Father's Day Brunch Casserole

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing daddies out there!

My husband, Brett, and his dad are out fishing this afternoon, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to share what we made this morning for my kids super-wonderful, totally awesome daddy for breakfast.

Father's Day Brunch Casserole

I wanted to make something hearty for my hubby but I also wanted it to be something the girls could help me with in the kitchen.  This casserole was perfect!  I gave the girls the task of tearing up a large french baguette of bread into chunks and they had a ball.

This casserole turned out to be so tasty!  I found this recipe here and tweaked it just a little bit.  The casserole has a whole loaf of crusty bread, bulk Italian sausage, red bell pepper, onions and is soaked with an egg, milk, heavy cream, cheese and chives mixture.  Are you hungry yet?  You should be because this is so good!  

I used Monterrey jack cheese instead of the swiss because I thought that would be more appealing to the kids.  But unfortunately the girls didn't even want to try it.  No biggie, though.....I'm sure my hubby and I will have no problem polishing this off all by ourselves!  I think next time I'll go with the swiss.  Italian sausage and swiss cheese is always a winning combination.

This is a great make ahead dish because you can assemble it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning.  It takes about an hour to bake and is ready to go when it is puffed and golden and when a knife inserted comes out clean.  I also garnished the casserole with extra fresh chives from our garden.

So, that's what was cookin' over here this morning.  I hope you all were able to make the special daddy's in your life something good to eat.  I firmly believe that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and it's a great way to show him how much you care!

Happy Father's Day!

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Mexican Taco Pasta Bake

Life with three kids is going pretty well.  Have I touched my sewing machine since Caspian was born? Well, no, not even once.  I'll get back to the machine eventually - it's always there waiting for me, ready to welcome me back with open arms.  But this little guy.......he's already growing up right before my eyes, so I am trying to soak up all the little baby time possible.

One of my biggest challenges has been preparing dinner because I'm never quite sure when my little guy is going to nurse.  He tends to want to eat right when I should be cooking dinner - go figure, right?  However, he seems to be doing a pretty good mid-afternoon nap, so I'm trying out some new recipes that I can prepare during the day and then just pop in the oven before dinner.

Today I'm sharing my latest recipe that I tried out last night.  I'm calling it "Mexican Taco Pasta Bake".  It's really all the flavors in a taco, but mixed is mixed in with pasta and cheese.  What could be bad about that, right?

The next time you want to prepare a meal ahead of time, give this one a try.  My husband even went back for thirds!  Would also be great to feed a crowd and your kids will love it too!!

Mexican Taco Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 lb. pasta (any shape)

1 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 can Rotel (tomatoes with green chile)

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 brick light cream cheese

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Topping:

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Garnish:

Sliced green onions, slice black olives, and sour cream.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large saute pan.  Remove beef from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Add onion and green pepper to pan and saute until cooked through.  Add back in cooked ground beef, taco seasoning and Rotel.  Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.  Add in cream cheese and melt it down into the beef mixture.  Once cream cheese is melted, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  

Drain pasta.  Pour beef and cheese mixture over cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.  Pour combined pasta and beef mixture into the casserole dish.

Sprinkle the top of the pasta with crushed tortilla chips combined with shredded cheese.  Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Might need a little longer if it has been refrigerated.  Basically you are just melting the cheese and heating it through since all the ingredients are already cooked.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced green onions and black olives.

 

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Jambalaya Egg Casserole

This morning I was scheduled to host our bi-weekly playgroup.  The group is pretty large, with 12 Mama's, 12 two-year olds, and several younger siblings.  Typically the playgroup host provides some type of breakfast/brunch for everyone.  I wanted to try something new and saw a recipe on the back of the Zatarain's Jambalaya mix that looked very interesting and right up my alley.

I modified the recipe ever so slightly, but I must say, I thought it turned out pretty darn tasty and so did the other Mama's.

Jambalaya Egg Casserole

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

1 family size box of Zatarain's Jambalaya, prepared according to package directions

1 ham steak, cubed

5 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled

1 8oz bag of shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack

3 green onions, sliced

1 cup heavy cream

7 eggs

Parsley, optional for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare Jambalaya mix according to package directions.  Use the cubed ham and crumbled bacon when the mix directions tell you to add the meat.  Meanwhile, beat the 7 eggs and heavy cream.  Add 3/4 of the bag of shredded cheese and the sliced green onions.  Once the jambalaya is cooked, allow to cool.  Once cooled, mix the jambalaya with the egg, cream, onion, and cheese mixture.  Stir to combine.  Pour combined mixture into a 9 x13 glass baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.  Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.  Enjoy!

I also served a couple other dishes along side this yummy casserole.

Crunchy Asian Peanut Slaw

Apple, Strawberry, Pineapple Fruit Salad with Lime

Cottage Mama's Note:  The jambalaya would also be delicious with the addition of andouille sausage or you could even use your basic breakfast sausage.

