What to do with Chili Leftovers

So you've had chili 4 nights in a row and there's still some left.  You could always freeze that for a night when you're on the go and don't have time to cook.  But, I wanted to bring the taste of a ball game to my kitchen.  So last night I whipped up...

Chili Dog Casserole!

3 cups Leftover Chili (or whatever is left in your crock pot)
2-3 Hot Dogs - diced
2 cups cooked noodles
   (I used both elbow macaroni & egg noodles to clean out the pantry)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Cook noodles.  Mix with diced hot dogs and left over chili in greased casserole dish.  Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.  Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes.  For the last 5 minutes take the cover off to get cheese slightly browned.

Super easy, and yet delicious - adds a whole new twist to left overs!  And let me tell you, it's also sooooo much easier than eating a loaded chili dog at the ball park while trying to balance your $8 beer!

Have a delicious afternoon!

Corn Casserole

This recipe is from my Mom's Aunt Noreen.  Aunt Noreen had a whole bunch of kids, so when she cooked, her meals needed to feed and army!  I started to make this dish as my "dish to pass" for family gatherings about 3 years ago after our family published our own cookbook.  I saw the recipe and was enlightened for a new use of corn.  Give it a try for your holiday cooking and see what your family thinks!  This is also a great dish to make ahead of time and freeze.  It freezes very well!

Corn Casserole
2 Sticks Butter - not margarine
3/8 cup dry onion flakes
1 lb. fresh mushrooms - sliced
1 1/2 boxes seasoned croutons
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp pepper
2 - 20 oz. bags frozen corn
6 cups shredded colby (or cheddar) cheese

Melt butter, mix in dry onion flakes & mushrooms.  Stir for 3 minutes.  Add croutons, parmesan cheese, milk and pepper.  Stir well.  In large bowl mix corn, cheese and add stuffing mixture and salt.  Put in casserole dishes and top with a little cheese.  Bake until hot at 350.

Makes 2 large casseroles & freezes well!

Meals on Monday - Awesome Meatloaf Recipe

"This is the best meatloaf I've ever eaten... even better than the Cheesecake Factory's meatloaf, and theirs was very good." - Chris D.

Lil' Cheddar Meat Loaves
(adopted from www.TasteofHome.com)
Ingredients:
1 Egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped onion (but I used 1 Tbsp. of dried onion flakes - much less acidic = no heartburn later!) :)
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 lbs ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1.5 tsp. prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk egg & milk... (yes, manually whisking, not using the mixer burns more calories and is better for you!) Stir in cheese, oats, onion (or onion flakes) and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. I knead beef in by hand. It's the best mixer you've got AND it's great for relieving stress!

Now the recipe calls for you to make 8 mini loaves (individual serving sized) but I prefer 1 full sized loaf. So I greased a regular size bread loaf pan. And formed the beef mixture in the pan.

In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar & mustard. Spoon over top of the meatloaf.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Best served with brown & serve rolls and mashed potatoes! Trust me, by the time the meatloaf is ready, your sense of smell is going to drive you crazy... and you too won't have the patience to snap a picture... in my case, my stomach won!

If you would like to join us in celebrating homemade family meals, join my good friend and Meals on Monday organizer, Stacy Petersen in the link-up!  Click here to see her great recipe for Pulled Beef French Dip and share the link to your post!  We'd love to see what you share!

Enjoy!   

Meals on Mondays - Turkey Goulash

In an effort to eat healthier, and having more fresh produce readily available, this weeks recipe comes from my Eating For Life Cookbook - by Bill Phillips.

For those that don't know Bill Phillips, he was the original creator of Body for Life - long before Biggest Loser or any of the other weightloss shows hit the market.  Body for Life as a program is phenomenal - both eating and weight training, because cardio just isn't enough.  Muscle burns more calories than fat SOOOOO more muscle = higher metabolism... regardless of your age!

Okay off my soapbox for now.  We had this recipe last week and it was dynamite! 

