Egg McMuffin Casserole

Go ahead...roll your eyes. It's another Plain Chicken recipe. In my defense, how could I resist when I saw what she had concocted? The flavors of an Egg McMuffin in a casserole???

I made this on a Friday night, intending to serve for Saturday football brunch the next day, but I ended up having it for dinner that night instead. The time it spent "marinating" really brought the flavors together. It was fluffy, creamy, cheesy...and tasted exactly the same as the McDonald's favorite breakfast sandwich. I usually don't alter Stephanie's recipes, but I decided to use American cheese instead of the cheddar cheese in the original to better mimic the classic.

Printable recipe

4 English muffins, split and chopped
6-ounce package Canadian bacon, chopped
8 slices American cheese
4 eggs
1-1/4 cup milk

In a greased 8x8 dish, add half of the cubed English muffins in a single layer. Top with half of the Canadian bacon and four slices of cheese. Layer the remaining English muffins, Canadian bacon, and cheese slices.

Whisk together eggs, milk, dash of salt, and dash of pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to one day.

Uncover and bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

OBG: Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

On the nights that I cook, I've been so focused on trying new recipes from Pinterest that I neglect the Oldies But Goodies (OBG). So...even though it kind of goes against the intent of this blog, I'm going to start including OBG posts to share my favorite, tried-and-true recipes with you.

This casserole was a staple in my house growing up, so just one bite brings me right back to childhood. My mom and I were talking about it yesterday, and we've always thought about adding chicken to make it a complete meal...but it's just so good on its own, so why tamper with it?

I usually halve the recipe, but if you're feeding a crowd, go all out. I guarantee you won't have one person at your table who doesn't clean their plate.


Printable recipe

2 cups Minute rice, uncooked
2 10-ounce boxes frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 8-ounce jar Cheese Whiz
1 stick butter, melted

Stir all ingredients together and pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

Meatball Sub Casserole

I always, always have at least one jar of spaghetti sauce in my pantry and a package of meatballs in my freezer. These two items frequently go on sale at my favorite grocery store, so I'm always stocked up...which made this recipe perfect, since I basically only had to buy a baguette.

It popped up in my Twitter feed last week, courtesy of a fellow Pinner and Gooseberry Patch, and I knew it wouldn't sit on my board long before I made it.

The cream cheese layer is the star of this dish. The creamy richness is absolutely divine. The bread soaks up the spaghetti sauce and is a perfect, spongy "bed." (But it's not too soggy. Be sure to use a firm/crisp bread.)

Printable recipe

1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 14-ounce package frozen meatballs

1 jar pasta sauce
1 cup water

 

Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 9x13 dish. In a bowl, combine cream cheese and mayonnaise; spread over bread slices. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Mix together meatballs, spaghetti sauce and water; spoon over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Redneck Enchiladas

I almost didn't post this. But then I thought...I found it, I pinned it, I made it...and it was delicious.

The actual name of the recipe is Chili Dog Casserole, courtesy of Framed Cooks. I couldn't resist re-naming it. Basically, if you like a chili dog, you're going to swoon over this amped-up version. It's ridiculously simple...and sinfully good.

Printable recipe

2 cans chili
10 hot dogs
10 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Spread 1 can of chili in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Roll up each hot dog in a tortilla and place seam side down over chili. Pour the remaining can of chili over the row of hot dogs. Scatter the cheese over top. Cover with foil and bake for at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

BBQ Muffins

First of all, this dish uses Jiffy. Enough said. Do you really need to know any more?

This recipe comes from one of my favorite magazines, Taste of Home. The original directions call for layering the corn muffin mix, beef, and cheese, which I did...but I think it would be easier to just mix all of the ingredients together. It was a challenge spreading the last layer of muffin mix over the layer of cheese, even though they came out perfectly.

The tangy sauce mixed with the beef was an ideal complement to the sweetness of the corn muffins. I'm a big fan of "pick-up" food, so this fit the bill. You won't be able to eat just one!

Printable recipe

1/2 pound ground beef 
1/4 cup packed brown sugar 
1/4 cup ketchup 
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
1 teaspoon prepared mustard 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 
1 box corn muffin mix 
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook and drain meat. Stir together with brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  

Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions. Stir in meat mixture. Scoop evenly into 12 greased muffin cups.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. 

Chili Relleno Casserole

I've never met a Mexican dish I didn't like, so when I saw this recipe from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures, it went straight on my Pinterest board.

