Rotel Chicken Casserole

I can't remember the last time I bought Velveeta. To me, it's like American cheese, I'd just rather not have it. Now I have quite the brick of it to use, but at least this casserole was pretty darn good to make up for it! I found a kind that had jalapenos mixed in and bought that for the extra kick, but you can use plain as well.

Add about 20 minutes to the cooking time if you also need to cook the rice.

Rotel Chicken Casserole-adapted from Cook'n is Fun
Total time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons Velveeta with jalapenos
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 10 ounce can Rotel
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2/3 cup cooked rice
• 15 ounces kidney beans
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 11x7 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Mix together all ingredients except for shredded cheese. Top with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through.

Chicken and Biscuits

When I came across this recipe, I knew I had to make it. Scott is a big fan of anything with biscuits (like biscuits and gravy), and I can't blame him! I used frozen veggies that I had on hand, but you could certainly use any that you have. It's just a good, comfort food meal!

Chicken and Biscuits-adapted from Campbell's 1-2-3 Dinners
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 5

• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups cooked vegetables
• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced into one inch pieces
• 1 package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 3-quart baking dish mix soups, milk, thyme, pepper, vegetables and chicken. Bake for 15 minutes or until mixture is hot. Stir; arrange biscuits over chicken mixture and bake 15 minutes more, or until biscuits are golden.

Beef and Lentil Bake

I don't know that I've ever had lentils in my life. I was a bit worried about this recipe, but figured I'd give it a try. Truth be told, Scott nor I really loved it but maybe it's just an aquired taste. I'm not quite sure :) We used the leftover beef from the 40 Clove Garlic Beef-I love those secondary uses!

Beef and Lentil Bake-adapted from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook by Erin Chase
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 4

• 1 cup green lentils
• 2 cups shredded, leftover, cooked beef roast
• 1 cup white rice, cooked
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, add the green lentils and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, tightly covered, for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk the tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Spray an 8x8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the lentils, rice, beef and sauce. Top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Tuna Bake

A good tuna bake is the best. Easy, you can make ahead of time and everyone is happy!

Tuna Bake-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 6

• 2 cups dry egg noodles
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 12 ounces chunk tuna
• 15 ounces peas
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Cook noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and seasonings. Add milk and whisk until slightly thickened-usually by the time it starts to boil. Add cheese to mixture and whisk until blended. 

Stir in tuna, peas and cooked noodles and mix well. Transfer to the greased baking dish. Top with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Reuben Sandwich Casserole

Reubens are probably my favorite sandwich of all time. I used to be afraid of them-I think it was the sauerkraut. But now, I could probably eat them every day. When I saw this recipe, I was very excited to give it a try!

I actually made it the night before so that Scott could throw it in the oven after work, and that worked out great, which makes it an even better recipe. It's really quick to throw together and if you like more thousand island or sauerkraut in your reubens, add more!

Reuben Sandwich Casserole-adapted from So, How's It Taste?

Total Time: 45 Minutes

Serves 8

• 20 ounce can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 3 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
• 1 1/3 cups thousand island dressing
• 3/4 pound corned beef, sliced and chopped
• 6 slices rye bread, chopped into one-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the sauerkraut and onion on the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with parsley and caraway seeds. 

Add half the cheese and half the thousand island, and corned beef on top of the sauerkraut mixture. Top with the remaining cheese and thousand island. 

Place the bread pieces on top and drizzle the melted butter over the bread pieces. Cook, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Cheesy Sausage Egg Bake

We celebrate the holidays a little differently since Scott and I moved to Milwaukee. His family is here, but my family is about 5 hours away, in  Minneapolis. Because of this, there's no way we'd be able to see both families for all holidays. Therefore, we decided to just do Thanksgiving with one family, Christmas with the other. The next year, we swap. For us, this works pretty well.

This year, we spent Christmas in Minneapolis, so the weekend before, we went to Scott's mom's house and had brunch. I said we'd bring the egg dish, much like we did the day before. Here's a picture of the lovely snowstorm we had the morning of our Christmas celebration. Scott's mom's is only a mile or two down the road, but it took us almost 15 minutes to get there!

