Sausage Egg Bake

This egg bake is SUPER easy and really delicious! It's a very basic recipe, so feel free to add a lot more fresh ingredients. I will make this again and again!


Sausage Egg Bake

2 packages Brown and Serve breakfast sausages (this is what I had on hand, I just cut the links into bite size pieces. It would be equally good with ground italian sausage)
2 cans cream of potato soup (feel free to use any cream soup)
9 eggs
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fry sausage and add cream of potato soup. Beat eggs with milk and add the salt, pepper and 3/4 cup cheese. Add soup and sausage to egg mixture. Place in greased glass baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour.
I served this with salsa.

When I make it again, I will add mushrooms, onions, green peppers, etc.

Zucchini Quiche

...to stick with Holly's zucchini theme. :)

So, I have to admit, I've had quiche only one other time and I absolutely hated it, but this quiche is another story! For our dinner group, I made this Wednesday night as my vegetarian entree, but it is delicious for anyone! Please, don't be afraid to try it, it is simply delicious and you could very easily add any additional ingredients to your liking.

Zucchini Quiche

1 deep dish pie crust
2 Tablespoons butter
1 pound zucchini (1 -3 zucchini depending on size)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup half and half
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
paprika (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 425. Pick holes in bottom of pie crust; bake for 7 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

Saute zucchini in butter. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients. Drain zucchini and place 1/2 in the bottom of pie crust. Top with half of the cheese. Carefully pour egg mixture over zucchini and cheese. Top with remaining zucchini and cheese. Garnish with paprika. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

I do apologize for not having a picture, but we were a little late with getting supper on the table for everyone and I forgot my camera. There also wasn't any leftovers to photograph it after supper! I will make this again, and I'll be sure to take a picture then and post it. :)

Zucchini Casserole.

Sorry to keep you with all these zucchini recipes, but we have three mounds and, even with little rain, they are kicking it in high gear. Plus zucchini is good and good for you!

This recipe was handed down to me by mom. I've made it ever year since I can remember. And, you can make it fairly healthy by using reduced fat or fat free products!

Zucchini Casserole

6 cups sliced zucchini

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 cup sliced carrots

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 large can of chicken (I know it sounds scary, but it's found by the canned tuna and really not that bad. You could use chicken breast if you prefer)

8 oz. package stuffing mix

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Cook zucchini, onions, and carrots in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Combine soup, sour cream, and chicken. Fold in veggie mixture. Melt butter in a 9x13 pan. Add the stuffing mix and combine. Leave 2/3 stuffing in the pan. Set aside the rest. Spoon veggie/chicken mixture over the top of the stuffing in the pan. Sprinkle remaining stuffing and mozzarella cheese on the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

This recipe is really easy. Asides from preparing the veggies, it comes together very easily! A side dish is not really necessary, but you could add a side of green beans or asparagus if you'd like.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread.

The muffins I posted about a few days ago were good, but this bread is great! I know that Heidi has spoke of the "Church Cookbook" in the past and that is exactly where this recipe came from! The parishoner who published this recipe is probably in her mid-eighties and I suspect she has been using this recipe for most of those eighty years. The best part, even after all those years of baking this bread, the recipe NEEDS NO ALTERING. It is perfect just the way it is!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups zucchini (unpeeled - grated)

Beat eggs, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Add 2 cups zucchini. Bake in two greased loaf pans (or you could do one big loaf pan and four small ones - the small ones only need to bake for about 45 minutes). 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Look at the picture - see how the top appears slightly cruncy and the inside is super moist. That is the best thing about this bread!! It is a must bake!

Zucchini Egg Bake.

I really wasn't kidding yesterday when I talked about zucchini overtaking my diet. Today it is a zucchini egg bake! I threw this together yesterday, let it sit in the fridge overnight, and baked it this morning. So nice to be able to have a hearty Sunday breakfast without having to do any of the work on Sunday!

The basis for this recipe can be found on www.simplyrecipes.com. I altered the recipe to my liking (and the ingredients I had on hand). Turned out wonderful. I will definetly make this again in an effort to keep up with my zucchini plants and my basil and my tomatoes!

