THE JOURNAL, Thursday, September 21,2017 - A5
and Easy Casseroles Sure to Please Your Busy Family
This is a busy time of 1/2 cup milk
year for most families. 1/4 cup finely chopped
School is back in session; onion
children and grandchil- Preheat oven to 350
dren are involved in sports degrees. Mix all ingredients
~' : .;4 ~ : ............. ......... ==:
:)
dEditOr
activities; and, our favorite
university sports teams are
playing every week. It is a
good time to rely on quick
and easy casserole recipes.
Many casseroles may be
made in advance and frozen
for later use. So, when you
have time to make one, why
not make two and store one
in the freezer for future use?
All of the recipes shared
today are uncomplicated
and quick to prepare. I hope
you will see one that you
would like to try!
Layered Mexican Cas-
serole
Serves 6-8
1 pound ground beef
1 medium.green pepper,
chopped
1 medium red pepper,
chopped
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 (14 ounce) can diced
tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 ounce) package
frozen corn
12 (6") corn tortillas
1 1/2 cup shredded Ched-
dar cheese
Preheat oven to 375.
Brown the ground beef;
drain off fat. Stirin peppers
and cook until tender crisp.
Stir in salsa, tomatoes and
corn. Spoon 1 cup meat
mixture into the bottom of
a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Top with 6 tortillas, over-
lapping if necessary. Spoon
half of the remaining meat
mixture over the tortillas.
Sprinkle with half of the
cheese. Top with remaining
tortillas and meat mixture.
Cover with foil and bake
for 25-30 minutes or until
heated through. Remove
from the oven and sprinkle
with remaining cheese. Let
stand for about 5 minutes
or until cheese has melted
before serving.
Easy Chicken Casserole
Serves 6-8
Bite-sized pieces of meat
from 1 rotisserie chicken
(approx. 4 cups)
2 cups croutons
1 I/2 cup shredded white
Cheddar cheese
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2/3 cup mayonnaise
in a 9 x 13-inch casserole
dish. Bake for 40-45 min-
utes or until piping hot.
Chicken Pasta Casserole
Serves 4-6
8 ounces uncooked riga-
toni
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped
onion
1 (10 ounce) package
frozen chopped spinach,
thawed
3 cups cubed cooked
chicken breasts
1 (14.5 ounce) can Ital-
ian-style diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) container
chive and onion cream
cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces)
shredded mozzarella
cheese
Preheat oven to 375
degrees. Prepare rigatoni
according to package direc-
tions. Spread oil on the
bottom of an 11 x 7-inch
baking dish. Add onion in
a single layer and bake at
375 for 15 minutes or just
until tender. Transfer onion
to a large bowl and set
aside. Drain chopped spin-
ach well, pressing between
layers of paper towels. Stir
rigatoni, spinach, chicken,
diced tomatoes, cream
cheese and salt into the
onion the bowl. Spoon
the mixture into a baking
dish and sprinkle evenly
with shredded mozzarella.
Bake, covered, at 375 for
30 minutes; uncover and
bake 15 more minutes or
until bubbly.
Cheesy Casserole
Serves 8
Preheat oven to 325
degrees. 8 large eggs,
slightly beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (16 ounce) carton small-
curd cottage Cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shred-
ded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shred-
ded Cheddar cheese
2 (4.5 ounce) cans
chopped green chiles
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon red pepper Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese,
1/2 teaspoon chili powder I/8 teaspoon garlic powder and bake, uncovered, 5
Combine eggs, flour and 1 cup half-and-half more minutes. Serve with
baking powder, stirring l cupmilk salsa.
