg whites until they softly peak and set aside. In another bowl, mix the milk, flour, and egg yolks. Salt and pepper as desired. Slowly blend the milk mixture with the egg whites, being careful to not over beat.

Pour egg mixture over the layers of peppers and cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Leaving the oven on, remove casserole from oven.

Spoon the sauce evenly over the top and bake for another 30 minutes.

Remove from oven. If desired, sprinkle with shredded sharp cheddar. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

As a lunch or supper dish, try serving with Mexican Rice, Salsa, and beans.

As a breakfast entree, serve with delicious fruits like strawberries or cantaloup.

This was served with a Chorizo-Rice mixture.

Mashed Butternut Squash, and its nutrition values

Does your family like mashed potatoes?

Here's a healthy, nutrition-laden alternative, which is inexpensive, and easy to make.

Mashed Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash

Seasonings (optional: as shown below)

With vegetable peeler or knife, peel skin off.
Cut Butternut Squash in half, and then in manageable pieces about 1” cube.
Place in pot of cool water and bring to boil with a little salt for about 20 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly and then mash.
Add your favorite seasonings like nutmeg, brown sugar, honey, salt and pepper.
We only added fresh thyme and salt on this occasion.
Place in oven-safe casserole dish. If desired, add butter and brown sugar to top and heat briefly (5 minutes) in oven.

Because I prefer it without sugar and butter, Jack adds those seasonings to his plate after serving.

It’s a great way to get children to eat a nutrient rich vegetable.

Nutrition Value:

One cup of butternut squash contains 82 fat-free calories with 457% of the daily value of Vitamin A, 52% of Vitamin C, 8% of Calcium, and 7% of Iron -- a deliciously healthy substitute for mashed potatoes! Butternut squash also contains the following nutrients:

Thiamin 18%

Riboflavin 4%

Niacin 16%

Panthothenic Acid 12%

Vitamin B6 22%

Potassium 28%

Phosphorus 10%

Magnesium 24%

Zinc 2%

Copper 10%

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

A Great Main Course, or delicious side -

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

please click here to see the Food Network

(Photos from Jack's Kitchen)

Ingredients

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes

4 cremini mushrooms, halved

1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Jack’s Cheesy Squash Casserole

Ingredients

8 cups cubed squash (yellow and/or zucchini)

1 medium onion, chopped

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers

salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Chop Squash and boil (about 20 minutes) until tender. Place towel in colander and pour squash into towel until it cools. After squash cools, squeeze to get excess water out of it. Put into bowl.

Note: squeezing out moisture prevents a watery casserole

2. Saute onion in fry pan with butter until translucent.

3. Add onion and remaining ingredients (except Ritz crackers) into bowl, and combine. After mixing thoroughly, place into casserole dish.

4. Top with crushed Ritz crackers. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until cheese and sour cream have heated well.

(this meal is shown with steamed asparagus and grilled chicken breast)

Mac N Greens - Great Side Dish

Note: be sure to use your family's favorite cheese(s), and squeeze lots of vegetables into this great side dish. Since this is Thanksgiving week, consider serving it as a side with your feast. It's a delicious "left over" which can easily be served with turkey left overs as well. Here it is shown with Tilapia.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp salt

1 box ziti (pasta)

4 cups milk

1 stick butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups grated fontaine cheese

4 cups grated extra sharp cheddar

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 strips of bacon, fried and crumbled (optional)

2 roma tomatoes, sliced (or however many needed to cover top of casserole)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Method:

1. Chop and Prepare the Collards, cooking until tender as shown here. Saute onion in vegetable oil.

2. Prepare pasta according to box directions. Fry 2 strips of bacon on low heat until desired doneness.

3. Grate Cheese. Heat milk in small sauce pan. Do not boil.

4. Melt butter in 4 quart pot.

5. Add flour to butter, making a rue, stirring with whisk.

6. While whisking, add hot milk and cook for 2 more minutes until thick and smooth.

7. Remove from heat. Add Cheeses, bacon, salt, pepper, onion and nutmeg.

8. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Add collards.

9. Pour into 3 quart baking dish.

10. Slice tomatoes and arrange on top.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned.

Shown with Tilapia

Corn Casserole - Very Sweet

Sure to please the pickiest eaters, this corn casserole has never been anything less than a big hit! Then again, how can a recipe by Paula Deen be anything BUT a big success! It is soooo sweet, that it's dessert served with supper, in my humble opinion. (Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, Photos from Jack's kitchen).