It had great flavor, but with four eggs, this was more like a crustless quiche to me. It could have easily been a good breakfast casserole, perhaps with sausage.

I couldn't really taste the chilies at all, despite the recipe calling for two cans. I have since seen similar recipes that use (fresh or canned) whole peppers on the bottom, and I think I would have preferred that, for a little "bite" both in texture and heat.

Printable recipe

1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

Cook and drain beef. Add green chilies and garlic powder to meat and set aside.

In a 9x13 pan, layer 1/2 of meat and 1/3 of cheeses. Add another layer of meat and another layer of cheese. (Leave remaining cheese to use on top after baking.)

Whisk together eggs and milk in a small bowl and pour over the top of the cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and spread tomato sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 7 more minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Swiss Chicken

A quick review of this blog or a look at my Pinterest food board will show how much I like Plain Chicken. Her tastes are so similar to mine, and I hope she sees my imitations of her recipes as the flattery they are.

This recipe originally comes from Paula Deen, but I love the changes that Steph made to it...in particular, using Texas Toast croutons instead of herb-flavored stuffing mix. The bagged/boxed stuffing has too strong/distinctive a flavor for me...or maybe I don't like it because it tastes nothing like the fabulous "dressing" my mother makes at Thanksgiving.

Oh. My. Word. Deliciousness. The crunchy, garlicky croutons give way to creamy melted cheese and gives ordinary chicken breasts so much flavor. If you're looking for a new (and easy) way to cook chicken, put this on your list!

Printable recipe

1 package chicken breasts
4 tablespoons butter
Swiss cheese (two slices per breast)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup Texas Toast garlic croutons, crushed

Melt butter in 9x13 casserole dish in 350-degree preheated oven. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Layer the cheese slices on top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soup and chicken broth and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle croutons on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

8-Can Taco Soup

My standard recipe for taco soup probably looks like yours...you know, the one with taco seasoning and dry Ranch dressing mix? It's a winter staple, but when I saw this dump-dump eight-can version (from High Heels & Grills), I knew I had to give it a shot and see how it compared. What? No meat to brown? A few extra ingredients that my recipe doesn't use? Let's go!

Soup weather came just this week to Alabama, so I was probably pushing it to make this soup last weekend, but I wanted something easy for Saturday game night...and you can't get easier than opening up a bunch of cans.

You could easily just heat this through on the stove, but I stirred it all up in my crockpot and let it go for a couple of hours. Top with cheese and/or sour cream and you've got an easy,warm-your-heart-and-soul dinner.

Bottom line...this tasted almost exactly the same as my taco soup (maybe a little thicker), but I kind of prefer this version for the sheer convenience.

Printable recipe

15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
15.25-ounce can sweet corn, drained
12.5-ounce can white chicken breast, drained
10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
10-ounce can green enchilada sauce
14-ounce can chicken broth
Packet taco seasoning

Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

I'm baaaaaack! Ready for some football food? That's what I thought.

You've most likely had the classic poppy seed ham-and-cheese sandwiches at tailgates, wedding teas, and baby showers (I sure have). But, until recently, I had never seen these sandwiches made with Hawaiian rolls, which I adore for their sweetness. (Thanks, Pinterest and The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife!)

These were, naturally, delicious. But, I would make a few adjustments on the next go-round.

First, I think the original recipe calls for too much meat and cheese (one pound of each!!). I know you're saying, "There's no such thing as too much cheese!" But, you can see in the photo how thick these were. I ended up breaking up mine in half and eating it open-faced. I used two packages each of deli ham and sliced Swiss, while one of each would have easily sufficed.

Also, my butter mixture came out more like a sauce than the described "spread"...perhaps because I left out the onions (and poppy seeds, for that matter) for personal preference. Or, it could have been that I didn't cook the sauce long enough, allowing it to reduce and thicken up.

Also, these came out a touch salty, so I would recommend using unsalted butter. Strangely enough, though, I only noticed this the night I made them...reheated the next day, they didn't seem as salty.

All that said....definitely give these a try!

Printable recipe

1 1

1 12 pack King's Hawaiian Original Rolls

1 package sliced deli ham

1 package sliced Swiss cheese

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Melt butter and mix in mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for several minutes.

Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping all top and bottom halves intact).

In a greased 9x13 pan, place bottom half of rolls and put 1/3 of the butter mixture over the bottom of the rolls. Layer the ham and cheese on top.

Replace the tops of the rolls and put the remaining butter mixture over top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Separate for serving.