Cheeseburger Macaroni -- a wonderful freezer meal

 

 I mentioned this back in April, and even included it in a post.  But I'm going to schedule it for the end of October, as Lucie commented that November is the time to be sure we have meals stashed in the freezer.  This is a good one to share with others so they too will have something hearty and good ready for those busy days approaching the holidays.  I often give a pan of this to families with a new baby, or those with a houseful of holiday guests.

CHEESY BEEF MACARONI BAKE

1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
15-ounce can tomato sauce (the Contadina kind that includes herbs is wonderful!)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups elbow macaroni, boiled and drained
1 cup whipping cream OR half & half
2 1/2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the crumbled ground beef and onion and garlic in a large skilled until beef is no longer pink.  Stir in the tomato sauce and seasoning, salt and pepper.  Spread this mixture in the bottom of a greased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Heat the cream in a medium saucepan; when it bubbles a bit around the edges, stir in the shredded cheese and whisk until smooth.  Mix the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce and spread this mixture over the meat sauce in the pan.

If you like you can sprinkle with chopped parsley or a bit more shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350º for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

This freezes well and reheats nicely.  If you freeze it, thaw it out (take out of freezer and place in fridge the night before) before baking it.

Will serve about 6.

Thinking back to the 2024 miscellaneous cooking & baking list

 

 As I mentioned back in December, I have never made a list like this before, though I often gift food to random people who are not on my "kitchen gifts" list.  The recipients might even vary from year to year.  But I think it's a good idea to have such a list.  

So heading up my list is a cheese log and crackers that we took to a Christmas party along with a cookie tray, just as a help to the very busy hostess rather than a "hostess gift".  I talked with her a few weeks ahead of time and asked if we could help out in this way.  I find that it helps people if I just make a suggestion up front as to what I might bring, and they are often relieved not to have to decide what to ask for.

Friends of ours who live exceedingly busy lives often have a houseful of guests over Christmas.  When this happens, I like to help them out by preparing some frozen entrees, some breakfast foods, and an assortment of cookies.  In 2024 I made granola, a cranberry coffee cake, two frozen lasagnas and two pans of cheeseburger macaroni.  We also gave them an assortment of cookies in a large plastic container to keep in the freezer and bring out as needed.

Here is the Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe:

CHEESY BEEF MACARONI BAKE

1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
15-ounce can tomato sauce (the Contadina kind that includes herbs is wonderful!)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups elbow macaroni, boiled and drained
1 cup whipping cream OR half & half
2 1/2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the crumbled ground beef and onion and garlic in a large skilled until beef is no longer pink.  Stir in the tomato sauce and seasoning, salt and pepper.  Spread this mixture in the bottom of a greased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Heat the cream in a medium saucepan; when it bubbles a bit around the edges, stir in the shredded cheese and whisk until smooth.  Mix the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce and spread this mixture over the meat sauce in the pan.

If you like you can sprinkle with chopped parsley or a bit more shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350º for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

This freezes well and reheats nicely.  If you freeze it, thaw it out (take out of freezer and place in fridge the night before) before baking it.

Will serve about 6.

I have shared the freezer lasagna recipe before, but this is the newest tweak.  I honestly don't think I will tweak it again after this; I have now developed a meat variation in addition to the vegetable one.  I use both of these and the macaroni bake over and over in my volunteer work preparing meals for work crews, so they are absolutely tried and true!

VEGETABLE LASAGNA to freeze

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced (a total of about 1 teaspoon)

16 ounces frozen chopped broccoli (or spinach), thawed

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 1b. ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use

1 egg

3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese


1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon oregano (or Italian seasoning)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 jar Alfredo sauce (16 oz.)

9 uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles

Additional parmesan if desired 

In a large skillet, cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft.  Add the thawed vegetables and the Italian seasoning.  Stir to combine, cover the skillet, reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes.  Turn off heat and set aside.

In a large bowl combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, egg, parmesan, and seasonings.  Mix well.

Grease a 13x9 foil baking pan.  Pour a thin layer of Alfredo sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Layer on 3 noodles.  Spread half of cheese over the noodles.  Spread half of the vegetable mixture over the cheese layer,  then evenly drizzle about 1/3 of the Alfredo sauce over the vegetables.  

