CASSEROLE SPAGHETTI

I have been making this recipe for Casserole Spaghetti ever since my kids were little.  My friend, Kelly Galloway, first made this and it has been one of my favorites ever since.

For some reason, I have not made this since my grandson, Alexander, was born.  But today, I was craving something cheesy and something with pasta and this popped into my head.  Such an easy recipe to make...have you noticed a pattern with the "easy" recipes?  I don't know if I would have ever tried this recipe if Kelly had not made it first because of the cream of mushroom soup, chili powder, and olives.  Those three items seem strange to add to spaghetti but I can attest that they are delightful little additions.  Now tonight, I did not put olives in it just because I wasn't sure if my grandkids would eat it if I added them.   What was funny was that little baby Hope, who is 16 months old, ate what was in her plate and then had seconds...along with her garlic bread because this girl is just like her Nannie...we like our bread!  Alex loved it too.  So, I got a two-thumbs-up on this recipe from the littles!

A couple of things you should know.  I used thin spaghetti and I cooked it al dente.  I knew that the spaghetti would cook more in the oven and I cannot stand mushy pasta of any sort.  I would rather under cooked spaghetti than overcooked.  Actually, I just want it cooked perfectly.  Sometimes that works out and sometimes not.  Today, we got it right!  Woo-Hoo!  Also, if you do not want to cook the meat sauce for 2 hours then you do not have to.  I have done it both ways and honestly, I cannot tell the difference.  

I made a salad and some lemon vinaigrette to drizzle over it and garlic bread to serve with the spaghetti.  It was perfect for a quick meal.  Oh and I had leftovers....that is a plus. 

CASSEROLE SPAGHETTI

1-1/2 pounds Ground Round

1 Bell Pepper, chopped

1 large Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Celery, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 (10-3/4 ounce) can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 can Water

1 (14 ounce) can Petite Diced Tomatoes

2 Tablespoons Chili Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garlic Powder

1 (12 ounce) package of Spaghetti Noodles,cooked al dente

8 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut in chunks

1 (4 ounce) jar Olives

2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

Brown ground round and add garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.   Add next 9 ingredients and simmer for 2 hours.  Combine meat sauce, cheese chunks, and olives in 3 quart or deep 9 X 13 ceramic baking dish.  Sprinkle grated cheeseon top.  Bake in 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly.

ENJOY!

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MEXICAN CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP

2 lbs. Boneless Chicken breasts and thighs, sprinkled liberally with TexJoy Steak Seasoning and Garlic Powder.  Bake in 400 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is 165 degrees.
2-3 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 Large Poblano Pepper, chopped
1/2 Medium Green or Red Bell Pepper
8 Garlic Cloves, chopped
4 Celery Stalks, chopped
10 Baby Carrots, chopped into bite size pieces
1 can Rotel Tomatoes, (I used the one with lime juice and cilantro)
3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock or Campbell's Chicken Broth (this is an approximate amount.                 You may want to add more broth or water depending on how much liquid you like in your                    soup)
1 small bag frozen Baby Lima Beans
1 small bag frozen Sweet Corn
1 large Yellow Squash, sliced into bite size pieces
6-8 Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced (can use mushroom of your choice)
1/3 cup Cilantro, minced
2 Dried Red Chiles (optional)
Salt and Pepper
Toppings:  Chopped avocado, shredded cheese, green onions, fresh chopped cilantro

In a large soup pot, add olive oil and first 7 ingredients.  Saute on low to medium heat until onion is transluscent.

Add the Rotel tomatoes and chicken stock.

Chop the chicken and add to the soup, along with the rest of the ingredients.  Cook for another 30 minutes or longer.  Serve with toppings.

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

MINI CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI POT PIES

A friend of mine, Debbie Holst Gutierrez, alerted me to the fact that it was National "Pi" Day.  Not your ordinary Pie day, but she was making this really scrumptious looking Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Oreo Pie,  Well this got me to thinking that I should "celebrate" this day too.  And that is why I ended up making these little delights.

