Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Casserole

We had the first of many Christmas get-togethers this weekend, and since we were hosting, we decided to do brunch in place of a traditional Christmas dinner. I tried many new recipes, but this one was the biggest hit by far. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm in love. I'd tell you I've been eating leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner ever since, but that may make me sound like a weirdo. ;)

And the best part about this recipe? You make it ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. This gives the same affect to the English muffins as it would with a bread pudding, and everything just kind of collides in a beautiful mess of the-best-thing-that-ever-hit-your-taste-buds. Long story short, this recipe is the perfect ratio of fluffy eggs, perfectly seasoned sausage, soft, buttery English muffins,  and melty cheese. YUM!

What you'll need:

3-5 English muffins, split

2 TBS. butter

1 Pound bulk sausage, crumbled, cooked, and drained on paper towels (you can use regular, or half regular and half spicy depending on your taste preference - I used Jimmy Dean Country Mild)

7 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1¼ cups Sour Cream

12 eggs

Spray a 9"x13" casserole dish with cooking spray. Split English muffins in half and butter the inside of each slice. Lay slices buttered side down in casserole dish, covering the bottom of the dish. (Break up an extra English muffin to fill in gaps if need be). 

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Add sour cream, whisking until combined. There may be some lumps at this point, but after a minute or so of whisking everything should combine just fine. 

On top of English muffins, layer half of the sausage, half of the green chiles and half of the cheese. Pour entire egg mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle remaining sausage, chiles and cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

In the morning, remove casserole from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to rest for  10-15 minutes before serving. 

Download and print this recipe below!

Sausage, Egg, ad Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti

I initially found this recipe for Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti through Pinterest and couldn't wait to try it. I doctored it up to my family's taste just a little bit, adding mushrooms and cooking the onions and peppers in with the ground beef instead of microwaving them. It definitely didn't disappoint! In fact, I believe my exact words after the first bite were, "I will never eat 'regular' spaghetti again." You have to try it to believe it. It's just that good.

source/original recipe

What You'll Need:
1 lb. ground beef
8 oz. spaghetti, cooked to al dente, drained and set aside
1 (26.5 oz) jar spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Garden Veggie)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small can mushrooms, drained
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened
2 TBS. milk
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 small can French Fried Onions

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, brown ground beef with salt and pepper (to taste), onion and peppers. Add spaghetti sauce and warm through. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and milk. Add mushrooms. Spray an 8" x 12" baking dish with cooking spray and assemble dish beginning with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce, followed by cooked spaghetti noodles. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of noodles.Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese (to taste). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Add French Fried onions and bake 5 more minutes.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Last night Kenzie had a friend over for dinner. I had to run off to a meeting as the girls were walking in the door from dance class, so I left this casserole out for them. Fast forward a few hours to last night. I come home and open the fridge to see the leftovers from the casserole - all three spoonfuls of it! Those girls gobbled up over 3/4 of this dish all on their own! 

What you'll need:
2 cups egg noodles, cooked
1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 small can mushrooms
1 small jar pimentos, undrained (I only use half)
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 large can (12 oz.) solid white tuna, packed in water - drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, separated
1/2 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, sweat celery and onion. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream of mushroom soup, peas & carrots, mushrooms, pimentos, Miracle Whip, tuna, and 1/2 cup cheese. Mix well until combined and cheese is melted. Gently fold in egg noddles until combined with sauce mixutre. Pour mixture into 9x13" baking dish and top with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese and crushed saltine crackers. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and casserole is bubbly.

Mexican Rice Casserole

I first came across this mouth watering side dish during an early morning episode of The Pioneer Woman. It looked so amazingly delicious that I immediately threw my tousled hair into a messy bun, wiped the caked on mascara from below my eyes and jumped in the car to go buy the ingredients I didn't have on hand. I may or may not have bothered to change out of my pajamas, but that's besides the point. All day I waited for dinner time, and around 4:30 I finally caved and declared that it would be an early-supper kinda night. I served this casserole as a side dish to my Sour Cream Enchiladas, and boy was it as mouth watering as it looked! This is my new go-to Mexican side dish. Original recipe here.

What you'll need:
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cups long grain rice
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14.5 oz)
5 oz. diced tomatoes w/green chiles, such as Rotel
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I omitted this)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth (more if needed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
fresh cilantro for serving

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Rice Preparation*: Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic and onions. Cook, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the rice. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn't burn. Cook over low heat, about 3 minutes.

Next, add the whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne and turmeric. Stir to combine and let cook, about 2 minutes. Finally, add the chicken broth and stir the mixture together. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer until the rice is not quite done, 10 to 15 minutes.

Top with the cheese, and then bake with the lid off until the cheese is melted and the rice fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Serve with chopped cilantro.