Repeat layers: 3 noodles, half of cheese mixture, half of vegetables, another 1/3 of sauce.  

Top with 3 noodles and spread the remaining third of sauce over them.  Cover with remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.  Sprinkle with additional grated parmesan if desired.

Cover tightly with foil and freeze.  

The night before you want to serve it, remove from freezer and leave it in the fridge overnight.  

1 1/2 hours before serving, bake the lasagna, covered, in a preheated 350º oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand, still covered, for 15 minutes before serving.

CLASSIC MEAT LASAGNA to freeze

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced (a total of about 1 teaspoon)

1 pound more or less of ground beef (can also use ground pork or sausage)

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 1b. ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use

1 egg

3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon oregano (or Italian seasoning)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 jar spaghetti or marinara sauce (24 oz.)

9 uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles

Additional parmesan if desired 

In a large skillet, cook the onions, garlic, and crumbled ground meat in the olive oil until meat is no longer pink.  Add the Italian seasoning and cook a minute or two more.  Turn off heat and set aside.

In a large bowl combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, egg, parmesan, and seasonings.  Mix well.

Grease a 13x9 foil baking pan.  Pour a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Layer on 3 noodles.  Spread half of cheese over the noodles.  Spread half of the meat mixture over the cheese layer,  then evenly drizzle about 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce over the meat.  

Repeat layers: 3 noodles, half of cheese mixture, half of meat mixture, another 1/3 of sauce.  

Top with 3 noodles and spread the remaining third of sauce over them.  Cover with remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.  Sprinkle with additional grated parmesan if desired.

Cover tightly with foil and freeze.  

The night before you want to serve it, remove from freezer and leave it in the fridge overnight.  

1 1/2 hours before serving, bake the lasagna, covered, in a preheated 350º oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand, still covered, for 15 minutes before serving.

As you can see, these are assembled in the same exact way.  I will often double the filling recipe and make two lasagnas at the same time.  

 Well, this has morphed into a longer post than I intended, but I hope it will be helpful to readers!

 

An easy yet festive looking main dish for a busy night

 

 If you are like me, you are always looking for quick and easy meals during December.  A quick, easy meal with a festive look is absolutely a plus.  

Back in July I told about reaching into the above envelope stuffed with random recipe clippings.  

 This looks so easy!  In case you can't read it, the recipe calls for a 9 to 10 ounce package of refrigerated cheese ravioli and 2 cups frozen (or fresh) broccoli florets, cooked as directed on the pasta package.  Heat a jar of Alfredo sauce, adding 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and, if desired, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. 

Serve sauce over the pasta and broccoli, topping with 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese when serving, if desired.  Serve with crusty bread and a mixed green salad.

 This recipe sounds delicious and so festive to me, with its red, white  and green colors.  What do you think? Does this sound like a good addition to your December menus?

Super easy meal for a busy day: Egg Roll in a Bowl

 

 But, you're thinking: egg rolls need to be filled, and wrapped, and deep fried.  How is that an easy meal?

It's easy because this is just the egg roll filling, or something that resembles it anyway, and it is served in a bowl.  If you like, you might also choose to serve a side of some sort -- either vegetables or a salad.   Not rice, because that would defeat the low-carb properties of this meal.  And searching for low-carb recipes is what brought this main dish across my radar in the first place.  

This recipe, if you can even call it that, is incredibly flexible.  The basics needed would be ground or chopped meat (pork, beef, lamb, chicken, turkey or even ham); fresh vegetables like onion, celery, zucchini,  green beans, etc.; and a package of coleslaw mix.  And some seasonings like salt, pepper, soy sauce, garlic powder, ground ginger ...  Ginger paste from the produce aisle works nicely too instead of the ground spice.

If you are starting with ground raw meat, cook it in a large skillet, adding some bacon fat if necessary to keep it from sticking.  Next, add in any fresh vegetables you like, sliced in bite size pieces or, in the case of zucchini or summer squash, in sticks about 3 inches long.  Cook and stir the mixture until these veggies are nearly tender.  You may wish to cover the skillet to hasten this process.  At this point add the coleslaw mix and stir well.  Continue to cook, adding more bacon fat or some butter if it seems necessary.  Cook until the cabbage (and there may be carrots in the mix, too) is tender.  Add in seasonings -- some garlic powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper -- and add soy sauce to taste.  Serve piping hot.

