Baked Jambalaya

Jambalaya is comfort food in our house. We love the cajun flavors. When I saw this recipe, with one step, i was sold. I had to give it a try. You will love it.

Baked Jambalaya

1 stick butter, melted
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1 can Rotel
1 can french onion soup
1 can beef consomme
2 lbs. uncooked chicken, turkey or peeled shrimp ( I used 1lb of Andouille sausage & 1lb of shrimp )
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cups uncooked rice
2 bay leaves
14 ounces (or 1 can) chicken broth
We added some Cajun Seasoning as well as some crushed red pepper to this before baking.

Mix all ingredients and bake in buttered casserole, covered tightly for one hour at 350F; stir and recover, then bake 30 minutes more or until rice is done.

Corn Dog Casserole

This recipe showed up my Google Reader and for whatever reason, I was curious. I’m not ashamed to admit that I like a good corn dog every now & then... But a casserole? I had to try it. Like most casseroles, it’s not necessarily the prettiest of dishes. I don’t know if I’ll ever make this again but for curiosity's sake, it was worth trying. :)


Corn Dog Casserole

2 cups celery, sliced
1 cup onions, chopped
1 1/2 pounds hot dogs ( I used a 1lb package of jalapeno beef hot dogs )
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon sage
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
18 oz. cornbread mix ( I used a package of Jiffy cornbread mix. I think it was about 8 oz. )
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook celery and onions until tender. Place in a mixing bowl; set aside. Cut hot dogs into quarters, then into thirds. Place in a skillet, cook until lightly brown. Fold into celery mixture; set aside. Reserve one cup mixture. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, sage, and black pepper. Fold in hot dog mixture. Stir in cornbread mix. Add on and a half cups cheese. Spread mixture into a greased 3 quart dish. Top with the reserved hot dog mixture and cheese. Bake uncovered at 350F until golden brown.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Divan

I saw this recipe pop up from Jenny’s blog. A girl after my own heart. Adding artichoke hearts to Chicken Divan. Genius!! :) I cut this down to use in an 8*8 pan so my recipe amounts are shown slightly different from Jenny’s. It turned out very tasty. I hope you’ll like it.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Divan

Cooking spray
2 cups broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 medium sized chicken breasts, cut into chunks and cooked.
1 cans cream of chicken soup (low fat, low sodium)
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup Panko (or bread crumbs)
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (or any other light butter)

Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces and layer the bottom of a 8*8 casserole dish with it. Sprinkle a handful of parmesan over top. Top it with the artichokes and cooked chicken. Combine the soups and mayo in a bowl and spread it on top of the chicken and veggies. Pour the soup mixture onto the chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle remaining cheese on casserole. Melt the butter on the stove. When melted add the panko and saute one minute. Spoon on top of the casserole. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes or until the panko is nicely browned.

Oriental Beef and Noodles

Another Crock-pot Recipe. This one is incredibly easy to throw together & pretty tasty, although not the prettiest to photograph. We both liked this for an easy dinner that you don’t really have to pay attention to during the day.

We made just a few changes to Colleen’s recipe, and I think it gave it just a tad more flavor. Yum!

Oriental Beef and Noodles

1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce, any flavor
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (we changed this to about a teaspoon for a little mote heat)
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Coat a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with stew meat. In a medium bowl, stir together stir-fry sauce, water, and red pepper. Pour over stew meat and vegetables in cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours (I recommend low, it will help to break the meat down more).

At the end of cooking time, Stir noodles, Ramen spice packets, and green onions into meat mixture. Cover and let stand 10 minutes more. Stir before serving. This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

Frito Pie

This is probably one of Cancy’s most favorite “man foods”. He says it’s just part of being from Texas. He made this for me when we were dating in Minnesota. It isn’t made very often around here, but it is a nice occasional guilty pleasure. Truly nothing good for you in here at all, but thats not the point. :)

Frito Pie

1 full bag of Fritos corn chips
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
1 bag of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 large can of Hormel Chili, no beans

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread 1/2 cup of Fritos in a baking dish. Spread 1/2 the chili or the Fritos. Sprinkle half the onion/jalapenos and half the cheese over the chili. Repeat for 1 more layer

Bake for 15 or 20 minutes and cheese is bubbly. Serve hot.

Greek Chicken & Pita Bake

I’ve always loved the flavors used in Greek cooking. This is a really simple casserole that goes together quickly and has a nice flavor to it. You could very easily turn this into a vegetarian dish by sticking with the 2 zucchini and adding the tomatoes. All in all, it was a tasty dish. Enjoy!

