Baked Spaghettio's Casserole

I got this great idea from here.

What a great, easy, inexpensive comfort food meal! So I made a few changes and here is the concoction I used below. It might seem kind of silly, but it's very tasty.

Ingredients:
4 cans Spaghettio's (I used store brand)
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 cups grated cheese, divided (I used Mexican blend that was in the fridge)

Instructions:
In a large skillet, brown turkey and onions. I always add some seasoning while I'm browning meat. Drain if necessary. Pour all four cans of Spaghettio's into skillet. Add 1/4 Parmesan cheese and 1 cup shredded cheese and stir well. Then add seasonings as desired and stir again. Pour into 9 x13 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1 cup shredded cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Serve with salad or other veggies and garlic toast if desired.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I made this one this weekend. It was a huge hit. Very, very yummy.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken
7-8 oz dried angel hair pasta
1 TBS olive oil
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated carrot, zucchini, squash or any combination of these
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups half & half or cream (can use fat-free half & half)
1 cup sour cream (can use fat-free, reduced fat, or even Greek yogurt)
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder to taste

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; Drain & set aside. In a large stock pot or very large skillet, saute peppers, onions, grated veggies and mushrooms in olive oil until almost tender. Stir in cooked chicken, cream of mushroom soup, half & half, sour cream and seasonings. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish (9X13 should work). Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes:
I also think chopped broccoli would be a great addition. Maybe peas, too.
You can make this vegetarian by substituting more veggies in place of the chicken.

Corn-Jalapeno Pudding

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk *
3 eggs
3 TBS butter, melted
3 TBS baking mix (I used Hodgsen Mill) *
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp garlic powder, optional

1/2 black pepper, optional

1 1/2 cups cheese

16 oz frozen corn, thawed (I used frozen, but use whatever you like - canned, fresh, frozen)

1/2 cup chopped jalapenos (I used the jarred ones) *

Instructions:
Whisk together milk, eggs, flour, butter and seasonings until well incorporated. Add corn, cheese and jalapenos last and stir well. Bake at 375 degrees in a greased casserole dish (9X13) for 50-60 minutes or until set in the middle*.

* A few notes:
Milk: I almost always use re-constituted powdered milk in recipes and it works beautifully and tastes just the same as using regular milk. It's much more cost-effective.

Baking mix: If you don't have any baking mix in the house, you can substitute 3 TBS all purpose flour and 1 tsp baking powder.

Jalapenos: This isn't overly spicy, but if you want a milder casserole, you can substitute a small can of diced green chilis.

Baking: You can also make this in the crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until set in the center. I haven't done it this way so cooking time may need to be adjusted.

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole, modified

This recipe was adapted from several chicken & rice casserole recipes (one of those is already on this blog) that I have in my collection. Some of the other recipes use mayonnaise and/or sour cream in addition to the cream soups. Next time I make it I plan to experiment a little by substituting or adding other veggies besides the green beans such as green peas, mushrooms, green pepper, or celery.
I also think french fried onions or crushed butter crackers would be great toppers in addition to the cheese if you want to dress it up some more. I made this just as listed below and cooked it in the crock pot on low for about 3 hours and it turned out great and was delicious.

Ingredients:
3-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 boxes fast-cook long grain & wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's)
2 cans Cream of soups (I used Cream of Chicken & Herb & Cream of Mushroom)
2 cups shredded cheese such as Cheddar, Monterray Jack, or Colby, separated
1 12-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, cooked
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 can chopped water chestnuts, optional
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions; set aside. In large mixing bowl mix 1 1/2 cups cheese with all other ingredients. Stir very well. Spoon mixture into greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes until hot all the way through.

Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole

This is a great pot-luck dish. It also freezes great for up to 1 month.

Ingredients:
2 (6.2 oz) packages fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 (8 oz) cans chopped water chestnuts, drained
5 cups cooked chicken, chopped
4 cups (1 lb) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 cups (1 pint) sour cream
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions:
Prepare rice according to package directions; set aside. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and water chestnuts. Saute 10 minutes or until celery & onions are tender.
In a large mixing bowl combine cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper together. Stir in chicken, veggie mixture and 3 cups shredded cheese. Spoon into a 10x15 baking dish or a 4-quart casserole dish. Bake casserole at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese and bake 5-10 more minutes.

To cook from frozen: Let casserole stand at room temp for 1 hour. Then bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 55 more minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5-10 more minutes.

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (2 lb) package refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes or frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 pint sour cream
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of celery soup (or cream of mushroom)
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBS hot pepper sauce, more if you like
3/4 cup french fried onions or crushed buttery crackers, optional

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish.
Over medium heat, cook the onion until soft.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, potatoes, sour cream, soup, cheese, pepper and hot sauce. Mix well and pour into baking dish. Bake 50 minutes.
Sprinkle french fried onions over casserole if desired or top with shredded cheese and and bake for 20-30 more minutes.