I saw these the other day on Giada At Home, and since my 2 year old grandson, Alex, loves chicken and he loves broccoli, I thought these would be the perfect little bite-sized pot pies for his little hands.  He didn't eat one because he saw his other "love" on the counter moments before we ate....Macaroni and Cheese....it wins out everytime.  Oh well, I enjoyed making them and they were packed with really fabulous flavors.

I will say that these are a little time consuming so if you do not have time, just go ahead and using this filling to making one big pot pie. You will have to cook longer...maybe 30-45 minutes and probably back the heat down a little, but they would still be good.  In fact, I did both.  I doubled this recipe and made the mini's, and also made some individual pot pies that would feed 2 a piece.  I served this with a fruit salad but I think carrots would be great too.

They looked like little mini-quiches.  Wouldn't these be cute for a brunch or a bridal/baby shower?  I think they would be cute to announce that you are having a baby and make everything on the plate little, like little baby carrots, little new potatoes, etc.  They would also be perfect if you were announcing that you were having a new little grandbaby like I am!!

YES!!!! I AM HAVING A NEW GRANDBABY!!!

AND IT IS A BOY!!!!

AND HE IS DUE IN SEPTEMBER!!!

How is that for an announcement?? Haha!!

My daughter, Crystal and her boyfriend Ryan are expecting their first baby boy mid-September.  We are over the moon excited about this new little blessing that is on his precious little way.  This Nannie's heart swells every time I think about it!

I think your kids will  love these, but I loved them just as much....and the extra bonus was that I am expecting a very wonderful package in September!!  Love to you all!

MINI CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI POT PIES
(Makes 12 Minis)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 Box of Refrigerated Pie Dough (2 10-inch pie rounds...I used Pillsbury)
2 tablespoons Flour
2 tablespoons Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
3/4 - 1 cup Whole Milk, room temperature
1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan Cheese (fresh grated is the best)
Salt and Pepper to your liking
1 cup Rotisserie Chicken Breast, chopped small
1 cup fresh Broccoli, steamed and chopped small
1 egg, beaten

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add your garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute to remove the raw flour taste.

Whisk in the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.  Stir until thickened like a gravy.

Add the Parmesan Cheese and stir to combine.

Taste now to see if you need more salt.  Add pepper to your liking.

Add the chicken and the broccoli.  Stir to coat the pieces.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds.

Using a 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds.

Grease your mini muffin pan.  I use spray Olive Oil.

Place one 3 inch round in each hole of the miniature muffin pan and work to make sure it is even and comes out of the opening at the top a little all around.  Lightly flatten the edges.

Put a small amount of chicken/broccoli filling in each hole.  Not too much, because you do not want that coming out.

Using a pastry brush, brush some of the egg mixture around the flattened edges and place the 2 inch round piece of pastry on top.  The egg acts like a glue.  Lightly, mash to seal the edges.  After this step, you could use a fork to lightly make marks all around the edge....it just looks cute.

Brush a little more of the beaten egg on top.  It turns the top a beautiful, golden brown when baking.

Next, make a slit on top of each mini pot pie so that the steam can escape while cooking.

Place in the oven for 15-18 minutes.

When they come out, I would let them rest for about 5 minutes before attempting to remove them from the muffin pan.  When they are cool, they come out perfectly but when they are hot, they need a little coaxing.

I just got a small pan and placed it gently on top of the muffins, so not to mash them.  Then I flipped them slowly upside-down and just left them like that for about 30 seconds.  There may be some that are stubborn so if you can wait just a few more minutes, they should come right out or you can try "helping" out of their spots.

And there you go, little mini Chicken and Broccoli Pot Pies.

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Yesterday, I had painters at my house so I couldn't go anywhere.  I kind of like it when that happens.  It means I have to stay home and I can just stay in the kitchen, where I love to be!

I had chicken, some fresh thyme, fresh oregano and parmesan cheese so I was thinking I would make some kind of Chicken Italian soup.  But, I had the Food Network on and someone was caramelzing onions.  It looked so delicious that I started trying to figure out how I could incorporate those onions into my soup and then for some reason, I cannot tell you why, I thought Chicken Enchilada Soup sounded really good.  So good in fact, I completely changed gears and went that route instead.

