The Cottage Mama

Category: Casseroles

  • Father’s Day Brunch Casserole

    Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing daddies out there!
    My husband, Brett, and his dad are out fishing this afternoon, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to share what we made this morning for my kids super-wonderful, totally awesome daddy for breakfast.
    Father’s Day Brunch Casserole
    I wanted to make something hearty for my hubby but I also wanted it to be something the girls could help me with in the kitchen.  This casserole was perfect!  I gave the girls the task of tearing up a large french baguette of bread into chunks and they had a ball.

    This casserole turned out to be so tasty!  I found this recipe here and tweaked it just a little bit.  The casserole has a whole loaf of crusty bread, bulk Italian sausage, red bell pepper, onions and is soaked with an egg, milk, heavy cream, cheese and chives mixture.  Are you hungry yet?  You should be because this is so good!  

    I used Monterrey jack cheese instead of the swiss because I thought that would be more appealing to the kids.  But unfortunately the girls didn’t even want to try it.  No biggie, though…..I’m sure my hubby and I will have no problem polishing this off all by ourselves!  I think next time I’ll go with the swiss.  Italian sausage and swiss cheese is always a winning combination.
    This is a great make ahead dish because you can assemble it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning.  It takes about an hour to bake and is ready to go when it is puffed and golden and when a knife inserted comes out clean.  I also garnished the casserole with extra fresh chives from our garden.
    So, that’s what was cookin’ over here this morning.  I hope you all were able to make the special daddy’s in your life something good to eat.  I firmly believe that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and it’s a great way to show him how much you care!
    Happy Father’s Day!

  • Mexican Taco Pasta Bake

    Life with three kids is going pretty well.  Have I touched my sewing machine since Caspian was born? Well, no, not even once.  I’ll get back to the machine eventually – it’s always there waiting for me, ready to welcome me back with open arms.  But this little guy…….he’s already growing up right before my eyes, so I am trying to soak up all the little baby time possible.

    One of my biggest challenges has been preparing dinner because I’m never quite sure when my little guy is going to nurse.  He tends to want to eat right when I should be cooking dinner – go figure, right?  However, he seems to be doing a pretty good mid-afternoon nap, so I’m trying out some new recipes that I can prepare during the day and then just pop in the oven before dinner.

    Today I’m sharing my latest recipe that I tried out last night.  I’m calling it “Mexican Taco Pasta Bake”.  It’s really all the flavors in a taco, but mixed is mixed in with pasta and cheese.  What could be bad about that, right?

    The next time you want to prepare a meal ahead of time, give this one a try.  My husband even went back for thirds!  Would also be great to feed a crowd and your kids will love it too!!

    Mexican Taco Pasta Bake
    Ingredients:
    1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)
    1 lb. pasta (any shape)
    1 onion, chopped
    1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
    1 can Rotel (tomatoes with green chile)
    1 package taco seasoning
    1/2 brick light cream cheese
    1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
    Topping:
    1 cup crushed tortilla chips
    1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
    Garnish:
    Sliced green onions, slice black olives, and sour cream.
    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large saute pan.  Remove beef from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Add onion and green pepper to pan and saute until cooked through.  Add back in cooked ground beef, taco seasoning and Rotel.  Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.  Add in cream cheese and melt it down into the beef mixture.  Once cream cheese is melted, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.  

    Drain pasta.  Pour beef and cheese mixture over cooked pasta and stir to combine.  Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.  Pour combined pasta and beef mixture into the casserole dish.
    Sprinkle the top of the pasta with crushed tortilla chips combined with shredded cheese.  Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Might need a little longer if it has been refrigerated.  Basically you are just melting the cheese and heating it through since all the ingredients are already cooked.
    Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced green onions and black olives.
     
  • Jambalaya Egg Casserole

    Jambalaya Egg Casserole

    This morning I was scheduled to host our bi-weekly playgroup.  The group is pretty large, with 12 Mama’s, 12 two-year olds, and several younger siblings.  Typically the playgroup host provides some type of breakfast/brunch for everyone.  I wanted to try something new and saw a recipe on the back of the Zatarain’s Jambalaya mix that looked very interesting and right up my alley.

    I modified the recipe ever so slightly, but I must say, I thought it turned out pretty darn tasty and so did the other Mama’s.

    Jambalaya Egg Casserole

    (Serves 8-12)
    Ingredients:
    1 family size box of Zatarain’s Jambalaya, prepared according to package directions
    1 ham steak, cubed
    5 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
    1 8oz bag of shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack
    3 green onions, sliced
    1 cup heavy cream
    7 eggs
    Parsley, optional for garnish

     

    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    Prepare Jambalaya mix according to package directions.  Use the cubed ham and crumbled bacon when the mix directions tell you to add the meat.  Meanwhile, beat the 7 eggs and heavy cream.  Add 3/4 of the bag of shredded cheese and the sliced green onions.  Once the jambalaya is cooked, allow to cool.  Once cooled, mix the jambalaya with the egg, cream, onion, and cheese mixture.  Stir to combine.  Pour combined mixture into a 9 x13 glass baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
    Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.  Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.  Enjoy!
    I also served a couple other dishes along side this yummy casserole.