Zucchini Egg Bake

8 eggs

1.5 cups cottage cheese

1 cup shredded parmesan

dash of salt

1 tsp pepper

3 cups grated zucchini

3 medium sized tomatos - cut into chunks

20 basil leaves - cut into fine strips

4 slices of bread - cut into chunks

Beats eggs. Add cottage cheese and beat until well blended. Mix in parmesan, salt, and pepper. Remove excess water from zucchini (I squeezed it - about a cup at a time) and add to egg mixture. Remove some water from tomatoes (I slightly squeezed the chunks in a couple pieces of paper towel) and add to egg mixture. Mix in basil and bread chunks.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Pour mixture into dish. Refridgerate overnight or bake immediately. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; increase heat to 425 degrees for an additional 15 minutes. Let set for a few minutes after baking and enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins.

Yes, my eating habits are revolving around zucchini. But, I'm not sick of it yet! I still have a few new recipes to try and a couple old favorites to bring out. Stick with me people! In the dead of winter we'll wish we could run out to the garden and grab a fresh zucchini!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup soured milk (milk with lemon juice) or buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa

dash of salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice1 tsp cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tins by greasing or lining with paper cups. Mix together the sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla, milk, zucchini and chocolate chips. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into large muffin pans. Bake for 30 minutes, cool, and enjoy!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

You absolutely must try this recipe. Not only was it good on spaghetti noodles, but it was also delicious when I used the leftovers to make meatball subs the next day. :)

When I was eating this, it reminded me of the cute, romantic scene in the movie Lady and the Tramp. :) This spaghetti and meatball recipe is all homemade and honestly takes VERY little time. I prepared it in the morning and let it cook in my crock pot on low all day. You could also prepare it from start to finish in only an hour if you prefer to not use a crock pot.

I made this recipe all on my own and just looked at a variety of recipes on www.allrecipes.com to get an idea of what I might use. I was a little leary when i saw that almost all the recipes put the raw meatballs in the sauce without ever even browning them. Trust me- it's worth it. The meatballs were so delicious and not a single one fell apart!

FYI: this does make a large amount ... enough for at least 10 people.


Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 pound italian sausage
1 2/3 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon minced onion
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
3 eggs

Sauce
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, diced
1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
*I also added about 1/4 pound Italian Sausage that I had already dried earlier in the week

Place all ingredients for spaghetti sauce together in a crock pot. Prepare meatballs using all of the meatball ingredients and shape into balls. Add meatballs to sauce (without precooking or browning them) and let cook on low all day (or at least 6 hours). Serve with thin spaghetti noodles. Enjoy! :)

If you do not want to cook in crock pot; allow to simmer for 45 minutes and the meatballs should be thoroughly cooked.

And remember to use the leftovers for meatball sandwiches the next day. :) That is, if you have any leftovers!

Stuffed Zucchini.

In an effort to keep up with my three mounds of zucchini I am picking them young and using them for baking and cooking. Here is another delicious recipe!

Stuffed Zucchini (adapted from the Homesteading Housewife)

4 medium zucchini
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 teaspoon oreganosalt & pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Wash zucchini, place in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, boil for 6-7 minutes (until tender), remove from water, and set aside to cool enough to handle.

In a skillet saute olive oil, garlic, onions & peppers. As veggies soften, add ground beef and pork sausage, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Brown and drain off any excess oil, set aside to cool slightly.

Slice the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and some of the meat to create a zucchini boat.

Chop the scooped out zucchini meat and stir into meat mixture.

Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese into the meat mixture. Add eggs and mix well.

Place zucchini boats in a baking dish and fill the boats with the meat mixture; top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered in a 375 F degree oven for 20-30 minutes until hot and the cheese is bubbly.

Roasted Tomato and Feta Pasta

This pasta salad is absolutely amazing. It tastes equally delicious hot or cold and is very easy and relatively quick to toss together, but you do need an hour to roast the tomatoes. Trust me... it's definitely worth it! It went perfectly well with the pizza bites (recipe shared below) but could easily be the main entry. Enjoy!


Roasted Tomato and Feta Pasta

4-6 tomatoes, cut in bite size wedges
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1/2 teasoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon Oregano
2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning (I used a McCormick Grinder)
2-4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 box penne noodles
1 container Tomato and Basil Feta cheese


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cut tomatoes in bite size wedges and place on a single layer in pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Create a spice mixture by combining the garlic, minced onion, salt, sugar, oregano and Italian Seasoning. Sprinkle all of mixture on the tomatoes. Place in oven uncovered for one hour. Meanwhile, boil water and cook noodles according to package. When tomatoes are done, toss them with pasta and add the Feta cheese.

