Chili Egg Puff

Wow, it's been more than a year since a new recipe has been added! Let me start up the fun again...don't let the name of this dish fool you.  The "chili" in the eggs is a green diced chili and is (of course) completely optional.

Chili Egg Puff

Ingredients:
10 eggs
1/2 C unsifted unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
24 oz (2 C) small curd cottage cheese
1 # shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 C butter
8 oz (1 small can) diced green chilis
Ham, sausage, bacon, or any other delectable addition of your choice.

Instructions:

Best eggs until light and lemon colored.  Add remaining ingredients except chilis (and the optional ingredients mentioned above). Blend until smooth.  Stir in the chilis and the optional ingredients.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until top is browned and the center is firm.  Let it set for 10 minutes to continue to set.  This makes 12 good size pieces so I cut it in half for out little family of 3.

If cooking more than one pan at a time in the oven, increasing cooking time by about 30 minutes and add approx. 25 degrees to the oven temp.

This dish has been a Christmas tradition in our family since I can remember and now we do it every Christmas morning with my own family.  Yummy!

Baked Macaroni

This is a SUPER yummy recipe. All my kids love it. I usually serve it with homemade chicken fingers (I'll post that recipe sometime soon), and steamed veggies.

1/2 pound macaroni (I use whole wheat)

3 T butter

3 T flour

3/4 T mustard

3 cups milk

1/2 cup chopped onion

12 oz cheddar cheese

2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Topping: 2 T butter and 3/4 cup bread crumbs

Cook pasta to al dente. Melt butter in large saucepan and whisk in flour and mustard. Stir for 4-5 minutes - make sure there are no lumps. Stir in milk, onion and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese (I usually just put all the cheese in at this time). Season with salt and pepper. Fold in macaroni and stir to coat the pasta. Pour into 2 qt. baking dish. Top with remaining cheese, if any. Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Pour in bread crumbs and toss to coat all the crumbs. Pour evenly over pasta dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350.

*This casserole tastes delish as leftovers, if there are any.*

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Ok - this isn't an actual recipe - but it works. . . trust me. I needed to get my son to eat more veggies, and I LOVE pizza (so does he). . . so this was a good way to do it. There really aren't any measurements, because I really just threw it together one day! You can adjust the ingredients to make as much or as little as you want, and it freezes really well.

One small can of tomato paste
One small sweet potato or yam
One zucchini
Garlic salt, oregano, pepper, basil (all to taste)
*I haven't used carrots- but I'm sure you could throw them in to this too!)


Cut sweet potato and zucchini into chunks and steam until tender. Put chunks in food processor or blender (I used a blender) and puree until combined. Add tomato paste. Season with Garlic salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste. Mix until well combined Use on your favorite pizza crust! Freeze unused sauce for next time!

Turkey with Curried Cream Sauce

I usually HATE curry - like it makes me gag - but this recipe was REALLY yummy, and really easy! AND my kids all liked it!

2 T butter
2 T flour
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1 small yellow summer squash - sliced (i used butternut squash and it was fine)
1 small zucchini - sliced
1/2 small onion - thinly sliced
2 tsp. canola oil
2 cups cooked and cubed turkey breast

Hot cooked rice
3 T chopped cashews (optional)

In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and curry until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil and stir for 1-2 minute until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the squash, zucchini and onion in the oil until tender. Add turkey and reserved sauce; heat through. Serve over rice. Sprinkle each serving with cashews - if desired.

Caramel Brownies

50 Caramels - unwrapped
1 can evaporated milk
1 box german chocolate cake mix (any chocolate cake mix will work just fine)
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Mix cake mix, margarine, and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Put 1/2 the mix into baking pan and bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Put the other 1/2 in the freezer to make it more crumbly.

Melt caramels with 1/2 cup evaporated milk (stove or microwave). Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked half and then pour the caramel mixture over that. Crumble remaining dough on top of caramel then back at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Sour Cream & Chicken Enchiladas

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can diced green chilies
1/2 pint sour cream
1/2 onion chopped
2 C cheese shredded
1 1/2 C cooked chicken, diced
flour tortillas

Combine the cream of chicken, chilies, sour cream and onion for a sauce. Fill each tortilla with chicken, cheese, and a spoonful of the sauce. Roll and add to a 9x13 pan. Fill the pan full of enchiladas and pour any remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle some cheese for added color. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

* Note: I usually double the sauce so that I have plenty to pour on the top. And okay, to be honest, I usually cube more than 1 1/2 cups of chicken too. It's pretty hard to screw up this recipe and it has the best flavor :)

Zuppa Toscana Soup

If you're a fan of the Olive Garden soups--you will be a fan of this recipe. I'm not sure if it really is "the" recipe, but if it's not--it is so close that I didn't notice a difference. I'm not really a soup person, but this one is too good to pass up.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 1 hr
Total time: 1 hr 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage, browned and drained
4 to 5 baked potatoes, cooled
1 lg onion, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 Tbsp flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C kale, chopped
5 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
1 qt Land O' Lakes fat free half 'n half

Directions:
Brown sausage and drain; put in large pie plate lined with paper towels, and pat grease away, set aside. Add olive oil, chopped onions and garlic to pan and cook until onions are slightly browned. Put sausage back in pan, add flour and mix well. slowly stire in chicken broth and half 'n half. Add potatoes and kale. Add salt and pepper to taste and heat through (until kale is cooked) and serve. Do not boil.

*Kale is in the spinach family if you aren't sure what it is. It is yummy!
Thanks Aunt Beckie for passing this little gem on!