Country Breakfast Casserole

My mother-in-law introduced me to this recipe she found at Byerly’s in the Twin Cities area (where I also buy my Minnesota wild rice when I have the opportunity!). I’ve learned to really trust Byerly’s recipes since they are straight forward, use good ingredients…and always taste delicious! Since this breakfast dish is made with potatoes instead of bread, Joe can even eat it...with a little Lactaid!

2-12 oz. pkg. pork sausage, or 2-1/2 cups diced ham
1 (2 lb.) pkg. Frozen southern-style (small cubed) hash brown potatoes
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. Shredded Colby-jack cheese (4 cups), divided
1 medium onion, minced (1 cup)
2 cups milk
½ tsp. Salt (I don't use)
6 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (12 oz.) jar salsa, optional

In large skillet, brown sausage; drain. In large bowl, combine sausage, hash browns, 3 cups cheese, onion, milk, salt and eggs. Pour mixture into greased 9” x 13” glass baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until knife comes out fairly clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares and serve with salsa.

Serves 8-10

Serve with fruit and/or a green salad.

Stromboli Romano

This is a take on the Cheesy Pepperoni Roll and also incorporates a recipe from my mother-in-law for Romano Buns. It's a quicker version that has all the flavor and still doesn't require utensils to eat! What's not to love? Melted Swiss cheese and shaved ham. MMMMMMM--mmm!

2 loaves frozen bread dough, or your favorite pizza dough
12 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
dash onion powder
~3 TBSP mustard, any kind you prefer
10 oz. shaved ham (deli meat works fine)
1 egg

Thaw dough according to directions. When ready to handle, place dough on greased cookie sheet (lining with foil or parchment makes clean up easy). Flatten and stretch dough to about the size of the cookie sheet…or as far as possible to each of its sides.

Sprinkle half the cheese on one of the doughs, the other half on the remaining dough, leaving a 2-inch bare border. Shake a scant covering of garlic (or onion) powder and a sparse covering of mustard (right from the bottle) over the cheese layer. Distribute ham slices on top to cover the other toppings.

Fold bottom third of dough over the middle section, then fold the top third of dough over middle and bottom sections. Seal all edges by pinching dough together. Turn dough over on cookie sheet so pinched edges are down; roll end edges under dough slightly.

Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slits in the loaf every 1-1/2 inches or so. Let rest for 10 minutes. Brush top and sides with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes…or until golden brown.

Romano Buns

I remember the first time I ate these sandwiches. It was after my Grandma passed away right before Christmas in 1989 while I was a senior in college. My mother-in-law (then boyfriend's mom) sent a couple dozen of these buns with us for the funeral. They were well received by my family—a yummy warm sandwich that our family didn't have to prepare! She took it a step further by making homemade buns (as she always did) instead of using store-bought buns.

2 lbs. sliced ham (shaved is best)
8 slices swiss cheese (If slices are really thin, use 1-1/2 to 2 slices per bun)
½ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup mustard
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tsp. poppy seeds (I usually don’t use)
8 buns

Melt butter, add remaining ingredients—mustard, onion, and poppy seeds. Spread on both sides of hamburger buns, put ham and cheese slices on buns, individually wrap in foil. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese melts—15-20 minutes.

Make a mess of them--they freeze well!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Since Joe absolutely LOVES green chile—ever since he went college in New Mexico—I had to get this recipe from his sister, Ellen, when she said she had the one from her Aunt Jean. Aunt Jean, who is known for this recipe, is an absolute stitch. She loves to entertain and once told us that she had saved up from months of selling her plasma in order to throw the party we were attending! I still need to experiment to make this gluten free--by making substitutions for the soups. Ellen has made some substitutions and adjustments that make the recipe just as tasty without a little of the hassle. Her adjustments are shown in parentheses below. You choose!

4-5 boneless chicken breasts (5)
1 can (10 oz.) cream of chicken soup (2 cans)
1 can (10 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1 medium onion (omit, and just use a couple of shakes garlic powder)
1+1/4 cup frozen green chile, drained (or use canned 18-20 oz.)
2 TBSP butter (omit)
12 corn tortillas (18)
1 lb. grated cheese (cheddar, Jack or mixture) = 4 cups (6 cups)
¼ cup chicken broth (1/3 cup)

Cook and shred chicken while still warm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion in butter until slightly soft (omit this step since not using onion/butter) and combine with soups, broth, chile (& garlic powder). Cook a little.

Tear 6 (9) tortillas into small pieces and cover the bottom of a 9” x 13” pan. Spread ½ of the chicken over the tortilla pieces, then ½ of the sauce, and ½ of the cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake for 45 minutes until very hot, bubbly and lightly browned.

Joanne's BBQ

beef, turkey, or pork!

This recipe came from my aunt and Godmother Joanne. Once I got hold of and made this recipe, it became one of our favorites. My aunt Joanne was a very good cook and knew how to feed lots of people…as she often did while she and her husband, Bob, enjoyed many summers out on their house boat on the Mississippi River. On their boat I recall eating good food, sneaking lots of treats from her bottomless candy jar, drinking many "pops" (sodas), steering the boat while Bob visited with everyone, floating on an intertube tied to the back of the boat, and getting buried up to my neck in the sand on Nine-Mile Island! My five crazy cousins took me skiing in the calm tributaries along the river. I loved watching my cousin, Tony, ski since he’d go by people he knew on boats and spray them. I also recall him skiing off the back of Bob’s house boat…just to see if it would pull him. It sure did!

