Beanie -Weenie Casserole

This is an adaptation of a family recipe that has evolved over the years. My sister was once married to a man who's family refused to eat veggies, so in desperation she'd open some baked beans, slice up some hot dogs and bake it. My version:
Take 1 big or 2 regular cans of baked beans, open them and dump the contents into a casserole. I use a large, deep cast iron skillet, because there is a LOT to this dinner. Add a layer of hotdogs, OR some smoked or polish sausages, and repeat with the beans. Heat at about *400 till hot and bubbling. Ok, so far not so different from hers. You can even slice the hot dogs/smoked or polish sausage if you want... BUT, at this point, I take 2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix, make them (requires 2 eggs and 2/3 C of milk), remove the hot casserole and pour the batter as evenly as possible over the top. Back into the oven, continue at *400 till the cornbread is cooked and the top browned. Easy, inexpensive, filling and GOOD!  And the kids are pretty much guaranteed to like it! This is the one I made this evening:

Enjoy!

Mexicasserole

Ok, I know I haven't posted in a bit, that is because it has mostly been pretty much the same ol' same ol, but tonight I got inspired.
I sauteed 1 diced vidalia onion (though a regular yellow, or even red, would work), with a big spoonful of chopped garlic, till the onion was translucent and beginning to brown. Added 1 lb. of ground beef, and sauteed the whole thing till the beef was browned, then drained it. Added 1 drained can of sweet corn and 1 can of tomato sauce. My intention was to use rotel (the diced tomatoes with green chilis) but I was out. Next time I will use that, but this was still awesome, even without the chilis! I spiced the mixture with some Himalayan salt and some Adobo seasoning (fairly heavy-handed on that one). Then I mixed two boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix, and spooned that over the top. Baked at 400* for about 40 mins, until the top was golden brown (if you use just one box, probably would take less time but I wanted to make sure the center was cooked). Then I turned the oven off and sprinkled on about 3/4 C of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. When that melted, I took it our and took pics. It was/is so good! It had the savory of the beef, cheese, sauce, spices...the sweetness of the corn and cornbread...
Now...variations...one could use any ground meat. One could use any canned tomato. One could use 1 box of Jiffy. One could use 2 lbs of beef. One could use any shredded cheese...or none at all.
Here is the result:

Roast Cauliflower

I know this is almost too simple to even need a recipe, but it is something I  had never thought to do, and I did, and I tried it, and it is delicious.
Clean all of the green from a head of cauliflower. Slice it and layer the slices in a large pan (like a lasagna pan). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dot with butter. Sprinkle on some grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400* for about 1/2 hour-40 mins or till tender. That's it. SO good! I suppose you could experiment with other cheeses, too, but so far I've only made it this way.

Fried Cabbage

 Chop up a head of cabbage, drop a big sploop of bacon fat in a big pot, add the cabbage

 and stir till coated (did I forget to say "turn on the heat and melt the bacon fat?"), add a 

diced onion or 2, some diced peppers too, if you want. Stir-fry till wilted, add a can of

 diced tomatoes (I use rotel, diced tomatoes with green chilis, I like the extra heat) 2 

cans if you want and have a large cabbage. Slice up a smoked sausage (kielbasa type) and 

add it, cover and simmer for about 20 mins or till the veggies are tender. Oh, and 

somewhere along the line add S&P to taste. Easy peasy and SO good, and the only 

"unhealthy" part if the bacon fat, and of that there is only the sploop you started with. 

You could also start with ground turkey, brown it in the bacon fat, remove it for now and 

add it again when the rest is almost ready, so it will reheat.

Mac n' Cheese...MY way...

Heya. Now, I will admit I used to do it all from scratch, even the cheese sauce, and I will tell you how to make an awesome cheese sauce, but these days, what with MS and all, standing that long is very had. So I cut a bit here and added a bit there...I start with 2 boxes of your favorite mac n cheese. Boil the mac, and basically make it as the box directs. But then the fun starts..add any of the below: a couple of cans of drained tuna or some chopped ham (even spam will do if you like it), a can of rotel (or any tomato with chili, or even regular canned copped tomato if you don't want the heat), Remember to drain all cans or it will get watery...a can of corn.. or if you used tuna, a can of peas will compliment Or both. Mixed veggies will also work...then also mix in about 1/2 C or a bit more of shredded cheddar cheese. When you have everything you want in there, smooth over the top and layer thinly sliced tomatoes, top with more cheddar (or cheddar and mozz mixed) and some parm and bake at 375* for about 45 mins or till the cheese on top is melted and slightly browned. Now if you don't have tomato for the top, just omit it, no problem.
Now, to make cheese sauce from scratch...take some butter and flour (say 1/3 C Flour to 2 Tbs butter, as a rough guestimate, I never really measure these things lol), whisk till the flour is incorporated into the butter over med/low heat. Keep whisking. Whisk a little more. You want the flour to cook. Raise the heat to med/high. Or just med if you are new and want to make sure it doesn't burn. Then add a dash of milk, whisk till it incorporates. Repeat. Keep adding milk a little at a time and whisking till it incorporates into the sauce. Then when it is about the thickness you want it, add a bit more milk to thin it a wee bit...then add several hand-fulls of shredded cheddar cheese and keep whisking, it will melt in the heat and become part of the sauce. Add more if you want, till you are satisfied and it is the thickness you want. Pour over cooked pasta and there ya go...home made mac n' cheese...

Parmesan Chicken with Mango Coconut Rice

The recipe for the rice I have posted already, tonight with it I made some very simple, easy chicken, simply take your skinless, boneless chicken breasts, slather some mayo over the tops, sprinkle on some Parmesan and bake at 375* till the chicken is done, serve with the rice (about the same cooking time) and a nice salad with a tart dressing (italian or caesar would be perfect), a creamy one would be too much "creamy" as the cheese and mayo will make a "sauce". I did add a little olive oil to the chicken before cooking it.
Manga! Enjoy!

Spaghetti Surprise Casserole

What I did for dinner had NO right being as awesome as it was...cooked a package of spaghetti (1 lb), drained it and dumped it into a casserole dish. Added a jar of garlic/herb spaghetti sauce, opened and drained a can of salmon (yes, salmon) mushed it up and mixed it in, then a big handful of shredded sharp cheddar, mixed that all up, smoothed the top and topped with more cheddar, some mozz and some parm, and baked it till the cheese was melted on top.