Vegetarian Mexican Casserole

I promised I had some more new recipes ahead! This one came together as I was attempting to use all the remaining produce and pantry items before leaving for Chicago. I wanted to leave with John with plenty of freezer meals to get him through the summer. I saw this recipe for stuffed pepper casserole on Jourdan's blog, and it inspired me to put my own casserole together.

Not only is this dish packed with veggies and great flavor, it'a breeze to make and absolutely delicious! You can easily substitute other veggies - or even add ground turkey - and really make this your own. John and I both agreed this was a light, yet satisfying, take on Mexican food. I was quite tempted to take some with me, but I left it for my sweet hubby. Lucky for me, he's worth it. :)

Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 4-8, depending on portions
{Bonus: It freezes and reheats very well!}

Simple Spring Skillet

How's that for some alliteration? A big thank you to my middle school English teacher, Mrs. Pepe, who introduced me to Greek and Roman mythology, metaphors, similes and alliteration, which is easily my favorite literary element.

In fact...confession time... I secretly hoped I'd marry someone who had a last name ripe with alliteration opportunities for future children. Unfortunately, I've yet to find many "R" names I'm crazy about. I suppose a great husband is better than a name. :)

Back to this dish! This meal came together as I attempted to use all the produce in the fridge before it spoiled. Fortunately for me, it was a great success! I heard "yummm!" coming from table before I sat down, and I quickly snapped a couple pictures at John's insistence. We absolutely loved the lightness and freshness of this meal. Hopefully you will, too!

Simple Spring Skillet
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves about 4, depending on portions

BBQ Blue Cheese Burger Cups

Ever since I made these tasty delights, I've had tons of new traffic to the blog. Thanks to all the wonderful people who commented on that recipe, I have a new - and easy! - recipe for you. All I can say is that it was a relatively effortless meal, which is great for me during the week. John was a happy, happy camper, too. He shouted "awesome!" after his first bite, and he hasn't stopped talking about them since.

Normally I would say more, but honestly I'm too tired and I know these will speak for themselves. So make them!

BBQ Blue Cheese Burger Cups
Recipe adapted from my Honey BBQ Blue Cheese Burgers and Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups
Servings vary based on use of biscuits  

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Tortellini Casserole

Last week I couldn't decide what to make for dinner. I had some spinach tortellini chilling in my fridge at the end of its shelf life (impulse buy!) and some chicken needing to be cooked. I decided I could make some sort of casserole, but then I couldn't decide what should be the base of this casserole...creamy chicken or tomato cream sauce. So, I made both in individual ramekins!

John and I went crazy of them. So much so that just two days later John asked me to make the creamy chicken version as a big casserole. Since I didn't get too many pictures during the first one, this was the perfect time to document this deliciously easy meal.

Oh, and did I mention that this is another recipe with only 5 ingredients (plus an optional sixth)?! It is so, sooo good and oh-so-easy. Casseroles are great that way. Let me know what you think!

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Tortellini Casserole
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
*one package spinach tortellini
*3/4 cup cheese (I suggest a cheddar combo)
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*2 chicken breasts, cooked (I poached mine) and cut into bite-size pieces
*2 handfuls spinach (about 3 oz)
*1/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs (optional)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Cook chicken if necessary.

*In a casserole dish, combine cooked tortellini, chicken, cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup cheese and spinach. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs, if desired.

*Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly on top.
 

All the stages of the casserole

Yumminess in a bowl!

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

I absolutely adore zucchini and squash.  It doesn't even need to be fancied up. I can cook it on a skillet for a few minutes and eat it as my meal. Well, I picked up both zucchini and yellow squash, and I thought I might as well look for some fun new casserole to try with them.

I stumbled upon Kalyn's Kitchen, a blog I had not heard of, and found several great zucchini recipes. This recipe, and another I plan to make this week as well. Looks like I may be returning for more inspiration soon!

Anyhoo...this was so tasty!! John and I gobbled it up and we both had seconds. It was an excellent side to Poppyseed Chicken, and the best part was they could both cook in the oven at the same time. Love it!

I will definitely be making this again. In fact, probably this week, because I have some more zucchini and squash sitting in my fridge and I can't let them go to waste. :)

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake
Recipe by Kalyn's Kitchen
Serves 4-6 as a side, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
*2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
*2-4 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil (or even less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
*1/2 tsp. dried thyme
*3/4 tsp. garlic powder
*1/2 cup + 1/2 cup white cheese (I used white cheddar and Fontina)
*1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan
*salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.

*Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese (1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup white cheese) and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

*Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

*When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated white cheese.

*Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.

all the ingredients ready to go

in the pan

cheesy!

Poppyseed Chicken

This recipe brings back so many memories of living in my sorority. We had poppyseed chicken for dinner all the time! It was one of the dishes I actually really enjoyed - and looked forward to when I saw it on the menu. It's a very simple dish, but just seems homey.

I changed a couple of things with this recipe, though I bet it's perfect as it stands. I added some chia seeds - full of Omega 3 and Fiber and completely tasteless - because I thought the texture wouldn't stand out with the poppyseeds. I was right! It did nothing to the flavor, and was an easy way to up the nutrition in a dish.

Recipe is courtesy of my friend Jourdan's mother-in-law, but you can find it here. Thanks for sharing, Jourdan (and Corey's mom!). :)

Poppyseed Chicken
Recipe by Corey's Mom; Shared by Jourdan Leigh
Serves 2-4, depending on portions; recipe can be easily doubled
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Ingredients:
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*1 small can sliced mushrooms (I didn't do this part)
*2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded (I used three very small breasts)
*1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (I used whole wheat Ritz)
*4 tablespoons butter, melted
*poppyseeds (found at the grocery store in the spice aisle)
*1/2 tbsp. chia seeds (optional)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350.

*Combine soup and chicken in a bowl.  Spread mixture into your baking dish.

*Top with crushed Ritz, melted butter, then sprinkle poppyseeds over the casserole.

*Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Shredded chicken...thank you slow cooker & chicken broth for perfectly cooked and juicy chicken every time!

chicken plus soup

toppings and ready for oven!

the chia seeds

time to dig in!

yum :)

Baked Mac 'n Four Cheeses

I had a funny conversation with my friend Rachael a little bit ago and I decided I would share it with you. Because you're super interested, right? Eh, well here goes either way. Apparently she and her boyfriend were talking about dinner one night and were wondering what I was making. Rachael guessed something with "three cheeses", and shortly thereafter I happened to post this Three-Cheese Queso recipe.

Then I started looking at my other recent posts, including Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese, which, also had three cheeses. Apparently I have a pattern. So, just to prove I can be different, I came up with a recipe that uses four cheeses. Ha! Bet you didn't see that one coming...

Or maybe you did because I make dishes with cheese so often. I can't help it. I love cheese. It should be it's own food group in my opinion, which further supports my notion that I should move to France where I can walk, experience culture, and, oh...eat lots of bread and cheese.

Baked Mac 'n Four Cheeses
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp; adapted from Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese
Serves 4, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*1/2 pound whole wheat whole grain pasta (I used half a 16-oz. box of elbow noodles)
*2 tablespoons butter
*4 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
*2 tablespoons flour
*1 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
*2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
*2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used NY and WI white cheddar)
*2/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
*1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
*4 tbsp. goat cheese
*salt and pepper to taste
*1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
*a few dashes of dried rosemary (optional)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking or casserole dish with nonstick spray.

*Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, and place as one layer in whatever dish you're using.

*Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it is all melted, add in your garlic. Whisk continuously for about 30 seconds, or until the garlic starts smelling really good.

*Whisk in the flour, and continue whisking until it thickens and bubbles.

*Then whisk in the milk and the Dijon. Continue whisking occasionally for about 3-5 minutes--the sauce should be thickening at that point.

*While you are whisking, start adding clumps of your cheese mixture into the sauce. Every time it is fully melted into the sauce, add another handful until you've gone through all your cheese. Add the goat cheese last.

*Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, then pour it over the pasta. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs, plus a few shakes of dried rosemary (it adds a really nice flavor).

*Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until it's all nice and bubbly and golden.

*Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

all the cheese! (obviously not all of each chunk

butter, flour and garlic

cheese time!

the sauce (sorry it's so fuzzy!)

Baked and ready

scooping it out!

Cheesy :)

I just loved how creamy this was. Not to mention the bread crumbs and rosemary on top...easily the best part.

Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese

This is another fun recipe courtesy of my good friend Katie. I've encouraged you to go to her blog many times, so if you haven't by now you're really missing out. Katie and I met when we taught 2nd grade at an inner city charter school in Chicago. The school was difficult, and I was so grateful when Katie started working there and we developed our friendship. Even though we don't live in the same city anymore, I know she's a friend I will always keep in touch with.

