Sausage Rice Casserole

This is one of my favorite recipes! My mom made it all the time when I was younger and it's still one of my favorites.

Sausage Rice Casserole

1/2 c. dry rice

1 envelope Lipton Noodle Soup

2 1/2 c. water

1 lb. sausage

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1-2 c. grated cheese OR sliced almonds

Combine rice, noodle soup, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, brown sausage in a skillet. Once cooked through, add chopped veggies and cook until tender.

Add soup mixture (and about 1/2 c. water, if needed.)

Transfer mixture into a greased 1 qt. casserole dish (I used my 8x8" baking dish.) Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.

Top with cheese or nuts and return to oven for another 10 minutes.

I can see why my mom made this casserole so much. IT'S DELICIOUS! Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

I asked my mother-in-law for this recipe because my husband really likes them. He calls them Stuffed Monkey Heads and if you tell your kids that, they're guaranteed to want to eat them! :)

Stuffed Peppers

3-4 large bell peppers, any color

1/2 c. uncooked rice

1 lb. sausage

(the measurements aren't crucial for the following ingredients. Just eyeball it.)

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 t. garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T. dry)

1/2 c. tomato sauce

2 c. grated cheese (or more)

First off, cook rice with 1 c. water. Set aside.

Prepare peppers by cutting them lengthwise and discarding seeds.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Simmer peppers for 5 minutes. Drain and arrange in a 9x13" pan and set aside.

In the same pot, brown sausage.

Once sausage is cooked through, add cooked rice, onion, garlic, and parsley. Stir and cook a few minutes.

Add tomato sauce and stir until mixture is combined.

Divide filling among the peppers.

Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes.

Yum yum!

There's a lot of wiggle room in this recipe. You could adjust or omit ingredients and add others. I used country style sausage (which was great) but next time I think I'll try italian style sausage. If you want them spicy, just add some red pepper flakes or chipotle powder. Enjoy!

Poppyseed Chicken

This recipe came from my sister-in-law and it is delicious. I used cream of chicken soup and she prefers cream of mushroom soup but either way it's a winner at my house! It's quick and easy and my whole family loved it.

Poppyseed Chicken

2 (12 oz.) cans chicken breasts (or 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and chopped)

1/4 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. sour cream

1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup

1 T. poppyseeds

1 roll ritz crackers

1/4 c. butter, melted

Combine chicken, broth, sour cream, soup and poppyseeds.

Spread into an 8x8" baking dish. Top with crushed ritz crackers. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.

I served mine over rice with tomatoes and peas and I mixed it all up on my plate. I gotta say it was great. The warm chicken mixed with the veggies was perfect.

If you're pressed for time, this is a great chicken dish to try. It might be fun to experiment with some different flavors, too. Try adding garlic, cheese, mushrooms, or any of your favorite spices to really make it your own. Enjoy!

Sushi & Wonton Chips

Okay so I don't actually use any raw fish, but this sushi is so fun and yummy! Get the kids involved in picking the veggies. The beauty of this recipe is that you can really choose whatever ingredients you want.

Sushi

sticky rice:

1 c. short grain rice

2 c. water

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

Cook rice and water in rice cooker or on the stove. Pour cooked rice into a 9x13" baking dish and stir in vinegar while rice is still hot. Let cool. (Below is a picture of the vinegar that I used and it turned out great.)

filling:

carrots, julienned

avocados, thinly sliced

cucumbers, julienned

cooked shrimp

imitation crab

seaweed sheets

Press rice onto seaweed sheet (enough to cover.) Then add desired fillings in a line and roll tightly. Slice into 3/4" pieces and serve with soy sauce and/or wasabi.

I happened to have some egg roll wrappers in the fridge, so I also made some wonton chips. They are very simple to make and are very delicious.

Wonton Chips 1 package wonton skins (or egg roll wrappers, quartered)
oil or cooking spray
salt


Preheat oven to 375 F. Lay wontons side by side in a single layer on greased cookie sheet. brush with oil (or spray with cooking spray) and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

I hope you enjoy sushi night as much as I do!