Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

Pin It Add some excitement to your breakfast with an egg and hashbrown casserole.  This recipe can serve a crowd and doesn't require constant babysitting if you were making all eggs to order. 

Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
6 eggs (can use egg substitute)
1/2 c sour cream
dash of hot sauce
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
2 T butter
1 T green chiles
3 T white onion, finely chopped
2 cups shredded hashbrown potatoes
4 precooked breakfast sausage links, cup into pieces or 1/4 lb cooked sausage crumbles
2/3 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously butter an 8x8 baking dish or an 8-9 inch pie pan.
3. Put butter, onions, green chiles and  hashbrowns in a skillet.  Cook for 5-10 minutes or until starting to brown.
4. Meanwhile, mix eggs, hot sauce, sour cream and seasoned salt until well combined.
5. Press hashbrown mixture in the bottom and up the sides of baking dish.
6. Sprinkle sausage on top of hasbrowns.
7. Pour egg mixture over sausage.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes until almost set in the middle and edges are golden.
9. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 5 minutes, or until melted.

Meat Lovers Lasagna

Pin It My huband loves meat.  The more meat the better.  I on the other hand prefer a variety of flavors and textures in my foods.  Veggie lasagna is my fave.  This recipe was my first attempt at no boil noodles and I am now converted.  They are so simple and save you tons of time.  I thought they might be gummy or hard, but they tasted just like regular boiled noodles.  This can also be made the night before and just heated before dinner the next day.  Leftovers store really well. 

Meat Lovers Lasagna
**makes a 2 qt, 7 x 11 baking dish**
1 pkg no boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground italian sausage, hot or mild
1 cup ricotta cheese, rediced fat is fine
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzerella cheese
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, drained
1 large can tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown ad crumble beef and sausage in a large skillet.  Drain and return meat to skillet.
3. Add tomatoes and sauce.  Heat through.
4. Spread 1/2 c meat sauce on bottom of 7 x 11 baking dish.
5. Add a layer of lasagna noodles, spread 1/3 ricotta cheese on noodles, pour meat sauce to cover cheese, sprinkle with mozzerella.  Repeat until you have 3 layers.  End with mozzerella on top.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until bubbling.

Fool Proof Shrimp Boil

Pin It My friends and I have a dinner club once a month.  Last month the host made a down home shrimp boil in her tiny apartment kitchen.  I had always shied away from this East Coast staple because of the amount of food it makes and the multitude of ingredients I was convinced I would need.  However, after our delicious meal at dinner club, I was inspired to make a mini shrimp boil at my house.  This version serves 4, but could easily be halved or doubled to fit your crowd.  (I would recommend making more than you need because the leftovers are quite delicious).  I call this recipe fool proof because you only need 1 large pot and you keep adding ingredients to the pot at different times.  I don't think the outcome would be any different if you accidentally added an ingredient at the wrong time or if you overcooked the whole meal.  It would still taste wonderful.  You would have to try really hard to mess this one up!
I cannot take full responsibility for this recipe.  It is adapted from the original Old Bay Shrimp Boil.

Fool Proof Shrimp Boil
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
2 onions, chopped into wedges
1 tsp salt
1 can of beer
4 medium sized red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 2 inch sections
2 ears of corn, broke in half
1 lb shrimp with shells

1. In a large stock pot, bring 2 quarts of water, beer, salt and Old Bay to a boil.
2. Add onions and potatoes and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add corn and cook for 7 minutes.
5. Add shrimp and cook until pink (about 5 mintues).
6l Remove from heat and spoon into bowls.  I like to serve mine with a little of the cooking liquid and a sprinkle of Old Bay.  Also delicious with a slice of warm cornbread.

I stored my leftovers in the fridge with the container about half way filled with cooking liquid so the leftovers would not dry out when reheated.  It was just as delicious for lunch as it was the night before.