Now part of this recipe calls for Gruyere cheese, which I thought I had. Turns out, I didn't. I decided to double the white cheddar and add some creamy goat cheese. Let me tell you, the goat cheese totally made this dish. I tried the sauce before I added it, and I thought it was good, but not great. However, once I added that goat cheese (I used Chavrie brand), it transformed into creamy goodness. I highly suggest you use it when making this.

Overall this was an easy dish. About 10 minutes of prep/work time and the rest was spent with the dish in the oven. Gnocchi cooks amazingly fast, and besides a few minutes of whisking the cheese (and grating it - thanks John!) this was fast and so simple. Also, John loved this. He yelled "awesome" several times, and loved how interesting and tasty it was. He said the gnocchi melted in his mouth (I agree) and overall it was perfect as the weather gets chillier. Yum!

Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese
Recipe adapted from Katie, which was adapted from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary
Serves 2-4, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*1 pound (average package) gnocchi (I used whole wheat gnocchi)
*2 tablespoons butter
*2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
*1 tablespoon flour
*3/4 cup milk (I used skim)
*1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
*1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
*1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, mixed with the Gruyere cheese (I didn't have any Gruyere so I used 1/2 cup white cheddar)
*1 tbsp. (or more!) of goat cheese (I used Chavrie) This was my addition and it was fabulous!
*salt and pepper to taste
*1/3 cup shredded Parmesan

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking or casserole dish with nonstick spray.

*Prepare the gnocchi according to the package directions. Drain well, and place as one layer in whatever dish you're using.

*Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it is all melted, add in your garlic. Whisk continuously for about 30 seconds, or until the garlic starts smelling really good.

*Whisk in the flour, and continue whisking until it thickens and bubbles.

*Then whisk in the milk and the Dijon. Continue whisking occasionally for about 3-5 minutes--the sauce should be thickening at that point.

*While you are whisking, start adding clumps of your cheese mixture into the sauce. Every time it is fully melted into the sauce (while whisking, naturally), add another handful until you've gone through all your cheese. Add the goat cheese and allow to make it so much creamier. I ended up adding about another tablespoon to my sauce because it tasted so good. 

*Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, then pour it over the gnocchi. Don't worry if it doesn't evenly coat. It may look like you don't have enough sauce, but trust me, it's fine.

*Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese, then bake for about 25 minutes, or until it's all nice and bubbly and golden.

*Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

garlic and butter

cheese is done!

in the oven - literally!

fresh out...look at that cheese

close up

one bowl...sorry for blurry picture

seconds anyone?

Pops' Favorite Tuna Casserole

I have absolutely loved this tuna casserole recipe for as long as I can remember. I used to think it was super special, and I loved nights when we had it as a family. Well, this special dish is literally one of the easiest things I've ever made. And it has an even sweeter story behind it.

When my Grandma Pat (aka G-Pat, as I've taken to calling her over the past year) first married my grandpa, Pops, she wanted to make his favorite recipe (tuna casserole). Well, she tried so many recipes in the process, all from fancy magazines and gourmet chefs. None of the recipes were ever just right, as Pops told her. She finally called my grandma, Nana, and asked for the amazing recipe she made Pops forever. She was shocked when she found out how simple it was, especially after trying all those gourmet recipes! However, the simplest made for his favorite, and now I'm sharing this recipe with you. :)

Ingredients:
*3 cans chunk tuna (9 oz. each, packed in water)
*1 can cream of mushroom soup
*1 can of peas (I use frozen peas but used the soup can to measure how much peas)
*a few handfuls light potato chips (I used Lays Light Original - half the calories of regular!)
*a few sprinkles shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Combine tuna (drained), soup and peas (cooked in microwave if frozen) in a small baking dish (I used a small loaf pan).

*Crumble handfuls of chips in your hands and sprinkle over tuna, soup and pea mixture until top is covered.

*Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top of chips.

*Place in oven and cook for about 30 minutes, or until soup is bubbly and surface is golden brown.

Tuna, peas and soup mixture

Crumbled chips on top of tuna mixture

Followed by some cheese - add more or less as you'd like

Love the texture - smooth tuna with peas, crunchy chips with golden cheese. Awesomely for a quick meal.