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The Cottage Mama's Favorite Mac & Cheese Recipe

You know the saying "If it's not broke, don't fix it"?  Well, I should have listened to this several nights ago when I tried to change up my homemade Mac & Cheese recipe.  Yes, I can admit it........my new recipe........not so good.  I think from now on I will just stick to the one I know I can count on.

So here is my GOOD mac & cheese recipe - the one you can count on to be perfect every time.  This is from Ina Garten, the "Barefoot Contessa", and it is the creamiest, dreamiest mac & cheese recipe you will ever have!

The Cottage Mama's Favorite Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

nocouponsKosher salt

Vegetable oil

1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi

1 quart milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)

1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Cottage Mama's Note:  Feel free to add shredded chicken or cubed ham to add some protein to this dish.  I live with a meat and potatoes lover so he is always looking for the meat!!

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Cheesy, Delicious - Hash Brown Casserole

Hash brown casserole is SO yummy!  I'm sure many of you have a version of this recipe, but if you don't I think this is a tried and true dish that should be in everyone's cooking repertoire.

Hash brown casserole is a perfect side dish for any steak, chicken or fish dinner.  It is incredibly easy to make and can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge until it is time to bake.  If you are looking for a dish to take to a pot-luck, this one is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.  This is also a wonderful brunch dish as well! 

If for some reason you have never tried this dish, please, please give this recipe a try - you will love it!!

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen, shredded or diced hash brown potatoes (2 lbs.), thawed

1 onion, chopped

1 can cream soup (cream of chicken, mushroom, celery.....whatever you have)

1 8 oz. container sour cream (I use light sour cream)

1 lb. shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups crushed corn flakes or 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grate cheese (or you can use already shredded bagged cheese) and chop onion.

Then add your hash browns, cream soup, sour cream, cheese, onions, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.

After all ingredients are combined, spoon hash brown mixture into a greased, glass baking dish.  Top hash browns with crushed corn flakes or seasoned bread crumbs (I used bread crumbs here) and drizzle melted butter evenly on top.

Bake for 35 minutes, covered.  Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.

Hash Brown Casserole - hot out of the oven!!

Serve with salad and Honey-Dijon Pecan Crusted Salmon (recipe to come!!)

Cottage Mama's Note:  To make hash brown casserole into a main dish entree, consider adding cubed ham or chicken and adding additional vegetables such as diced bell peppers, peas or broccoli.

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Apple Raisin French Toast Strata

This morning was our "Valentine" playgroup.  We had such a great time!  My friend Julie hosted the group and she did a wonderful job.  She prepared several different breakfast items, but the Apple Raisin French Toast Strata definitely took the cake - it was AWESOME!!

Julie got this recipe via allrecipes.com and I wanted to go ahead and share it with all of you.  If you are hosting a brunch/breakfast anytime in the near future, make this dish - it was SO yummy!

 

 Apple Raisin French Toast Strata

Ingredients:

1 (1 pound) loaf cinnamon raisin bread, cubed

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, diced

1 cup diced peeled apples

8 eggs

2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 of the cubed raisin bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the cream cheese evenly over the bread, and top with the apples. If you like extra raisins, add them now. Top with remaining bread.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, butter, and maple syrup. Pour over the bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and press down so that all bread pieces are soaked. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!!

Here are some pictures from this mornings playgroup.  My daughter Savannah has been playing with most of these kiddos since she was 5 weeks old (well if you can call that "playing" at 5 weeks old).

We were each told to bring a bag or box for our child to collect all of their Valentines - this is Savannah & Matilda's bag all filled up with Valentine's from their little friends!

Savannah at the craft table.  I think she takes after her mother - she loves arts and crafts!!

Savannah getting ready to pass out her Valentine's.  Remember the "We Dig You!" post? (find it here).

All the kiddos Valentine's Day boxes/bags ready to be filled!

Ava & Liam's Boxes

Grace & Evan's Box

Roaran's Lion Mailbox

This is what happens when toddlers are left unattended at the craft table - yikes!!

Cottage Mama's Note:  The dress my daughter is wearing in these pictures I made from a recycled Valentine's Day shirt from last year.  You can the recycled shirt dress post here.

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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole & Monterey Jack Cheese Cornbread Muffins

When I had my second daughter, Matilda Jane, 7 months ago I could not believe the out-pouring of kindness we received from our family and friends.  We were brought so many meals that I did not even have to think about cooking for several weeks!  I think bringing new parents a meal that they can easily heat up is one of the best gifts you can possible give a couple.

So on Friday I was telling you all about the fact that tons of my friends seem to have had babies this past month (see post here ).  Today I delivered meals to two of my friends and I thought I would share the recipes with you.  If you have someone in your life that has recently had a new baby, I highly recommend bringing them a hot meal and, if you feel so inclined, go ahead and try this recipe - I think it is delish!

