Category: CASSEROLES & SIDES

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO with BBQ SAUSAGE

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken pieces
1/2 pound sausage, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces and then quartered
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh green beans, cleaned and chopped
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper

  • Melt butter and oil over medium high heat in a large saute’ pan.  Add flour and whisk continuously until golden brown.
  • Add onions, garlic and celery stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
  • Add thyme. salt and pepper.
  • Add green beans, stirring to coat.
  • Add broth, chicken and sausage pieces and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until desired consistency.
  • Add parsley and stir well.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes.
  • I coated the remaining sausage pieces with barbecue sauce and broiled them for a few minutes as an appetizer/compliment.

CHICKEN COUNTRY CASSOULET

CHICKEN COUNTRY CASSOULET
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
1 pound fat sausages of choice, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, sliced
1/2 pound snap peas, washed and deveined
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1 14-ounce can petit diced tomatoes, basil, garlic & oregano
1 tablespoon Classico sun-dried tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
2 +/- cups chicken stock
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs**
salt and ground black pepper

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Brown the bacon until browned and crumbly in Dutch oven casserole dish.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  • Add chicken and sausages and brown on all sides. Remove from fat and set aside. 
  • Add the onions and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. 
  • Add the carrots, snap peas and parsley, sauteing 3-4 more minutes.
  • Add tomatoes, tomato puree, spices and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add meat back in.
  • Add enough of the stock to just cover the meat and veggies, you don’t want things swimming around too much.  You can always add more stock during the cooking if needed. 
  • Cover dish and cook 1 hour.
  • Add more stock if necessary. Spread crumbs over the top and cook uncovered for 40 more minutes or until browned. 

**Try adding other vegetables such as broccoli or white beans for variety.   I used crushed Ritz crackers today and they worked reallllllllllllllly well as a substitute!

CHILI HOMINY BAKE

Back when I was a latch key kid I was supposed to go home after school, lock the door, do my chores and homework and then start dinner. Dinners were mainly casseroles and a pre-planned set of recipes at that. One of those recipes was my great aunt Louise’s Chili Hominy Bake. I recently ran across that recipe and it drudged up memories – some good, some not so good. You see I can’t stand kidney beans or black olives and I hated hominy – or so I thought. I did love the overall flavor, but since I didn’t like the parts I decided to rework them to make a better whole!

AUNT LOUISE’S JIFFY CHILI HOMINY BAKE
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound can chili with beans (2 cups)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can yellow hominy, drained (2 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives
1/2 cup shredded American cheese

  • Cook ground beef and onion until browned.
  • Stir in other ingredients except cheese.
  • Put in casserole.
  • Cover and bake in medium oven for 25 minutes.
  • Sprinkle cheese over top, continue baking uncovered 5 minutes more.
  • Good re-heated.

MY CHILI HOMINY BAKE
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 packet Williams Chili seasoning
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, drained, but save the juice
1 can cream of celery soup
1 large can hominy, drained & chopped small
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

  • Cook ground beef, garlic and onion until browned.
  • Add in the chili seasoning mix and tomato juice.
  • Cook until well blended and juice is absorbed.
  • Chop hominy smaller.
  • Stir together the soup, tomatoes and chiles, hominy until well blended.
  • Stir together the soup mixture and beef mixture until well blended.
  • Put in greased casserole.
  • Sprinkle cheese over top, continue baking uncovered 25-30 minutes more.
  • Good re-heated.



The key was taking out the kidney beans, black olives and chopping the hominy into better sized pieces. Now that might not be the key for you so add them back in! This is a very versatile recipe. I guarantee these changes will make this a great kid friendly casserole.

ROASTED STUFFED PEPPERS

I quit eating stuffed peppers because green peppers just didn’t agree with us anymore.  Then I started making them in red or orange peppers and only giving us each a  large half – plus they look more attractive to serve in halves.  Now we love them again.
EASY STUFFED PEPPERS
2/3 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
3 green onions, minced
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 slices ham
3/4 cup minute rice, prepared
1 large red or orange pepper
2 slices mild cheddar cheese + 1/4 cup grated (I sometimes use mozzarella for a different taste)
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.
  • Drain fat.
  • Add in tomato sauce and rice.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Wash, cut in half and clean out pepper.
  • Layer ham slice on inside.
  • Fill with meat mixture.
  • Top with cheese slice and sprinkle grated over casserole portion.
  • Bake 30 minutes.

