Merry Christmas To Me

The other week, I received some great news that I have not shared on here yet. Back in November I had entered a recipe development contest for a local potato product company. I just recently received the news that my entry for 'Potato Mushroom Cheese Bake' placed first out of all the entries. This gold place winning also came with a nice cheque. I was then asked to prepare my recipe in front of a videographers and photographer in a special kitchen along with the other two finalists. I was absolutely delighted with the news, as after so long I had not been expecting to win, I figured the finalists had already been decided. But it was a nice little surprise close to Christmastime. As soon as the recipe is officially released, I will be sure to share it! :)
Now, I must get to bed before Santa Claus comes...

Macaroni Beef Casserole

This is a big batch of an easy casserole I made. Of course it can easily be varied by: type of pasta, type of meat, vegetables, sauce, spices and seasonings, add-ins (cheese, sour cream, etc.), but here is what I did:

Cook two bags of macaroni pasta in boiling water until tender.
Meanwhile, cook one package of ground pork in a little oil in a large saucepan until fully cooked. Stir in two large green peppers, diced, one package of sliced button mushrooms, and one can of seasoned diced tomatoes (with juice). Add in three packages of chili seasoning and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes until vegetables are tender.

Pour the drained pasta into a large casserole dish, pour meat mixture over top. Stir in a couple cups of tomato sauce of choice. Mix well. Top with cheese if desired. Bake immediately to heat through, or cover and place in the fridge until ready to bake later.

Hashbrown Casserole

Hashbrown Casserole
2 packages frozen hashbrown potatoes
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup butter or had margarine, diced
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients in one large or two small casserole dishes, mixing well. Bake at 350◦F for 45-60 minutes until hot and cheese is melted. 

This casserole goes together really quickly once all ingreidents are prepped. The frozen hashbrowns and canned soup are big time savers, but to save even more time, buy pre-shredded cheese or use a food processor and grate the onion in there too while you are at it. This is a little something different you can do for a potato dish and seems to always go ever well. In addition, it makes plenty for a crowd and can be made in advance, refrigerated, and baked just before serving. Leftovers are tasty too. This is something like that hashbrown casserole with the crisp cornflake topping, which could easily be added here if desired. 

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

Hamburger Noodle Casserole
2 pounds lean ground beef
12 cups hot water
3 cups milk
2 boxes or one large bag medium egg noodles
4 packets hamburger seasoning mix

In one huge or two larger skillets over medium heat, heat a little oil. Cook the meat in the oil until browned and thoroughly cooked. Stir in the remaining ingredients (if using two pots, put half in each). Bring to a boil, then boil slowly or simmer for ten minutes until the noodles are tender, stirring often. This mixture can then be left in the pot for a few minutes to thicken, or transferred to a pan or casserole dish and allowed to thicken, or kept warm in the oven. It may also be cooled and reheated later. 

This is a really quick recipe that is always a hit with those who like beef and pasta, and you can make a huge batch in just a little bit of time. The recipe is forgiving, holds up well, can be made ahead, and makes good leftovers. In order to make a quantity this large, I sort of made two separate batches, but made them at the same time, so everything I added to one pot I also added to the other. Then I combined it all in a large pan, 

Cheesy Turkey Pasta Casserole

This is a casserole my mother invented. I believe she just sort of got a bit of inspiration and threw all of the ingredients together one night. It turned into a delicious supper that she turns to when she needs something easy and foolproof, or needs leftovers for the next day. It is simply a mixture of chopped, cooked chicken or turkey, pasta (usually rotini, but penne also works well), mozzarella cheese, and pasta sauce.  It is a pasta sauce that reminds me a bit of lasagna, but it is quicker to make. My mom used turkey this time, because we had some leftover pieces that were already cooked on hand in the freezer. Normally though, my mom would use chicken breast. If we don't have any leftovers, she will pre-bake the chicken breasts before cutting them up and adding them to the casserole. The pasta is also pre-cooked, then drained, and the chicken, cheese, and sauce are added to the pot. The mixture is then placed into a casserole dish and sprinkled with more cheese. It is then covered with foil and baked until piping hot. This recipe has no real amounts, and it is easy to make as much as you need. If you need a lot, just cook a lot of pasta, use more chicken breasts, add some more cheese, and use two bottles of sauce. We have baked two casserole dishes full at once. You could also add something else to spice up the casserole a bit, the addition of chopped onion or peppers, a different kind of cheese, extra spices, or anything else you can think of would all be good. This dish is also very good as leftovers, it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and it reheats well. The dish is a huge crowd-pleaser at our house. It would be nice served with a simple side salad and garlic bread, but it is even satisfying enough to be eaten as a meal alone.