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

1 can green enchilada sauce

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 bag frozen broccoli

1/2 bag frozen corn

1 garlic clove, chopped (or 1 teaspoon jar garlic)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (do not add if you don't like some spice)

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano 

1 brick cream cheese

12 flour tortillas

3 handfuls of tortilla chips (crushed)

Cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place frozen chicken breast on cookie sheet, place in oven and cook 20-30 minutes (until cooked through).  Once cooked, dice chicken into 1/2" pieces.

While chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in large saute pan on medium heat.  Add garlic to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add frozen broccoli, corn, and all spices.  Saute until cooked through.  

Add both cans enchilada sauce and cook for 3 minutes.

Add cream cheese and melt into sauce.  Once cream cheese is melted, add cubed chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut 12 flour tortillas into 1 inch strips.

Now it's time to assemble the casserole!  Spray your casserole dish with cooking spray (I like Olive Oil spray from Trader Joe's, but any kind will work).  Place one layer of flour tortillas on the bottom of the dish.

Then add a layer of the chicken, cream cheese, veggie, sauce mixture.

Sprinkle 1/2 of the Monterey Jack cheese on top.  Repeat the layering until you have used up your ingredients.  You will probably have 2-3 layers depending on the size of your casserole dish.

Finish the top of the casserole with crushed tortilla chips, more cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated through.  If you are taking this to a friend, cover with foil, write the heating instructions on top of the foil (that way they don't have to worry about finding them before they heat up the dish).  Enjoy!

Monterey Jack Cheese Cornbread Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup cilantro or green onions

2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions:

Prepare Jiffy Corn Muffin mix according to package directions.  DO NOT over-mix (otherwise you will have dry, hard corn muffins).  The batter should still be somewhat lumpy before you place it into your muffin tins.

Fold in cheese & chili powder.

Chop cilantro (or green onions).

Fold in cilantro.

Line muffin tin with muffin wrappers and fill 3/4 full.  Bake according to Jiffy package directions.

Allow muffins to cool before removing from pan.

Jiffy Cornbread mix is VERY inexpensive and makes incredibly delicious cornbread as long as you make sure you add enough milk (add a little more milk if the batter looks too dry) and you don't over-mix the batter.

Cottage Mama's Note:  Since I was taking these casseroles to friends, I bought disposable lasagna pans from Dollar Tree (2 pans for $1.00) so I didn't have to worry about getting my dishes back later.  I also placed the corn muffins in cello bags and tied them up with a pretty sage green ribbon.

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Thanksgiving 101: Side Dishes

So far we have covered all of the basics for our Thanksgiving celebration: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.  Now it's time for side dishes - yipee!!  Now this is where you can really get creative - the options are endless.  Many of you may opt. for you basic green bean casserole (a classic and very good) and/or some form of baked sweet potatoes (perhaps with marshmallows), but I'm going to skip those two oldies, but goodies and give you several other ideas that you may want to add to your Thanksgiving table this year.

This first recipe comes to you from Martha Stewart herself:  Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts.  I saw this recipe prepared last year on the Martha Stewart show and thought it just looked so easy and delicious that I had to give it a try.  I served this last year on Christmas Eve with Prime Rib, but I think it would make an awesome addition to Thanksgiving.  It's also something that would be unexpected, but extremely appreciated by all your fellow guests.  Trust me.......if you like artichoke hearts, it is divine!  Click here to check out the recipe for Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts.


My second side dish I would like to share with you is Creamed Spinach Gratin.  To me this is one of the world's best comfort foods and mixes perfectly with turkey, stuffing, and potatoes.

Creamed Spinach Gratin

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cook bacon in heavy bottom saute pan.  Remove bacon and crumble.  Melt the butter into bacon grease over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes (make sure this are fully cooked). Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Cottage Mama's Note:

-This recipe will serve 10 people easily - probably even more!

-Another great idea for this recipe (not for Thanksgiving).  Cut the recipe in half and toss with a pound of cooked pasta, then add to casserole dish and bake.  YUM!

Ok and my final recommendation for a delicious Thanksgiving side dish is a recipe I have already posted previously: Ruthie's Spinach Salad.  I brought this to my in-laws last year for Thanksgiving and it was a definite hit.  This recipe would be a fresh addition to your thanksgiving table - with the cranberries, toasted almonds, sliced red onion, feta cheese and a delicious sweet and spicy vinaigrette - it would be the perfect contrast to all of your other creamy and delicious side dishes.

Ruthie's Spinach Salad

Dressing

3/4 C. salad oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. red wine vinegar

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad

8 cups washed and dried baby spinach

1 C dried cranberries or cherries

4 ounces feta cheese crumbled 

I/2 to 1 medium red onion thinly sliced

4-6 slices bacon -cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For dressing--combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Cover and shake well to blend.

For the salad--combine all ingredients--toss with dressing just before serving.

Six servings

Happy Thanksgiving!

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