Quick & Easy Broccoli, Chicken, and Cheese Bake

My husband adores broccoli and I have been trying to master the art of cooking broccoli. My mother in law makes fantastic broccoli casserole but I can't seem to duplicate it. And I've even watched her to it! My broccoli is usually lacking so I am always trying to find new ways to make broccoli for my hubby.
I am a fan of casseroles (southern, definitely!) so I found a broccoli, chicken, and cheese casserole recipe and have adapted it to my style. After making this, my husband informed me it was good, he loved the broccoli. But he said it needs a biscuit topping so I'll work on that!

Ingredients:
1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen broccoli cuts, thawed, drained OR 1 bag of microwave steamer broccoli and cheese (this gives extra cheese!)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Kraft Four Cheese blend)
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic AND onion powder
Shake of Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1. Bake or poach the chicken, drain and cut into cubes. If using frozen or fresh broccoli, par-boil. If using microwave, cook 2 minutes less than directions to avoid overcooking.
2. Grease a casserole dish, round or square. Pour in broccoli, cheese, and chicken.
3. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken and broccoli. Top with a sprinkle of cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving!

We like ours with crescent rolls! Yummy!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Haven't posted any recipes in awhile. Life happens, what can I say? Tonight I made Mexican Stuffed Shells.. I decided to switch up the usual Italian style stuffed shells and go South of the border!

Ingredients:

12    uncooked jumbo pasta shells
3/4    lb ground beef or venison
1    small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1    tablespoon chopped green chiles, drained
2 or 3    cups salsa
1    cup shredded Mexican Style cheese (I use Kraft Mexican Four Cheese)
1    cup beans: pinto, black, chili beans, (If desired, or serve with shells)
Salt, pepper, chili powder (1 tsp), cumin (1 tablespoon), garlic powder (1 tsp), dried oregano (1 tsp)

Cook the noodles by box directions, about 12 minutes. Drain and run cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in chiles, about 1/2-3/4 cup salsa, seasonings, and beans if desired. Mixture should be tight so it stays in shells. Simmer for five minutes and set off heat to cool slightly.

Spread 1 cup salsa in 8x8 greased casserole dish. Stuff shells with meat mixture and place shells, filled side up, on salsa. Spread remaining salsa over shells and top with plenty of cheese.

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Quick Pinto Beans: Mix beans and 2 tablespoons chopped onion, chiles, and salsa. Add salt, pepper, cumin and simmer for 10 minutes.

 

 I enjoy mine with beans on the side because my husband doesn't really like beans!

Healthy Venison Supper

There are many ways that I cook with deer meat, some are healthy and some aren't. We love it fried, sauteed, even on kabobs. The meat part of this recipe came from my best friend Samantha. The unhealthiest part of this supper is probably the brown gravy, which isn't that bad.

Venison & Gravy:
1 1/2 lbs cubed venison (or cubed steak or pork)
1 packet brown gravy
Sliced onion (about 1/4 of the onion, I used vidalia)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Lawry's seasoned salt

Season the meat with desired seasonings. Mix gravy packet with 1 cup cool water in casserole or glass oven safe dish. Put seasoned meat in into gravy mixture. Sprinkle meat and gravy with the onion slices. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Before cooking

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
3-4 small sweet potatoes, peeled
Salt, pepper
Canola oil

Slice the potatoes into about 1/4 inch slices. Pour about 1/4 cup canola oil onto tinfoil lined cookie sheet pan. Pour potatoes onto pan and season liberally. Lay slices flat and roast on 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, turning once. They will be golden brown on both sides.

After roasting

Green Beans:
1 large or 2 small cans any type of green beans
1 tsp of Better than Bouillon Ham Base (I buy mine at Winn Dixie) or 1 packet Goya Ham seasoning
Salt, pepper
Add all ingredients to pot. Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Smores Heath Bar Oreo Cheesecake

I love, love, love to bake and I love cheesecake. I adapted a recipe I found online to make it my own way. It is delicious!! It is wwaayy over the top but worth the calories!!
Substitutions: Use graham cracker crumbs for crust (add 3 tbsp sugar to crust if using); use chocolate chips instead of Heath Bar chips; leave out pecans if someone is allergic or doesn't like nuts, leave off chocolate ganache topping.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups oreo cookie crumbs (about half a pack of oreos)
1/4 cup melted butter

Cheesecake:
3 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup marshmallow creme
1 tbsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup Heath bar chips
1/2 cup pecans

Chocolate Ganache Topping:
1 cup milk or semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line bottom of 10-inch springform pan with tinfoil and clasp the side. Pull the tinfoil up toward the top of the pan. Spray with cooking spray or canola oil.
2. Process oreo cookie's into crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse to combine. Press mixture evenly into bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1/2 inch.
3. Sprinkle Heath bar chips and pecans over crust.
4. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth, scraping bottom and sides. Add brown sugar, marshmallow creme, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each. Pour over chips and pecans.
5. Bake cheesecake for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Bake 45 more minutes or until cheesecake is set around edge and center is slightly wiggly.
6. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
7. In small sauce pan over LOW heat, bring heavy cream just to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and all chips have melted. Spread over top of cheesecake. Top with extra Heath bar chips, chocolate chips, or pecans if desired.
8. Refrigerate until completely cold.