well. Stir in cheeses and 2 1/2 cups Cheddar
remaining ingredients, cheese, shredded and Chicken and Wild Rice
Pour mixture into a lightly divided Casserole
greased 13 x 9-inch baking Preheat oven to 375 Serves 6
dish. Bake, uncovered, at degrees. Prepare maca- 1 (6.2 ounce) package
325 degrees for 35 minutes. ' roni according to package fast-cooking long-grain
directions; drain and set and wild rice mix
Chicken Lasagna aside. Melt butter in a large 2 (10 1/2 ounce) cans
Serves 8-10 skillet over medium-high chicken broth
1 Tablespoon butter heat, Gradually whisk in 1 (8 ounce) package fresh
1/2 large onion, chopped flour until smooth; cook, mushroom slices
1 (10 3/4 ounce) cream of whisking constantly 2 min- 3 cups chopped cooked
chicken soup, undiluted utes. Stir in salt, black chicken
1 (10 ounce) container pepper, red pepper and 2/3 cup Italian salad
refrigerated Alfredo sauce garlic powder. Gradually dressing
1 (7 ounce) jar diced whisk in half-and-half and 1 (8 ounce) container sour
pimento, undrained milk. Cook whisking con- cream
1 (6 ounce)jar sliced stantly, 8-10 minutes or Preheat oven to 325
mushrooms, drained until thickened. Stir in 2 degrees. Cook rice in
1/3 cup dry white winecups of the cheese, whisk-
1/2 teaspoon dried basil ing until smooth. Remove
1 (10 ounce) package lrom neat. omnme pasta
frozen chopped spinach, and cheese mixture, and broth instead of water. Add
thawed pour into a lightly greased mushrooms the last 5 min-
1 cup cottage cheese 8-inch square baking dish utes of the cooking process.
1 cup ricotta cheese which has been prepared Stir in chicken,dressing and
1/2 cup grated Parmesan with non-stick cooking sour cream. Spoon into
cheese spray. Sprinkle evenly with a lightly greased 2 quart
1 large egg, lightly beaten remaining Cheddar cheese, baking dish. Bake at 325
9 lasagna noodles, cooked Bake at 375 degrees for 20 degrees for 30 minutes or
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked minutes, until thoroughly heated.
chicken Let stand 10 minutes before
3 cups (12 ounces) shred- Chicken Enchiladas serving.
ded sharp Cheddar cheese, Serves 5
divided 2 cups chopped cooked Tuna Noodle Casserole
Melt butter in a skillet over chicken Serves 6-8
medium-high heat. Add 2 cups sour cream 1 (16 ounce) package egg
onion and saut6 5 minutes 1 (10 3/4 ounce) cannoodles
or until tender. Stir in soup, cream of chicken soup, 5 ounces green frozen peas
Alfredo sauce, pimento, 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) (1/2 of a 10 ounce pack-
mushroom, white wine and shredded Monterey Jack age)
basil. Reserve 1 cup of the cheese 2 cans light tuna, drained
sauce. Drain spinach well, 1 1/2 cups (c ounces) 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can
pressing between layers of shredded Colby Jack cream of mushroom soup,
paper towels. Stir together cheese undiluted
spinach, cottage cheese, 1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped 1 soup can of milk
ricotta cheese, Parmesan green chiles, drained 2 teaspoons celery salt
cheese and egg. Place 3 2 Tablespoons chopped 1/4 t black pepper
lasagna noodles in a lightly onion Potato chips
greased 13 x 9 baking dish. 1/4 teaspoon pepper Preheat oven to 350
Layer with half each of 1/8 teaspoon salt degrees. Prepare noodles
sauce, spinach mixture and 10 (10 inch) corn tortillas and peas according to pack-
chicken. Sprinkle with Vegetable oil age directions. Drain. In a
1 cup cheddar cheese. I cup (4ounces) shredded large bowl, combine cooked
Repeat procedure. Top Colby Jack cheese noodles, cooked peas, tuna,
with remaining 3 noodles Salsa cream of mushroom soup,
and reserved 1 cup sauce. Preheat oven to 350 milk, celery salt and pepper.
Cover and chill up to 1 day degrees. Combine chicken, Mix well. Pour mixture into
ahead of baking. Bake at sour cream, cream of a prepared9x 13casserole
350 degrees for 45 minutes, chicken soup, Monterey dish. Top with crushed
Sprinkle with remaining Jack cheese, Colby Jack potato chips. Bake at 350
1 cup Cheddar cheese and cheese,green chiles,onion, degrees for about 45 min-
bake 5 more minutes or until pepper and salt and stir well. utes or until heated all the
cheese is melted. Let stand Fry tortillas, one at a time, way through.