SHEPHERD’S PIE

2 pounds ground beef
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 large Vidalia Onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups baby carrots, cut into quarters
2 large celery ribs, sliced small
3 cloves garlic, minced
14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 small can Le Seur Peas, undrained
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup shredded jack cheese
2 + 3 tablespoons butter

  • Boil potatoes until tender. Drain.
  • Whisk together the tomatoes, seasonings and garlic.
  • Pour into a large mixing bowl.
  • Generously salt and pepper beef and brown well.
  • Drain off grease and add to tomato mixture.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter.
  • Saute carrots and celery together until tender.
  • Add to beef mixture.
  • Fold in Peas.
  • Pour into a 9×9 casserole dish.
  • Sprinkle cheese over top.
  • In a mixing bowl combine 2 tablespoons butter, buttermilk and potatoes. Generously salt and pepper. Mash well.
  • Top casserole with mashed potatoes.
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

TIP: Cultured Buttermilk Blend powder. While I use a lot of buttermilk for cooking and baking, sometimes I just don’t have it on hand and this powdered form is a lifesaver on a snowy day so I don’t have to make a grocery store run. It’s handy, flavorful and lasts a really LONG time.

OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING

Many Thanksgiving’s ago I stood in my childhood kitchen watching my dad prepare the stuffing for dinner.  Daddy never stuffed the Turkey, but instead made the “stuffing” like a big casserole.  The stuffing was always my favorite part topped with daddy’s giblet gravy – YUMMY.  I can taste it like it was always those years ago again.

Several years ago my brother asked me to try and reproduce the recipe and VOILA’ I did it!


OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING
10 slices Brownberry or Oroweat OATNUT bread, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
4 teaspoons minced garlic, Jar


  • Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
  • Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
  • Chop all the vegetables.
  • In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
  • Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
  • Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
  • Add the melted butter.
  • In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
  • Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
  • Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
  • Fold entire mixture into at least a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered 1 hour.
  • At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
  • When it’s time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes.

CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES

1/2 cup butter
16 oz. whipping cream
5 large russet potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic (jar) or 1 clove
2 cups grated 4 white cheese mix (Gruyere, Muenster, etc…)
2 cups rates sharp cheddar
Wondra Flour

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
  • Grease 9×13 baking dish.
  • In a large sauce pan, melt the butter.
  • Gradually add the whipping cream and spices. Blend well.
  • Gradually add the flour until the mixture thickens, but it is still pourable!
  • Mix the cheeses all together.
  • Layer the potatoes, cheese and cream mixture ending with cheese on top.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

I developed this recipe for a request from our youngest and it quickly became a family favorite.

JAMBALAYA

JAMBALAYA

3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 large bunch green onions, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced cooked ham
1 beef sausage, diced
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup long grain rice

  • Heat the oil in a dutch oven. Add the green onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant and tender.
  • Mix in remaining ingredients except for the rice and bring to a boil.
  • Add rice and reduce the heat. Simmer until rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

RITZY CARROT & BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Grams made this as a broccoli casserole for years and I recently converted it to include carrots (I love the color combo) and removed the yucky for you condensed soup.

RITZY CARROT & BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
4 medium carrots
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons butter
pinch cinnamon

  • Wash, peel and slice carrots diagonally.
  • In a saucepan combine the water, salt and sugar.
  • Add carrots. Bring to a boil.
  • Turn down heat to simmer and cook until JUST tender crisp.
  • Drain.
  • Toss with butter and cinnamon.

6 broccoli crowns, washed and trimmed into 2 inch pieces (stalks also)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Jumbo egg
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups ritz cracker crumbs**
4 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook broccoli in boiling, salted water or steam until JUST tender.
  • Drain well, cool slightly and toss with carrots and onions.
  • Layer into a greased 9×9 baking dish.
  • Top with cracker crumbs.
  • Melt butter in bottom of saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
  • Add the chicken broth, milk, mayonnaise and egg, whisking until smooth.
  • Pour over broccoli mixture.
  • Cover and bake 40 minutes.
  • Top with cheese and bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes.
  • Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

**I love to substitute Keebler buttery garlic club crackers and add garlic!

TURKEY TETTRAZINI

When I was a kid and just starting to do the majority of the family cooking we had a set group of recipes that were the “weeknight” recipes. One of those recipes that was especially popular during the holidays was Turkey Tettrazini. We also substituted ham and chicken for the turkey throughout the rest of the year. Back then I prepared the recipes as they were written and they were okay, but the Tettrazini recipe used ALL Velveeta and canned mushrooms and stuff I wouldn’t think of putting into my body now so it was my goal to create the same recipe in a more health oriented way, but still easy for a weeknight meal.