Greek Chicken & Pita Bake


1  10 3/4-oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
4 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 1 1/4 lbs.)
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices (I just used 1 zucchini)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2  cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
3  6-inch pita bread rounds, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (I omitted the tomatoes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, cooked chicken, zucchini, broth, red onion, garlic and Greek seasoning; mix well. Spoon into an un-greased 9×13 baking pan or dish. (I used an 8*8)

Bake, covered, about 30 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender. Uncover and stir.
In a medium bowl, toss together pita bread pieces, feta, olives and oil. Sprinkle pita mixture and tomatoes over chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes more or until top is golden brown.

Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

I found this little retro dish at Telly’s Tasty Tidbits. This is great for those weeknights when you don’t really have the motivation for a big involved meal. This comes together super quick and then you just let everything finish off in the over and you have a super fast & easy dinner.



Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness (I also cubed)

1 can Cream of Celery or Chicken Soup (I use celery)

8 oz. Sour Cream

1 package Stove-Top Chicken and Herb stuffing, cooked per instructions on the box)

(I add 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese)

Preheat oven to 350 and spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray

Place chicken in bottom of prepared dish

In a bowl mix soup and sour cream and top on chicken (add cheese if using)

Top with prepared Stuffing mixture

(Top with a little extra cheese if you'd like!)

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done and casserole is bubbling and golden!

Sausage and Zucchini Rice

And another recipe from Rachael Ray. We tried this Sausage & Zucchini Rice after seeing it in the March issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. This is a good recipe to throw into any weeknight rotation. It's also a nice way to clean out your refrigerator's vegetable drawer. We always seem to have onion & zucchini in there. Oh, and really try to use the pine nuts in this recipe. Their flavor, once roasted, really stood out in the dish.



Sausage and Zucchini Rice

4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups rice

One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth

1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings discarded

2 zucchini, cut into small cubes

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and 3 cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, breaking it up, over medium heat until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate. Add the zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet; add the remaining 1 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup water and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the rice along with 1/2 cup parmesan, the parsley and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and the pine nuts.

Pizza Cobbler... Trust me on this one.

So I was looking for a recipe for Pizza Pasta when I came across this recipe. It was super easy and from Rachael Ray so, no surprise that we ended up liking it. It comes together pretty quickly so it’s a good idea for a busy weeknight. With the biscuits on top, It really does taste just like a pizza. Try this one out… I bet you’ll like it.

Pizza Cobbler

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

One 8- to 10-ounce package sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

1/2 cup sliced black olives

2/3 cup sliced pepperoni

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

One 7.5-ounce can refrigerated biscuits, separated and cut into quarters

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large skillet, combine the oil, onion and garlic and cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and olives and bring to a simmer.

Spread the sauce mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish. Arrange the pepperoni in a single layer on top and sprinkle with the cheese. Top with the biscuit pieces. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the biscuits are browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Beef & Feta Pasta Bake

I found this recipe in the February issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. I’m a big fan of Feta cheese & this just looked like such an interesting combination of flavors. I halved the recipe & it still ended up making quite a bit so be prepared to share (or just freeze those leftovers).

Beef & Feta Pasta Bake

 

1 pound of Cavatappi Pasta

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

2 Cups of Milk, heated

3/4 pound of Feta Cheese, crumbled

3 Cups of Meat Sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon sugar

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour for 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, whisk in the hot milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the feta.

 

In a large bowl, combine the meat sauce, cinnamon, cloves and sugar; stir in half of the pasta. In another large bowl, stir together the feta sauce and the remaining pasta. Transfer the meat-coated pasta to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; top with the feta-coated pasta. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

Jessica Simpson's Chicken and Dumplings

I saw this on the Rachael Ray show last week. It actually ended up being the perfect last minute dinner after lounging around all day on New Year’s Day. Super fast and pretty tasty. Jessica Simpson... Who would’ve thought?

Jessica Simpson's Chicken and Dumplings

3 rolls of reduced-fat croissant rolls, divided

1 small rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat removed from bones

1 can of low-sodium, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup

1 can of low-sodium, reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

 

Roll out the cans of croissant sheets and separate into diamond shaped sections. Place a small handful of rotisserie chicken on each diamond, fold dough over and press ends together to create dumplings. Cut up any excess dough into strips.

 

Line a 9x13" baking dish with one layer of dumplings. Pour the can of cream of chicken soup over the layer of dumplings, followed by the can of cream of mushroom soup, and chicken broth.

 

Place strips in a crisscross pattern on the top of the dumplings and soup mixture, season dish with salt and ground black pepper and bake until the dumplings are tender and cooked through and the top is bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes.

South of the Border Casserole

This one’s been in my Google Reader for quite some time now. I found it on Taste of Home Cooking . Her site is full of good ideas. It was a super easy casserole to make and you don’t have to use the oven. Enjoy!!