     

    Crunchy Asian Peanut Slaw
    Apple, Strawberry, Pineapple Fruit Salad with Lime
     
    Cottage Mama’s Note:  The jambalaya would also be delicious with the addition of andouille sausage or you could even use your basic breakfast sausage.
  • Avocado Enchilada Casserole Recipe

    Avocado Enchilada Casserole Recipe

    Avocado Enchilada Casserole from The Cottage Mama. www.thecottagemama.com
    Avocado + cheesy enchiladas = HEAVEN
    If you are an avocado lover, as I am, then you must try my new Avocado Enchilada Casserole recipe. I love casseroles because they can be made ahead of time and put in the oven when ready to bake.  This recipe is perfect to have the kids help you make dinner.  Even my 2-year old daughter Savannah helped me with this one.  She sprinkled the cheese between each layer and finished it off with the green onions – she felt so proud being Mommy’s big helper in the kitchen!
    Now I am a HUGE fan of Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, which apparently I haven’t given you my recipe for as I just noticed searching my own blog for it (oops – sorry)……..you must have that recipe too…..future blog post I guess.  Anyway these were so good that I think they might rival my fav.  Give them a try and let me know what you think!
     
     

    Avocado Enchilada Casserole

    Avocado Enchilada Casserole
    Recipe Type: Entree
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Author: Lindsay Wilkes from The Cottage Mama
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 6 – 8
    Ingredients
    • 3 large ripe avocados (4 if they are smaller)
    • 1 can red enchilada sauce
    • 1 can green enchilada sauce
    • 1 can “Rotel” tomatoes with green chiles
    • 1 package corn tortillas (10-12), sliced into strips
    • 1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
    • 2 green onions, sliced
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • Garnish: Sour cream and fresh salsa
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    2. Drain, Rotel tomatoes with green chiles. In a mixing bowl, combine drained rotel, red enchilada sauce and green enchilada sauce. Cut avocados in half and then into strips.
    3. Now begin layering your casserole in a 9 x13 glass baking dish. First layer 1/3 tortillas, then 1/2 of the avocado (spread out the avocado – it doesn’t need to cover all the tortilla), then 1/3 of the sauce and tomato mixture, 1/3 of the cheese. Then layer all of these things again. Finally, finish the casserole with a final layer of tortillas, the rest of the cheese and the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle green onions on top and some salt and pepper, to taste.
    4. Bake for 20 – 25 mins. or until heated through and cheese is bubbling.
    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    Drain, Rotel tomatoes with green chiles.  In a mixing bowl, combine drained rotel, red enchilada sauce and green enchilada sauce.  Cut avocados in half and then into strips.
    Now begin layering your casserole in a 9 x13 glass baking dish.  First layer 1/3 tortillas, then 1/2 of the avocado (spread out the avocado – it doesn’t need to cover all the tortilla), then 1/3 of the sauce and tomato mixture, 1/3 of the cheese.  Then layer all of these things again.  Finally, finish the casserole with a final layer of tortillas, the rest of the cheese and the rest of the sauce.  Sprinkle green onions on top and some salt and pepper, to taste.
    Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.
    Serve with a dollop of sour cream, fresh salsa and good tortilla chips .

    Yum!!

  • Cheesy, Delicious – Hash Brown Casserole

    Hash brown casserole is SO yummy!  I’m sure many of you have a version of this recipe, but if you don’t I think this is a tried and true dish that should be in everyone’s cooking repertoire.

    Hash brown casserole is a perfect side dish for any steak, chicken or fish dinner.  It is incredibly easy to make and can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge until it is time to bake.  If you are looking for a dish to take to a pot-luck, this one is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.  This is also a wonderful brunch dish as well! 

    If for some reason you have never tried this dish, please, please give this recipe a try – you will love it!!

