Whatever Casserole

Casserole (or Hotdish) is great when the weather turns cold, plus it's another one of those 'use up bits of this and that' kind of main dishes.

Anyway, it's super easy! All you need is:

1 carby base - I usually use a package egg noodles but rice and macaroni work well too
A couple of handfuls of chopped cooked meat (most any kind will do, chicken, ham, roast whatever, sausage... really anything!)
About half an onion, chopped
A handful or two of other fresh 'soft' veggies you want to include, chopped (like green peppers, celery, broccoli)
A handful or two of any canned/frozen 'hard' veggie (corn, peas, carrots etc. I use 'mixed vegetables' a lot in casserole)
1 can of cream of something soup (chicken, mushroom, celery, etc)
1 can of creamed corn. Yes, I said creamed corn. Thank my sister in law for this addition, it's awesome!
Chopped/shredded/crumbled cheese (any kind you have to use up)
Spices to taste (salt and pepper, Mrs Dash, etc)
Something crunchy for a topping (crushed chips, dried bread crumbs, grated parmesan, etc)

Cook your carb and drain. Mix in chopped meat, veggies, soup, creamed corn, cheese and spices. Pour into greased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle on crunchy topping. Bake at 375˚ for about 30 min until bubbly and hot. Serve with salad and bread, if desired. :)

Casserole with egg noodles, ham, mixed veggies, velveeta, mushroom soup and crushed potato chips.

Honestly, you can skip (or expand upon) everything but the carb, soup, creamed corn, and cheese. Use what you have! It re-heats well and there's just something about the carb/cheese/creamed corn that's amazing!

Tonight it's "Italian Leftover Sauté'

Which sounds a bit boring, but it's really yummy.

I have some stuff in the fridge I should try to use up, especially an eggplant, but I also have peppers, mushrooms, onions, and a rope of smoked sausage. Gonna chop it all up, fry with a little garlic and olive oil, maybe toss in a can of diced tomatoes (or get ambitious and chop some romas I have in the fridge somewhere) and serve this luscious, fridge-clearing concoction over pasta. Ooooh, I have a mozzarella ball too to cut up and toss in!

The thing is, whenever you have extra stuff lurking in your fridge, you can make something truly yummy for supper by grouping similar ethnicities together and spicing it up accordingly. The peppers and onions and tomatoes can go mexican with some corn or beans and a bit of hot spice or cilantro. Mushrooms, peppers, garlic and onions go asian with a little soy sauce and rice. If you add curry and something creamy (like yogurt) to pretty much any of the combinations you can go indian. Fresh vegetables are so, so versatile and there's no excuse to let them go bad, so everyone see what's in your crisper and think up something fun!

But that eggplant, she's italian and dreaming of tomatoes and cheese! ;)

Mix It Up Macaroni Salad

Did you know that you can toss just about any kind of leftover veggie into macaroni salad? You CAN! Also pasta, cheese, and lots of little dibs and dabs of things.

Mini bow tie pasta, frozen mixed veggies, chopped tomato, jicama, red onion, pepperjack, celery seed and mayo. 

The basic recipe is:

Sauce (Mayo, Miracle Whip, bottled salad dressing, even a spurt of honey-mustard)
Spice (Mrs Dash, onion powder, oregano, salt & pepper, celery seed, ranch dressing mix, just any savory thing,)
Cooked pasta (bite-sized, any shape)
Chopped veggies (the sky's the limit here - thawed frozen 'mixed veggies', leftover corn kernels, fresh peas, chopped peppers, onions, black olives, tomatoes, avocado, broccoli... just clean out your veggie crisper!)
Chopped or shredded cheese (any kind)


To make it, just get a big bowl and add about 1/4 cup of your chosen sauce (or a couple of heaping tablespoons). Add in a bit less than a teaspoon of your spice and mix. Toss in your cooked pasta, veggies, and cheese. Mix, mix, mix. Chill and serve as a side, and it's great for potlucks and barbeques (and is super cheap to make!) Tomatoes, corn, beans, black olives, avocado and peppers and cheddar (with a little cilantro, chili powder or cumin) go Mexican. Chopped pepperoni, onion, green peppers, parmesan and oregano go Italian. Toss in some crunchy rice noodles, a little soy sauce, mixed veggies and chopped cabbage for Asian! Just have fun with it. :)

Crepes, part two

First of all, I want to make sure everyone realizes that the batter has to sit in the fridge for an hour, so crepes aren't a 'last minute decision' kinda thing to make. Also, the batch makes about 16 crepes (that's what I got, anyway) and they took about 40 min total to cook, so plan for that too.

