Sausage & Egg Casserole

This is a delicious breakfast casserole that we had for Easter brunch. It is an overnight casserole, mix together the night before, cover, refrigerate, and bake in the morning. I mixed it together early in the morning and baked it about 5 hours later, worked beautifully. We also ate the leftovers for dinner, definitely can be an anytime meal. It combines so many of my favorite foods, sausage, cheese, bread and eggs, of course I would eat it anytime.

1 lb pork sausage (I use turkey sausage)
6 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground dry mustard
6 slices white bread, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese*

In a skillet, brown and crumble sausage; drain and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs; add milk, salt and mustard. Stir in bread cubes, cheese and sausage. Pour into a greased 11×7-in. (or 9″x9″) baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. *I sprinkled more cheese on top during baking with about 10 minutes remaining. Recipe found at tasteofhome.com.

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Pizza Rolls

Born from my love of bread and pizza. This is a pretty yummy snack or dinner.

Roll Dough:
1 cup warm milk
1 Tbl yeast
2 Tbl sugar
3 Tbl butter, softened
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour

Pizza Fillings:
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
dry seasonings (oregano, basil, Italian Seasoning, garlic)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar
1 cup cooked sausage crumbles
1 cup mini pepperoni
1 (3.8oz) can sliced olives

In mixer bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm milk, sprinkle sugar over yeast, let sit until bubbly. Add butter, egg, salt and flour. Mix until well combined. Knead. Turn out into oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled. In small bowl, mix tomato paste and seasonings to taste.

Punch down dough, turn out onto floured surface and roll out to 12″x20″ rectangle. Spread tomato paste mixture evenly over dough. Sprinkle cheeses, sausage crumbles, mini pepperoni, and olives. Roll up gently to keep filling in place and seal edge. Cut (I use a thread to neatly cut through) into 12 rolls. Place rolls in sprayed 9″x13″ pan (or can use a 10″x15″ pan). Let rise about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until browned on top and bread looks well baked. You can sprinkle a little cheese on top and put back in the oven for a couple minutes to melt. Eat just as is or you can dip in marinara sauce.

P.S. These Pizza Rolls warmed up the next day are just as delicious! I put the leftover rolls on a piece of foil in the oven preheated to 300° and baked until warmed through. Serve with green salad, yum!

Pizza Pot Pies

My son-in-law sent a video of the Pizza Pot Pies from Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. As we watched the Pizza Pot Pie being inverted on the plate with all the saucy meat and melted cheese spilling into a golden pizza crust bowl, we knew we had to create it at home. So here is what we did…

Pizza Crust:
3/4 cup warm water (about 110°)
1 (2¼ tsp) pkt dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbl olive oil
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt

Sprinkle yeast over warm water, sprinkle sugar over yeast.  When yeast if foamy, add olive oil, flour, and salt.  knead.  Let rise in warm place until doubled. While waiting for dough to rise, make filling.

Pizza Pot Pie Filling:
1 lb ground turkey sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
20 slices turkey pepperoni, cut into quarters
1 (oz) can sliced black olives, drained
12 large slices mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

In large skillet, brown turkey sausage and onion. Add tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, oregano, seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepperoni, and olives. Set aside. *Add peppers, mushrooms, your favorite pizza toppings.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray or butter 4 oven-proof bowls (I used bowls approx 6″ diameter and 1½” deep, see picture above). Line each bowl with 3 slices mozzarella, overlapping to totally cover inside of bowl (break slices in half if necessary). Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheddar in bottom of each bowl. Spoon 1/4 of filling into each bowl over cheese. Divide dough into 4 even pieces. Roll or stretch each piece into a round large enough to fit over the bowls and over the edge about 1/2″. Press around edge of bowls to seal dough. Set bowls on cookie sheet covered with foil. Bake 20-25 minutes or until pizza crust is golden brown. Remove from oven, let sit a couple minutes. Invert each pizza pot pie onto a plate, use a rubber scraper to get every bit of cheese, grab forks and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Pizza Pie

Happy Pi Day! You know, 3.14. Any excuse for pie is OK by me. To celebrate, I chose to make main dish pie rather than pie for dessert.