I have made this with chopped leftover turkey, chicken or ham.  When using already cooked meat, I usually begin the preparation with cooking the fresh vegetables in a little bacon fat or butter (I try to avoid seed oils).  When the vegetables are tender, I stir in the meat, the seasonings, and maybe a little chicken broth and heat through before adding in and cooking the cole slaw mix.  

This recipe comes together in less than a half hour and is really delicious.  It has become one of my husband's favorite meals!

Put your slow cooker to work for you in this busy season

 

 I don't ordinarily do the same post on each blog during December -- and this one isn't the same as the one on my Kitchen Table blog; you will find different recipes on each of them.  Seems I just have to write a post about this every few years!   I apologize if it sounds familiar, but I think you will thank me for the reminder.   I rely on my slow cooker during any busy season, but I find it invaluable in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  I can put supper in the cooker on any busy day, even if I plan to be home all day.  I can then spend my day crafting, cleaning, decorating, or whatever happens to be on my agenda, while supper cooks all by itself.

I tend to use recipes that are one-dish meals, to keep things as simple as possible.  But if sides are needed, I might -- depending upon what the main course is --  use a bagged salad mix, scrub and pierce a few potatoes or sweet potatoes and bake them,  or quickly cook a bag of frozen vegetables in the microwave.  If you have a bread machine, which I no longer do, it's a simple matter to have bread baking at the same time soup is simmering in the crock.

Here are a few recipe links you might find helpful.  

Forgotten Jambalaya. So good if you enjoy Cajun flavors and pretty much a meal in a bowl.

Fiesta Sweet Potato Soup.   This is unusual but scrumptious.  Most people I have served it to have really enjoyed it.  You could serve it very simply with tortilla chips, or bake a quick pan of cornbread.

Burgundy Beef.  As I looked over this recipe, I found it called for very little burgundy (a quarter cup) and also noted that beef broth could be substituted.  Usually when a recipe calls for red wine, I use cranberry juice instead, so that's what I decided to do.  I didn't have any mushrooms on hand, but decided to substitute sliced onions.  I also didn't want to serve the dish over noodles, so I peeled and quartered 5 or 6 small potatoes and added them to the cooker with everything else.  This turned out really well and the gravy had fantastic flavor. 

Sunday Chicken Supper.    This is a true meal in one.

If you need further inspiration for slow cooker recipes, please do click the "slow cookers" link in the label cloud at right for a few more.  Over on my Kitchen Table blog, click the "slow cooker recipes" label, where you will find pages of good ideas.  You could also visit my Slow Cooker Inspiration Pinterest board for more good ideas!  There are loads of yummy-looking recipes there, and elsewhere on Pinterest. 

And I truly do hope that you will get out your slow cooker and put it to work for you in this busy, festive season.  It really will make life easier in this busy month of December! 

An easy oven dinner for a busy day

 

As Christmas nears I find it ever more challenging to produce an evening meal that will be quick yet satisfying and relatively healthy.  I like to use the crockpot during this season, but it doesn't always work out.  This past week I had some cooked chicken breasts on hand and devised a meal that we both enjoyed greatly.  We are trying to eat low carb these days (except for the Christmas cookies, haha) so that's what this meal is.

CHICKEN BROCCOLI BAKE

1 large package frozen broccoli florets (mine was between 24 and 32 ounces)
1 to 2 cooked boneless chicken breasts, sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 of a 14-ounce can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
Garlic powder to taste
Basil to taste

Paprika and a bit more shredded Parmesan for topping

Spread the broccoli in a shallow 2 or 2 1/2 quart casserole dish.  Salt and pepper generously.  Arrange chicken over broccoli.

In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients; spoon evenly over chicken.  Sprinkle with paprika and additional shredded Parmesan.  Bake at 350º for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Makes about 4 servings.  We just had a salad alongside and that was plenty.