The process:

I used Chef John's recipe, but Alton Brown's technique of making them in the blender. It all came together beautifully. I also used my good 12 inch non-stick pan and a nylon spatula. My heat setting on the stove was just a hair hotter than medium, any cooler and they'd get too fragile before showing any browning. My first crepe was a bust - it fell apart when I flipped it (the heat was too low) but the other 15 turned out great!

So. A bit time consuming, but really not all that difficult. Just takes a little patience. And repeated applications of butter or non-stick spray to the skillet (for me, that was about every other or every third crepe.)

I'd decided to make chicken broccoli and cheese stuffed crepes (using Trent's recipe on The Simple Dollar as a template) but I used fresh broccoli (chopped and microwaved for 5 min) and fried up two chicken breasts in a little balsamic vinaigrette before chopping them. Instead of swiss (which I didn't have) I used about 3/4 cup of cheddar and 3/4 cup of monterey jack that I hand-shredded. Oh, and some salt and pepper, too, with a little grated parmesan and the last bits of broccoli and chicken on top.

Looked lovely, tasted kinda bland. Maybe there was - gasp! - too much broccoli. I dunno. But the crepes turned out great, just not sure about the chicken cheesy broccoli stuff.

Super Lunch Salad

It's what we had for lunch today - and I forgot to take a pic, dangit! - and it's super easy and super yummy. In fact, it's just plain Super! ;)

You need (pick one from each category):

Salad greens (most any kind. Lettuces, spinach, mesclun, mixed greens, cabbage, whatever you like)
Some kind of protein, cooked if needed (canned tuna, sliced steak, chicken breast, black beans, boiled eggs, again, whatever you like)
Something 'zingy' (sliced onion, pepper rings, pan-seared corn, pepper jack cheese, etc)
Something 'fruity' (dried cranberries, chopped apple, sliced strawberries, fresh raspberries, mandarin oranges, etc)
Something 'crunchy' (crushed ramen noodles, crushed tortilla chips, peanuts, walnuts, canned fried onion rings, sunflower seeds, etc)
Salad dressing (I think that honey mustard works with just about everything, but Ranch, creamy italian, green goddess, balsamic vinaigrette, lemon-poppyseed and many more work too!)

Layer (bottom up):
Greens
Zingy
Fruity
Protein
Dressing
Crunchy

We had spinach with red onion, sliced strawberries, pan-seared chicken breast, honey mustard, and peanuts for lunch today and it was awesome! Bill's fave combo is mixed greens, sauteed green peppers, dried cranberries, sliced steak, green goddess, and walnuts. You can go vegi-mexican with beans, fried corn, tomatoes, cheese, tortilla chips and ranch on shredded lettuce. Go asian with mixed cabbages, chicken, raw broccoli, mandarin orange slices, crushed ramen, a few slivered almonds and toasted sesame dressing. The possibilities are endless so gather up and try your fave ingredients in different combinations!

Frittata

Frittata with bratwurst, onion, tomato, and cheddar

Eggs have been on sale really really cheap lately, so, in my endless quest to use up leftovers, I've been making frittatas. They're super easy, and - as far as I can tell - you can put almost anything in them.

You'll need -

A large oven proof skillet with a lid
A little cooking oil
A big potato (or two smaller ones) shredded
Half an onion, chopped (or other veggie #1)
Half a bell pepper, chopped (or other veggie #2)
Some suitable meat (bacon, ham, sausage, hamburger, chicken, etc) chopped
6 eggs
About a cup of shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, provolone, etc)
Something 'garnishy' (like chopped tomatoes, herbs, Parmesan, etc.)

Heat your oven to 375˚F. Heat up your skillet and the oil. Cook the meat. Add the potatoes, spreading fairly evenly. Add other veggies. Let cook, about 5 min, just stirring to combine. After about 5 min, kinda 'flip it' by stirring with a flipping motion to get browned potatoes on top. Stir a bit to even out and let cook another few min. Meanwhile, whisk eggs until well beaten. When meat, potatoes and veggies are nearly done, pour eggs over top, tilting pan or super-gently stirring to get eggs distributed evenly. Top with cheese. Put lid on skillet and put in oven to bake for about 20 min. Garnish and serve!

