This delicious Fall Casserole is perfect with a green salad.
Cheesy baked pasta is even more fun when you can slice it into wedges. Spaghetti, bucatini, or rigatoni, if it’s pasta it works here. Roasting the vegetables first concentrates their flavors and removes excess water. Don’t rinse the noodles because you want that starch. For clean slices let the casserole rest before cutting.
This classic Tuna Noodle Bake was my mother’s recipe and always brings back childhood memories for me.
Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie is delicious twist on a classic English dish; this recipe highlights cauliflower in place of a traditional potato topping.
I LOVE cauliflower. I love to eat it raw, steamed, in casseroles, and especially as a gratin. Seriously, I don’t know what could be better than cauliflower and cheese! If you don’t want to use Gruyère cheese then just use whatever cheese makes you happy.Just make sure it’s a cheese that melts well.
Whether you’re hosting a holiday dinner or bringing a dish to a holiday potluck, you’ll need an easy and delicious “go to” dish to make. Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole will quickly become a favorite that you may want to incorporate into your menu planning throughout the year.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
I brought this classic casserole up to date with today’s tastes by seasoning it with a zippy dry mustard and stirring in cheddar cheese and roasted red sweet pepper.
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups Medium-Size Noodles Of Your Choice (4 Ounces)
1/2 Cup Soft Bread Crumbs
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
2 Chopped Celery Stalks
1/4 Cup Cooked Peas
1/4 Cup Chopped Yellow Onion
1/4 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Cups Milk
1 Can Tuna (9 to 9.25 Ounces) Tuna (Drained & Broken Into Chunks)
1 Cup White Cheddar Cheese Cubed
1/4 Cup Chopped Roasted Red Sweet Pepper
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse pasta. Meanwhile combine bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter in a small-size bowl. Set aside. For the sauce, in a medium-size saucepan cook celery and onion in 1/4 cup butter for 5 minutes until tender. Stir in flour, kosher salt, dry mustard, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thicken and bubbly. Add cooked peas. Combine cooked noodles, sauce, tuna, cheese cubes, and roasted pepper. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Place in oven and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes until bubbly and top is golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 4
Camille's Smoked Salmon Frittata
Victoria and Camille have been cooking together almost from the moment Camille was born. Camille’s tiny hands broke eggs for cakes, stirred frosting and of course licked the beaters. Victoria couldn’t keep Camille out of the kitchen so she purchased a little lightweight stool for her to stand on in order to reach the counters. Because Camille has been cooking for over 20 years she has become an expert in coming up with her own recipes and cooking ideas. She loves to cook for family and friends alike and I must admit her Banana Bread is out of this world. Here is Camille’s Smoked Salmon Frittata that she concocted last night. It was delicious and naturally there are no leftovers. Give her frittata a try for dinner, lunch or breakfast. It’s nice having a multi-meal dish at your fingertips.
INGREDIENTS
1 Diced Medium Onion
1 Tablespoon Butter
12 Fresh Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1 Cup Spinach
3/4 Cup Smoked Salmon
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a medium size ovenproof skillet sauté the onions and butter for about 5 minutes over a medium heat. You will want the onions to be translucent. Turn off the heat and let the onions rest. In a large size bowl add all of the eggs. Whisk until well combined. Add the milk, cheese, mushrooms, spinach, salmon and pepper. If you want to add salt you can, but I chose not to because the salmon is already salty. Mix everything together in the bowl and then pour everything over the onions that have been resting in the pan. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes until lightly browned and a knife comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Serve directly from the skillet and enjoy. If you’re serving this dish for dinner you could top with sliced avocado. Serves 8
Chorizo Pasta Bake
Make sure to slightly undercook the pasta as it will cook in the oven too. The goal is for the finished dish to retain some bite and texture.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Finely Chopped Red Onion
3 Crushed Garlic Cloves
8 Ounces Sliced Chorizo
7 Cups Chopped Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
14 Ounces Fusilli
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a large sauté pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove and place into a 1 1/2 quart glass baking dish. In the same sauté pan sauté the chorizo for 2 minutes until it starts to get a bit crisp. Return the cooked onions to the pan with the chorizo and add the chopped tomatoes and red wine vinegar. Cook for 10 minutes and then turn the heat off and let sit until you are ready to assemble in the baking dish. In a large pot add water and salt. Add the fusilli and cook until nearly al dente. Remove from the heat and drain. Toss the cooked pasta with the remaining olive oil. Stir the cooked pasta nto the sauté pan. Add the basil. Pour the contents of the sauté pan into the glass baking dish. Sprinkle with the grated parmesan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4
Naughty Naughty Nacho Bake
My Naughty Naughty Nacho Bake is easy and will be a big game day hit as well as a good weeknight meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
14 1/2 Ounces Undrained Diced Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
7 Cups Tortilla Chips
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Sliced Olives
1 Sliced Scallion
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In a large skillet brown the ground sirloin over a medium heat. I like to use sirloin because it is a bit leaner. Remove the meat and drain the fat off and then return to the skillet. Add the tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin and kosher salt. Cook for 15 minutes over a medium-low heat and stir occasionally. Stir in 1/4 cup of the sour cream. Remove from the heat. In a large glass baking dish (13×9 inches) place half of the tortilla chips. Layer with half of the meat mixture, shredded cheese and olives. Repeat until you have used up all of the ingredients ending with the cheese and olives. Bake for25 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the scallions and remaining sour cream. Serve warm. Serves 4