TURKEY TETTRAZZINI
2 tablespoons butter
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
8 ounces linguine, broken in half and cooked al dente
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded turkey pieces*
1 can cream of celery soup**
1 cup milk
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt butter in a skillet.
  • Saute onions and celery just until tender.
  • Add soup and milk, stirring to blend. Cook just until thick.
  • Add cheddar cheese.
  • Add salt and pepper.
  • In the bottom of an 11×7 baking dish scatter first the pasta and then the meat pieces.
  • Pour soup mixture over top.
  • Top with mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes.

*ham and rotisserie chicken work well too
** I PREFER SOUP SUBSTITUTES – SEE BELOW

CREAM SOUP SUBSTITUTES

Do you hate buying canned soups for use in recipes? Do you want something healthier and less costly?  These recipes make perfect substitutes for 1 can of soup.

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or other liquid (as specified in variations)

  • Melt the butter in heavy saucepan.
  • Blend in flour and salt. Cook until bubbly.
  • Remove from heat and gradually stir or whisk in liquid.
  • Return to heat and cook, constantly stirring until smooth and thickened.

VARIATIONS

  • Cream of chicken: Use 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. chicken broth as the liquid. Add 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning or sage.
  • Cream of celery: Saute´ 1/2 c. chopped celery and 1 T. finely chopped onion in the margarine before adding flour. Use milk for liquid.
  • Cream of mushroom: Saute´1/4 c. finely chopped mushrooms and 1 T. finely chopped onion in margarine before adding flour. Use milk for liquid.
  • Tomato: Use tomato juice as liquid. Add a dash each of garlic salt, onion salt, basil, and oregano.
  • Cheddar cheese: Use milk for liquid. Stir into the finished sauce 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 1/4 tsp. dry mustard.
  • Cream of shrimp: Drain the liquid from a small can of tiny shrimp into a measuring cup. Fill cup with milk to measure 1 cup of liquid. Add a dash of pepper, onion salt, curry powder, and paprika to the finished sauce, and stir in the shrimp.

CHICKEN CHILE CORN CUSTARDS

This recipe turned out fantastic and would be perfect your next brunch gathering. It also makes a wonderful cold winter’s night meal.

CHICKEN CHILE CORN CUSTARDS
2 medium fresh poblano or Anaheim chile peppers, roasted
1 small sweet red pepper, roasted
2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
5 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups Green Giant white corn niblets, drained
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 can green chiles, drained well
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • Preheat oven to 425˚.
  • Grease 6 six ounce ramekins.
  • Place ramekins in a 13×9 baking dish.
  • In a large bowl combine eggs and cream.
  • Fold in peppers, corn, chicken, cheese, bread crumbs, chives, chili powder, salt and pepper.
  • Pour mixture evenly into ramekins.
  • Place baking dish on center rack in the middle of the oven.
  • Add 1 inch of boiling water to the baking dish.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
  • Remove ramekins from water and serve on plates.

    CHIPOTLE CHEDDAR MAC & CHEESE

    CHIPOTLE CHEDDAR MACARONI & CHEESE ala TAMY
    1 1/2 cups dried macaroni (elbows or shells)
    1 1/4 cup diced ham
    1/2 cup garlic pepper crispy onions
    3/4 cup heavy cream
    2 tablespoons butter
    salt and pepper, to taste
    4 slices Chipotle cheddar cheese, torn into pieces
    3 slices sharp cheddar cheese, torn into pieces
    3 slices white American cheese, torn into pieces

    • Preheat oven to 350˚.
    • Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Drain well.
    • Using the same pan, melt butter and add cream until smooth.
    • Add cheese a few pieces at a time, stirring until well blended.
    • Salt and pepper to taste.
    • Add ham pieces, coating them well with sauce.
    • Fold in pasta.
    • Pour into casserole dish.
    • Sprinkle with crispy onions.
    • Bake 20 minutes or until heated through and golden on top.