4 lbs. *cooked roast (shoulder roast works well), brisket, or turkey breast; shredded

*OVEN: Cook roast at 350 degrees for about 3 hours with a couple of inches of water in a covered pan. Shred meat with two forks while it’s still hot/warm.
*CROCK POT: Slice onion, place on bottom of crock pot; cut meat into a few pieces, place on top of onion; add 3/4 cup water; cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Shred meat with two forks while it's still hot/warm, discard onion.

Mix and Simmer for ½ hour:
8 oz. ketchup
8 oz. hickory barbeque sauce
1 cup water (or broth)
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1-1/2 TBSP dry mustard

Saute until tender:
1 cup celery, chopped
½ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup butter

Add sautéed veggies to sauce and simmer for another ½ hour. Add meat and heat; serve on buns. Serve with cole slaw or Napa Salad.

Freezes well!

Italian Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups (12 servings)

This recipe is from Everyday Italian and we LOVE it! It's a great dish for warm weather summery parties! I've served it a couple of times when I've hosted bunco, and I've also brought it to friends after they've had a baby or surgery (not the full recipe!). Our kiddies have just started to enjoy eating it all. Before they appreciated all the flavors, I just took one of the chicken breasts and sliced it up for them to eat. Ooh, I'm getting hungry for it right now!

Here's the original recipe. Thank you, Giada! Since I've made VERY minor changes (fewer capers, more honey, etc.) to the recipe, I added the modifications in the recipe below. It's the only way I'll remember how to make it again next time!

10 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (about 3 good-sized rotissiere chickens)
2 cups roasted red and yellow bell peppers, drained, patted dry, and coarsely chopped
1-1/4 cup paper-thin slices red onion
¾ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
¾ cup slivered almonds, toasted
¼-1/3 cup capers, drained
1-1/2 cup (about) Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 butter lettuce leaves (from about 3 large heads) or bib lettuce—whatever is more economical, I’ve started just serving over torn Romaine lettuce.
1 (4 oz.) pkg. shaved Parmesan cheese (you can get this next to the regular grated)

Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, almonds, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange 1 large lettuce cup and 1 small lettuce cup on each plate, overlapping slightly. Spoon the chicken salad into the lettuce cups. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the salads. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

Do-ahead tip: The chicken salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 TBSP honey
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified. (I just make this dressing using my dressing plunger instead of a processor. You can also just shake it in a large jar with a lid). Shake well again before adding to salad.

NOTES: I use three rotisserie chickens from Costco (they are 3 lbs. instead of 2 lbs. like the grocery store chickens…and they’re a lot less expensive).

Spinach Cheese or Chicken Chili Quiche

Once again, this recipe is from my mother-in-law (I think via Byerly’s grocer in the Twin Cities). It sure is a winner. I’ve used this recipe so many times to serve at baby showers or as part of a meal I bring to friends after they’ve had a new baby. I have also served up a few of these at one of my bunco parties by making 2 spinach and 1 chicken chili (see variations below). It's easy for week night entertaining since preparation is so quick. This is one of my most requested recipes…either by people requesting the recipe itself or by my children wanting it for dinner! Our kids have enjoyed this quiche since they started eating solid foods!

1 – 10 oz. package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed (I use only ~8 oz. per kids' request)
5 eggs, beaten (2 regular eggs with egg beaters for the rest works well)
1 – 8 oz. carton small curd cottage cheese (1-cup)—nonfat is fine.
2 cups grated combination cheddar & Monterey jack cheese
1/8 cup dried onion or ¼ cup fresh chopped
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 – 9 “ deep dish pie shell, unbaked (optional--see gluten free below)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Squeeze spinach in small palmfuls to remove all liquid. In large bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, spinach, 2 cups grated cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Beat to blend with electric mixed (I just use a fork) and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 50-60 minutes. Let sit 5-10 minutes before cutting.

GLUTEN FREE: Make a crustless quiche by melting 1-1/2 TBSP butter in a pie plate (spread around to coat), pour mixture into dish, and bake as directed! We always prepare it this way now that Joe is gluten intolerant, and we sure don't miss the crust! (It's the one in the above picture.)

Variations:
Ham: leave out a few ounces of the spinach and add ~1 cup diced ham
Chicken Chili variation (another one of our favorites!): omit spinach; substitute small can drained chopped green chilis (4 oz.) and ~ 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken

TIP: A good option for busy families is…
Make two recipes at the same time, and freeze one unbaked batch in a gallon ziplock freezer bag. When you want to bake and eat it, just take the bag out of the freezer the night before to thaw. Before baking, just squeeze and squish the bag around to mix the ingredients well, then unzip and dump it into an unbaked pie shell.

Cheesy Pepperoni Stromboli

I usually make two of these at a time so we can enjoy more throughout the week..if there’s any left!

1 loaf frozen bread dough (usually come in pack of 3)
Italian seasoning; or dried basil, oregano and thyme
4-6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 oz. pepperoni slices, optional
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, separated
1 egg

Thaw dough according to directions. When ready to handle, place dough on greased foil-lined cookie sheet. Flatten and stretch dough to about the size of the cookie sheet…or as far as possible to each of its sides. Sprinkle dough with a scant covering of herbs, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, leaving a 2-inch border of bare dough. Fold bottom third of dough over the middle section, then fold the top third of dough over middle and bottom sections. Seal all edges by pinching dough together. Turn dough over on cookie sheet so pinched edges are down; roll end edges under dough slightly. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slits in the loaf every 1-1/2 inches or so. Let rest for 10 minutes. Brush top and sides with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes…or until golden brown.

Variation: Add…
1/3 lb. ground Italian sausage, browned