10 minutes before serving, in 2 tablespoons oil in a
skillet, 5 seconds on each Baked Ziti
Home Baked Macaroni side or until softened; add Serves 8
and Cheese additional oil, if necessary. 1 carrot, grated
Serves 6 Drain. Place a heaping 1 onion, diced
1 (8 ounce) package elbow 1/2 cup of chicken mixture 2 tablespoons margarine
macaroni on each tortilla, roll up 1 (28 ounce) can whole
1/4 cup butter and place seam side down tomatoes
1/4 cup flour in a 13 x 9-inch baking 1 (16 ounce) can tomato
1/4 teaspoon salt dish. Cover and bake at sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 1 (6 ounce) can tomato
paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
l teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons basil
2 bay leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup dry white wine or
white cooking wine
1 (16 ounce) package ziti
(#'2)
1 pound shredded mozza-
rella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
cheese
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. In a Dutch oven,
saut6 carrots and onions
in margarine. Remove
tomatoes from can, tear
a large saucepan accord- into pieces and put into pot
to vegetables.
using llqUlO Irom toma-
toes to dilute finished sauce
if needed. Add tomato
sauce, tomato paste, salt,
pepper, garlic powder,
sugar, basil and bay leaves
to the Dutch oven. Bring
to a boil, reduce heat, cover
and simmer for half an hour.
In a medium skillet, brown
ground beef, drain off any
fat. Add beef, oregano and
white wine to the Dutch
oven and continue to cook
for another hour. Mean-
while, cook ziti accord-
ing to package directions.
Drain and mix with sauce
in the Dutch oven. Pour
into a prepared 13 x 9 x
2 baking pan. Top with
mozzarella and Parmesan
cheeses. Bake uncovered
at 350 degrees for 25 to 30
minutes.
Pineapple Dessert Cas-
serole
Serves 4
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple
chunks in juice, undrained
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded
Cheddar cheese
1 cup buttery cracker
crumbs (like Ritz)
3 tablespoons butter,
melted
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. Drain pineapple,
reserving 3 tablespoons
juice. Combine sugar and
flout'; stir in reserved pineap-
ple juice. Stir in cheese and
pineapple chunks. Spoon
mixture into a greased
1-quart baking dish. Com-
bine cracker crumbs and
butter, stirring well. Sprin-
kle over pineapple mixture.
Bake, uncovered at 350
degrees for 20 minutes or
until browned. Serve hot.
luck was scheduled and
I was short on time, so
I boiled some pasta and
tossed in the relish and
was very surprised that
the seasoning was just
When all else fails in That said, I want to what the pasta ordered.
my garden, I can count share an easy recipe for After that, canning some
on peppers! It matters not Sweet Pepper Relish. jars of Sweet Pepper
the variety; whether they The first time I made it I Relish became a yearly
are hot peppers or sweet, really had no idea what I routine and a staple on
Success does not evenwas going to do with it. my pantry shelves.
depend on timing; my I add sliced sweet pepper
early and late plantings to stir-fry, but prefer Pepper Relish
bear peppers. Heat waves jalapeno and cayenne for
come and go, tomatoesthe most part. (This version comes from
and squash reveal their One year I had a shelf the book Slac__ki2tg__U .)
sufferings but my pep- full of sweet pepper
pers look great and con- relish, looking at it, wait- 2 c. coarsely ground
tinue to bear. ing for inspiration. A pot- onion
2 c. coarsely ground recipe, I had to tweak it and fill them with raw
sweet green pepper to suit my tastes and you peppers and onions. Boil
2 c. coarsely ground can do likewise if you so the honey and vinegar
sweet red pepper wish. I prefer the onions and pour it over the pep-
1 ½ c. honey and peppers chopped pers in the jar. Clean the
1 quart white vinegar rather than ground. Irim, screw down sterile
2 teaspoons of salt add yellow peppers aslids and then process in
Drain onions and well for apleasing color the water bath for 10
pepper, then combine blend. At times I substi- minutes. This will keep
all ingredients and bring tute 1 cup of sugar for the the peppers from turning
slowly to a boil. Simmer honey (again for color to mush.
until slightly thickened, purposes). Add extra flavor and
about 25 minutes. Pour When I eat pasta nutrition to the pasta
into clean, hot sterilized salad, I like a little bit of salad by chopping in
jars. Filljarsleavinga¼" crispness to the pepper broccoli, cauliflower or
headspace. Adjust seals and onions. Boiling the jicama when blending in
and process 10 minutes chopped peppers for 25 the pepper relish. Sun-
in a boiling water bath. minutes cooks the crisp- flower or pumpkin seeds
ness out of them. Instead are a nice addition as
This is such a simple you cansterilizeyourjars well.