American Turkey Goulash

Serves 4

4 portions Egg Noodles (about 8 oz uncooked)
1 onion chopped
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
4 portions lean ground turkey (about 1 lb.)
2 cups tomato sauce
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp red wine (optional - I left it out)

1.  Prepare egg noodles according to package directions.
2.  Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, saute chopped onion for 2 minutes.  Add bell pepper to the onion and saute for another 2 minutes. Add zucchini and saute for 2 more minutes.  Remove vegetables & set aside.
3.  Add ground turkey to the skillet and saute until no longer pink (about 10 min.)
4.  When the ground turkey is done, return vegetables to the skillet.  Add tomato sauce, basil & red wine (optinal).  Cook stirring occassionally for 5 minutes or until heated through.
5. Place a portion of noodles on each plate and top with a portion of Turkey Goulash mixture.  Serve & enjoy!

Try it!  I bet you'll like it and you won't even know it's turkey! :)
Ciao~

Cold Tuna Pasta Salad

One of the biggest challenges when it gets hot in the summer is making dinner... you don't want to turn on the oven, standing over a stove cooking is nothing short of slave labor, and you can BBQ... but when the heat is on at 90 and humidity is nearly 100% even grilling is too much work.

So this casserole is a make ahead, pasta dish that is refrigerated... so it's ready when you're hungry!

Cold Tuna Pasta Salad
4 Eggs, Hard Boiled
1 Lg. Can Tuna Fish - packed in water
8 oz. wide egg noodles - cooked & drained
1 Tbsp. Minced Onion Flakes
1 cup mayonaise
Salt & Pepper to taste

1.  Drain Tuna.
2.  Peel and quarter hard boiled eggs.
3.  In Large Bowl, mix egg noodles, hard boiled eggs, tuna, minced onion flakes, mayonnaise until well mixed.  Sprinkle in a little salt & pepper to your taste and refrigerate.

This pasta salad is best eaten after being refrigerated for 3 or more hours, even better overnight!

Hope all your summer feasting is delicious!

My Favorite Salad

Some nights you just don't feel like a big, heavy dinner.... especially if you had a big Sunday Morning breakfast, followed by a family style late lunch... dinner is the last thing on your mind. 

SO on nights when I want a lighter dinner, this is my ultimate favorite salad.  I created this salad when I fell in love with Brianna's Dijon Honey Mustard dressing.  Pretty much anything that can get that delicious dressing to my mouth is a Superstar in my food book.  :)  If you haven't tried it, it's really that good!

Here's how I make my Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad for the two of us.

2 Schwan's Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts (grilled in the George Foreman)
2-3 cups organic spring mix.
1 can Dole Tropical Fruit Salad
6-8 fresh strawberries, washed & quartered
1/2 cup dried cranberries, cherries or raisins
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or gorgonzola)
Brianna's Dijon Honey Mustard Dressing

It's so simple.  Plate your lettuce, top with all fruits, sprinkle with cheese, cut your grilled chicken breasts into strips and lay on top.  Drizzle on Brianna's dressing.  That honey mustard is like no other that I've tasted... and believe me, I've looked for something similar because it's only available at 1 grocery store in a 20 mile radius from our house.  So when I go, I get 3-4 bottles! :)

Give this salad a try this summer!  Make it smaller and have as a side salad with another meal!  I guarantee you'll LOVE it!  :)  Happy eating!

Aunt Noreen's Lasagna Casserole

One of my favorite dishes growing up was my mom's Aunt Noreen's Lasagna Casserole. Now it's not really lasagna as in the Olive Garden style lasagna. But the casserole is absolutely delicious none-the-less. This is one of those dishes that you have most of the ingredients already in your pantry... except for the ground beef. If that's in your pantry, then I'm thinking it's not edible any more. LOL

This is such a good recipe, it was published in our family cookbook, Tasteful Treasures by the O'Connell Family. For those that are blessed to have a copy of our family cookbook, it's on page 102! :) For those that are friends I'd love to share the recipe with you so you can feed your hungry family something delicious!

