Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

I usually just call this “The Breakfast Casserole” because it is my go to for any situation. Family or friends in town? I make this. Brunch pot luck at work? I make this. I just really like the creamy custard base over puffy bread with cheese and that sauce!! Yes, it really is all about the sauce.

Ingredients:

Base:

1 mini loaf of Italian or French bread (about 7 ounces), cubed (should yield about 5 packed cups)

Custard:

9 large eggs

2 ½ cups milk

1 teaspoon prepared mustard (Dijon if you have it, otherwise, whatever you have on hand)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

3 green onions, sliced

2 cups chopped ham

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Topping/sauce:

1 (10.50 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Spray a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Toss the cubes of bread into the pan so that the bread is one solid layer.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Stir in the green onions, ham and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and push the bread down so that it is completely submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight if possible.

Prepare the topping by combining the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and the last cup of shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and remove plastic wrap. Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove the casserole from the oven and dollop spoon fulls of the topping over it. Spread the topping to cover the whole top. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until the casserole is set and the topping is bubbling.

Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Enchilada Rice Casserole

Sorry that I don’t have a better title for this—I just knew I wanted a comforting casserole with rice and veggies and cheese and a little kick, so I put this together. I appreciate that this was just one skillet and a casserole dish and will make wonderful left overs for work all week. If you can’t find home style Mexican beans, just use black beans or whatever bean you like.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1 small green pepper, diced (about 1 ½ cups)

2 cups long grain rice (uncooked)

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 (15 ounce) can Mexican home-style beans (like La Preferida), drained

1 (19 ounce) red enchilada sauce, divided

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles, drained

4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained

1 ½  cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: Spray a good size casserole dish (about 2.5 or 3 quarts) with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and green pepper and cook about 5 minutes until the veggies are soft and fragrant, but not brown. Add in the rice and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to toast the rice.

Add in the tomatoes with liquid, beans, 1 ½ cups of the enchilada sauce, green chiles and veggie stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the cover from the rice mixture and add in the corn and ripe olives. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with the remaining enchilada sauce and then layer on the cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Beef Stroganoff with Pearl Onions and Mushrooms

Beef Stroganoff is always one of those meals that comforts the soul. It is great for a quick family meal, but also can be elegant as all get out for company. In less than one hour and with just one skillet and a pot to boil noodles, it’s one of the best meals ever.

Ingredients:

1 pound beef steak, sliced into thin strips (I’m using a piece of tri-tip, but any kind of steak will work here)

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon flour

1 1/2 cup beef broth or stock

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional, but delicious)

1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed

1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms

1 glug of Marsala wine

½ cup sour cream

12 ounces cooked and buttered egg noodles

Extra sour cream, sliced green onions, dill or chives for garnish

Directions:

Toss the steak strips with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the steak strips in two batches (try for a single layer each time so the meat browns nicely) and cook, stirring once or twice, until just brown on the outside, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the steak to a plate.

Stir the flour into the skillet and add the broth and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.

Add the steak strips, nutmeg (if using), onions and mushrooms into the skillet. Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

Turn the heat off and stir in the sour cream and Marsala, if using. Ladle over hot cooked noodles and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, sliced green onions, dill and/or chives.

Malted Milk Crunch

This has to be one of the best party mixes ever. Trust me, I didn’t originate the idea of using malted milk in a party mix—I first saw it on the Epicurious website. Christina Tosi, of Momofuku Milk Bar fame, first made something like this to the best of my knowledge. Here’s a link to that recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pretzel-crunch-368430

Whether you use the original recipe or my tweaked version with much more malt and some malty flavored cereal added, you can’t go wrong. Unless you don’t make enough.

Ingredients:

5 cups mini pretzels

2 cups multi-grain cereal (like Life®)

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar

½ cup malted milk powder (like Carnation® Original Flavor)

¼ cup powdered milk

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Toss the pretzels and cereal together in a large bowl (you can break up the pretzels a bit, if you like).

In a small bowl, combine the sugars and milk powders. Toss this with the pretzels/cereal in the large bowl. Pour the melted butter over all and combine thoroughly. The butter acts like a glue to help the dry ingredients stick to the pretzels and cereal.

Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are toasty and fragrant. Let cool completely before breaking up into clusters and serving.