Charlotte's Kitchen » Casseroles

Chow Mein Casserole

Char — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:00:00 +0000

March is almost over so lets end it with this easy casserole. We love rice and we love chow mein noodles so how about a combination of the two. GIve it a try and I’m sure you will like it.

Ingredients
1/2 lb lean ground beef (80/20 or better)
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
1 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice
1 3/4 cups beef flavored broth
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup water
1 can (28 oz) stir-fry vegetables, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup chow mein noodles
1/4 cup cashew pieces, if desired
Additional teriyaki sauce, if desired

Directions
1. Heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, crumble beef; sprinkle with garlic pepper. Cook over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.

2. In ungreased 11×7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish, mix beef, rice, broth, 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and the water. Stir in vegetables. Cover baking dish with foil.

3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until rice is tender. Uncover and stir; sprinkle with chow mein noodles and cashews. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer or until noodles and cashews are golden brown.

Jambalaya

Char — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped Celery
1/2 cup diced Onion
1/2 cup diced Green Pepper
1.5 cups of diced Fat-Free Ham
1.5 cups of diced cooked boneless/skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 14 oz can of Diced Tomatoes (not drained) or 2 medium fresh diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Hot Sauce
1-2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1-2 tsp Dried Jalapeño Pepper
1/2 cup Brown Rice (uncooked)

Directions:
1. In a non-stick pot, or one sprayed with cooking spray, sauté Celery, Onion, and Green Pepper until Onion is tender.
2. Add Broth, Tomatoes, meat, and seasonings.
3. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Add rice and simmer for 15 minutes stirring frequently until rice is cooked and consistency is as desired.

You Gotta Try Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Char — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:57:35 +0000

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is discovering new recipes. While we always enjoy green bean casserole, here’s a delicious twist on the old standard. We saw the cheddar flavored French fried onions at the store but just couldn’t imagine that they could be good. Boy were we wrong! If you like green bean casserole, you really need to give this a try.

1   can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup soup
1   cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)
1   teaspoon soy sauce
1   can green beans, drained
1   small red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
6 oz cheddar flavored French fried onions (see not below)

1.   Heat oven to 350°F. In 1 1/2-quart casserole, stir together soup, cheese blend and soy sauce. Stir in green beans, bell pepper and 1 cup of the onions.
2.   Cover; bake about 30 minutes or until beans are tender and mixture is heated through. Stir; top with remaining 1/2 cup onions.
3.   Bake uncovered about 5 minutes longer or until onions are brown and crisp.

If you have an Aldi near you they have there own brand of French-fried onions that cost about 1/2 what the French’s one do.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Char — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:35:50 +0000

Ingredients:

8 ounces thin spaghetti, broken in thirds, cooked, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 c Parmesan Cheese, divided

2 to 3 c diced cooked turkey

2 T grated carrots, if desired

1 T butter

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

1/4 c chopped onion

1 can cream of mushroom/chicken soup

1/2 c chicken broth

1/4 c dry sherry/chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine spaghetti with 1 cup Cheddar cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese. Add turkey and carrots. In a skillet, melt butter and saute mushrooms and onions just until tender; add to the turkey mixture along with remaining ingredients. Gently stir to combine ingredients; place ina greased casserole and spinkle with remaining cheeses. Cover with lid or foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Serves 6 to 8.

Pumpkin Walnut Biscuits

Char — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:57:18 +0000

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

3 T sugar, plus a little extra for topping

1 T Watkins Baking Powder

3/4 t salt

3/4 t Watkins Cinnamon

3/4 t Watkins Ginger

5 T cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup light cream, plus a little extra for glaze

1/3 cup solidly packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin

1 1/2 T honey

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt cinnamon and ginger. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to work in the butter. Keep mixing until the ingredients resemble a coarse, flaky meal, then stir in the chopped walnuts. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the cream, pumpkin and honey. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the liquid into it. Stir briskly until the dough pulls together, then let it sit for 3 minutes.

Flour your hands and your work surface. Gently knead the dough into a ball, then pat it into a 1-inch thick disk. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut the dough into rounds and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving a couple of inches between them. Repeat this process until you’ve used all the dough. Brush the biscuit tops sparingly with cream and then sprinkle on a little sugar.

Bake the biscuits on the center oven rack until they are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Makes about 12 biscuits.