Mac and Cheeseburger Casserole

Here is an easy, all-in-one, family-pleasing casserole. It combines all four of the food groups, and makes a complete meal. It is tasty and quick and easy to prepare. Then just put it in the oven and relax until dinner time! This dish is very convenient because although the meat and vegetables require a quick precooking time, the pasta does not. There is enough liquid in the casserole to fully cook the pasta while it is in the oven. Just make sure you use a short, quick-cooking pasta shape. The pasta is far from al dente, but still slightly firm.If you are used to very tender pasta, you may want to add a bit more liquid and increase the cooking time, or try precooking the pasta, and just baking the dish for a short amount of time.

Mac and Cheeseburger Casserole
1 pound (500 grams) extra lean ground beef
2 cups thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cups uncooked macaroni (or other short pasta)
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juices
1 can (284 mL) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup grated cheese (I used marble)
Optional Add-Ins: 1 cup chopped red and yellow peppers, 1/2 cup chopped celery, one Tablespoon chili powder.

Preheat a large skillet with a little oil over medium heat. Add the beef and cook thoroughly. Push the beef to the sides of the pan and put the mushrooms, onion, and celery and peppers, if using. Sautee until softened, about five minutes.
Place mixture in a large, oven-proof casserole dish and add the remaining ingredients except for the cheese. Cover and bake at 400◦F for 50 minutes, until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with cheese and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken & Rice Dinner

I found this recipe in a little booklet designed to promote a brand of soup, since every recipe in it uses soup. They all seemed quick, easy, and tasty, so I decided to try one for supper tonight. This one was a 20 minute chicken, rice and vegetable skillet. However, I changed the recipe around a bit. I used regular rice instead of instant, so I cooked it separately on top of the stove, and then mixed it in with the chicken and vegetables when they were both cooked. I baked the casserole in the oven instead of simmering it in a skillet. I also precooked the chicken in the oven too. I used a frozen vegetable blend of broccoli, mushrooms, beans, carrots, and onion. So this dish didn't end up being a 20 minute one pan meal, but it was still easy and convenient. And most importantly, yummy! The entire family enjoyed it, and it will make good leftovers for tomorrow.

Chicken & Rice Dinner
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 can (10 ounces/284 mL) cream of chicken soup (regular or reduced fat)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
2 cups frozen vegetable mixture 

HEAT oil at medium-high in large skillet. Add chicken, cook until browned - about 10 minutes; set chicken aside. Reduce heat to medium.

COMBINE soup, water, paprika and pepper in skillet. Heat to a boil, stirring often.

STIR in rice and vegetables. Top with chicken. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through - about 5 minutes. 

Tuna Casserole

For whatever reason, the words "Tuna Casserole" seem to take with them a negative connotation. Not in this case though. Our tuna casserole is delicious, and we look forward to the days when we have it for supper. Although, our tuna casserole is probably quite a bit different from the standard definition of tuna casserole. It consists of pasta, vegetables, tuna and cheese. The idea for the recipe came from an online recipe website. This tuna casserole makes excellent leftovers, as it keeps well and reheats well in the microwave. It is quick, easy, and convenient. Here is the recipe.

Tuna Casserole
1 box (225g) macaroni and cheese mix
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. Italian dressing
1 bag (3 cups) frozen vegetable blend (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot sticks)
2 cans ( 120g each) flaked light tuna, packed in water
3/4 cup marble cheese, cubed
4-8 thin slices marble cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Add cheese mix, milk, and dressing. Stir to combine. Stir in vegetables, tuna, and cubed cheese. Bake, covered at 350◦F for 30 minutes. Top with cheese slices, bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Note: This can be baked in a deep casserole dish, a shallow baking pan, or even directly in the pot the pasta was mixed in, for minimal cleanup.

Shepherd's Pie

This is the Shepherd's Pie recipe that my mother and father developed years ago. It is actually the only Shepherd's Pie I have ever tasted, but I have read recipes for others, and know there are many variations on this one simple dish. This casserole is ages old, and was originally created as a stragetic and delicious way to use up leftovers. A simple combination of any ground meat, leftover mashed potatoes, and any old vegetables in the fridge. Tie this together with a sauce, based on broth, canned soup, or boullion and add some cheese or egg if you wish.

Our Shepherd's pie starts with frying up fresh onion and mushrooms with ground beef. Add in some corn, sometimes peas, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Spread it in a casserole dish and top with fluffy mashed potatoes. Then bake it until hot throughout. A new trick we use that I discovered is to top the potatoes with butter and broil them for the last few minutes of baking until golden. This just gives the pie a bit of a richer flavour and nice appearance.

A lovely, warm comforting dish for a slightly chilly fall day!