Meat and Cheese Lasagna

As a gift from my dad and Peggy, John received a beautiful lasagna dish that was from our everyday china collection. Now, I love my husband dearly, but the only thing he cooks are mac 'n cheese and cereal (though he does them quite well!). I've used the dish many time for casseroles or just baking chicken, but never for lasagna itself. This week I decided it was finally time to change that.

I thought it would be so simple to find a lasagna recipe. Turns out, there are SO many lasagna recipes that I thought my head was spinning. I felt overwhelmed and almost gave up my pursuit. However, after looking at many (at least 20) different recipes, and thinking about how far I've come as a cook, I decided I was skilled enough to make up my own lasagna recipe...! I was very nervous, but it turned out so well, that I am so excited to share it with all of you. If I can make up a decent recipe so can you!! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one since I've had zero feedback besides John and myself - we are a little biased. :)

Ingredients:
*lasagna noodles
*sauce (click to use my meat sauce recipe; or use a jar of store-bought sauce plus some ground meat mixed in; or use a jar of store-bought sauce, plus maybe some spinach or other veggies, for you vegetarians out there)
*15 oz. low fat ricotta cheese
*1 egg, beaten
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (included in almost every spice rack!)
*2 cups parmesan cheese
*2 cups mozzarella cheese (I used low fat part skim)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


*Cook noodles according to package directions (about 8 are needed). *Tip: To keep noodles from sticking to each other, add a little olive oil to the pot when you add the noodles.

*Cook meat sauce while you cook pasta. If you're not using meat sauce recipe, heat store-bought sauce in a saucepan and cook meat or vegetables on a skillet. Add cooked meat to saucepan to simmer and absorb flavors.

*In a small-medium sized bowl, combine beaten egg and ricotta cheese with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix well.

*In another bowl, combine 2 cups mozzarella cheese (I used shredded, which was an entire bag) and 1 cup parmesan cheese (again, I used shredded).

*In a lasagna dish, or 13x9 inch dish, begin layers: 2 cups meat sauce, 4 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 shredded cheese mixture; (repeat) 2 cups meat sauce, 4 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 shredded cheese mixture; remaining sauce plus 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese.

*Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until cheese and sauce bubble. Enjoy! :)

First layer: 2 cups meat sauce

Second layer: 4 cooked lasagna noodles

Third layer: ricotta cheese mixture

Final layer: shredded cheese mixture

Top layer: sauce covered by about a cup of parmesan cheese

Right out of the oven - yum!

All those tasty layers :)

Chicken and Rice Casserole

 
For Christmas John's grandmother, Mimi, gave me The Lady and Sons cookbook, based on recipes used by Paula Dean and her sons at their southern restaurant. I wanted to start with an easy recipe, as well as a recipe that would yield leftovers. As a house composed of a preschool teacher and a dental school student, we need to pack lunch each day. This recipe was super easy, delicious, and it reheated so well that we enjoyed a few lunches from our dinner. The combination of ingredients made for a very bright presentation and the flavors combined very well. It's a very comforting meal, filled with almost every food group. One small helping and were stuffed - in a good way!

Ingredients:
*3 cups diced chicken (I used three fresh chicken breasts, diced and cooked on the skillet. Note: chicken must be cooked before being added to the casserole)
*1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice, cooked according to package instructions
*1 can cream of celery soup
*2 cans French-style green beans, rinsed and drained
*1 4oz. jar pimentos, drained (Note: After much searching I found these in the mustard/dressing aisle on the bottom shelf. They are easy to miss!)
*1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
*1/2 cup mayo (recipe called for 1 cup, but after my first time making this I felt it could do with less. I used 1/2 cup reduced fat mayo and John said he couldn't taste a difference. Score!)
*1/2-1 medium onion, diced and sauteed

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

*Be sure to cook chicken and rice. Both must be cooked before going into the casserole. I found cooking the chicken with the onions on a skillet, lined with olive oil, made the chicken more flavorful and allowed the onions to become soft enough not to be too potent in the casserole. Obviously if you enjoy very onion heavy dishes you can modify how you cook them.

Combine all ingredients in an oven-safe casserole dish.

*Be sure to mix the ingredients well enough so that all ingredients are evenly dispersed. Place in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until warm.

*For reheating: you may reheat in the oven or in the microwave. Both made for yummy leftovers!