Hash Brown Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole

Categories: Breakfast, Casseroles, Eggs & Cheese, Pork & Ham, Vegetables

8 ounces lowfat cheddar cheese -- grated
6 large eggs -- well beaten
12 ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
30 ounces frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 medium onion -- chopped
1 small green pepper -- chopped
10 slices bacon -- cooked and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Combine cheese, egg, evaporated milk, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add potatoes, onion, green pepper, and bacon; mix well. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until set.

LOW IODINE DIRECTIONS:
For an 8x8 casserole: 8 ounces cooked LID-safe chicken sausage (try this recipe for Breakfast Sausage), 1/4 medium onion -- chopped, 1/4 medium green pepper -- chopped, 4 medium mushrooms -- chopped, 8 large egg whites -- well beaten, 1/2 cup chicken broth (no-salt or homemade), 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 25 ounces frozen shredded hash brown potatoes. Follow cooking directions above.

Source: Carnation Evaporated Milk label
Ratings: 7 - Very Good

JEN'S NOTES: I had to cook this for about 75 minutes to get it done. Make sure it is cooked through before pulling it out of the oven.

Pasta with Meat Sauce Bake

I made up this recipe myself. It's really easy and Scott always likes it!

Pasta with Meat Sauce Bake

Recipe By: Jennifer Gabbert
Serving Size: 6
Categories: Casseroles, Food Storage Recipe, Freezer Recipes, Gound Beef or Turkey, Pasta, Grains, & Legumes, Quick & Easy

6 ounces rotini pasta (I love Ronzoni Smart Taste) -- uncooked
18 ounces spaghetti sauce -- to taste
2/3 pound lean ground beef -- cooked and drained
1 1/2 cups warm water (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese -- to taste
3 ounces mozzarella cheese -- shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degreesF. In a bowl, mix sauce, hamburger, water, and parmesan cheese. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Place pasta in the bottom of the pan and pour sauce mixture over the pasta. Mix a little to make sure to coat the pasta, adding more water if pasta is not covered well with sauce. Top with cheese.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degreesF for 50-60 minutes or until pasta is cooked and tender. Cool for 5 minutes, covered.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
ADVANCED PREP: Cook ground beef. Grate cheese.
PREPARATION: Place uncooked pasta in a labelled quart freezer bag. Place sauce, cooked ground beef, and parmesan cheese in a labelled gallon freezer bag; you can also add the water at this point or wait until you cook the casserole. Place the mozzarella cheese in a pint labelled freezer bag. Bag these all together and freeze flat.
TO SERVE: Thaw. Add water to sauce mixture and mix well if you didn't add water when you froze it. Follow the above cooking instructions starting with preheating the oven to 375 degreesF.

Serving Ideas : Serve with a green salad and french bread.

NOTES : Cooking time may vary. Every time you look under the aluminum foil to check to see if it's done, you let all the steam out that cooks the pasta, so don't check it until it is almost done.
Jen's Notes: I usually use All Purpose Ground Meat Mix from the Make-A-Mix cookbook by Eliason, Harward, and Westover.
3/19/08 Made this recipe up and Scott really liked it. Tasted kind of lasagna-ie, but was way easier.

Chicken and Rice Bake

This recipe is one of my favorite freezer recipes just because it is so easy.

CHICKEN AND RICE BAKE (WITH VARIATIONS)

Categories: "Dump" Chicken, Casseroles, Chicken, Freezer Recipes, Pasta, Grains, & Legumes

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked regular white rice
1/4 tsp. Paprika
2 large chicken breasts, no skin, no bone, cut into pieces
8 ounces frozen veggies (usually California mix) -- optional

TO FREEZE: Dump all ingredients except frozen veggies into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Place frozen veggies in a separate freezer bag. Bag the two together and lay flat in freezer.

TO SERVE: Thaw rice mixture in refrigerator, leaving the frozen veggies in the freezer. Place all ingredients in a 2 quart shallow baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 60-75 minutes or until chicken and rice are done in the middle. (It will take less time to cook if you are not using frozen veggies.)

Source: Christy's Once a Month Cooking
Internet Address: http://www.christysclipart.com/oamc2.html#CHICKEN

NOTES : Christy's Notes: I also like this one made with cream of chicken and cream of asparagus soup. Add cut up asparagus to the latter for a summer treat! The original recipe calls for 1 cup water and 4 whole chicken breasts, and no frozen veggies.
JEN'S NOTES: Christy's original recipe does not include frozen veggies. Every time I use frozen veggies it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook through. This recipe is so easy and there are so many ways to vary the recipe. You can use any kind of cream of ??? soup and/or any kind of cheese soup. You can often use any kind of frozen veggies, I really like the California blend with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. You can even switch up the type of meat (about 1 lb of meat works well). Omit paprika if it seems like it doesn't fit. Often times I use leftover rotisserie chicken and it is really good. You can use any kind of cooked chicken, but it helps to add a little extra water when you don't have the juices from the uncooked chicken. You can also replace the white rice with instant brown rice, you just have to make the conversion based on how much rice you will need when it's cooked.

VARIATIONS:
FOR HAM, CHEESE, AND CHICKEN BAKE: Use cheddar cheese soup, 1 cup cubed ham, 1/2 lb chicken, 2-4 oz grated cheddar cheese, and California blend frozen veggies. The rest of the recipe is the same. (Scott really likes this one.)
FOR CHEESY CHICKEN BAKE: Use cheddar cheese soup and 2-4 oz grated cheddar cheese.
FOR CHICKEN & BROCCOLI BAKE: Use cheddar cheese soup or cheddar broccoli soup or cream of broccoli. Use frozen broccoli. Maybe throw in 2-4 oz grated cheddar cheese if you want it cheesy.
FOR CHICKEN & MUSHROOM GARLIC BAKE: Use mushroom and roasted garlic soup. Optional: Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and/or top with Parmesan.