Category: MISC

HOME ON THE RANGE BRUNCH CASSEROLE

This is the perfect casserole for Christmas morning.  You can prepare it the day before and leave it in the refrigerator over night so it’s ready to pop in just before the early morning festivities are beginning.  By the time your floor is full of torn paper and ribbons and as everyone realizes they’re hungry, the smells of this delicious casserole are reaching them and they are so grateful you thought ahead! 

HOME ON THE RANGE BRUNCH CASSEROLE
3 cups frozen shredded hash browns
3/4 cup shredded cheddar/Jack cheese combo
1 cup small diced ham pieces
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 4 ounce can green chiles, drained REALLY well
1 1/2 cups milk
4 JUMBO eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray 2 quart baking dish with non-stick spray.
  • Arrange potatoes loosely at the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Sprinkle with half the cheese.
  • Sprinkle ham pieces, green chiles and onion pieces on top of cheese.
  • Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
  • Pour egg mixture evenly over the potato mixture.
  • Top loosely with the remaining cheese.
  • Bake uncovered 40 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
  • Let stand 5 minutes.
  • Serve with salsa, taco sauce or sour cream.

TEX MEX BLT’s minus the Lettuce

These little delights are perfect finger foods for ANY football party or get together with lots of people. They have just enough kick to spark everyone’s appetite for more.  The shells get crispy and the cheesy filling gets gooey and they are soooooo easy to assemble while looking like you spent hours in the kitchen.

You can also vary the flavors for some extra alternative flavor.  (See my notes below) Use your imagination and make up your own combinations.
TEX MEX BLT’s minus the Lettuce  
3-4 packages phyllo pastry cups – thawed  
1 pound bacon, cooked well and crumbled into very small pieces (very fine ground beef/shredded beef) 
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese  (today I used a Jack and Skellig Sweet Cheddar combo) 
1/2 cup medium Cheddar cheese 
1 cup mayonnaise (not Low-fat)  
1 can Rotel original, drained REALLY well* (when I use shredded beef I trade this for a 4 ounce can of diced jalapenos that I chop very fine) 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Blend the mayonnaise and cheeses together.
  • Fold in the tomatoes and bacon.
  • Scoop evenly into the cups (this will fill about 36).  
  • Place on baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until starting to brown and get bubbly.

*These shells are pretty small so cut any larger chunks of tomato into smaller pieces to make them easier to fill. I did a couple second run through in my mini food processor.

THE LAW OF THE GARBAGE TRUCK

This is an email that came across my desk again today and I know I’ve shared it before, 
but I thought the analogy was so well spelled out that I’d like to pass it on again.

One day I hopped into a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? That guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!”
This is when my taxi driver taught me what I call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.” He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you.
Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so….. “Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don’t.”

ITALIAN BAKED POTATOES

ITALIAN BAKED POTATOES
3/4 pound ground chuck
4 Russet potatoes, scrubbed, buttered* and baked
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Avocado oil
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce (my recipe below)
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

  • In a large skillet heat oil.
  • Add onion and garlic, sauteing until garlic is fragrant.
  • Add beef, cooking until browned and completely broken up.
  • Drain off all fat.
  • Return meat to pan. 
  • Add marinara sauce, blending well and heating through.
  • Add Mascarpone cheese and Parmesan cheese, blending well until creamy.
  • Serve over hot potatoes, salt and peppering to taste.

 *I rub butter on the outside of the skins to make them a little more flavorful.

MARINARA SAUCE
2 large cans Contadina crushed tomatoes
1 can Contadina tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Avocado oil
3 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper1 small white onion, chopped
1 can chicken consomme or 2 cups warm water + 2 teaspoons Wyler’s beef granules
2 carrots, cut into really small pieces
3 tablespoons Classico tomato pesto

  • Heat avocado oil in large saute’/small stock pan.
  • Add onions, carrots and garlic.
  • Mash carrots to a mush.
  • Add the salt and pepper.
  • Whisk in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato pesto, seasonings and consomme.
  • Bring to a simmer for several hours stirring frequently.
  • Pour over prepared pasta and toss well.
  • Store remaining sauce is quart size or gallon size ziploc bags depending on your family size. The bags will freeze in a flat shape so you can store more in the freezer.