Aunt Noreen's Lasagna Casserole
1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion (I use onion flakes)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 small can mushrooms (or more if you love mushrooms!)
4 oz. uncooked noodles
1 small can tomato paste
1 can tomato soup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1 can corn (I like the Mexi Corn w/ the peppers in)

Brown hamburger and drain. Add onion, salt, pepper, oregano, mushrooms, tomato paste, tomato soup, Worcestershire sauce and simmer. Stir in noodles and half of the cheese.
Pour into 9x13 casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

*Note, to make a larger batch, you can always add another can of tomato soup, more noodles or more corn! I like to bake covered with tinfoil to keep moisture in so my top noodles don't get crunchy. But that's just my preference!

This is great served with bread & butter or Texas toast and cottage cheese! I hope your family can join in love around the dinner table with a heaping helping of Aunt Noreen's Lasagna Casserole! Enjoy!

Holiday Celebrations!

Just because the calender says it's January doesn't mean that the holidays are over! Quite the contrary, when the new year rolled in, the celebration has just begun! My personal feeling is that 2010 is going to carry the theme of New Beginnings! Not only is it the start of a new decade, but for so many of my dear friends and family, we're all looking forward to wonderful blessings in 2010!

Because our celebrations are just beginning, last night we were so blessed to help start the year of New Beginnings with good friends, both old & new! We were invited to share in a wonderful evening filled with laughter, love and the most amazing meal with friends through my fiance's office. One couple has been friends of ours for a long time, I just met the hostess and her wonderful husband for the first time last night. What a wonderful, welcoming couple they are.

While the temps outside here in WI were -3 last night, around the family dinner table the temperatures were so warm and full of love! There was a beautiful fire in the fireplace, the candles were all glowing and the Christmas trees (yes, plural treeS) were all still up and decorated beautifully. We toasted a new year, we toasted to our new engagement and we toasted to the prospect of an improving real estate market.

From the very first Waterford Crystal Goblet of a fine white wine from Carmel, CA to the last drop of delicious Kona coffee, and the last crumb of the delectable dessert plate (German Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Cheesecake... mmmmmmm) the evening ranked first class every step of the way.

I've never seen someone entertain so effortlessly and make an entire meal from scratch while conversing with such ease in my life. Diane, my darling, you and Tony are the ultimate hosts! Your cooking was absolutely stellar... your tenderloin, melt-in-your mouth delicious. I've never had a pear served how you had prepared them. The pear was baked in a 3 stage process. The surprise was that the pear was cored and stuffed with a jalapeno pepper. So if you can envision, the sweetness of a ripe, juicy pear, enhanced by the spice of a hot jalapeno pepper... melded together with a divine sauce and baked to perfection... yes, that was a very special taste. (you'll have to note the picture... it was the dessert plate. See, the meal was just so wonderful, that I forgot to snap memories of the beautiful table setting or our other wonderful courses.)

To all my good friends, family and blog followers, I hope 2010 is a year of New Beginnings for you too! There's wonderful blessings happening everyday, sometimes we just need to stop a moment and open our eyes just a little bit wider. Slow down and enjoy the celebration!

Amazing Wedding Reception Menu

Sometimes it's not the food that leaves a lasting memory... it's the ambiance, the table settings and the reason for the gathering. This was such an occasion over the weekend when I was blessed to attend the wedding of one of Chris' lifelong friends since grade school.

The groom searched and searched high & low to find the PERFECT bride... seriously, she had to be perfect! And at last, via an online dating website (Click Here to see the classy, very reputable site they used), he typed in his lengthy list of criteria and low and behold, there really was someone that fit EVERYTHING. I can now see the value for those still looking for their soul-mate to online dating.