*Short cut: You may use minute rice or success rice prepared with chicken broth in place of water and omit the rice preparation step. Simply prepare the rice. Once cooked, add garlic and onion before adding the rest of the ingredients.  

Sour Cream Enchilada Casserole

There are many dishes that remind me of my childhood. Y'know, the ones that give you that warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feeling...the ones that put a smile on your face as they warm your soul. This is one of those dishes. My momma made this dish for me growing up, and now my own daughter is requests it often. I've seen many recipes floating around out there for sour cream enchiladas over the years, but this dish is different. The biggest (and in my opinion best) thing that sets this dish apart from "regular" sour cream enchiladas is the way they're prepared. See, I love to cook, bake, craft, you name it...but when I'm done it looks like a tornado has come through the room. I'm clumsy, dropsy and my mother often tells me she should have named me Grace (probably because I have none). Do you see where this is going? That's right, rolling a bunch of enchiladas isn't exactly my idea of easy or fun. It's just not my cup of tea to spend all that time filling each tortilla with the exact same amount of filling, rolling each one in the same direction with the same amount of tension and lying them side by side, making sure they all fit in the pan like puzzle pieces so there is equal distance between each one (a messy perfectionist....does it get any more dysfunctional than that?)...and then you take them out of the pan just to have them fall apart on their way to the plate. *sigh* Talk about stressful! Anyway, I take the easy way out, and I think they turn out better than traditional enchiladas - I just layer it, kinda like a lasagna. Sauce, tortillas, meat, sauce, tortillas, meat..always in that order. ;) No matter how you choose to lay it out, it's sure to be a a dish you come back to time after time. So without further ado...

What you'll need:

1 pound ground beef

8 burrito size flour tortillas

1 packet of taco seasoning, or homemade taco seasoning

1 small onion

8 oz. sour cream

1 small can green chiles (undrained)

1 small can sliced black olives (drained)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2-2 cups cheddar cheese

Preparation:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion - drain if needed. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Set meat aside. In a medium sauce pan, add sour cream, green chiles, creamed soups and 1/2 cup cheese, melting just until thinned and warm. Evenly cover bottom of a greased 9x12 casserole dish with a thin layer of sauce. Tear four tortillas into quarters. Lay tortilla pieces in bottom of pan, covering all surface area. Evenly spoon half of the taco meat onto the tortilla layer. Pour half of the sauce mixture on top of meat, spreading out evenly. Repeat each layer, beginning with tortillas and ending with sauce. Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese and black olives. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until enchiladas are bubbly and cheese is melted and golden. 

King Ranch Chicken

Mmm, King Ranch Chicken. This dish is one I grew up on and it always reminds me of childhood. It's one of my dad's favorites and is always his birthday dinner request. It has simple ingredients and is a great use of leftover chicken.  I share it now with all of you so you can share it with your families. I hope you enjoy.  

First, gather all of your ingredients.

Peel and quarter your onion, then cut around the top of your green pepper... 

...and twist to pull the seeds out.

Make sure to remove any remaining seeds, then quarter your green pepper.

Pour both of your soups into your blender and toss the onion and green pepper in on top of it. 

Liquefy in your blender, add your Picante sauce and liquefy some more. When you're done it will look like this: 

Grease your 9x13 baking dish with some cooking spray, crush up half of your chips and spread in an even layer in the dish.

Do the same with half of your shredded chicken...

Half your sauce...

and finally half of your cheese.

Then, starting with the other half of your chips, layer the rest of your ingredients as you did before, ending with cheese. Pop it in the oven, let it get all hot and bubbly, and enjoy the cheesy, melty goodness with just a kick of spice.

King Ranch Chicken

What you'll need:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 green bell pepper, quartered

1 onion, quartered

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 (16 oz.) jar Pace picante sauce (mild, medium, or hot depending on your liking)

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, shredded

2/3 bag tortilla chips, crushed 

Preparation:

Place the soups, onion and bell pepper in a blender; liquefy, then add Pace picante and liquefy to make a sauce. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer 1/2 the chips, 1/2 the chicken, 1/2 the sauce and 1/2 of the cheese in the baking dish. Repeat layers ending with cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 

Spinach & Ravioli Bake

We love casseroles 'round here. They're so convenient, they're portable and are always a crowd pleaser at a potluck. They're also one of the best ways I can figure to sneak some veggies into each meal, because everything is better when it's covered in a lovely sauce and baked to perfection. This recipe is a new addition to our menu - it was quick, easy, and soooo good. It's fast and easy weeknight meal or Sunday supper that's sure to be a knockout with your family and friends.

First, take a jar of spaghetti sauce and pour half in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish that's sprayed with cooking spray. Spread it all out evenly along the bottom. 