Pizza Bundles

I will admit the name of these tasty little treats is a little bland -- but that's the only thing bland about them! If you can think of a better name for them, please share. :) I was a little leary about these because I wasn't sure how they would turn out and I wasn't sure what to serve with them but I'm very glad I tried them and if you check back tomorrow you'll see what I paired them with! They were a HUGE hit at our dinner group. The original idea for these came from Tastefully Done - a blog I found on www.tastespotting.com.



Pizza Bundles

3 tubes refrigerated pizza dough (frozen bread dough could also be used)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
2/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
Assorted pizza toppings (I made a variety of kinds using green peppers, onions, mushrooms, black olives, pork sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese)
Marinara for dipping


If you choose to make pizza bundles with veggies, make sure to saute them before using them. Also, if using pork sausage, cook it before stuffing and cut pepperoni into smaller pieces - half or even quarters. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pizza dough and cut into squares. Place toppings of choice inside and close into a ball with all the toppings inside. Place into greased baking dish. Once all bundles are made, combine parsley, garlic, Italian Seasoning, Parmesan Cheese, pepper flakes and olive oil. Brush this mixture onto bundles. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with warmed marinara.
Assorted toppings

Banana Almond Chocolate Muffins

Lately, I've really been into muffins; I think I like them so much because they are so quick and easy to grab for breakfast or lunch on the go. They're also a nice little treat to take into work at the Housing Office. I think it's safe to say they appreciate them! :)

If you have any ripe bananas sitting around, this recipe is sure to please! :)


Banana Almond Chocolate Muffins

1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 Hershey's Bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly beat egg; add bananas and mash. Add the rest of the "wet" ingredients and mix well. Then, add dry ingredients but do not over-stir. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray to prevent them from sticking or use muffin liners. Bake 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in muffin pan and then place on cooling rack.

Zucchini Patties.

Run. Don't walk. Where? To your garden or a farmers market or even your neightbors garden. Get yourself some zucchini. Seriously. Stop reading. Go now.

Are you back? Did you get a medium sized zucchini? Great! Now try this amazing recipe that I have been waiting to make for over a month now. In fact, I took two small zucchini from my garden because I couldn't wait any longer. And, let me tell you, I am glad I stopped waiting!

Zucchini Patties

(adapted from Gooseberry Patch)

1 medium zucchini, grated (about 3.5 cups)

1 small onion, grated

2 tablespoons parsley

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, gratedf

2 slices of bread, torn into small pieces

1 teaspoon season salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs, beaten

dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

Remove as much liquid from zucchini as possible. Combine zucchini, onion, parsley, cheese, bread, salt, pepper, and eggs. Press into patties; cover each side with dry bread crumbs. Place onto baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Drizzle the patties with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes - flipping half way through. Patties are done when they turn golden.

Did you make them yet? Aren't you glad you went to the neighbor's garden and took a zucchini? Maybe you should take them this recipe to make up for it. Hopefully they still have some zucchini left!!

Better Than Sex Cake

You can decide if this cake really is all that it's cracked up to be! :) I will agree that it is VERY tasty though! This recipe was taken from my St. Patrick's Parish cookbook (my church's cookbook put together by the parishoners of St. Patricks) and it's original name is Symphony Cake so you can call it whatever you like!


Better Than Sex/Symphony Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (I believe I used Devil's Food)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar carmel sundae topping
1 container Cool Whip (small size)
3-4 Heath candy bars, crushed

Prepare cake as directions on box instruct. When completed baking and still hot, poke holes in cake with fork and pour can of milk and jar of carmel over top of cake. Allow to cool. Spread cool whip on top and garnish with crushed Heath bars. Quite easy and really delicious!! :)

Be sure to let cake cool COMPLETELY. I, unfortunately, did not so my cool whip melted a bit.

Baked Bow Tie Pasta

Another wonderful dish made for our dinner group. :)

This one is SUPER easy and pretty quick! I came up with this one all on my own and I don't think I would change anything. If you prefer dishes with meat (like my dad and boyfriend...) you could easily add pork sausage, chicken or beef - but, it is definitely equally as delicious without!