Now I have never made Chicken Enchilada Soup, I have only eaten it.  My favorite is at Chili's restaurant, but I bet I haven't been to Chili's in 2 years or more.  Every time I would go, I would always get the Chicken Enchilada Soup as a starter.   Anyway, I don't know why, all of the sudden, I started craving it.  I went online to get a base recipe of what an enchilada soup should have.  One of the things it needed was masa flour.  I had some in the pantry but, of course, it was out of date...I don't even remember using it, so it was oldddd.  I already had everything else.  I didn't go by the recipe, I just used it as a guide to get some of the foundation right like how much masa flour to how much liquid.  Aside from that, I did my own thing.  I added and tasted, and added and tasted and then to figure out what needs to be added.  Yesterday, I had a helper.  My taster was my daughter Holly and she was a big help.  We added a couple of things that made the difference between a good soup and an awesome soup!

Since this is my first time to develop and make this recipe, I have only tried it with caramelized onions, so I don't know if just sauteing them would be enough or not...sorry.  But really, these onions do not have to be full out caramelized.  Even slightly caramelized would enhance the flavors of this soup.

I made some mini Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins to go with this and they were just the perfect thing to amp up the flavor even more.

This recipe is going on my favorite list....I love it when that happens!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

2 pounds Chicken Breasts

Garlic Powder

Steak Seasoning

1 large Onion, chopped

2 tablespoons Butter

2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar

6 Garlic Cloves

1/2 - 1 large Poblano Pepper, chopped

1 Package McCormick Enchilada Sauce Mix

1- 8 ounce can Tomato Sauce

1-1/2 cups Water

6 cans Campbell's Chicken Broth

2 cups Water

2 cups Masa Flour

1 Cup Water

2 tablespoons Chili Powder

2 teaspoons Cumin

1 - 10 ounce bag of frozen Corn 

Optional:  1 or 2 cans of Black Beans

8 ounce Sharp Cheddar Cheese, chopped into chunks

Salt to Taste.

Toppings:

Charred Corn

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cilantro

Green Onions

1.  Season chicken breasts heavily with garlic powder and steak seasoning.

2.  Place in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until done.  This will depend on the thickness of the breasts.

I only used the breasts...I saved the thighs for something else.

3.  In a small pot, make the enchilada sauce according to the directions on the package.  Set aside.

4.  In a soup pot, melt butter, add sugar and stir.  Add the onions and and cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are medium brown in color. 

5.  Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.

6.  Add poblano pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

7.  Add the Chicken Broth and stir well over medium to high heat.

8.  Combine the Masa and 2 cups of water and whisk until creamy and all is dissolved.

9.  Whisk into the soup mixture until it is all mixed in well.

10. Add the last cup of water and stir.

11. Add all of the the Enchilada Sauce.

12. Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin and stir until all is combined well.

13. Add frozen corn.

14. Add the chunk cheese and stir until all is melted and incorporated.

15. Add your chopped chicken breasts. 

16. Let cook for about 15 minutes.

17. Now is the time to add salt, if needed.  Taste first but remember that Salt is a flavor enhancer so don't be shy!

Top with your choice of toppings.

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

LASAGNA ROLLS

If you ever need a dish that feeds several people and makes a pretty presentation, well then this is the recipe for you.  It tastes so delightful too!  It is easy to make, it just takes a little bit of time.

As with most of the recipes I get from cookbooks, I changed this one up.  I got the base recipe from Giada's Family Dinners and then made it my own.  The recipe called for prosciutto but I wanted it to be more substantial and meaty like a lasagna so I used ground sirloin mixed with Italian sausage.  Also, I used my own spaghetti sauce recipe.  It makes a lot so I was able to make the sauce, use it for this recipe and freeze 2 large containers for later.