I chose to use basil in this because I had included some leftover pesto cauliflower in with the broccoli.  (The artichoke hearts were also a leftover.)

But other herbs could probably be substituted.  I think curry powder would be good, but not with basil -- and I had the flavor limitation of that pesto.

Hope this easy oven meal is a blessing to you if you try it!

Vegetable lasagna to freeze now and bake later

 It's always great to stash a few frozen main dishes in the freezer to serve on busy December days.  Vegetable lasagna has always been one of my favorites to make ahead and freeze.  It got even easier once the oven-ready lasagna noodles became available.  I recently tweaked my recipe to use up some fresh baby spinach and a lovely red pepper before they went bad.  I think I like this version even better.

 VEGETABLE LASAGNA

1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 large red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tblsp. olive oil
Baby spinach
1/2 tsp. salt-free garlic-herb seasoning blend
1 lb. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided use)
1 egg
3 Tblsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. oregano OR Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 quart spaghetti sauce or Alfredo sauce
9 lasagna noodles, UNCOOKED
1 cup water (maybe less)
Extra Parmesan, if desired

In large skillet, sauté onion and red pepper in olive oil until soft; add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Add the herb mix. Stir to combine, cover skillet, reduce heat, and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, egg, Parmesan, and seasonings. Set aside.

Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce on bottom of a 13 x 9” baking dish. Layer on: 3 noodles, half of cheese mixture, half of vegetable mixture, and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 3 noodles, 1 cup sauce, 1/2 cup mozzarella. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan if desired.

If using regular lasagna noodles, pour water around the edges of the baking dish.  If using the no-boil, ready to bake lasagna noodles, you will not need the water. Cover baking dish tightly with foil.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand 15 more minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

May be made ahead and frozen for future use. Simply thaw overnight in refrigerator and bake as directed.

A great pizza recipe for Christmas Eve!

Does your family enjoy a traditional meal on Christmas Eve?  Some like to have a meatless meal; others favor seafood; some like specific ethnic flavors,  and so on.  For many years at our house, our meal is traditionally Christmas Eve Soup, served very simply with corn muffins, biscuits or rolls (or sometimes with cheese pizza), with ice cream and Christmas cookies for dessert.

In recent years, we've been enjoying pizza with our Christmas Eve Soup.  Often it's just cheese or pepperoni pizza.  But this Spinach Artichoke White Cheese Pizza from Sally's Baking Addiction sounds like a perfect pizza for Christmas Eve!

Photo from Sally's Baking Addiction

Doesn't it look scrumptious?

If we get a cool day this month and I feel it's conductive to baking, I'll be giving this one a try!

Recipe ideas for Christmas dinner

I don't know yet exactly what we will be having for Christmas dinner, but I felt it might be a good time for a post with some recipe ideas.  There's still plenty of time to get to the grocery store for ingredients.  I'll share a few thoughts for the main course and some sides, and save the dessert ideas for another day.

One main course I've made several times for Christmas dinner is Ranch House Chicken.  I use this recipe for Ranch House Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and substitute chicken for the pork chops.  I have never made the Parmesan mashed potatoes, because we usually serve a different mashed potato dish (as you will see later). 

Photo from Real Mom Kitchen

 Also, whenever I make this chicken, I use a very simple homemade ranch dressing mix.  This dish produces a really tasty gravy.

Here's the recipe for the Ranch Dressing Mix, in case you need it:

RANCH DRESSING MIX

2 Tblsp. plus 2 tsp. dried minced onion
1 Tblsp. dried parsley flakes
2 1/2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in airtight container -- a jar, tin, or small plastic container would work well. For each packet of ranch dressing mix called for in a recipe, use 1 Tblsp. of this mix.

 Another main course idea is for roast pork.  We seldom eat pork or beef these days, but I've made pork roasts in the past and found a couple of recipes we really enjoyed.  This Rosemary Pork Roast is one of them, and I highly recommend it.  Just be very careful not to overcook it.

(Photo by Taste of Home)

For sides, mashed potatoes are a given at our house.  The Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes recipe is our family's go-to for any large holiday meal that requires mashed potatoes.  They are really, really good.