Chicken & Fries: Fiesta Style!

     I appreciate good fries and wings just like the next girl. But I really don't like to fry things and I don't need the calories! I grew up in a house with a father that prefers to have everything fried (pork chops, cubed steak, fries, vegetables, etc). Now that I have my own kitchen, I tend to bake or roast food. You can spice the wings and fries however you want and it's a lot healthier.
     My husband is a fan of chicken wings or drumsticks (whatever they are called). As mentioned, I am not really into frying so I bake or roast. I have made this recipe with many different flavors but tonight I chose Fiesta Lime. This recipe makes enough for my husband, me, and our little girl. For bigger crowds, just do more chicken and fries but the same cooking and temperatures will work.

Wings:
10 drumsticks or 20 wings
Abt 3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
Abt 1/4 cup Mrs. Dash seasoning
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
   Pull skin off chicken and put the chicken in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Season the chicken liberally and then pour over the oil and mix well. Allow to marinate about 2-3 hours or as much time as you have. Put onto a foil lined sheet pan and roast on 400 for about 45 minutes, turning halfway through. (Might need more time, check for clear juices)

Fries:
4-5 potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
   Slice the potatoes on an angle or into rounds. Put into boiling water to par-boil about 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Put onto a foil lined and greased sheet pan. Sprinkle with seasoning and roast on 400 for about 30 minutes until golden brown on both sides. Turn halfway through or when you notice browning.
 Serve with ranch or your favorite dipping sauce!

Spaghetti and Meatballs, Seago style

It's been awhile since I've blogged about my cooking. I honestly haven't cooked anything out of the ordinary or I haven't cooked at all. Our A/C is on the fritz so anytime I don't cook, the house is cooler.
Tonight we're having Seago Spaghetti with Meatballs. My maiden name is Seago and my brother and I always called it Seago Spaghetti. He puts in a couple ingredients I leave out for my husband's taste. You can add chopped bell pepper and mushrooms if you like the flavor. I usually only make meatballs at my husband's request. Otherwise, I just brown ground venison. Don't forget to salt the water when you boil your noodles, it should be like the ocean!

Meatballs:

1 ½ lbs ground venison or beef

1 egg

½ cup Italian Panko Bread crumbs

¼ cup Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Dressing

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Salt, pepper

Mix until incorporated. Try not to over mix. Roll into balls, about 1 tbsp. I scoop with a measuring spoon when I make mine, just so they cook evenly. Brown in batches in the pan with about 2 tbsp.’s of canola oil. Turn to brown evenly, about 4-5 minutes. Don’t crowd the pan, you don’t want to steam the meatballs. Remove from pan.

Spaghetti:

14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes

28 oz tomato sauce

6 oz can Basil, Garlic, and Oregano Tomato Paste

½ cup water

¼ cup Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Dressing

1 clove garlic

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp onion powder

**If I don't have the necessary seasonings and herbs, I use 1 packet Zesty Italian spaghetti seasoning.

 Sauté garlic clove for 1 minute over medium-low heat. Add all ingredients, stirring to combine. Place meatballs into sauce. Stir gently and cook over medium-low heat about 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Serve over your favorite pasta, I sometimes use the wheat noodles. They are pretty good and you don't really notice the difference. I serve mine with cheesy garlic bread! Kraft has Five Italian Cheese with Philly Cream Cheese that is amazing!

Crock Pot Wonders

Committed to not using to much heat to cook, I made beef pot roast in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots. At the last minute I decided to use the oven and make cheesy garlic biscuits. It takes getting supper ready in the morning, but the crock pot really is a wonderful cooking appliance. I bought a large roast and cut it in half for supper tonight. I fed my husband, me, and his best friend and the reviews were that it was fantastic. I use slightly more water than the seasoning packet requires because the flavor is quite strong. You can also leave out the potatoes and serve over your favorite rice.