When I am having company over and I want to make a recipe I have never made before I usually do a run through.  I make it ahead of time to see if it is good and what changes, if any, that I would like to make to it.  When I made it the first time, it was really good but as I was eating it, I thought, I know what would make the flavors in this pop.....Melted Garlic Butter drizzled over the lasagna!  I got almost giddy thinking about it...so weird, I know!  I even made myself a note so I wouldn't forget to do it.  I was right too!!  Next time I am adding even more!   That butter and garlic added to the meat and cheese mixture just before I rolled up the lasagna noodles took this recipe from being great to awesome.  I mean, warm melted butter with fresh minced garlic....it just doesn't get much better!  It's an easy recipe to double and I did that, but one lasagna roll was enough for me, along with a salad and garlic bread and then dessert.  A man might eat two and I would probably plan on two if you are serving men, but I think most women would only eat one especially if you are fixing other things to go along with it.



This is a great recipe to play around with.  My friend Babette made them this past weekend and she changed up the ingredients.  I will say that my husband was not fond of the spinach and ricotta, so next time I may just make them like regular lasagna.  One day I want to make veggie lasagna but I may have to give him some space before I break that out on him. Haha!

I am so glad my friend, Babette, took this picture of this step so you can see what they look like before they are rolled.

You really cannot mess up this recipe.  It is one of those that even if you make a mistake, no one will ever know!  Love those kind of recipes!! 

You have got to try this dish....just remember the Garlic Butter!!  Is your mouth-watering yet?

LASAGNA ROLLS

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees

Bechemel Sauce

3 tablespoons Butter

4 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

1-1/4 cups Whole Milk

1 teaspoon Salt

1/8 teaspoon Freshly Ground Nutmeg

LASAGNA

 

1 (15 ounce container Whole-Milk Ricotta Cheese

1 (10-ounce Box Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 pound Ground Sirloin

1/2 pound Ground Italian Sausage

1 large Egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Salt, plus more for pasta

1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

12 dried Lasagna Noodles

1/4 cup Salt

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1 stick Butter

6 cloves Garlic

2-3 Cups Spaghetti Sauce (my recipe or jar spaghetti sauce)

1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Melt the butter in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking continuously.  Whisk in the milk.  Increase the heat to medium-high.  Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

In a skillet over medium to high heat, brown the sirloin and the Italian sausage until it is cooked thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, spinach, and 1 cup of the Parmesan  cheese, meat and sausage mixture, egg, the salt and the pepper, until well blended.

Melt butter and add minced garlic, mix well and set aside.

Bring a very large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add your salt and olive oil.   Add the lasagna noodles and cook until just tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently to prevent the noodles from sticking together.  Keep an eye on these noodles so they do not get overdone because they will continue to cook in the oven.  Drain.  Arrange the noodles in a single layer on baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.  I actually just laid out some wax paper and placed the noodles on them. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Butter a 13 X 9 X 2 baking glass baking dish.  Spread the cream sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish.

Lay out a lasagna noodle on a flat work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle.  Drizzle about 1-2 teaspoons of the garlic butter over the ricotta mixture. I didn't measure when I did mine and I think I used about 1 teaspoon.  I felt like it could of used more so next time I will use 2 teaspoons but I love garlic. Roll up the noodles and arrange the rolls, seam side down and not touching one another atop the cream sauce.  Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture.  Spoon 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce over the lasagna rolls, sprinkle with a light amount of salt, then sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining  2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. 

Cover the dish tightly with foil.  Bake until the rolls are heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake until the cheese on top is golden, about 15 minutes longer.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining spaghetti sauce in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until hot. 

Transfer sauce to a sauceboat and serve alongside.

ENJOY!

 

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

AUTHENTIC BEEF ENCHILADAS

These are literally the best enchiladas I have ever had!  I am not even joking!  The first time I tried these enchiladas was at my friend, Stephanie's house.  She had made it for Bunco and before I left I asked her for the recipe.  This is only my second time to ever make them, but that is about to change.  Oh and I did not name this recipe....it is just what it is called by America's Test Kitchen magazine.  I don't know if these are truly "authentic",  I just know they are delicioso : )

Honestly, I thought I remembered them taking longer than they really do.  I found a couple of time savers this time around and I will be making them way more often.  First of all, you can make some of this ahead of time and refrigerate.  Also, when it has to cook for 1-1/2 hours, instead of leaving them on top of the stove, place them in the oven or in a crock pot for the sauce to cook down and the meat to tenderize.