And because I feel like sharing, this is probably one of my favorite gifts from Christmas from my soon-to-be sister in law! A wine cork holder! Our wedding is likely going to be wine-themed, and I was thinking of making a cork H for "Harris," but for now it works for Heather too! You can also see we have some wine drinking to do.

When I asked Scott what he wanted to make, he just said, "Something with Bisquick in it." I was a bit skeptical, but everything we've made into a Bisquick bake lately has turned out really good.

This recipe turned out absolutely fantastic! You could really add whatever veggies or meat you want to it and make it your own. It's very easy to make and you can prepare it up to 12 hours ahead of time so you don't have to worry about getting up super early to get breakfast ready!

Cheesy Sausage Egg Bake-adapted from Betty Crocker

Total Time: 60 Minutes

Serves 12

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and drained
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 1/4 cups Bisquick mix
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 eggs

If cooking right away, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms and onions until tender.

Meanwhile, grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and place mushrooms, onions, sausage and cheese in the dish. In a large bowl, whisk together Bisquick, milk, salt, oregano, pepper and eggs until well blended. Pour over sausage mixture.

Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

If making ahead of time, cover uncooked dish and refrigerate up to twelve hours ahead of time. Bake time may need to be slightly longer.

Sausage and Chicken Cassoulet

I can safely say I've never  made a cassoulet before. And I can also say I was greatly surprised by this dish! It was flavorful, yet relatively easy to make! The only down fall is that it takes about an hour to fully cook everything, but for a Sunday night dish it would be perfect! There's plenty to feed the family and it's definitely hearty!

Sausage and Chicken Cassoulet-adapted from Best One Dish Meals by Pillsbury
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 4

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 ounces Polish sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from heat and set aside, leaving grease in pan to cook chicken.

Add chicken to skillet and cook about 4 minutes, turning once, until it starts to brown. Add spices and vegetables to skill and cook another 3 minutes, until vegetables start to brown.

In an ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish, mix sausage, beans, tomatoes, bacon, carrots and onion. Top with chicken thighs.

Cover pan with foil and bake about 45 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender.

BBQ Beef Melts

I was very nervous making this recipe. The thought of bisquick with barbecue sauce just was...well...interesting sounding. In the end, this was a great recipe! I'm not a huge barbecue sauce fan, but Scott loved it. He even commented that he doesn't think BBQ pancakes are out of the question anymore! Give it a try for a simple, but interesting dinner.

BBQ Beef Melts-adapted from Easy Back to School Meals by Betty Crocker
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 8

• 2 cups bisquick (or pancake mix)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 3/4 pound cooked roast beef (from the deli), chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir bisquick mix, mustard, milk and egg until mixed. Pour and spread in pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. NOTE: Top will not brown.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute pepper and onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in barbecue sauce and beef. Stir until hot.

Spread beef mixture over bread and top with cheese. Bake in oven 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into squares.

Zucchini and Sausage Casserole

This recipe was very simple, but had a lot of good flavor to it! Eating this over rice, with Italian sausage was so delicious!

Zucchini & Sausage Casserole

Zucchini & Sausage Casserole-adapted from 'Cheap & Easy Recipes' by Gooseberry Patch
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon horseradish
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups cooked white rice 

Brown Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Return skillet to heat with sausage, zucchini, onion and mushrooms. Cook and stir until zucchini and onion are tender. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and rice; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Top with cheese; cover again until cheese is melted. Serve over rice.

Green Bean Casserole

When I told Scott I was making Green Bean Casserole, all he could say is "I only like it if it's covered in creamyness and soup like." Even though we overcooked this, it was definitely worth it! It was exactly what we were looking for! And, I bet, if you only cook it for the 4-4-1/2 hours it recommends, it would be even better than what we had! Try it!

