Recipe 52: Hash Brown Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2008

Prep Time:

5 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 10 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cups frozen shredded hash browns
• 1 pound bulk sausage, mild, hot or sage
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 8 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 8 cups cubed French or Italian bread, crusts removed
• 2 cups (1/2 pound) grated Cheddar
• 2 cups (1/2 pound) freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a deep 13 by 9-inch casserole dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and saute over medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the hash browns and break apart. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

In a second frying pan, saute the sausage, breaking apart large clumps. When the sausage is cooked through, remove it from pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard, briskly to blend.

To assemble, spread the onions and hash browns evenly at the bottom of the greased dish. Place the bread cubes evenly on top of hash browns. With a slotted spoon distribute sausage as the third layer. Pour the milk and egg mixture over these layers. Add Parmesan as the next layer, while then adding the Cheddar.

*Cook's Note: Save a few tablespoons of Cheddar for the last 10 minutes of baking, where you can add a fresh topping of melted Cheddar.

Bake the casserole, uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

This recipe did not turn out the way I wanted it to. I thought it would be nice to have a warm, hearty, breakfast recipe on hand that you could make the night before, especially for those cold and busy mornings. But this was a little to rich and heavy to start your day with. It was really easy to make, but I thought it was a little more expensive than I would like because you needed some so many spices and extras. Also this meal is not at all healthy and I think I would need a nap after eating it.

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Recipe 51: Chili Mac

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 medium onions, cut into small dice (about 3 cups)

2 jalapeños, stemmed and minced (optional)

2 to 3 teaspoons salt, plus more for the pasta water

2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

5 tablespoons Mexican chili powder

1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

2 tablespoons minced garlic

One 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, broken with your hands, with juices

Two 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained

1/2 cup water

1 pound elbow macaroni

1 pound medium sharp cheddar cheese

Sour cream, for serving (optional)

Cooking Directions

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Inactive time: 5 minutes

Total: 55 minutes

1. Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, jalapeños (if desired), and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Cook until the onions are soft, 2 minutes. Add the ground beef, chili powder, oregano, and garlic, and cook, breaking up any clumps of meat with a spoon, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, beans, and water. Stir, and bring the chili to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thickened to chili consistency, about 20 minutes. Taste, and add 1 more teaspoon salt if needed.

2. While the chili is simmering, preheat the oven to 400°F.

3. Place a 9 × 13½-inch or other 3-quart baking dish on a baking sheet. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook until just tender, 6 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cool running water, and set aside. Grate the cheddar cheese and set it aside.

4. Once the chili has finished cooking, fold in the cooked macaroni and one- third of the cheddar. Transfer the chili- mac mixture to the baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the chili is heated through and the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish each portion with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, "Emeril 20-40-60" , HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc

This recipe was really hearty and filling. I thought it was pretty healthy and really easy to make. It also was not very expensive to make and a great way to use up pantry items like noodles and canned tomatoes, I also left out some of the things I did not have on hand. Overall this was a good a recipe and a nice thing to have on a chilly winter's day.

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Elf On A Shelf

We have an elf on a shelf, but in the past my kids never really got into it. Now I realize I have been doing it all wrong! There are so many creative ideas out there and when I started looking, I couldn't believe how creative this little elf can get. Next year we will be a lot better about it, who knows, he may even actually get a name!

Here are some of my favorite pictures I found on Pinterest:

Merry Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas!

Love,

The Ericksen Family

Recipe 50: Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn

Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn

¼ cup butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup corn kernels
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine grain salt (sticks better to the popcorn)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon

1. Melt butter with the oil in a large pot or Whirley Pop. Add the sugar and cook it until just very lightly golden (this will give you a light caramel flavor.)
2. Stir in the corn kernels mix well.
3. Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat until kernels stop popping. Shake the pot often to make sure the kernels cook evenly and don't stick to the pan. If you are using a Wirley Popper turn handle to make sure the popcorn does not stick.
4. Remove from heat, pour into bowl and mix with salt and cinnamon while still steaming.
5. Start next batch because everyone will want more.

This popcorn was so yummy and my kids were in love with it. This recipe is not healthy at all, but it was pretty easy, although I burned the bottom and I will have to get better at cooking popcorn in a pot. It is also not very expensive to make if you already have popcorn kernels on hand. I will definitely make this popcorn again in the future.