    Hash Brown Casserole
    Ingredients:
    1 bag frozen, shredded or diced hash brown potatoes (2 lbs.), thawed
    1 onion, chopped
    1 can cream soup (cream of chicken, mushroom, celery…..whatever you have)
    1 8 oz. container sour cream (I use light sour cream)
    1 lb. shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    2 cups crushed corn flakes or 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
    1/4 cup melted butter
    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Grate cheese (or you can use already shredded bagged cheese) and chop onion.
    Then add your hash browns, cream soup, sour cream, cheese, onions, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.
    After all ingredients are combined, spoon hash brown mixture into a greased, glass baking dish.  Top hash browns with crushed corn flakes or seasoned bread crumbs (I used bread crumbs here) and drizzle melted butter evenly on top.
    Bake for 35 minutes, covered.  Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.
    Hash Brown Casserole – hot out of the oven!!
    Serve with salad and Honey-Dijon Pecan Crusted Salmon (recipe to come!!)
    Cottage Mama’s Note:  To make hash brown casserole into a main dish entree, consider adding cubed ham or chicken and adding additional vegetables such as diced bell peppers, peas or broccoli.

  • Apple Raisin French Toast Strata

    This morning was our “Valentine” playgroup.  We had such a great time!  My friend Julie hosted the group and she did a wonderful job.  She prepared several different breakfast items, but the Apple Raisin French Toast Strata definitely took the cake – it was AWESOME!!

    Julie got this recipe via allrecipes.com and I wanted to go ahead and share it with all of you.  If you are hosting a brunch/breakfast anytime in the near future, make this dish – it was SO yummy!
     
     Apple Raisin French Toast Strata
    Ingredients:

    1 (1 pound) loaf cinnamon raisin bread,

    cubed

    1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,

    diced

    1 cup diced peeled apples

    8 eggs

    2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream

    6 tablespoons butter, melted

    1/4 cup maple syrup

    Directions:
    Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange 1/2 of the cubed raisin bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the cream cheese evenly over the bread, and top with the apples. If you like extra raisins, add them now. Top with remaining bread.
    In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, butter, and maple syrup. Pour over the bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and press down so that all bread pieces are soaked. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
    Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!!
    Here are some pictures from this mornings playgroup.  My daughter Savannah has been playing with most of these kiddos since she was 5 weeks old (well if you can call that “playing” at 5 weeks old).
    We were each told to bring a bag or box for our child to collect all of their Valentines – this is Savannah & Matilda’s bag all filled up with Valentine’s from their little friends!

    Savannah at the craft table.  I think she takes after her mother – she loves arts and crafts!!

    Savannah getting ready to pass out her Valentine’s.  Remember the “We Dig You!” post? (find it here).

    All the kiddos Valentine’s Day boxes/bags ready to be filled!

    Ava & Liam’s Boxes

    Grace & Evan’s Box

    Roaran’s Lion Mailbox

    This is what happens when toddlers are left unattended at the craft table – yikes!!

    Cottage Mama’s Note:  The dress my daughter is wearing in these pictures I made from a recycled Valentine’s Day shirt from last year.  You can the recycled shirt dress post here.

  • Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole & Monterey Jack Cheese Cornbread Muffins

    When I had my second daughter, Matilda Jane, 7 months ago I could not believe the out-pouring of kindness we received from our family and friends.  We were brought so many meals that I did not even have to think about cooking for several weeks!  I think bringing new parents a meal that they can easily heat up is one of the best gifts you can possible give a couple.

    So on Friday I was telling you all about the fact that tons of my friends seem to have had babies this past month (see post here ).  Today I delivered meals to two of my friends and I thought I would share the recipes with you.  If you have someone in your life that has recently had a new baby, I highly recommend bringing them a hot meal and, if you feel so inclined, go ahead and try this recipe – I think it is delish!

    Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
    Serves 4-6
    Ingredients:
    4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
    1 can green enchilada sauce
    1 can red enchilada sauce
    1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1/2 bag frozen broccoli
    1/2 bag frozen corn
    1 garlic clove, chopped (or 1 teaspoon jar garlic)
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    2 tablespoons chili powder
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (do not add if you don’t like some spice)
    1 tablespoon cumin
    1/2 teaspoon onion powder
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/2 teaspoon oregano 
    1 brick cream cheese
    12 flour tortillas
    3 handfuls of tortilla chips (crushed)
    Cilantro (for garnish)
    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place frozen chicken breast on cookie sheet, place in oven and cook 20-30 minutes (until cooked through).  Once cooked, dice chicken into 1/2″ pieces.
    While chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in large saute pan on medium heat.  Add garlic to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add frozen broccoli, corn, and all spices.  Saute until cooked through.  
    Add both cans enchilada sauce and cook for 3 minutes.
    Add cream cheese and melt into sauce.  Once cream cheese is melted, add cubed chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes.
    Meanwhile, cut 12 flour tortillas into 1 inch strips.
    Now it’s time to assemble the casserole!  Spray your casserole dish with cooking spray (I like Olive Oil spray from Trader Joe’s, but any kind will work).  Place one layer of flour tortillas on the bottom of the dish.
    Then add a layer of the chicken, cream cheese, veggie, sauce mixture.
    Sprinkle 1/2 of the Monterey Jack cheese on top.  Repeat the layering until you have used up your ingredients.  You will probably have 2-3 layers depending on the size of your casserole dish.
    Finish the top of the casserole with crushed tortilla chips, more cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro.
    Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated through.  If you are taking this to a friend, cover with foil, write the heating instructions on top of the foil (that way they don’t have to worry about finding them before they heat up the dish).  Enjoy!
    Monterey Jack Cheese Cornbread Muffins
    Makes 12 Muffins
    Ingredients:
    2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
    2 eggs
    2/3 cup milk
    1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
    1/2 cup cilantro or green onions
    2 tablespoons chili powder
    Directions:
    Prepare Jiffy Corn Muffin mix according to package directions.  DO NOT over-mix (otherwise you will have dry, hard corn muffins).  The batter should still be somewhat lumpy before you place it into your muffin tins.
    Fold in cheese & chili powder.
    Chop cilantro (or green onions).
    Fold in cilantro.
    Line muffin tin with muffin wrappers and fill 3/4 full.  Bake according to Jiffy package directions.
    Allow muffins to cool before removing from pan.
    Jiffy Cornbread mix is VERY inexpensive and makes incredibly delicious cornbread as long as you make sure you add enough milk (add a little more milk if the batter looks too dry) and you don’t over-mix the batter.
    Cottage Mama’s Note:  Since I was taking these casseroles to friends, I bought disposable lasagna pans from Dollar Tree (2 pans for $1.00) so I didn’t have to worry about getting my dishes back later.  I also placed the corn muffins in cello bags and tied them up with a pretty sage green ribbon.

  • Fun With Leftovers!

    Ok, so it was Monday night and my family had just left after coming into town for my daughter, Matilda’s baptism, and I was thinking………what are we going to have for dinner?  We had many leftovers in our fridge after having company stay with us and having just had a big baptism party.

    Like I said in one of my previous posts, I am really trying to be better about not wasting food so I had to figure out how to use up all of these little bits of leftovers.  We had 1.5 bowls of Taos Taco Soup left, about 1/6 of a roast chicken (Crock-Pot Chicken ) and a big tupperware full of mashed potatoes.  So here’s what I came up with – Southwestern Shepherds Pie!

    Ingredients:
    Leftover Taos Taco Soup
    1/6 Roasted Chicken (shredded)
    3 cups homemade mashed potatoes
    2 chopped green onions
    1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    Garnish – Chile powder, Sour Cream, Cilantro, and Tortilla Chips

    Mix shredded chicken with remaining Taos Taco Soup and spread into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.  Mix mashed potatoes and green onions together and spread on top of Taos Taco Soup.  Sprinkle cheese on top of potatoes and sprinkle chile powder (for a bit of extra flavor and to make it look pretty).  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top, a sprinkle of cilantro and a few tortilla chips.

    Yipee for not wasting any food and for coming up with a new recipe!!!  Enjoy!

  • Semi-Homemade

    I was searching my cupboards, freezer and fridge this past week trying to think of something for dinner with what little we had on hand.  I’ve been trying to be really good lately about using what we already have and grocery shopping less.  


    Isn’t it amazing how much a trip to the store adds up?  And I always feel so bad when I waste food or have fresh food go bad.  So I’ve been trying to buy a lot of frozen and can goods to remedy this problem.

    So here’s what I came up with – Fiesta Green Chile Burrito Bake.  I remembered seeing a similar idea to this semi-homemade recipe in my Real Simple magazine several months ago.


    Preheat oven 375 degrees. Serves 4-6
    Ingredients:
    Olive oil
    1 teaspoon garlic
    1 tablespoon butter
    2 tablespoons flour
    2 cup milk
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    Black pepper, to taste
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    8 oz. package shredded cheese
    4 oz. chopped green chile
    Frozen Family Pack Bean and Cheese burritos (I used El Monterey)
    Chile powder – for garnish

    Saute garlic in olive oil until soft.  Then add butter and flour (making a roux) – cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add 2 cups milk, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Once the mixture begins to thicken, add 6 oz. cheese and green chile.


    Lay frozen burritos in a single layer in a 9 x 11 glass baking dish.  Pour cheesy green chile mixture on top of burritos.  Sprinkle 2 oz. cheese and chile powder on top.  





    Bake for 45 mins. or until heated through.




    Additional notes:  

    1) Would be delish with sour cream and green onions on top.  Also great to serve with Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice (Santa Fe Style) and tortilla chips.
    2) I also added frozen tri-color bell peppers (from Trader Joe’s) on top.
    3) To make the dish even easier (I didn’t have it on hand at the time) but you could forgo making the roux (butter, flour, garlic and olive oil) and adding the milk by just using a can of cream of chicken soup instead – thin with some water, then add cheese and green chile.