Green Bean Casserole-Adapted from Southern Living

Total Time 4 1/2 hours

Serves 10

• 2 (16-ounce) packages frozen green beans, thawed
• 1 jar Alfredo sauce
• 1 can diced water chestnuts
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (6 ounce) can French fried onions, divided

Stir together first seven ingredients and half of the French fried onions in a lightly greased 5 quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low 4 1/2 hours, or until bubbly. Sprinkle remaining French friend onions over top of cooked casserole.

Taco Casserole

As you can see by browsing the site, I like taco bakes. This one I liked the addition of the salsa. Gave it a bit of an extra kick! Although I won't be adding chips at the bottom next time--they just got soggy.

Taco Casserole--Adapted from Tablespoon.com
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1  lb ground beef
• 1  can (15 to 16 oz) spicy chili beans in sauce, undrained
• 1  cup chunky salsa
• 2  cups coarsely broken tortilla chips--I would omit this next time
• 4  medium green onions, sliced 
• 1  medium tomato, chopped 
• 1  cup shredded Mexican cheese

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in beans and 1 cup salsa. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. 
2. In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place broken tortilla chips. Top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with onions, tomato and cheese. 
3. Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 

Simple Tuna One Dish

This is a new twist to the same old tuna casserole. Using the bread instead of pasta cuts some of the "fishy" taste that you get alot of the time with tuna casserole. Very easy too!

Simple Tuna One Dish-Adapted from Cheap & Easy Recipes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 7

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 6-ounce cans tuna, drained
• 15-ounce can peas, drained
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 8 ounce tube refrigerated biscuits

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add flour and milk; stir well over low heat until smooth and thickened. Add tuna, peas, salt and pepper; mix well. Transfer to a casserole dish. Top with cheddar cheese and biscuits; bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Chicken Asparagus Casserole

Not a bad recipe but nothing super special. I do like asparagus for a change though!

Chicken-Asparagus Casserole-adapted from Casserole Recipes
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 12

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 cup seeded and chopped green and/or red peppers
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can condensed cream of asparagus soup
• 8 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped asparagus, thawed and drained
• 8 ounces egg noodles, cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 inch casserole; set aside.

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onion and garlic; cook and stir until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Mix soup, ricotta cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese and eggs in a large bowl until well blended. Add onion mixture, chicken, asparagus and noodles; mix well. Season with black pepper if desired.

Spread mixture evenly in prepared casserole. Top with remaining 1 cup cheddar.

Bake 30 minutes or until center is set and cheese is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Vegetable Beef Bow Tie Skillet

One thing I still need to remember about noodle skillets is that I need to cook the noodles FIRST! Not that these noodles turned out uncooked, but I just feel better while making the dish knowing that its going to be cooked. The flavors in this pasta were great and I LOVED all the veggies! Definitely going to make this veggie medley again!

Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home

Vegetable Beef Bow Tie Skillet-adapated from Taste of Home

Total Time: 35 Minutes

Serves 4

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
• 1-1/2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup chopped sweet yellow pepper
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the broth, pasta, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add yellow pepper and zucchini; cover and cook 2-4 minutes longer or until pasta and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes; sprinkle with cheese.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Scott made this dish a few weeks ago and I just never got around to putting it up! This was a pretty good tuna casserole, just a little beefed up from your Tuna Helper! Nothing extraordinary about it, but still yummy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole--Adapted from The Comfort Food Cookbook

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 6

• 8 ounces wide egg noodles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 
• 1/3 cup chopped carrot 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 2 3/4 cups fat-free milk 
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 2 (5-ounce) cans albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked 
• Cooking spray 

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot; cook 6 minutes or until carrot is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk until slightly thick. Stir in cream cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Remove pan from heat. Stir in noodles, peas, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and tuna. Spoon mixture into a shallow broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Turkey Tetrazzini

One of the cookbooks we got for Christmas was Cooking Light's "Comfort Food Cookbook", and we absolutely love it! We've tried a few dishes that have come out well, and I can't wait to try some of the others! This dish was alright, but a little bland. Nothing to really make it great.