(Photo by Taste of Home)

A couple other vegetable ideas: in New England, it seems that squash is often a favorite side for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners.  It always was when I was growing up, so I often tend to serve it.  This recipe: Whipped Butternut Squash is from an older Taste of Home magazine and is  wonderful!

(Photo by Taste of Home)

Here's an idea that I haven't tried: Green Beans with Roasted Grape Tomatoes.  With its festive red and green colors, this side dish, from an older December issue of Country Woman magazine, would be a natural for Christmas dinner.

We always like a festive salad with Christmas dinner, and this  Merry Berry Salad

(Photo by Taste of Home)

is the one I usually choose to make.  We especially like the easy, homemade cranberry vinaigrette dressing.

Cranberry sauce is a must if we're serving chicken, and I love this recipe for  Jellied Cranberry Sauce  that I found last year via Chowhound.

Photo from Chowhound

Or,  this Paradise Cran-Applesauce recipe makes a beautiful and lovely side dish that would be good with pork,  turkey or chicken.  No spices; just the wonderful, unadulterated flavors of apples and cranberries.

Photo from Taste of Home

So there you have a few of my Christmas dinner ideas.  If you needed inspiration, I hope you've found some.  Desserts to follow!

The slow cooker is our friend this time of year

Forgotten Jambalaya from Taste of Home

Yes, indeed it is!

I  frequently use the slow cooker to prepare supper during the busy month of December.   I rely on my slow cooker so much during any busy season, but I find it invaluable in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  I can put supper in the cooker on any busy day, even if I plan to be home all day.  I can then spend my day crafting, cleaning, decorating, card-writing, gift wrapping, or whatever happens to be on my agenda, while supper cooks all by itself.

One of my favorite strategies in the past was to bake a loaf of bread in the bread machine at the same time I had a soup going in the crockpot.  What a time-saver!  Sadly, my bread machine stopped working -- well, it would still work for dough but would no longer bake bread properly -- so I threw it away.  With trying to eat less gluten, not to mention less bread, I made the decision not to replace it.  But it's a strategy that might still work for you and your family.  There are loads of soup recipes on my Kitchen Table blog (link in sidebar) and lots of bread machine recipes too.

Lately, I am more likely to make slow cooker dishes that are a meal in one, including vegetables.

Here are a few favorites:

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

Tex-Mex Quinoa Casserole -- a very flavorful meatless recipe.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Pork.  We seldom eat pork anymore, but this was a favorite.  The photo, obviously, is just a generic one of Chinese take-out.

Forgotten Jambalaya - pictured at top of post.
Sunday Chicken Supper, pictured below.  You can certainly use boneless chicken if preferred.

If you would like more slow cooker recipes, there are many of them on my Kitchen Table blog.  Just head over there (link is in the sidebar) and click on "slow cooker recipes" in the label cloud.  You will find a large variety to choose from, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how much of a friend your slow cooker will be during this busy time of year.

My Mother's Macaroni & Cheese

When I was a child, our family's traditional meal for Christmas Eve was macaroni and cheese.  My mother made hers with a rich cheese sauce, loaded with sharp or maybe extra-sharp cheddar.  She always topped her macaroni and cheese with crushed saltines sauteed briefly in butter (a much-coveted treat for us children) and then topped the whole with paprika before heating it through until bubbly in the oven.  It was delicious.  We often had grilled hot dogs alongside the macaroni and cheese and usually a green salad of some sort.

My mother always made an extra casserole dish full of macaroni and cheese, and took it to a neighbor couple we dearly loved, for their Christmas Eve supper.  On New Year's Day, Mrs. F always made a gelatin dessert called pumpkin snow, and sent it back to us in the clean casserole dish, along with a jar of custard sauce to serve with the dessert.  It was a sweet tradition between neighbors.

I recently located my mother's macaroni & cheese recipe, which I had copied down many years ago.  I suspect it probably started with a Betty Crocker recipe and she tweaked it from there.  In case anyone else thinks macaroni & cheese sounds like a good Christmas Eve supper -- or if you'd just like to try a good recipe -- here it is:

MACARONI AND CHEESE

2 cups elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided use
3/8 teaspoon pepper, divided use
2 cups milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided use
2 tsp. instant minced onion
Topping:
1/2 tube of saltine crackers, crumbled
1/4 cup butter
Paprika

Cook the macaroni as the package directs.