South of the Border Casserole

1 pound of lean ground beef
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed from half, minced
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
28 ounce can of whole tomatoes (fire roasted tomatoes, if you can find them)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons of cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sour cream
8 oz penne, ziti or any small pasta
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cilantro, minced

In a large deep skillet, brown meat until no longer pink. Drain fat, if necessary. Add the olive oil, peppers, onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook on medium-high heat. Sauté until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin. Add the can of tomatoes, breaking up the whole tomatoes with a spoon, but still leaving big chunks. Add sour cream, stir until mixed. Add pasta. Cover and cook until pasta is al dente, about 25 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently so the pasta doesn't get stuck to the bottom. Serve with the cheddar cheese and cilantro sprinkled on top.

 

Tuna Pasta Casserole

Thanks again to my grocery store for another simple, but really good recipe. I only made a few slight additions to this recipe and felt it was perfect. We don’t do a lot of casseroles around here so I felt very Paula Deen while making this. Cancy really seemed to like it though, so consider just a good old southern casserole.

Tuna Pasta Casserole

1 (12 oz.) package small pasta or noodles

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can Cambell´s cream of mushroom soup

1 (12 oz.) can Albacore tuna, drained

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup frozen peas (not in original recipe)

1/2 Cup Low Fat Mayo (not in original recipe)

1 Tbps red pepper flakes (not in original recipe)

1/2 cup potato chips, crushed

1/4 teaspoon paprika or crushed red pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. While pasta is cooking, combine mushroom soup, tuna, evaporated milk, shredded cheese, onions, peas, mayo, and red pepper flakes. Add cooked and drained pasta and toss to combine.

Evenly spread tuna pasta casserole into prepared baking dish. Top casserole with crushed potato chips and paprika. Bake casserole on the middle oven rack for 20 to 30 minutes.

 

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

I’ve come to the conclusion that casseroles just do not photograph well. The Chicken Cordon Casserole tasted a lot better than it looks. This actually came together by cleaning out the fridge a little bit. Well, that & this is for sure the lazy girl’s version of a Chicken Cordon Bleu. I just wanted to throw everything together and bake so now filling, breading, and rolling here. Just a nice easy chop, dice, layer & bake. J I hope you like it.

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

2 large or 3 normal sized chicken breasts

1/4 pound sliced honey ham

1/4 pound sliced Swiss cheese

1 red onion, diced

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 Tbsp whole wheat or white flour

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 Cups of Fat Free ½ & ½

1 Cup plain breadcrumbs

3 Tbsp Butter

 

Boil Chicken until done, remove and dice. In same pan, cook ham just until it starts to brown. In a greased 8 x 8 dish, layer the diced chicken, sliced ham, and 1/2 of the Swiss cheese. Set aside.

 

Sauté diced onion until it starts to turn slightly golden. Sprinkle Nutmeg & flour over onion and cook the flour for about a minute. Add the ½ & ½ to the pan & the Dijon mustard. Cook until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes,

 

Pour onion mixture over layers already in the pan. Top that with the remaining Swiss cheese. Melt butter & toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle that over top.

 

Bake @ 350 for about 30-40 minutes.

 

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This recipe comes from our Port Aransas cookbook that we got down in Port A when we got married. We’ve been back a handful of times since then and enjoy it each and every time. I got the cookbook out because I started thinking about Port A again since we started to plan a trip down there at the end of the month with Cody & Carol.

I’ve made this recipe a few times and am going to put it in my own words as the original instructions are a bit all over the place. This is a great Fall type dish and a good way to get some vegetables. We’ve made just a couple of ingredient substitutions, but here is how we like it.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

12 Large Cabbage leaves

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 Beaten Egg

1/4 C Milk

1/4 C finely chopped onion

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp pepper

1 Tsp lemon pepper

1 C Cooked Rice

1 8oz can of Tomato Sauce

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Worcestershire

Start by browning your ground turkey. Season your ground turkey as it browns with garlic salt & lemon pepper. When this is done, drain and set aside.

Start water boiling in a large pot for your cabbage. The easiest way that I’ve found to get the leaves off is to submerge the whole head of cabbage for a couple of minutes and pull it out, taking as many leaves off as you can easily. Submerge again until you can pull a few more off. You want to keep the leaves as in tact as possible. Do this until you have about 12 whole leaves.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, milk, onion, spices, & rice. Mix well. Take about 1/4 C of this mix and put into the center of a leaf. Fold in the sides, then fold up the bottom until it looks like a little burrito. Place them seam side down in the Crockpot until you have gone through your leaves or ran out of stuffing.