 

Pizza Crust:
3/4 cup warm water (about 110°)
1 (2¼ tsp) pkt dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbl olive oil
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt (I like to use season salt)

Sprinkle yeast over warm water, sprinkle sugar over yeast. When yeast if foamy, add olive oil, flour, and salt. knead. Let rise in warm place until doubled. While pizza dough is rising make filling.

Filling:
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, room temp
2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 lb sausage (I use Italian turkey sausage)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped peppers (I use mixture of red, green, and yellow)
1 (2.25oz) can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup quartered turkey pepperoni
1 tomato, diced, salted
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water
turkey pepperoni, green onion sliced, and oregano for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°. Put cream cheese and mozzarella cheese in large bowl; set aside. Brown sausage. Add onion and peppers; cook just until tender. Drain. Add olives and pour over cheeses in large bowl. Mix thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients.

Spray and sprinkle cornmeal in a large (9″deep dish or 10″) pie plate. Divide dough in half. Stretch or roll one half into a circle about 11″-12″, to fit in bottom and up sides of pie plate. Place dough in prepared pie plate, fitting down in and up sides with edge of dough resting around top of plate. Spoon filling into pie plate, spreading evenly. Put diced tomato evenly over the filling. Stretch or roll remaining dough into a circle, and place over top of pizza pie. Pinch together bottom and top layers of dough, folding over as you go around. Brush top crust with egg wash, garnish with pepperoni slices, green onion, and oregano. Bake 35-45 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Slice and enjoy!
This is a variation of the recipe found at foodrecipes.info.

 

Loaded Mac & Cheese

Add a lot of kick to an old favorite.

1 (1 lb) box elbow pasta
1 (14 oz) pkg smoked sausage, sliced (I used McCormicks Grill Mates Montreal Steak)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbl season salt
1 tsp pepper
4 cups milk
6 cups shredded cheese (I used *Beechers No Woman and Sharp Cheddar)
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies, **drained well
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained
1 (2.25 oz) can sliced olives, drained

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta in large pot as directed on package. While pasta cooks, saute sausage and onion; set aside. Prepare cream sauce by melting butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over butter, mix and cook 2 minutes. Add season salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in milk, cook and whisk over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, remove from heat. In the large pot with pasta drained, throw in sausage, Rotel, green chilies, olives and cheese. Pour hot cream sauce over top of cheese and gently stir all together as cheese melts. Pour into sprayed 13″x9″ baking dish and bake about 15 minutes, just until heated through. Buttered bread crumbs or crumbled french fried onions can be added as a topping before baking if desired.

*Beechers is a Seattle based company but their award winning cheeses are sold in many locations including Costco. No Woman is flavored with Jamaican Jerk spices, so it adds a lot of flavor. You can substitute any flavorful cheese you like.

**Squeeze as much liquid out as possible so it doesn’t thin down the thickness & creaminess of the your mac & cheese.

Other flavorful main dish ideas:

Baked Frittata

This is a perfect throw together, use what you’ve got in the fridge and pantry kind of dinner (or breakfast or brunch). Use the basic recipe and add ingredients and spices to taste. It can be meatless or not, make the full recipe for a 13″x9″ pan or half it in a smaller dish for fewer servings, it’s all up to you!

12 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 baking powder
1 tsp salt (or season salt)
fresh ground pepper
fresh herbs, chopped or spices (optional)

Some ideas for added ingredients (this is what I did): Sauté onion, peppers, spinach. Browned sausage and/or bacon. Grated Swiss and sharp cheddar cheese. Diced tomato. Chopped green chilies. Sliced or chopped olives.

Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté vegetables if using. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and other herbs or spices. Stir in all other ingredients. Pour into well sprayed 13″x9″ pan. Bake 35-45 minutes, until set in center. Remove from oven and let cool and set up for about 10 minutes. We also like a little salsa on top!

One Year Ago: Chewy Peanut Payday Bars

Two Years Ago: Frosted Almond Oatmeal Cookies

Three Years Ago: Creamy Lemon Oat Bars

Four Years Ago: Dinner Rolls with a Twist

Bacon, Tomato and Cheddar Breakfast Bake with Eggs

My husband and I had this for dinner tonight and loved, loved, loved it! Amazing flavors all baked together and what great presentation. This would be a wonderful addition for a special occasion breakfast, brunch or just because! The recipe comes from foodandwine.com.