CHICKEN CHILE RELLENO CASSEROLE

CHICKEN CHILE RELLENO CASSEROLE
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup Wondra
3 tablespoons corn meal
1 LARGE egg, beaten
4 ounce can of green chiles, drained WELL
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese mix
Taco sauce, warmed
Sour cream

  • Toss chicken pieces, egg and green chiles until well coated.  Chill for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Combine Wondra and corn meal in a large ziploc bag.
  • Add chicken pieces to bag, tossing to coat each piece well.
  • Add cilantro and red pepper, tossing again.
  • Layer into baking dish.
  • Top with cheese.
  • Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through
  • Serve with Taco sauce and sour cream.

EPIPHANIES, GOALS & RESOLUTIONS

I like the idea of having even one epiphany this next year, especially if it happens as the New Year begins. Epiphanies can lead to resolutions and my one and only resolution is the follow through it takes to make those Epiphanies come to life. See the pattern here?  A nice big circle of completion!

While I don’t make a specific resolution list as I believe these lists can be a key to failure when you don’t/can’t accomplish the individual items, I do tend to make lists of the things I need to accomplish as a whole!  This year I am NOT making a list Per Se, but committing to completing all the projects on my desk and in my pending file as soon as humanly possible.  Unfortunately and realistically many of these can only be completed with divine intervention as they pertain to the VA and all the entanglements that go along with the biggest ball of bureaucratic red tape you have ever seen. My aim though is to become the SQUEAKIEST WHEEL EVER and clear my desk!

So I am scaring myself a little (okay ~ A LOT) with this commitment, but remember the age-old question is: ‘HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?’ And the answer will always be “ONE BITE AT A TIME!”  Some bites will be smaller than others, but that’s okay too!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, ONE AND ALL, AND MAY YOU TOO SEE THE LIGHT OF YOUR EPIPHANY!

It also can’t hurt to start the year out with a little old fashioned good luck – Black Eyed Peas.  I am making this year’s batch with the left over prime rib from Christmas – YUMMY!

MANY people swear by starting their year out with black-eyed peas for luck.  I’m not a superstitious person, but hey it can’t hurt!
As a kid I HATED black-eyed peas, but I recently found the Trappey’s brand and they are fantastic! Hubs and I ate them plain and polished off the whole can. In fact they were so good that I can’t wait to try their other beans in soups, field peas, navy, black-eyed peas with jalapenos, etc…
BLACK-EYED PEA CHILI

1 can Trappey’s Black-eyed peas with bacon
+/- 2 cups shredded left over pot roast
1 can original Rotel tomatoes
1 1/2 cups V8
1 small HUNT’S tomato sauce 
1 tablespoon Frank’s red hot sauce
1 package Williams Chili Seasoning packet
salt and pepper, to taste
water to desired consistency*
cheese bread or corn muffins
sour cream and onions to garnish

  • Mix together everything except the bread and garnish in a stock pot.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer several hours until you can smell the chili calling you to the kitchen.
  • Ladle into bowls and garnish.
  • Enjoy!

*I use about 2 cups.  I like to start thin and simmer until thick (2-3 hours) to allow the flavors to blend together.

CREAM OF ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

CREAM OF ROASTED TOMATO SOUP
1 1/2 pounds ripe red vine tomatoes
1 package grape tomatoes, halved
1 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 cups hot water
1 package KNORR chicken stock gel
2 tablespoons cream sherry
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fennel seed*
1 tablespoon Litehouse red jalapeno rings*

  • Line a cookie sheet with foil.
  • Wash and slice tomatoes into large slices.
  • Lay tomato slices out of cookie sheet, toss in grape tomato pieces and garlic.
  • Salt and pepper the cookie sheet full of tomato pieces.
  • Roast for 30-45 minutes until tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  • In a large saute’ pan melt butter and saute’ green onions.
  • Add the hot water,  KNORR chicken stock gel, Litehouse red jalapeno rings and fennel seed, simmering on low until tomatoes are roasted.
  • Tomatoes should be near mush.  Using a colander drain off liquid into your saute pan.  
  • Using a food processor or blender puree’ the tomato mixture.
  • Add puree to broth mixture and whisk together well.
  • Add cream sherry and milk, blending well.

    *These are my ‘secret’ ingredients that make ALL the difference .

    GARLIC BUTTER CROUTONS
    leftover (day old) sourdough bread
    Butter
    Garlic powder

    • Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
    • Butter bread on both sides.
    • Sprinkle 1 side with garlic powder.
    • Cut into pieces and places on cookie sheet.
    • Bake until golden and toasted.