Sloppy Joe Casserole

INGREDIENTS

1	lb. lean ground beef
1/2	cup sliced green onions
1	(15.5-oz.) can sloppy joe sandwich sauce
1	(11-oz.) can Green Giant® Mexicorn® Whole Kernel Corn, Red and Green Peppers, undrained
1	(6-oz.) can Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 375°F. In large skillet, brown ground beef with onions; drain. Stir in sandwich sauce and corn. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
2.	Spoon mixture into ungreased 1 to 1 1/2-quart casserole. Separate dough into 5 biscuits; cut each in half. Arrange, cut side down, around outside edge of hot mixture with sides of biscuits touching.
3.	Bake at 375°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown.

Cheddar Cheese Grits Casserole

Ingredients

• 4  cups  milk
• 1/4  cup  butter
• 1  cup  uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  pepper
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/4  cup  grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnish: parsley sprigs

Preparation

Bring milk just to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in butter and grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until grits are done. Remove from heat.

Stir in egg and next 3 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until mixture is set. Serve immediately. Garnish, if desired.

Cajun Shrimp Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

• 2  pounds  unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
• 1/4  cup  butter
• 1  small red onion, chopped*
• 1/2  cup  chopped red bell pepper*
• 1/2  cup  chopped yellow bell pepper*
• 1/2  cup  chopped green bell pepper*
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  cups  fresh or frozen sliced okra
• 1  tablespoon  lemon juice
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  salt
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of shrimp soup**
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1  tablespoon  soy sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon  cayenne pepper
• 3  cups  cooked long-grain rice
• 1/4  cup  grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnishes: quartered lemon slices, fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs

Preparation

Peel shrimp; devein, if desired.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in okra, lemon juice, and salt; sauté 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in soup and next 4 ingredients until blended. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Garnish, if desired.

*1 (10-ounce) package frozen onions and peppers may be substituted for fresh onion and bell peppers.

**1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup may be substituted for cream of shrimp soup.

Note: Unbaked casserole may be made one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking as directed. To freeze unbaked casserole, prepare as directed, omitting Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly, and freeze. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking. Bake, covered, at 350° for 50 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, and bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Chicken

• 2 c. cooked whole grain rice (Tip:  cook your rice in chicken broth or with some ham juice for extra flavor.  I used a little ham juice and water.)
• 2 cups cooked, diced chicken
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen broccoli
• 1 c. cream of mushroom soup (1 can would work fine, too)
• 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 c. milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix together in a large bowl.  Pour in a 8×11 or 9×13 pan.  Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

Corn Relish

1. 1 (16-ounce) package frozen niblet corn, thawed
2. 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
3. 3 tablespoons minced green onion
4. 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
5. 1 teaspoon lime zest
6. 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
7. 1 teaspoon olive oil

Combine; cover; chill; eat.

Roast Chicken and Vegetables

cut into two inch pieces (I used uncut, whole baby carrots)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
fresh rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 onions
1 whole chicken

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks set in middle and lower thirds. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes, carrots, garlic, and a few sprigs of rosemary with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In an ovenproof skillet, toss onions with remaining tablespoon oil. Place chicken, breast side up, on top of onions. Season cavity and exterior of chicken with salt and pepper; stuff with a few sprigs of rosemary. Scatter remaining rosemary over chicken and onions. Using kitchen twine, tie legs together; tuck wing tips under bird.

Roast chicken on middle rack and vegetables on lower rack, occasionally brushing chicken with pan juices and tossing vegetables, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165, 50 to 60 minutes.

Let chicken rest 10 minutes; carve, and serve with vegetables and pan juices. I decided to make a gravy, so I added about 2/3 cup of chicken stock and about 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the pan juices to make a thicker gravy.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
3 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
2 (4-oz.) cans chopped green chilies
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
3 (10-oz.) cans enchilada sauce, divided
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend, divided
8 (9-inch) burrito-size flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Saute diced onion for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for two more minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Stir together the chicken, green chilies, cilantro, 1 1/2cups enchilada sauce, and 1 cup cheese.

2. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll tortillas up, and place, seam sides down, in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

3. Bake, covered, at 425° for 20 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Pork Chops & Dressing

6-8 pork chops (I used bone-in)
one batch of delicious tasty cornbread (I left out the creamed corn this time)
1/2 cup butter
16 oz. beef broth (chicken broth would work fine – beef broth was all I had)
1 can cream of chicken soup

Make cornbread according to directions. When it comes out of the oven, flip it into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, and break apart the cornbread until it’s well-combined with the butter. Add broth, soup, and then taste. Add salt and pepper if necessary.

Heat skillet (medium high-ish), then pour in a couple of tablespoons of your favorite oil. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, then brown on each side for 3-4 minutes.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray, and place browned pork chops along the bottom of the dish. Spread dressing mixture on top of the pork chops, then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Bake (covered) on 350 for about 45 minutes. Then remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.

Paula's Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can English peas, drained
3 tablespoons browning sauce (I didn’t know what this was so I left it out)
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used hot sauce)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning (left it out because it seemed weird)
1/8 teaspoon sage (left out the sage, too)
(I also added about 1/4 cup sour cream because I just felt like it)
1 (32-ounce) package frozen tater tots

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.

In a large skillet, combine ground chuck, onion, and garlic; cook over medium-high heat until meat is browned and crumbles. Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine meat mixture, soups, corn, peas, browning sauce, garlic salt, red pepper, paprika, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and sage. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with tater tots.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned and bubbly.

Makes 8 – 10 servings.

BigMama's Mississippi Sin Dip

1 loaf french bread
8 oz. container of french onion dip
4 oz. can green chiles, drained
1 package of bacon bits
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

And yes, all this cheese makes it seem very fattening, but think of all the calcium!

Plus, the bacon bits provide some protein.

Anyway, cut out top of french bread and scoop out insides. Mix all other ingredients together in a large bowl. Put the dip inside the loaf of french bread and put the top of bread back on. Wrap the whole thing in foil and bake 1 hour at 350. I personally love this served with Fritos Scoops, but it would be great with crackers too.

BigMama's Mexican Casserole

1 lb. ground chuck (we use ground venison at our house because we live off the land)

1 chopped onion
15 oz. can Ranch Style beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup (we use 98% fat free to counteract all the powdered Donettes)
1 can Rotel (if you want major heartburn, use the Extra Hot version)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
Tortilla chips
1 pound grated cheddar

Brown beef and onions. Drain grease. Add beans, soup, Rotel, salt, chili powder and simmer for 10 minutes. Line greased casserole dish with chips and half of cheese. Spoon half of beef mixture on top of chips. Repeat layers. Sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake at 300 for 30 minutes.

BigMama's Meatball Sandwiches

1 pound ground beef
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce or homemade if you’re into that sort of thing
1 package of french bread sandwich rolls
Sliced mozzarella cheese
butter

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef with the next 7 ingredients. Roll into meatballs approximately 3 inches or so in diameter and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees and then turn them and cook another five minutes.

Pour sauce into large pot on the stove. Add meatballs. Let simmer for about 30 minutes to 1 hour for extra flavor. (This totally isn’t necessary but my Me-Ma used to let her sauce simmer for about 5 hours on Sunday mornings and it makes it even more delicious.)

Place the sandwich rolls open and face up on a cookie sheet. Spread each one with plenty of butter. Broil them in the oven until they are slightly (SLIGHTLY) brown and then pull them out and cover them with as many mozzarella cheese slices as you feel are appropriate. (No one will judge you for superfluous mozzarella cheese) Place them back in the oven and broil them until the cheese is melted.

Slice the meatballs in half and place on the sandwich. You’ll use about 2 meatballs per sandwich. Pour a little bit of the sauce over the meatballs, close up your sandwich and eat until you’re slightly sick.