Breakfast Cassrole

On Christmas and Easter morning growing up we had a special breakfast casserole, usually paired with something sweet and fruit of some sort. It's a good tradition because the casserole is put together the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning. I'm making a little bit of a different version than my moms, I got it from my aunt, and is more bready than eggy. We'll see if we like it better, we're an egg family so I could see switching back. I'm pairing this with Baked Oatmeal from over at Bless Us O Lord, and probably oranges.

Sausage Egg Casserole

1 lbs browned sausage

6 eggs

6 slices bread - cubed

3 cups milk

2 tsp dry mustard

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions: 

Beat eggs well - stir in milk (beat)

Add dry mustard (bead). Stir in bread

Add sausage & cheese - stir

Let sit covered in fridge overnight

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes  

Sausage and Tomato Risotto

Yet another recipe from Smittenkitchen.com (she borrowed it from Martha Stewart - Everyday Food). Actually, Neil found it and made it for his game night, then he and I made it when we had some dance friends over for a game night. It's quite yummy, but you do need to keep an eye on the risotto.

Also, we made a double batch of it for New Years and found that it's better to make two single batches (of the risotto) and one big pot of the broth. Otherwise you'll end up with too much thick risotto and the broth won't be able to be incorporated. You'll get burned risotto.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto
Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Serves 4

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

1. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.

4. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).

5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Bacon Wrapped Smokies - Easy Appetizer

You Will Need:
1 package of smokies (make sure to get smokies, I almost grabbed franks)
1 lbs of bacon (I used about 1/2 a pound so if you already have it, great!)
some brown sugar
thawed out OJ concentrate
tooth picks

Wrap bacon around smokies. I wrapped about 3 smokies to one slice of bacon. Pour a little OJ concentrate over smokies. Sprinkled a generous amount of brown sugar all over them. Baked at 350 for 45 minutes.

Before

After

These are all over the internet so if you want more info on this recipe just Google it. Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya

I've made this twice since we've been married. I made it for Daniel the first week back from our honeymoon and then we had our first dinner guests last night, my parents, and they requested it. This dish has all the right seasonings with it not being too hot. I did some adjusting with the ingredients but I'm sure it would be just as tasty as it's listed below.

I highly recommend this dish. It's sure to please.

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes (I only used 3)
• 1/2 lb Kielbasa sausage, sliced (I used a whole pound)
• 1 can 14oz tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (I used a whole pepper)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cajun seasoning

Put everything in the crockpot on low for 7 hours. Serve over rice with a side of corn bead and you'll have a delicious dinner! Depending on your crockpot size the time may vary. Mine is a decent size so I only cook it for 6 hours and it turned out perfect both times.

Serves 6

The Assumption

This morning I made sausage gravy and biscuits to celebrate the Assumption. I am well aware that this breakfast has nothing to do with Mary's assumption to heaven, but it was a nice warm breakfast. It took awhile to make and we really enjoyed eating it, so that equals a celebration!
This is how I made it:

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits
Brown 1 lb of ground sausage. Empty sausage from skillet, set aside. Melt a 1/4 cup butter in the same skillet. Add 1/3 cup flour and stir constantly, about 1 minute, until mixture is smooth. Then gradually add 3 1/4 cups milk to the skillet. Continue stirring constantly, until gravy thickens and bubbles (this part takes awhile...plan on standing next to the stove and stirring for 7-10 minutes). Then add 1/4 t Italian seasoning and some salt & pepper to taste. Add the sausage to the gravy, and stir until heated through [you may attempt to recruit husband to stir for you while you get the baby, but be warned: husband will get bored and want to hold the baby instead of stir the gravy]. Serve over warm biscuits.

You can use any sort or kind of biscuits you want. These are what I used.
Mix 2 1/4 cups Bisquick with 2/3 cup milk. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Should make about 9 smallish biscuits. Cook at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

And perhaps someday I will remember to take a picture of my successes in the kitchen...I'm really good at taking pictures of the baby! :o)

Appetizing Appetizer

These are a regular appetizer in my family. When we have a gathering, you can be sure either Mom, Laura, or I will probably be bringing a tray or two full of these delicious bites. The only disadvantage to these appetizers is that they’re best when fresh out of the oven or at least warm, and it’s not always easy to keep an appetizer warm. They are worth the effort though.

Polish Mistakes
1 lb ground Italian sausage, cooked
½ lb (8oz) Velveeta cheese
¼ t oregano
¼ t garlic salt
½ t Worcestershiresauce
1 loaf of party-size rye bread.

After the sausage is cooked, add the cheese. Mix until the cheese is melted through. (You can put the sausage and cheese in a microwave bowl and melt it in the microwave if need be.) Mix in the oregano, garlic salt, and sauce. Slather about a tablespoon or two of the mixture on each slice of bread. Place the topped bread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes and serve.