Fluffy Ham and Egg Strata

12 slices white bread, buttered and cubed.
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 c. ham, cubed
10 eggs
3 c. milk (For richness, you can use some half and half or evaporated milk)
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 T. minced onion. You can use any onions you have. I usually add more than this.
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Alternate layers of cubed bread (first), cheese (second) and ham (third) in buttered 9 x 13 pan or 2 qt. baking dish. Make two complete layers before adding egg mixture.

Blend eggs, milk, mustard, onion and seasonings. Pour over layered mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until set. This casserole will set more after taken out of oven. Because of the amount of eggs, it is super fluffy.

Tips: You can substitute ham with canadian bacon, bacon or sausage - whatever you have. You can add peppers, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes. Enjoy it for dinner, also!

Spaghetti Carbonara

This is a favorite in our house. Riley always ask for 2nds and 3rds! I love it because its so easy, and a complete meal in one!!

1 pound spaghetti

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons chopped frozen spinach

**You can use a few handfuls of fresh spinach, or sometimes I use broccoli instead

1/4 cup butter

1 cup grated parm cheese

1/2 - 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

Beat eggs, milk, garlic, and salt as for scrambled eggs. Add spinach to mixture. (if using broccoli, don't add to egg mixture - roast broc in oven for 10 minutes then add at the end)

Cook and drain spaghetti. With spaghetti in drainer, melt butter in pot. Add spaghetti and egg mixture to the pan. Stir constantly until eggs are nearly cooked. Add parmesan cheese and bacon and finish cooking.

We sometimes add fresh tomatoes to the top.

** Healthy options: Use turkey bacon in place of real bacon, and margarine in place of butter.

The Best Ever Banana Bread!

Preheat oven to 325
1 1/3 C. Oil
4 large eggs
3 C. sugar
6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 C. Sour Cream (you can use fat free)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients in large bowl on low until smooth

4 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 C. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Mix in flour and soda on low until flour disappears.  Do no overmix.  Stir in nuts (if skipping the nuts, please add 1/2 cup more flour).

Fill 3 or 4 greased and floured loaf pans 2/3 full.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar to form a delicious crust.  Bake for 40 to 60 minutes.  Bread is baked when top is crowned and light golden brown and tests clean with a toothpick.  Remove and cool for 5 minutes.  Turn loaves out and cool until room temperature. Store bread well wrapped in the refrigerator.

Yummiest chicken noodle soup!

This is my all-time favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. Yummy and simple meal to make for a neighbor dinner as well as for your family.

First things first, buy "Kluski" brand noodles (secret ingredient). Dan's and Fresh Market have it in their pasta aisles. I like stocking up on them when I find them since they are often out.
Next, I love this chicken base @ Costco (but any chicken broth will do)
So here is the recipe:
Boil: 3 qts. of water with 3 T chicken base OR 2 large cans Swanson's chicken broth. Add to boiling water-4 diced carrots & 3 diced celery stalks (boil 5 min.)
Throw in 2 T. dried onion OR 1/2 C. onion
Add 4 diced chicken breasts OR 2 cans chicken (Costco size)
Add Kluski noodles-boil for 16 min.
Salt & Pepper to taste (1-2 t. salt, 1/2 t. pepper)
wa-la
serves 6-8

I like this soup "thick" and sometimes do 1 1/2 bags of Kluski. But you may want to increase your broth too.
This meal tastes great the next day too. Mmmmm!!

Chicken taco filling, microwave caramels, and Christmas meatballs!

 

8-10 frz. chkn. tndrs. or 4-6 breasts
1 jar salsa
2 T taco seasoning
1/4 C water
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 can corn, drained or 1 C frz. corn

* Place chkn. in crockpot, add salsa, water and taco seas. Cook on high for 3-4 hrs. Shred chkn. w/ fork. Add beans and corn and cook for 30-45 more min. Serve with crisp or soft corn tort. and lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sr. cream.

this is a nice change from beef taco meat.