Melt butter in double boiler over hot water [I just use a saucepan].  Blend in flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Cook over low heat, stirring,  until mixture is smooth and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in milk.  Return to heat; heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Stir in about half the cheese (1 1/2 cups).

Place half the cooked macaroni in a lightly greased 2 to 3 quart casserole.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the minced onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle on half the remaining cheese (about 3/4 cup).  Pour half of the cheese sauce over this layer.  Repeat layers.

For topping, melt the 1/4 cup butter and crumble in the half-tube of saltines.  Cook the crumbs in the butter for a few minutes, then use to top the casserole.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake at 375º for 35 to 40  minutes or until topping is browned and casserole is bubbly. 

Makes 4 to 6 servings, I would guess. 

A quick-to-make supper for a busy day

I've shared this recipe on my regular blog, but not here on my Christmas blog.  I happened to think of posting it here since it's what I prepared for supper last night.  You have to love an oven recipe that's fast to put together and contains pretty much an entire meal in a 13x9 dish!  Here's the recipe:

POLENTA BAKE

1 package of chicken sausage (fully cooked type such as Al Fresco) -- in the sweet apple flavor
1 large sweet onion
1 large apple (Honey Crisp is the best!) or 2 smaller apples
1 tube garlic and herb polenta
Olive oil
Salt and pepper (optional)

Have a 9 x 13-inch baking dish ready and just add the ingredients as you prepare them.  Slice up the chicken sausages.  I slice each one lengthwise and then cut them into about 1/4-inch slices crosswise.  Peel the onion, cut it in half and cut each half into wedges.  (Or cut them smaller if your onion is really huge.)  Wash, core and slice the apples into wedges.  Don't bother to peel them.  Then slice your polenta.  I cut it in quarters lengthwise and then slice it between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch thick.  Now drizzle some olive oil (at least a tablespoon, but it's up to you) over the ingredients in the baking dish.  Salt and pepper to taste if you like.  Stir everything together well.

Bake at 375º for 1 hour.

It's so easy to just slice up a few things, stir the mixture, and pop the dish in the oven. You can adjust the quantities to feed your family.   I often use an extra apple and/or onion.  The apples are just so good this way.  The dish smells delicious as it bakes, too.  Sides could be about anything -- a salad, a rice dish, a vegetable like broccoli or green beans.  This time, I had some of the microwave-ready potatoes from Little Potato Company, in the savory herb flavor, so I just used a package of those  as a side dish and that was plenty for us.

Hope this quick and delicious meal may be a December lifesaver for someone else!

Egg casserole for Christmas breakfast

(Photo by Skip to My Lou.)

Quick, while you are doing your last-minute grocery shopping, pick up an avocado or two, and some tomatoes if you don't ordinarily keep them on hand.  You will need these items for a wonderful egg bake that's perfect for Christmas breakfast.

Here is the link to the recipe:  California Egg Casserole. I wasn't sure about the recipe when I first thought about trying it.  I really had no idea how the avocados would behave as I was planning to prepare the casserole (without baking it) the night before, refrigerate it,  and bake it in the morning so it was ready just as we went out the door to a sunrise breakfast at church one Easter.  I was somewhat concerned that the avocados might discolor, but I pushed them down into the egg mixture as much as I could, covered the top of the casserole with bacon bits (just in case) and hoped for the best.  I was so pleasantly surprised.  The avocados stayed nice and green.  I plunked the casserole on a warming tray when we got to church and so it was just right when we were ready to eat. 

So this has become a  keeper recipe for me.  Simply wonderful!

(I should add here that I do not use all of the cheese this recipe calls for. I use a total of perhaps 1-1/2 cups, and I usually use cheddar.  For cream cheese, I substitute the lower fat Neufchatel.)

 

I made this dish for our ladies' Christmas fellowship brunch and realized how the colors, with the red tomato, green avocado, and white cream cheese, were just perfect for Christmas.  Maybe this will fit into your Christmas morning plans, too!