So Saturday, December 5th was the big day. Much anticipated by friends and family joyous to share in the Bride & Grooms celebration of commitment to each other. Everything went perfectly for them, the ceremony, the pictures, the cocktail party and the reception.

Personally, I was blown away by their reception. They held their reception at the Delafield Hotel which was exquisite. The bride is a true romantic, with victorian era blood surging through her veins. So the theme of their reception was taken out the the famous story Pride and Prejudice by, Jane Austen . At this point, you can only imagine how elegant and first class this wedding was!

I've uploaded some amazing photos from their reception so you can see what exactly I'm talking about. It was truly beautiful. The food was superb, but the occasion in total left an even bigger impression in my memory.

If you are planning a wedding, I encourage you to take a look at different resources - for ideas and simple planners you can do on your own. They did not use a professional wedding planner and you would never have known! It was that incredible. This is one guide the truly "Takes the Cake!" (pun intended!)

P.S. The wedding cake was even made by the brides mother. It was a delectable Cherry Almond Cake with a butter cream frosting... seriously, to die for! :)

Leftover Turkey Recipe

After my mom had one of her heart surgeries, a good family friend brought this delightful casserole over for our family. We have gotten so many wonderful family recipes over the years that have since become our family favorites.

Since we're all stuffed to the gills today after our wonderful Thanksgiving feast yesterday, I thought this would be an appropriate time to share the recipe with you. This is one of the to-die-for casseroles that is a staple for the leftover bird! A special thank you to Sue, Paul & Karen K.for being so helpful when we needed a hand. You'll always be dear to our family!

Turkey Wild Rice Casserole
1 - 6 oz. tube Jimmy Deans Spicy Breakfast Sausage
1 minced shallot
2 cups cooked turkey
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box Uncle Ben's long grain wild rice mix
1/3 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 cups water

Preheat oven to 375. In large skillet brown sausage over medium heat - 10 minutes or until it crumbles. Add shallot and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in all else including water. Reduce heat and cook about 20 minutes - until rice is tender. Season with Salt & Pepper and spoon into a 9x13" casserole dish. Bake about 30 minutes.

The sweet mixed with the savory really make a delicious taste! Hope you enjoy!

You know you're from Wisconsin when...

That's right, you know you're from Wisconsin when...

You have a real hankering for brats in February!

Lucky for us, Johnsonville keeps our stores stocked year round! So a short jaunt down the block and SCORE... we have a cookout in February!

Cook out complete with baked beans, pasta salad, brats... of course and coleslaw (homemade I might add!)

Hope all your Bar-b-Ques are scrumptious! ☺

Dining In... or Dining Out?

For Valentine's day, we were going to Dinner & then to see Celtic Woman. Dinner & a show is a common occurrence for lots of couples on "Love Day." The reason I think this is blog worthy is because of a conversation Chris & I had in deciding where to go to dinner.

Because the economy is weighing on so many minds (not to mention how it's affecting people's budgets) many people scaled back for Valentine's dinner this year. No $180 steak & lobster dinners, but rather just a nice quiet evening out at a more reasonable establishment.

We were bouncing around options between our home and the Theater we were going to... Chili's, Applebee's, Texas Roadhouse and our local family owned restaurant. The timing was critical as our show started at 8:00 and we wanted to be able to park and get our seats without breaking the sound barrier. ☺

The more we got to talking, the more our conversation sparked commercialism vs. community loyalty. In this difficult time, the big chain restaurants have advertising dollars from deep down in corporate pockets. They have the branding because of their huge advertising budgets to draw a crowd any day of the week. While the server's tips are important to that individual person, much of your dining experience is impersonal and cold.

The small mom & pop diner on the other hand, they really feel the pinch in tough times. They don't have the funding to do huge television advertising campaigns - and in some cases, even the newspaper advertising is ridiculously expensive and cost-prohibitive. Regardless of cost however, they always provide service with a smile and often they recognize their customers by face. We are all part of the same community, so much of the time, they have supported the local school programs and athletic teams. Yet these are the shops, stores & restaurants that people tend to overlook because of America's commercialism and advertising.

