Chili Casserole

This is a great way to use leftover chili, or if you need a quick weeknight meal, the canned version will do all right as well.

Chili Casserole

2.5-3 cups leftover or canned chili (leftover chili always tastes better after a couple days anyway!)
2 cups peeled & diced potatoes
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 T. butter, melted
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
1 cup shredded cheddar

Mix together potatoes, melted butter and sour cream.  Pour in the bottom of a 2-qt baking dish (I used a 7x11).  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle corn on top, then pour/spread chili over the potatoes & corn.  Bake 20 more minutes.  Top with cheese and bake another 10 minutes until melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Easter Leftovers - Creamy Ham Casserole

'Tis the season for ham casserole, yes?  Well here's mine and it was super yummy!  Hope you still have enough ham leftover for this one!

Creamy Ham Casserole

2 cups diced ham

4 yellow potatoes (medium-ish)

1/2 bag frozen peas

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

1 3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup Miracle Whip (you could probably use mayo, but it will taste a little different)

1/2 tsp onion powder

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 Tbsp. panko bread crumbs (you can use regular, but panko are far better!)

Set oven to preheat at 350 degrees.  Mix together ham, peas and potatoes, set aside.  Melt butter in saucepan.  Whisk most of the flour in, until it becomes a thick paste.  Whisk in 3/4 cup milk, then add the rest of the flour.  Whisk in the rest of the milk, then the Miracle Whip and seasonings, and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.  Stir into ham mixture and pour into baking dish.  Top with cheese and panko.  Bake covered for 25 minutes, then bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Enjoy!

Chicken & Hashbrowns

This was a Sunday morning inspiration. Thanks to my friend Joelle sharing this link about homemade frozen hash browns, I found myself this weekend wondering how to marry the chicken I had and my previously-frozen hashbrowns. Here's what I came up with, and I ended up using even more leftovers along the way. This was my cleaning-out-the-fridge dish of the weekend, but it's good enough to make it on to my regular menu as well. Hope you'll try it sometime!

Chicken & Hashbrowns

3-4 (depending on size) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup of peas, either frozen or canned**
1 can healthy request cream of mushroom soup
1 10-oz pkg Philly Cooking Creme
2 cups frozen hashbrowns (educated guess)
1 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 T. melted butter
1 1/2 cups corn flakes, crushed
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Combine soup, creme, bouillon, 2 T. butter, onion & garlic in a large mixing bowl. Stir in peas and chicken, then hashbrowns. Pour into baking dish. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Mix crushed corn flakes with the remaining butter, and sprinkle on top of the casserole. Bake for another 10 minutes until topping is golden brown and crispy.

I'll admit some of these measurements are educated guesses - at the time I was making it, I was just making it up as I went. :)

**I wanted to use broccoli but I didn't have any. I'll probably try this swap next time around, but it was good with peas.

Quick! Chicken & Rice

Okay, I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for convenience, and that goes for food prep too. Unfortunately, a lot of "fast" food, even when not purchased from a greasy burger joint, is still pretty high in calories, fat and other unfavorable substances. And although I reach for them occasionally, the low-calorie freezer entrees are usually too small and bland to satisfy me, not to mention my husband won't touch them! I can make this in about 10 minutes and it satisfies our family! :) Next time when you're tempted to run to the drive-thru, take this one out for a spin instead!

Quick! Chicken & Rice - Makes 2 servings

1 cup shredded cooked chicken **
1 cup mixed veggies (I use frozen)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 pkg. steam-in-bag brown rice OR 2 servings instant brown rice

Cook the rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, heat the poil in a pot and add the onion to steep in the oil while it heats. Once the rice is cooked and the oil is warm, add the rice, veggies and chicken to the pan. Cook until all components are warmed through and the onion oil is evenly distributed, about 3 minutes. Add soy sauce and mix thoroughly. Serve while hot and enjoy!

**You can use leftover chicken, or do what I do and reach for the canned cooked chicken breast. I usually keep a couple cans on hand in the pantry just in case!

Spontaneous Casserole

It doesn't have a name, but if it did, it would probably be something like "Forgot to Plan Dinner Casserole" or something similar to indicate that I was a little desperate when I put it together. I know this is a fairly uncommon pairing of flavors, but trust me here!

1 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
1 10-oz pkg chopped broccoli
1 can sloppy joe mix
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used the 98% fat free version)
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever you have on hand)

Cook the rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, brown the meat in a skillet and defrost the broccoli. Allow the meat to cool a bit and combine broccoli and meat in a mixing bowl. Stir in sloppy joe mix and soup. When the rice is done, pour it into the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Pour meat mixture evenly on top of the rice. Top with cheese and bake at 375 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Easy MexiCasserole

Saturday afternoon I was staring at my cabinets wondering what I could throw together before I had to leave the house. It needed to be healthy, easy and something that I could count on my husband eating the leftovers. ;-) I haven't been grocery shopping in several days so I didn't have much to work with - several cans but hardly anything fresh. Let's face it - it happens to the best of us: I resorted to my cans for a fast meal. Enjoy this Mexican themed conglomerate - we sure did! :)

Easy MexiCasserole - serves 6-8

2 cans lowfat turkey chili
1 can 98% fat free broccoli cheese soup
3 cups instant brown rice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 T. taco sauce (plus more for serving)
8 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup coarsely crushed taco or tortilla chips (plus more for serving)
light sour cream, optional

Cook the rice according to package directions, then mix with the can of broccoli cheese soup and salt. Spread in the bottom of a 9X13 casserole dish. Heat the chili in a saucepan and mix in the remaining spices and taco sauce. Top with the taco chips and cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with additional taco sauce, chips and sour cream if you like.