So far, I haven't found anything that hasn't worked in this and you can customize the meat and veggies however you like. Ground beef, corn and peppers with monterey jack cheese and a little cilantro goes mexican. Chicken, broccoli, onion and mozzarella tastes a bit like alfredo. Italian sausage, peppers, black olives and provolone goes italian! Seriously, try any combo that sounds good to you! :)

Skillet Macaroni Supper

Skillet Mac with Ham, Peas, Swiss Cheese, and Mrs Dash

I have to admit that as much as I love to cook, sometimes I'm lazy. Sometimes I'm busy. Heck, sometimes I simply don't want to trash the kitchen by experimenting or creating a million-ingredient extravaganza. Plus I have a family of simple tastes (sigh) so, sometimes, I make super easy tummy filling food, like skillet macaroni, which is adapted (slightly) from Kraft's Everyday Easy Macaroni Dinners.

Btw, I am really bummed that I had to go all the way to Canada to get an official link for that recipe.

Anyway, like Kraft says, it's EASY, and it all happens in a big skillet.

Cook about a cup of whatever meat that you're using in the skillet (chopped to bite-size or smaller). I've used fresh chicken breast, I've used leftover cooked chicken. I've used ham, tuna, ground beef, shrimp, leftover pork, and even sliced hot dogs. Seriously. Anything works. Use a little oil if you need it, skip it if you don't. Salt and pepper to taste, if you normally salt and pepper while cooking meat.

As it cooks, toss in a cup or two of chopped whatever-sounds-good out of the veggie crisper. Fresh corn, sliced carrots, frozen peas, broccoli, mushrooms, whatever veggie makes you smile. You can also used canned (drained) veggies, dibs and dabs of leftovers... This is great for using stuff up. If the veggies are already cooked, add them with the step below. :)

Once the meat's cooked (and the veggies are no longer raw) add 2 cups of water, 2 cups of elbow (or other small) macaroni, a cup of milk, and a tablespoon or so of butter. Get 'er boiling and turn down the heat to a simmer. Stir every min or so to keep the milk from scorching. Cook until pretty much all of the liquid is absorbed and the macaroni is done. It'll take, oh, about 10 - 12 min, or so.

Add about a teaspoon of some savory spice/herb you like (garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, italian seasoning, Mrs. Dash, whatever) and 2 cups of shredded cheese. Again, whatever kind you like, cheddar, swiss, mozarella, colby-jack... Stir in the cheese and spices until it's all well mixed and the cheese is melty, and you're done. I usually serve it with melon (Bill loves melon), salad, and hot bread.

It's yummy, simple, quick, and doesn't trash the kitchen. We almost never have leftovers.

Laura's favorite blend is chicken, canned tomatoes, italian cheese and garlic. Bill seems to like ham, mushrooms, peas, and cheddar (with a little oregano) best. :)

Tambo Fried Rice

Beef Fried Rice

My honey loves fried rice, and it's super easy to make, and super cheap too. :)

Cooked rice - about 3 - 4 cups
Peanut oil (canola works too)
A bit of leftover or fresh meat, chopped (pork, chicken, beef, etc. I've even used bacon)
1 onion, chopped
Minced/pressed garlic (a clove or two)
Other fresh things, chopped - peppers, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, whatever's needing used up.
Frozen mixed veggies (the kind with peas, carrots, corn & beans but if you've already chopped a lot of fresh ones, you can skip the frozen)
1 egg
soy sauce
Stir-fry (brown) sauce - I use House of Tsang Classic Stir Fry Sauce
Lightly salted peanuts or cashews

First, you need the rice. I make brown rice (1-1/2 cups raw brown rice, 3 cups water, and a little peanut oil, takes about 45 min to simmer on the stove), but you can use whatever kind you like.

Once you have your rice... Heat up a big skillet on med/high heat (this goes really fast, maybe 5 min or so). Put in a little peanut oil, and fry the meat. As it cooks, add the onion. Once the onion starts to get translucent, add garlic and other fresh veggies. Keep it all moving. Once the veggies are hot, add frozen veggies, keep stirring and flipping. Once they're steamy, clear out a bit of space in the middle of the skillet. If it's 'dry', add a little more oil there and give it a bit to heat up. Add egg.  Let it cook for a few seconds then start scrambling it in the skillet. Mix with veggies and meat. Soy sauce to taste (about 5 or so big dashes for us). Dump in the rice, and some of the stir fry sauce (a couple tablespoons or so, but I just dump it in). Keep stirring. Should be all brown and sizzly and yummy smelling. Toss in a handful or two of peanuts, and more soy sauce if needed. Stir peanuts in and remove from heat.

Enjoy!