In another bowl, combine the tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, & Worcestershire. Pour this over your little cabbage burritos and put the lid on the Crockpot. Cook these in the Crockpot on low for about 6 hours.

 

 

Ravioli Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

I wanted something easy tonight since I had lots of random things to do around the house. I’ve had this recipe starred in my Google reader for awhile now. This comes from Clara @ iheartfoodforthought.

I scaled her recipe down to an 8 x 8 baking dish since it’s just Cancy & I. Plus this gives us some leftovers to freeze for later. Oh, we added a whole bunch of black pepper to this before mixing just to give it that extra little something. Enjoy!!

Ravioli Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

1 lbs pre-packaged 4-cheese ravioli, cooked and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets, defrosted
1 pound of boiled skinless chicken strips, diced
Alfredo sauce (I cheated tonight & used a jarred light alfredo sauce)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Coat the bottom of an 8 ×8 glass baking dish with a thin layer of alfredo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the ravioli, broccoli, chicken, garlic, alfredo sauce, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese until combined. (Be careful not to mix too hard that you tear the ravioli.)

Place mixture into baking dish and top with the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly. Set to broil for additional 5 minutes if you want it more toasty!

 

 

 

 

Taco Bake

This recipe comes was inspired by a recipe I found on Lovestoeat.  I made some changes to use what we had on hand. The picture doesn’t do this meal any justice. I’m posting it, but please know it tastes much better than it looks.

Taco Bake

1 lb. ground turkey
1 package taco seasoning
1 can RoTel
8 oz. small pasta
4 oz cream cheese (softened in microwave)
1/4 c. sour cream
8 oz. shredded queso fresco

Brown ground turkey, drain. Add taco seasoning and RoTel. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.

Spray bottom of 8 x 8 pan with Pam. Put pasta in bottom of pan. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. (This is kind of hard to do. Just dollop spoonfuls of the mixture about an inch apart and spread the best you can.) Spoon ground beef mixture over this. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes. Cool about 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

Cheddar - Topped Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Magazine, Everyday Food. I haven’t tried to make Shepherd’s Pie yet, so this looked like a good one to try. I changed the quantities in Martha’s recipe so I could do this in an 8-by-8 pan. So this recipe is about 4 big servings instead of the original recipe’s 8. also, I used ground turkey and skim milk instead of beef & whole milk.

This one was hard to photograph well though. My potato’s kept sort of oozing down the sides over the filling. It tastes much better than it looks. I hope you like it…

Cheddar - Topped Shepherd’s Pie

1 pound red potatoes (about 4), we left the skins on

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower

3 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, and thinly sliced

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 cup tomato paste

1 pounds ground turkey

1/2 cup skim milk

1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar

 

Preheat oven to 450. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add turkey; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. Set filling aside.

Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and a thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1/2 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper.

Pour beef filling into a 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Crustless Ham, Cheese and Spinach Quiche

I wanted an easy dinner last night so as I was digging through Google reader, I found this quiche recipe and decided we’d have breakfast for dinner. It took all of 10 minutes to put together and then you stick it in the oven. This is great for an easy/lazy dinner.

 

This recipe comes, originally from Cooking Light, but I was inspired by what Tricia did with it. I also used what was on hand, so there are some slight variations from Tricia’s version.

Crustless Ham, Cheese and Spinach Quiche

 

3/4 cup cubed ham

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 cup reduced fat shredded mexican cheese blend, separated in 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup

3/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese

1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup baby spinach leaves

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ham, onion and pepper to pan and sauté 4 minutes until ham is lightly browned.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mexican blend cheese in pie plate. Top with ham mixture.

 

In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, remaining cheeses, cottage cheese, and evaporated milk.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add flour to egg mixture and gently stir in. Add spinach to egg mixture and gently mix in.

 

Pour the egg mixture over ham mixture in pie plate. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Chicken with Chile-Cheese Rice

This is originally a recipe from Janae. I adjusted the recipe a little bit from the original just to make it work a little better for 2 people. So, with all of the peppers, be prepared for a little heat with this dish. Cancy seemed to really like it & it comes together pretty quickly. It makes for a nice little weeknight dinner.

Chicken with Chile-Cheese Rice

Olive Oil Spray
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/2-in.-wide strips
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 can (7 oz.) whole green chiles, drained and chopped
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Added (to season the chicken):
1 tsp chili pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
juice of 1 lime

Heat olive oil spray in a large frying pan (with sides at least 2 in. high) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, chili pepper, garlic salt, and lime juice and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos to pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute more, then pour in broth and bring to a boil. Boil rice 5 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover pan, and cook 15 minutes.

Return chicken to pan and cook until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed, and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

 

Remove pan from heat and stir in chiles, cheese, and cilantro. Serve immediately.