Crock Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1-2 pound beef roast (I've made this exact recipe with deer tenderloin)
4-5 medium sized potatos, peeled
4-5 carrots, peeled
1 McCormick Savory Pot Roast packet
2 cups water
Salt, pepper, Lawry's, onion powder

Directions:
Put the roast in the crock pot. Peel and cube the potatoes and carrots (medium-large pieces so they keep their shape). Put the vegetables over the roast. Mix the seasoning packet and water. Sprinkle over desired seasonings. You need some salt for the potatoes.
Put Crock Pot on low and check when you get home from work!

I served it with Bisquick Cheesy Garlic Biscuits.

In the Crock Pot

















Yummy!

Saucy Ground Venison and Noodles

It is extremely hot right now in north Florida, as it is going to stay until mid-October. It was 90 degrees today! I am trying not to use my oven and cook using as few burners on the stove as possible. Tonight's supper is Saucy Ground Venison and Noodles. I got the idea from a Betty Crocker recipe and made it my own, as usual. It is super easy and fairly quick, about 40 minutes total. 99.9% of the time I avoid jar spaghetti sauce (I ALWAYS make mine homemade) but when making this recipe, I decided to use the jar to have the right amount of sauce called for in the recipe.

Ingredients:
 1     lb ground venison
3    cups uncooked noodles (I used bow ties for my little girl)
2 1/2    cups water
1/4    cup Zesty Italian Dressing (shake well)
1     jar tomato pasta sauce (I used Bertolli's Organic Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
Optional: Mushrooms would be good, but my husband doesn't like them

Sprinkle of Kraft Italian Five Cheese blend with Philidephia Cream Cheese

Directions:
   In a large pot, cook venison over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain and return to pot.
   Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or until noodles are tender.

It seems like a lot of water but it cooks the noodles and you end up with a nice thick sauce. I topped ours with the shredded cheese blend. This recipe has a LOT of flavor from the jar sauce and the Zesty Italian Dressing. Would be great with garlic bread.

Easy Supper Week- Stroganoff

It has been quite a hectic week at work with Kindergarten-Second grade Reading and Math testing and grades due for progress reports. I have been tired when I finally leave work so quick and easy supper has been the way to go. Tonight we are having Deer Stroganoff and cresent rolls. It's simple to make and the meat can be changed to suit preference. There are many different ways to make stroganoff but I've found this to be the easiest, with the least ingredients, and the best flavor. Don't skip the dijon mustard, there is no flavor punch without it!
Piece of advice I picked up from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa: When boiling noodles of any type, salt the water generously. The water should remind you of seawater. This produces flavorful noodles that compliment the meal rather than noodles that just hold sauce.

Deer Stroganoff
1 1/2 lbs cubed deer meat (can substitute cubed beef or pork)
6 oz egg noodles (half a bag; can substitute no-yolk noodles)
1 can beef consumme
1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt, pepper, season salt, garlic powder, onion powder

Boil the noodles in salty water according to package directions. Season meat as desired. In large saucepan, add seasoned meat and sear on both sides (about 3 mins per). Add the can of beef consumme and dijon mustard. Use a whisk to incorporate. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the sour cream and whisk to incorporate. Add the noodles and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Be careful not to cook with temperature to high. If the sauce cooks out, there will be no sauce. Serve with cresent rolls! Dipping the rolls in the sauce is the best!

Newcomer

By all local standards, I am a typical southern cook. To us, chef's have been to culinary school (my dream) and cooks are people who are cooking for their family. There is nothing better than a glass of sweet tea with supper. Yes, down here in the South, we eat supper. My daddy calls his lunch dinner, but for us, it's definitely called supper.
I started cooking and baking when I was about 6 years old. I would sit on the counter next to the stove and watch my mama while she was cooking. I can cook basically anything well and have several specialties. As far as my age, I am a dying breed. I cook at least 6 days a week, usually 7. Most of the women my age can't or won't cook. I guess it's in my blood.

A typical week of suppers at our house would be:
Monday: Chicken tetrazzini
Tuesday: Spaghetti, garlic bread (ground meat is venison)
Wednesday: Chicken and dumplin's
Thursday: Venison kebobs, mashed potatoes, and broccoli
Friday: Pork chops, rice, black eyed peas
Saturday: Venison stew with potatoes and carrots, biscuits
Sunday: Pork roast, mashed potatoes, green lima beans, cornbread 

My husband is an avid hunter. You name it, he probably enjoys hunting it. He even does guided turkey hunting trips for people. We have an ENTIRE freezer that has nothing but venison (deer) meat. I use it for basically anything that a normal cook would use beef. It is a very lean and healthy meat and it can be used in such a variety of ways.

My husband's grandmother and mother are excellent cooks. I had a lot to live up to when I married my husband. He tells people he married me because of my cooking abilities. It's a lot easier if you LOVE to cook, then it isn't a chore.