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Recipe 49: Pizza Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1-3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup chopped turkey pepperoni
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Heat a waffle iron to medium-high.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs until fluffy. Stir in the flour, milk, oil, sugar, baking powered and sea salt until smooth. Stir in the chopped pepperoni and shredded cheese.
3. Spray the waffle iron with non-stick spray. Pour about 1/2 cup of the batter onto the hot waffle iron. Close lid and bake for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Repeat until all of the batter is used up. Spray the waffle iron with non-stick spray each time.
5. Serve with your favorite pizza sauce.

This recipe was easy to make, the kids liked it okay, and it was a cheap meal that I think was pretty healthy. Overall I think it made a good lunch or snack, when you want to use leftover cheese and pepperoni, but I wouldn't make it for dinner.

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Recipe 48: One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

- Ripe Bananas, however many you have (I used two)

Peel the bananas. Cut into slices and place in a tupperware. Freeze for an hour or two or until completely frozen. Remove from freezer and place in food processor. Process until the consistency of ice cream, scraping down sides occasionally. Add any extra ingredients as desired and process until combined. Serve immediately or re-freeze until ready to enjoy!

This recipe was so amazing. I was skeptical that this would be like ice cream, but it really tasted like a soft serve ice cream. I want to try it again with different flavors and mix-ins. The kids liked it, it was so easy, very healthy, and way cheaper than regular ice cream. I don't think I will even eat regular ice cream anymore!

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Recipe 47: Homemade Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup hot water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix in the molasses.
3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before serving.

This recipe was not as flavorful as I would have liked it to be, but it was moist and really easy to make. I think I will find another recipe to try out though, I think I could find one that I like more than this.

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Recipe 46: Molasses Sugar Cookies

Ingredients 3/4 cup margarine, softened 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup BRER RABBIT Molasses, light or dark 1 egg 2 cups all purpose flour 2 tsps. baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger granulated sugar, sprinkled on top Directions In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat together margarine and 1 cup sugar until creamy. Add molasses and egg, beating until well blended. In medium bowl, blend flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and ginger. Add to molasses mixture; mix well. Cover and chill. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each in sugar; place on non-stick cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 1 minute. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Makes 5 dozen. I have been looking for a recipe for a soft ginger cookie and I love this one. They were soft and mild flavored and super easy to make. They are not healthy, but they were not very expensive (especially if you have molasses on hand) and the kids loved helping roll them in sugar. I will definitely make these again! ****

Recipe 45: Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1/2 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1.25 pounds of extra-lean ground turkey
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup low-sodium tomato sauce
1 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
3 large sweet red bell peppers, washed
1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté about 2 minutes, or until softened. Add extra-lean ground turkey to the pan. Season to taste with salt, then add garlic powder and ground cumin. Break meat apart and cook over medium heat for 14-16 minutes, until well done, 165°F as measured by a meat thermometer. Add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup chicken broth to the pan. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add chopped fresh cilantro or parsley to the turkey mixture. There will be about 2 cups of turkey mixture.

Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and stem. Put in baking dish and spoon about 1/3 cup of the turkey mixture into each pepper half. Place all stuffed peppers on a baking dish and pour the rest of the chicken broth in the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. When done, sprinkle with cheese before serving.

This recipe tasted really good, and was super healthy. It is a great weeknight dinner and I didn't feel heavy or stuffed after eating. I thought this recipe had a lot of ingredients which made it a little more expensive but I didn't mind because it was full of such healthy ingredients. This recipe was also pretty easy to make, but it did take some time. Overall this recipe is a keeper and I will add it to our rotation of meals.

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Recipe 44: Cider Wassail

Ingredients

• 2 quarts apple cider
• 1-1/2 cups orange juice
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
• Dash ground cinnamon
• Dash ground cloves

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. Serve hot in mugs. Yield: 10-12 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

This recipe was exactly what I was looking for. I have been trying to find a classic wassail recipe and this was perfect. It was easy to make, and I used regular apple juice so it was not very expensive. I don't know if you can count this as healthy, but it is mostly fruit juice and cinnamon. This recipe was a hit and I will use this as my stand by cider recipe.

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Recipe 43: Caramel Corn

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Over medium heat, combine first 4 ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Stir well. Pour over 8 quarts popped corn. Stir to coat well. Bake in large roaster or pan for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to dry.

This recipe was very easy to make, not very expensive, not at all healthy, and tasted great. I made this to give as treats for Christmas time, so we will have to see how everyone actually likes it. This was a great recipe for large batch cooking and so easy!

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