Then grab your fresh spinach, lop off the stems with a knife and lay a few leaves on top of each other, like this:

Now we want to chop up our spinach. So roll it up lengthwise and hold it in place...

then use your knife chop it up. It will form long narrow pieces like this: 

Do this a couple times until you've chopped up about a half a cup of spinach. Simple, right? Okay. Now sprinkle your spinach over the sauce in your baking dish. 

Now it's time to add your frozen ravioli. Lay it out in one even layer on top of your sauce/spinach mixture. It'll look like this: 

Now sprinkle half of your cheese evenly over the ravioli.

Once you've given it plenty of cheese, start all over again and form another layer of sauce, spinach, ravioli and cheese. Then cover it in foil and pop it the oven. 

Voila! You have an amazing meal that everyone will love for minimal effort. Now that's my kinda of supper!

Spinach & Ravioli Bake


What you'll need:
1 (26 oz.) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu Garden Vegetable)
2 (1 lb.) packages frozen cheese ravioli, uncooked
1 cup fresh spinach
2 cups shredded Kraft Italian Five Cheese 


Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 400°. Spread one cup of spaghetti sauce evenly along the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Chop and layer 1/2 cup of fresh spinach evenly on top of the sauce, then layer 1/2 of your frozen ravioli and 1 cup of cheese on top. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce, spinach, ravioli and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly and ravioli is cooked through and tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

Chicken & Biscuit Casserole

I love this recipe. So I'm sharing it with you. I found this recipe on the back of a Bisquick box once, and I tweaked it (shocking, right?) to my family's liking. The best part about this dish is that it's extremely versatile. You can substitute any meat that you'd like, keep it vegetarian, and change up the types of veggies you add. I keep my creamed soups, canned veggies and Bisquick on hand all the time so it's a wonderful go-to meal when I'm in a bind. It's a great stick-to-your-ribs family meal, and it has a way of magically disappearing in our house. I've taken some pictures of the different steps so you can get a clear picture of how to build this baby...or maybe I just like taking pictures...or maybe you just like you :) Either way, I hope you enjoy this casserole.

Season your chicken with a little bit of  pepper, and toss it in a skillet with a bit of olive oil (or cooking spray) that's been heated over medium-high heat. Get it nice and golden brown so it's a little crispy on the outside and still nice and juicy on the inside. 

Here comes the tough part. Dump in all of your canned goods - Cream of Chicken Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, drained Veg-all and drained Carrots. Fold it all in together until it looks like this:

Now pepper it all up nice and good so it has lots of flavor. I don't use salt in this recipe because you get plenty of that from your creamed soups. Now comes the step where I got distracted from all the excitement of cooking this wonderful meal and forgot to take a picture. Oops. Anyway, whisk up your Bisquick and milk. It should drop easily from the whisk but shouldn't be runny. Does that make sense? Good. If your mixture is too thick, add a little more milk. A little too thin? Add a little more Bisquick. No big deal.



Ok, once you've done that, pour your sauce mixture into your baking dish that's been greased with cooking spray. Spread it all out nice and even, then dump the Bisquick mixture right in on top of it. 

Spread that out evenly, too. It doesn't have to be perfect, see?

The biscuit layer may be thin, but it will thicken up dramatically while it cooks. Now pop that baby in the oven and cook it for about 25-30 minutes or until your biscuits are golden brown. Insert a toothpick in the center to be sure they're cooked through if you're like me and don't want to chance doughy biscuits. Now dish it up and dive in, it won't last long.

Hearty Chicken & Biscuit Casserole


What you'll need:
Sauce:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed in 1/2-1" pieces
1 (10.75 oz.) can Cream of Chicken Soup, undiluted
1 (10.75 oz.) can Cream of Mushroom Soup, undiluted
1 (14.5 oz.) can sliced carrots, drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can Veg-all veggies, drained
Pepper to taste


Biscuit Topping:
2 cups Bisquick
3/4-1 cup milk


Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350°. Season chicken with pepper to taste. In a skillet that's been heated over medium-high heat, brown chicken with a bit of olive oil or cooking spray. Cook through until golden brown. Lower heat to medium-low and add Cream of Chicken Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, sliced carrots and Veg-all. Fold mixture until combined into a sauce. 


In a medium mixing bowl, mix Bisquick and milk with a wire whisk until combined. Mixture should easily fall from whisk without being runny (similar to a drop biscuit). If biscuit mixture is too thick, add more milk, if too thin, add more Bisquick.


Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour chicken & veggie sauce mixture into baking dish and spread evenly along the bottom. Drop globs of biscuit topping over chicken & sauce, spread evenly with spatula. Biscuit topping will form a thin layer, but will rise while cooking. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or biscuit topping is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of biscuit topping comes out clean. 

This recipe has been linked up at French Country Cottage.