1 lb white artisan bread, cut into 1″ cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb sliced applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 (28 oz) can whole Italian tomatoes, drained, chopped and patted dry*
8 oz extra-sharp cheddar, shredded
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 Tbl snipped chives
1¾ cups chicken broth
8 large eggs (or 6, your choice)

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, toss bread with olive oil and spread on large rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, tossing once, until bread is golden and lightly crispy. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain: reserve 2 Tbl of fat in skillet. Add onion to skillet and cook until softened. Add tomatoes and cook until liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Return toasted bread cubes to the large bowl.  Add contents of skillet, bacon, shredded cheddar, shredded Monterey Jack, chives and broth. Stir until bread is evenly moistened.  Spread mixture in sprayed 9″x13″ baking dish and cover with lightly foil.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake until top is crispy, about 15 minutes longer. Remove baking dish from oven and using a ladle, press indentations into bread mixture (you can do 6 or 8). Crack an egg into each indentation. Return dish to oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny. Cook longer if you do not want runny yolks. Serve right away while it’s warm.

*I used a 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes, works great and no chopping needed.

One Year Ago: Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Two Years Ago: Strawberry Malt Cookies

Three Years Ago: Caramel Walnut Dream Bars

Chile Relleno Casserole

An easy casserole to put together for a quick flavorful dinner. Cheese filled green chilies in a fluffy egg mixture, spicy, cheesy goodness!

2 (10 oz) cans whole green chilies
6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, cut into strips
8 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9″x13″ baking dish with nonstick spray. Drain cans of green chilies. Insert a strip of cheese into each whole chili. Place in baking dish. When all chilies have been filled with cheese and are in the baking dish, whisk together eggs, milk, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Beat until thoroughly combined and smooth. Pour egg mixture over chilies and sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over top of egg mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes until egg is puffy, cheese is bubbly, and center is set. Let sit for 5 minutes, slice into squares and serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Recipe from yummyhealthyeasy.com

One Year Ago: Very Versatile Cookies

Two Years Ago: Baked Spasagna

Three Years Ago: Reuben Sandwich Ring

Breakfast Pizza

Homemade pizza! Why not mix it up with breakfast toppings and a creamy white sauce. Great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Pizza Crust:
3/4 cup warm water (about 110°)
1 (2¼ tsp) pkt dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbl olive oil
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt

Sprinkle yeast over warm water, sprinkle sugar over yeast.  When yeast if foamy, add olive oil, flour, and salt.  knead.  Let rise in warm place until doubled.  Stretch or roll into a 10-12 inch circle.  Place dough on pizza pan that has been prepared with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal.  Let rise 10-20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 500°.  Prebake 4-5 minutes. While crust bakes, make creamy sauce.

Creamy White Pizza Sauce:
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl flour
1/4 tsp season salt
1/2 cup milk

In small saucepan melt butter, stir in flour and salt. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickens. Spread sauce over pizza crust. Sprinkle cheese, toppings, and more cheese. Bake additional 5-7 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Makes 1 pizza.

Toppings:
breakfast sausage, cooked crumbled
bacon, cooked crumbled
scrambled eggs
red, yellow, orange, green peppers, chopped
onion, chopped
mozzarella cheese, shredded

One Year Ago: Nutter Butter Chocolate Cake

Two Years Ago: Cinnamon Spud Buns with Chocolate Glaze

Three Years Ago: Dark Chocolate Cookies

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day is an official Christian Feast Day to commemorate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland as well as the heritage and culture of the Irish. It is celebrated all over the world each year on March 17th. So let’s celebrate, I’m always up for a feast! Here are some ideas…

Reuben Sandwich Ring

Rye Bread

Ham & Cheese Rye Muffins

Chocolate Mint Marshmallow Brownies

Double Frosted Mint Chocolate Cookies

Frosted Chocolate Mint Blondies

Double Frosted Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

One Year Ago: Strawberry Malt Cookies

Two Years Ago: Caramel Walnut Dream Bars

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.