I love the flavor of the gravy so much.  It is soooo rich and flavorful.  That gravy holds nothing back. Oh and the smell in your kitchen....you will just die!  It smells AHHH-MAZING!!  This recipe makes 12 enchiladas using the smaller corn tortillas and going by the amounts in the recipe.  If you need more, this recipe is easy to just double, triple or quadruple.

This dish adds one layer of flavor after another.  It incorporates lot of fresh ingredients, as well as wonderful spices that make your taste buds wake up and take notice!  Don't skimp on any of the ingredients because each one is there for a reason.  They balance this dish and make you eat another enchilada when you are already full.  Yep, been there, done that!

Oh and one more thing, I found an amazing gadget last week at a little shop in Boerne, Texas called Kiss The Cook.  I use a lot of fresh herbs that require you to remove them from the stem.  It is so time consuming  that a lot of times I just chop up the stems too.  This gadget actually removes the leaves from the stem effortlessly.  Yesterday, I used it with the cilantro and it was so easy and quick to get just the leaves for this dish.  It has 8 holes of all different sizes.  There is a hole big enough for Kale and one small enough for Thyme.  I love it!!

One

Two

Three

                                             

End Product

Back to the dish!  These would be perfect for your Super Bowl party, dinner party, bunco, family dinners, etc.  I am sitting here thinking that all this talk about these enchiladas is making me hungry for one.  Hope you try them...you won't be disappointed!

AUTHENTIC BEEF ENCHILADAS 

3 Garlic Cloves, minced (I doubled this because I love garlic)
3 tablespoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Sugar
Salt for seasoning meat
1-1/4 pounds Top Sirloin Steak or Top Blade Steak
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil (I used Canola)
2 onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
(1) 15 ounce can Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup Water
8 ounces Monterey Jack or Mild Cheddar Cheese, shredded (I used a Mexican Blend)
1/3 cup Fresh Cilantro
1/4 cup canned Pickled Jalapenos, chopped
(12) 6-inch Corn Tortillas

1.  Combine the garlic, chili powder, coriander cumin, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.

2.  Pat the meat dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

You only use 1 package

3.  Heat the oil in a Dutch Oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Cook the meat until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes.  Transfer the meat to a plate.

4.  Add the onions to the pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes.

Don't worry about the browned bits on the bottom of your dutch oven.  The moisture from the onions will steam them right off and into your base for a yummy addition to your gravy!

5.  Stir in the garlic mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

6.  Add the tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil.

7.  Return the meat and juices to the pot, cover, and reduce the heat to low, and gently simmer until the meat is tender and can be broken apart with a wooden spoon, about 1-1/2 hours.

Make sure your meat is completely submerged in the sauce.

NOTE:  I actually placed my dutch oven with the meat into the oven at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours and it was perfect.  You could also use a crock pot but since I have not done this personally, I cannot tell you a cooking time...my guess would be 4-5 hours.

8.  Remove the meat from sauce, place in a dish and shred.  Reserve the sauce.

9.  Add 1 cup of the cheese, the cilantro and the jalapenos to the meat and mix well.

10.  Spread  a good amount of the sauce onto the bottom of a 13 X 9 baking dish.
11.  Microwave the corn tortillas, 6 at a time, in a dampened paper towel for about 20 seconds.
12.  Spread 1/3 cup of the meat mixture down the center of each tortilla (I just eyed this), roll the tortillas tight, and place in the dish.  Repeat this with the remaining tortillas and beef mixture (you may have to fit 2 or more enchiladas down the sides of the baking dish).

I used my hands to put the meat in the tortillas...that way I can get it just right.

13.  Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and spread to coat evenly.
14  Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese evenly over the enchiladas, wrap with foil and bake at 350 degrees until heated through, 20-25 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking until the cheese browns slightly, 5-10 minutes more.

TIP:  Although it is best to roll and bake the enchiladas right before serving, the beef filling and sauce can be prepared ahead through Step 9 and refrigerated : )  Prepare the enchiladas and increase the baking time when dish is covered by 5 minutes.

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE