Cheesy Bacon & Egg Bake

While searching through some cookbooks the other night, I stumbled upon the most delicious looking breakfast casserole. With a few adaptations and extra veggies, this version turned out to be a new favorite. 

Cheesy Bacon & Egg Bake

2 c. southern style frozen hashbrowns
3 T. oil
1 (10 oz.) can nacho cheese condensed soup
2 T. milk
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used red)
1/2 t. onion powder
6 eggs
2 T. butter
1/2 c. grated cheese (cheddar or colby jack work great)
1/2 c. bacon crumbles (I used pre-packaged real bacon bits)
salt & pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil and cook hashbrowns according to package directions. Season with salt and pepper. Spread in a 9x9" pan.

 In a mixing bowl combine soup, milk, chopped pepper, and onion powder. Spread over hashbrowns.

Using the same skillet as the hashbrowns, melt butter and scramble eggs over medium heat until almost done. Season with salt and pepper and layer over the cheese mixture.

Top with cheese and bacon.

Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes.

This is a great meal for any time of day. I love having breakfast foods for dinner. Enjoy!

Meatloaf "Cake"

Well, this year for April Fool's Day I wanted to make a silly dinner, but before I knew it, April 1st was over and I ended up making this a few days later. But hey, who's keeping track anyway, right? This was quite a hit with the kids and my hubby found it entertaining as well. Plus, it was mighty delicious!

Meatloaft "Cake"
1 lb. jalapeno chicken sausage, casings removed (I found this at my local Sunflower Market)
20 oz. lean ground turkey
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange are fun colors for the cake look)
1/2 c. crumbled cojita cheese
1/2 c. oats
2 t. onion powder
6-7 medium potatoes, washed and cut in large cubes
1/3 c. milk
1 c. sour cream (or more)
salt and pepper

For meatloaf, combine meat, cheese, oats, and onion powder. Press into two 8-9" cake pans. Bake at 400 F for 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until very tender. Drain and mash with milk, sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When meatloaf is done, just assemble like a cake, using mashed potatoes as frosting.

My kids just LOVED this dinner!You really could use any meatloaf recipe you want. I was very happy with how this turned out. Enjoy!

French Onion Chicken

Okay, there cannot exist a simpler recipe than this! It has two ingredients. That's right, TWO! Last night I decided to experiment with stuff I had in the fridge and it totally worked out. Yay for trying new things!French Onion Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 c. Lay's french onion dip

Place chicken in a greased 9x9" square pan. Smother with dip.Bake at 375 F for 45-60 minutes.We ate this chicken with steamed broccoli and poured the sauce on the broccoli, too. It was delicious! My hubby and kids all ate this right up. I couldn't ask for an easier dinner.This would be so good with french fried onions on top. Enjoy!!!

Fettucini with Creamy Zucchini Sauce & Mushrooms

I really love pasta. This recipe is delicious, simple, and very flexible. If you want to add meat, you could use chicken or shrimp instead of (or in addition to) mushrooms.

Fettucini with Creamy Zucchini Sauce & Mushrooms

12-16 oz. dry fettucini (I used Ronzoni Garden Delight) cooked according to package directions

1 bottle alfredo sauce (I used Ragu Roasted Garlic Parmesan)

2 T. oil

3 small zucchini, sliced or chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 t. garlic powder

1 T. butter

4 c. sliced mushrooms

Parmesan cheese, if desired

(This sauce was great, but any alfredo sauce would be delicious!)

In a large skillet, heat oil. Add zucchini and onions. Season with salt and cook over medium heat until veggies are soft.
Pour sauce into a blender and add cooked veggies and garlic powder. Blend until smooth.

Return skillet to heat and add butter, mushrooms, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook until mushrooms are soft.

To serve, layer pasta, sauce, mushrooms, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, if desired.

Such a delicious and easy dinner. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Rice Bowls

Last week I bought a bottle of Xagave and it came with a coupon for a free downloadable cookbook. Score! This recipe is adapted from that book. I have a feeling I'll be making a lot of these recipes.Teriyaki Rice Bowls

3 T. oil

1 t. sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

5-6 c. vegetables (I used onion, sweet peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and broccoli)

2-3 c. cooked rice (I used brown)

1/3 c. teriyaki sauce, plus extra for drizzling (recipe follows)

Teriyaki Sauce

1 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. water

2 T. rice vinegar

1/3 c. agave (or packed brown sugar)

2 t. garlic powder

1 t. ground ginger

2 T. cornstarch (mixed with 2 T. water)

For Sauce:

Combine all ingredients (except cornstarch) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once mixture starts boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and add cornstarch mixture. Stir about 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat.

For Rice Bowls:

Heat oils in a large skillet or wok. Add garlic and chicken. Cook until chicken is done.

Add veggies and cook until they reach desired tenderness. Add 1/3 c. sauce and mix.Serve over rice and drizzle with a little extra sauce.This is such a fun and colorful dish. Enjoy!

Quinoa Cakes

Lately I've been very intrigued by quinoa but until recently, I only used it in place of rice. So when I came upon this recipe from Monica Bhide's website I was eager to try it. Now I have a new favorite! These little patties are so good and satisfying. They are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.Quinoa Cakes (adapted from Super Natural Every Day)

1 c. dry quinoa, cooked
4 eggs
1/2 t. salt
2 T. dried chives
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. grated extra sharp cheddar
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/2 c. oats or oat bran
olive oil

Pour cooked quinoa into a bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Form into 12 patties. Heat about 2 T. olive oil and cook patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden.Even though this meal is meatless it's very satisfying.I love to cut them up and eat them in salads. Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom Bisque

Last summer, I ordered this Wild Mushroom Bisque at Zupas. It's fantastic and ever since, I've been determined to recreate it. I think this recipe is pretty darn close!

I found these dried wild mushrooms at Costco and they are perfect for this recipe. Anything similar to these would work great.

Wild Mushroom Bisque

4 c. dried wild mushrooms

hot water

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

5 c. good quality chicken broth (I use either homemade or Swanson)

1/2 t. dried thyme

3/4 c. heavy cream

salt and pepper

Place mushrooms in a large mixing bowl and cover with lots of hot water. Let soak for at least 10 minutes. Drain (and reserve) the mushroom liquid, squeezing mushrooms of excess water. Roughly chop mushrooms.

In a large pot, heat oil and butter. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, but not browned (3-5 minutes). Add chicken broth, thyme, mushrooms, and 2 cups of the mushroom liquid. Simmer with pot half covered for about 30 minutes. Pour about 3/4 of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. (Add more mushroom liquid if soup is too thick.)I absolutely fell in love with this soup and I am dying to make it again. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

After I make Roasted Chicken, I always save the carcass and the leftover meat to make this great soup.Using the leftover chicken bones really makes this soup delicious. Chicken Soup

1 leftover chicken carcass, cut up

2 carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 t. dried parsley

1-2 t. salt

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. dried oregano

1 bay leaf

10-12 c. water

2 c. cooked, chopped chicken

Chop chicken and set aside.In a large pot, combine everything but the cooked chicken.Simmer for about an hour. Remove chicken carcass pieces and bay leaf. Add cooked chicken last.This is one of my favorite comfort foods. Enjoy!

Easy Roasted Chicken

This is the easiest and best roasted chicken EVER! I love making this for Sunday dinners and saving the leftovers for chicken soup. Even though it's a very simple meal, it takes about 3 hours from start to finish so plan accordingly.Easy Roasted Chicken

2 T. oil

1 whole chicken, thawed (about 5 pounds)

3 T. melted butter

onion powder

salt

pepper (optional)

Drizzle oil in a 9x13" pan.

Remove and discard chicken neck and giblets from cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry. Place in oiled pan breast side up.Pour melted butter over chicken. Rub to distribute evenly.Sprinkle liberally with onion powder and salt. Top with a little pepper if desired.Bake at 375 F for 2-2 1/2 hours (or until internal temperature of chicken breast reaches 165 F).Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes. This is crucial for tender meat.I absolutely love this chicken. It's always a hit with my family. Make sure you save the carcass to make chicken broth or chicken soup. Enjoy!