 

These are heavenly and pretty easy, and great as neighbor gifts (so you don't eat the whole batch!).

1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 C br. sugar
1 C karo syrup
1 can sweetened cond. milk

* Melt butter in a lg. microwave safe bowl. Add rest of ing. and stir. Microwave on high for 5 min., stir. Another 5 min., stir. 3 min., stir. Test for hard ball stage by dropping a drop of the mixture in to a cup of ice cold water; pick it up and squeeze it between your fingers. If it's still soft and sticky then cook for 1 min. intervals, testing with the ice water between each min. (this may take another 10-15 min.) Once it is firm, when tested in the ice water, like caramels should be, then pour into a greased jelly roll pan or a 9x13 dish. Allow to cool for a couple of hrs. or until firm, then cut and wrap with wax paper. YUM!

 

Super easy and yummie!

You can make your own meatballs and cook them, then place them in a crock pot with the sauce and cook for a couple of hrs. on low or until hot.......OR, this way....

1 pkg. frz. meatballs
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 12oz. bottle chili sauce
2 T br. sugar
2 T lemon juice

* Combine, pour over frz. meatballs in crockpot and follow pkg. directions. 2 hrs. on high then one hr. on low, I think.

Delicious Powdered Milk!

April and I were discussing ways to use powdered milk a few weeks back. Of course you can use it in most of the recipes you have that call for milk. However, just for drinking, it may not have as much appeal. I remembered some recipes I had come across, and I thought I'd post them.


"Awesome Powdered Milk"
"I went to my friend's house one day" says the author, "and she had me try this milk. She does lunches for a private school and was looking for a way to get the kids to drink milk, inexpensively. She said the kids LOVED this. The idea is to put a little bit of the milk fat back into the skim powdered milk - this makes it taste like the milk we're used to drinking from the store."
In a 2 quart mixing pitcher first put 3 cups hot tap water, then add 1 Tbs. of sugar, 1/8 tsp. vanilla (optional) and 1 1/4 C milk powder (check directions for 2 qts. on your powdered milk and adjust this amount as needed.) Mix this until all is dissolved. Then add 1 C. of whole milk and water to the 2 quart line. Mix, chill well and serve. Canned evaporated milk can be used in place of the whole milk. (One can evaporated milk and 1 can water makes another substitute for store milk.)

"Powdered Milk Evaporated Milk"
1 1/2 C. water
1 1/8 C. instant dry milk powder (must be a real powdered milk, not a milk alternative)
Mix together with a wire whisk and use in any recipe calling for a 12 oz. can of evaporated milk.

"Powdered Milk Sweetened Condensed Milk"
1/2 C. hot water
1 C. sugar
2 C. instant dry milk powder
1 Tbs. butter
Blend in blender very well. Use in any recipe calling for sweetened condensed milk.

"Spiced Hot Chocolate Powdered Milk"
1 C. reconstituted dry milk
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 square Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, finely chopped.
Bring milk and cinnamon just to a boil on medium-high heat. Add chocolate; beat with whisk until chocolate is melted and milk is slightly frothy.
The last 3 recipes are from everydayfoodstorage.net

Peppermint ice cream cake

8 Tbsp butter cut up
6 oz (Hershey's bar) chocolate bar chopped
3 C. Crispy Rice cereal
6 C. softened peppermint ice cream
2 C. sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping
chocolate syrup


Line inside of a 9 in springform pan with non-stick foil or with regular foil and spray generously with cooking spray.
Place butter and chocolate in large microwave safe bowl and melt on high for about 30 sec. Stir and repeat until chocolate is melted. Pour cereal into chocolate and mix so all is covered. Empty cereal mixture into greased pan and press to make crust. Put that in the freezer for 20 min.
Remove from freezer and spread softened ice cream on crust and put back in the freezer for about another hour. Then spread whipped topping on top, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for another 3 hours.
When your ready to dig in, just grasp the foil to lift out of the pan, peel off the foil from the sides, drizzle on the chocolate syrup, and let it sit for about 10-15 min before cutting into it. YUM YUM!!