Four-Bean Casserole

Char — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:11:02 +0000

Ingredients:

8 bacon slices

3 to 4 medium onions, cut into rings and separated

1/2 to 3/4 cup maple syrup or packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 t Watkins Garlic Powder

1 t Watkins Dry Mustard

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 15 ounce can lima beans, drained

1 16 ounce can butter beans, drained

1 16 ounce can baked beans, undrained

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels; crumble and set aside.

Add onions, syrup, garlic powder and dry mustard to pan drippings. Reduce heat to medium and add vingar slowly, taking care because hot steam will rise. Cover and cook 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3-quart casserole or 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Add beans to pan. Stir in onion mixture and bacon; mix well. Cover and bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and let stand 20 to 25 minutes before serving.

Serves 12

Sausage Casserole

Char — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:40:03 +0000

Ingredients:

1 pound breakfast sausage

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup milk

3 T flour

2 cup macaroni

Directions:

Cool macaroni for 1 minute, then cook meat and add other ingredients in skillet. Stir in casserole dish and top with cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Chicken and Biscuit Pie

Char — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Ingredients:

Filling

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Sage

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Thyme

2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken

2 cups vegetables of your choice (leftovers or frozen ones that have been thawed)

salt and pepper

Biscuit Topping

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon Watkins Baking Powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

3/4 cup milk

Directions:

Melt the butter on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or other oven-safe saute pan with high sides. Stir in the onion and celery, then cover the pan and cook them for 7 to 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the flour, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown it.

Whisk the chicken stock into the pan. When it starts to thicken, whisk in the milk. Add the sage, thyme, chicken and vegetables, continuing to stir until the mixture is heated through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the pan from the stovetop and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile. make the biscuit topping by combining the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the dry ingredients. Add the milk and stir briskly, just until the dough pulls together.

Flour your work surface and turn the dough onto it. Using floured hands, knead the dough towoor three times, then flatten it to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a small round cutter, cut the dough into biscuits and place as many as will fit, barely touching, on top of the filling. (You can bake any extras separately, on a lightly greased pie place, for about 15 minutes.)

Bake the potpie until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 20 to 30 minutes. Then let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving it. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chicken and Sausage Paella

Char — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:00:52 +0000

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 4 legs and 4 thighs

salt and pepper

16 ounces sausage (chorizo or kielbasa) cut into half-moon slices

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups medium-grain rice

1/2 teaspoon Watkins Cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of saffron

1 cup seeded and chopped tomato

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then place it in the skillet to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes a side. If needed, work in batches so the skillet isn’t overcrowded. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate. Add the sausage to the pan and saute it until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the plate with the chicken.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Lower the heat to medium, then add the onion, red pepper and garlic. Cook, stiffing occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the rice, cumin, salt and saffron. Stir to coat the rice and cook for about 1 minute.

Transfer the rice and vegetable mixture to an oiled 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the chicken and sausage on the rice and scatter the tomato over the top. Place the pan on the center oven rack and carefully pour the chicken stock over the meat and rice. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the peas on the top and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, another 10 to 15 minutes. Let the paella cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

Pasta Pie

Char — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:00:14 +0000

Ingredients:

8 ounces elbo macaroni

1 cup tomato sauce or well-drained, chopped canned tomatoes

1 cup frozen peas

4 ounces boiled ham, chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

Watkins Pepper

Olive Oil

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Directions:

Bring at least 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni. Cook the pasta, stirring often, until it is just tender.

Drain the pasta and immediately transfer it to a large bowl along with the tomato sauce, peas, ham, grated cheese and garlic. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs, salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the pasta mixture and stir it well.

Brush a 1-inch nonstick skillet generously with olive oil. Add half of the pasta mixture and smooth the top to create an even layer. Arrange the mozzarella slices on top. Spoon on the remaining pasta, again smoothing the surface.

Cover the skillet and place it on a stove-top burner set at medium-low to medium heat. Cook the pie until the eggs in the center are just set, about 30 to 35 minutes, checking frequently so you can adjust the heat if the bottom browns too quickly.

Run a spatula around the inside of the pan to loosen the pie and then invert a large plate over the pie. Protecting your hands with oven mitts, hold the plate in place and quickly turn the skillet upside down so the pie comes out whole onto the plate. Cut the pie into wedges. Serves 6.