Turkey Tetrazzini-adapted from The Comfort Food Cookbook

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 6

• 10 ounces uncooked vermicelli
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound turkey breast cutlets
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 16 ounces presliced mushrooms
• 3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 3/4 cup fat-free milk
• 2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle turkey with 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add turkey to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove turkey from pan.
3. Add 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, sherry, and mushrooms to pan. Cover and cook 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
4. Combine peas, milk, sour cream, cheese, and soup in a large bowl. Chop turkey. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, pasta, turkey, and mushroom mixture to soup mixture, tossing gently to combine. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5. Combine breadcrumbs and butter in a small dish, tossing to combine. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated.

Taco Bake

A quick, simple taco bake. I added some cayenne pepper and garlic to the Bisquick mix to give it more flavor than just pancake batter. This was a good dish, nothing extraordinary, but I'd still make it again.

Taco Bake-Adapted from Betty Crocker

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Serves 8

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) whole kernal corn
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups Original Bisquick mix
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• Sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives as desired

• Heat oven to 325ºF. Grease rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
• Cook ground beef and onion in 10-inch skillet, stirring frequently, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in dry seasoning mix, tomato sauce and corn. Spoon into pan; sprinkle with cheese. Stir Bisquick mix, milk and eggs until smooth. Pour over beef mixture.3
• Bake about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with remaining ingredients.

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

Loaded mashed potatoes are one of my favorite things. I know they aren't the greatest for you, but they're just so good! I found this recipe, once again, through Pinterest. If you haven't checked it out you definitely should--although it is addicting! I have, however, found a lot of new blogs that I'm really enjoying! This casserole is perfect for a family gathering or potluck--who doesn't like loaded potatoes?!

**November 2012 Update**
Definitely use a hand blender when 'mashing' these potatoes-it just makes them so much better! This should definitely be a creamy version, not lumpy! I made these for a trip up north, and am making them again this weekend for a friend's birthday. They can't be beat!

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole-precooked!

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole-adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Total Time: 50 Minutes

Serves 12

• 5 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (around 6-7 large baking potatoes)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 slices bacon crispy cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven 350 degrees. 

Peel, quarter, and boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Drain potatoes and and beat with a mixer until smooth. Add milk, cream cheese, sour cream, parsley, garlic salt, and nutmeg. Beat at a medium-high speed until nice and creamy. Add salt to taste keeping in mind that the cheese and bacon will add a little salt later.

Spoon into a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheddar cheese and bacon. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Scott made this dish for his family's holiday gathering. It was definitely a hit! I have always heard of Alton Brown but never made or looked at any of his stuff. This was great, and the video is interesting too! It's definitely someone I'll keep getting recipes from!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese-adapted from Alton Brown
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 6

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon powdered mustard
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 large egg
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Green Bean Casserole & an Apology...

So I know I've been super terrible at updating the blog. I'm not quite sure what it was, but I just didn't feel like blogging lately. I did keep track of everything I made, so when I felt like writing again I had enough stuff! So, I'm sorry I've been neglectful--but now I'm back! On to some recipes...

Two years ago, for the Harris family holiday get together, I made green bean casserole. Just the standard, Campbell's green bean casserole. It was the first time I was meeting many of Scott's family, and I really wanted to cook. I had never made the casserole before but it seemed easy enough. Everything was going fine, and then Scott and I left early to get to the gathering. I left his dad in charge of taking the casserole. He burned it. And I never lived it down.

So, this year, I decided to try the Pioneer Woman's green bean casserole. I love all of her recipes. I think the next time I would use frozen green beans, just as it was too much of a pain to trim two pounds of green beans. I also put in way too much pepper, so I don't think people liked it a whole lot. It wasn't a bad recipe, but I feel as though I need to try it again sometime.

Green Bean Casserole-Adapted from the Pioneer Woman

Total Time: 50 Minutes

Serves 8

• 2 pounds green beans, ends cut off
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 whole onion, diced
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
• Black pepper-to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounce jar of sliced pimentos, drained
• Extra milk for thinning if necessary
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.

Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow green beans to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans once they're cool and set aside.

Add bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for two minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.

Add pimentos to pan, then add bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine. Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and panko crumbs are golden.

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