Cranberry-Orange Pork Chops

Photo from Taste of Home

I found a good price on boneless pork chops this week and made this meal to share with my dad last evening.  The recipe, Cranberry Orange Pork Chops, was from an older issue of Simple & Delicious magazine.

It was actually from a December issue, for which the cranberry-orange flavors were especially appropriate, but it sure tasted good in June!  It occurred to me that this might be a good recipe to file away for use during the holiday season, when quick and tasty recipes are even more of a necessity than usual.  Your family would probably enjoy these chops, too!  I served them with mashed potatoes (instant; we love the Idahoan Baby Reds) and mixed vegetables.  A good easy meal for any time of the year!

A nice possibility for Christmas Eve supper

(Photo by Taste of Home)

I realize that many families already have their own traditions for Christmas Eve supper.  Some like to have a meatless meal; others favor seafood, and so on.  At our house, it's Christmas Eve Soup, served very simply with corn muffins, biscuits or rolls (or sometimes with cheese pizza), with either ambrosia or ice cream and Christmas cookies for dessert.  This year, it was so special when my 11-year-old granddaughter arrived for the Christmas Eve meal bearing a foil-covered plate of holiday rice crispy treats she had made herself, to share for dessert.  I love seeing traditions carried on!

When I was a child, our family's traditional meal for Christmas Eve was macaroni and cheese.  My mother made hers with a rich cheese sauce, loaded with sharp or maybe extra-sharp cheddar.  She always topped her macaroni and cheese with crushed saltines sauteed briefly in butter (a much-coveted treat for us children) and then topped the whole with paprika before heating it through in the oven.  It was delicious.  We often had grilled hot dogs alongside the macaroni and cheese and usually a green salad of some sort. 

My mother always made an extra casserole dish full of macaroni and cheese, and took it to a neighbor couple we dearly loved, for their Christmas Eve supper.  On New Year's Day, Mrs. F always made a gelatin dessert called pumpkin snow, and sent it back to us in the clean casserole dish, along with a jar of custard sauce to serve with the dessert.  It was a sweet tradition between neighbors.

Recently, I tried this recipe for Saturday night supper with baked beans and salad: Ham and Broccoli Mac'n'Cheese.  It was very good; the only thing I changed (other than to use, in my case, gluten-free pasta and flour) was to add a little salt.  There were some lively flavors in the sauce, but the flavor seemed to fall a little flat so I added a bit of salt and that solved the problem. 

It occurred to me as I prepared the dish that it might be a very nice one for Christmas Eve, as it includes the lively colors of red (sweet peppers) and green (broccoli florets).  If your family prefers a meatless meal, the ham could easily be omitted. What are your family's Christmas Eve food traditions?

A nice soup for Christmas Eve

Yesterday I tried a recipe for Crockpot Seafood Chowder for the potluck at church.  It was actually one I first tried from Quick Cooking magazine about 10 years ago and had forgotten about.

We liked this a lot and I think it would make a wonderful meal for Christmas Eve, with a simple accompaniment like raw vegetables and breadsticks ... something like that.  Easy, too ... it could be simmering all afternoon while you enjoy doing other Christmasy things.




I do need to add that I changed some things about the recipe.  First of all, and most important, so pay attention:  One of the reviews at the site mentioned the vegetables not getting cooked enough; too crunchy.  I did cook it quite a bit longer; around 3 hours on High to start with, and then about 3 hours on Low.  So you would probably want to do that, too.

I also changed some things with the ingredients.  We sliced the carrots rather than chopping them fine, and cut the potatoes in cubes about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch square.  I left out the imitation crab completely; I did buy it and intended to add it, but after the other seafood was in it didn't seem necessary, so I left it out.  I used a 6-ounce bag of frozen salad shrimp rather than the can of shrimp, so the shrimp were larger and seemed like more.  Also, I just added the seafood right at the beginning rather than waiting.  I had intended to garnish with packaged bacon bits, but we had bacon left from breakfast so I just crumbled that on top..  We found this to be quite flavorful.  I guess the canned soups add enough flavor.  And it was creamy without being cloyingly thick as some seafood chowders are.

 


If I didn't already have a default Christmas Eve soup recipe, I would be making this for Christmas Eve!  Maybe your family would like to try it, too.