Let the purpose of this post remind you to be loyal to local business owners. In many cases, it's Mom, Dad and all the kids that have built the business from the ground up. They've put in their blood, sweat & tears to create business and jobs in the community. In some cases it's been handed down from previous generations. But in any case, when people tighten their purse strings, their businesses tend to be forgotten.

We had a wonderful dinner at our local restaurant and they were really grateful we came. We had no problem getting a seat (but when we drove past Chili's on the way, the parking lot was overflowing and the wait was at least 30 minutes). We had way more than we could eat and we know our two meals really made a difference to the family that owns that restaurant!

I wish you many happy meals and prosperous times ahead!

Meatloaf So Delicious We Forgot the Picture

Yes, dinner last night was absolutely scrumptios... after baking in the oven for 45 minutes, the kitchen smelled heavenly... and we were starving. So I'll share with you the recipe and you'll have to make it for yourself to see how good it looks & tastes!

"This is the best meatloaf I've ever eaten... even better than the Cheesecake Factory's meatloaf, and theirs was very good." - Chris D.

Lil' Cheddar Meat Loaves
(adopted from www.TasteofHome.com)
Ingredients:
1 Egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped onion (but I used 1 Tbsp. of dried onion flakes - much less acidic = no heartburn later!) :)
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 lbs ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1.5 tsp. prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk egg & milk... (yes, manually whisking, not using the mixer burns more calories and is better for you!) Stir in cheese, oats, onion (or onion flakes) and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. I knead beef in by hand. It's the best mixer you've got AND it's great for relieving stress!

Now the recipe calls for you to make 8 mini loaves (individual serving sized) but I prefer 1 full sized loaf. So I greased a regular size bread loaf pan. And formed the beef mixture in the pan.

In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar & mustard. Spoon over top of the meatloaf.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Best served with brown & serve rolls and mashed potatoes! Trust me, by the time the meatloaf is ready, your sense of smell is going to drive you crazy... and you too won't have the patience to snap a picture!

What's New?

Happy Sunday Morning to all! I haven't blogged in a while, but not to worry, I have been eating!

When the temps drop to -10 with wind chills around -35 here in WI, we get to pretend we're Eskimos! We make all sorts of heart, rib sticking, delicious meals that warm you up from the inside. We've had a big crock pot of Chili... which is always better the 2nd day. We've had baked spaghetti - good every time! Lots of hearty soups & sandwiches.

So the foods been good, the opportunities are abundant and that means we've been busy! But busy is good and we're enjoying our days working very hard and moving forward!

Hope you're days are delectable and prosperous!
Dawn

Comfort Food... that's A-peeling...

Yes, pun intended. As we brace ourselves here in SE Wisconsin for yet another snow storm, I seem to find myself reaching toward comfort food. I had heard on the Today show about a month ago that in tough times, two of the the foods people find most comforting are Spaghetti & Ice Cream.

Gee... I'm not surprised, I'm really just a statistic! I have ice cream every single week (often multiple times) and I LOVE spaghetti... it's quick & easy to make... and yes, comforting.

But lately I have a new comfort.

For Christmas, my brother Greg gave me the most incredible vegetable peeler. Now most people won't get excited over a veggie peeler, but this is the creme-de-la-creme of peelers. It's a strong peeler with a great, sharp blade. (Apparently he didn't care for my cheap rendition of a veggie peeler meets 10 lbs. of potatoes last time I hosted a family dinner) :)

Now though, this peeler is smooth like butter. It leaves me trying to come up with any excuse to peel something... mashed potato recipes, apple crisp, apple cinnamon oatmeal, shepherds pie (I get to peel potatoes & carrots there!!!).

So as silly as it sounds, new kitchen gadgets to get us all excited! Here's to you finding the right comfort food!