Baked Bow Tie Pasta

1 1/2 boxes of Bow Tie Noodles
2 jars pasta sauce (I used two different kinds - 4 cheese and Super Chunky Mushroom)
4 cups of mozzarella cheese (approximately)
1 container Ricotta Cheese
Italian Seasoning (McCormick Grinder) - to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Coat glass 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Boil noodles according to box. Place half of noodles in dish, add one jar of pasta sauce. Top with 2 cups mozzarella cheese and then all of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle on some Italian Seasoning. Add remaining noodles and second jar of pasta sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Be sure the top is completely covered. :) Sprinkle more Italian Seasoning on top. Cover with tin foil and allow to bake 20 - 30 minutes. After that time, remove tin foil and replace in oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy! :)

I served this dish with corn, Caesar salad (made with Holly's fresh garden lettuce), bread sticks, snicker salad (recipe coming soon) and dessert(Better than Sex Cake -- recipe also coming soon!).

Greek Style Ravioli.

This is a great way to use some up some of that spinach you have growing in your garden...or a good excuse to go the farmer's market or grocery store and pick some up.

Greek Style Ravioli

(adapted from Taste of Home - Cooking for Two)

1 small package frozen cheese ravioli

1/3 lb. ground beef

1 cup diced tomatoes (with basil, oregano, garlic)

2 cups fresh spinach

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook ravioli according to package directions. Cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat simmering for 10 minutes.

Add ravioli and spinach to the beef mixture. Heat through. Sprinkle with cheese and serve!

NOTE: The original recipe called for feta cheese instead of parmesan. It also added olives.

Strawberry Muffins with a Streusel Topping

It's not very often you hear of strawberry muffins - or so just about everyone who tried one has said... but... they have always so said - these are absolutely delicious! :)

I had a quart of strawberries that were just about to go bad so I wanted to use them all up and therefore came up with this delicious recipe!


Strawberry Muffins

2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick oats (a heaping 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 quart strawberries, diced finely
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup canola oil

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup quick oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons cold butter

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly beat eggs; stir in milk, sour cream and oil. Add remaining dry ingredients and lastly fold in strawberries. The mix is rather thick. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray (or use muffin liners). Fill muffin cups. Prepare streusel by adding first 4 ingredients and cutting in the butter. Top muffins with streusel mixture and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Allow them to cool in muffin tins for 10 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.


These muffins really are a tasty treat but I think I would make one alteration. Rather than using the sour cream, I think would use vanilla or strawberry yogurt; but I didn't have any on hand.

Try them out and let me know what you think! :) Now's the perfect time to be using strawberries in all your recipes seeing as they are in season!

Homemade Egg Rolls

Last week Lucas and I made Homemade Egg Rolls for our dinner group. I was a little apprehensive at first because they seemed like a lot of work but, it turns out they really weren't much more work than any other dinner and, we decided it totally paid off because they were VERY delicious! If you like egg rolls, you absolutely have to try these! I made the recipe up on my own, I just looked at several recipes to decide how exactly I should go about make them.

I made a portion of the egg rolls vegetarian for our non-carnivorous friends (I added the meat after rolling up theirs and made sure to fry theirs first).


Homemade Egg Rolls

1 head cabbage
1/2 onion
2-3 green onions
bean sprouts (I was planning on using a package of fresh bean sprouts but the grocery store was out so I settled for a can of them)
3-4 carrots
1 can water chestnuts
pork sausage
a splash of olive oil, soy sauce and hot sauce
2 packages of egg roll wrappers
canola oil for deep frying

Chop/slice all vegetables and add to olive oil, soy sauce and hot sauce. Cook on medium heat until cabbage is tender. Add cooked pork sausage. Half way through cooking vegetables, begin heating the oil in a deep pan for deep frying. Allow vegetable mix to cool a bit so you are able to work with mix to prepare egg rolls. Prepare egg rolls as demonstrated on egg roll wrapper package and deep fry. Serve with sweet and sour sauce if desired.


This recipe made more than plenty egg rolls for our dinner group of 9 people. I served the egg rolls with fried rice and sugar snap peas and our dessert was the trifle that can be found a few recipes below. :) Happy egg roll rolling!

White Chocoloate Raspberry Scones.

A while back I saw a blueberry buttermilk scone recipe in a Martha Stewart Living recipe. I wanted to rip the recipe out, but it called for cutting in cold butter - something I am not that good at. So I took scones off of my "to bake" list.

Yesterday I went and picked raspberries. I made some freezer jam, froze whole berries, and kept some out for eating now. As I thought about the raspberries I remembered a white chocolate & raspberry scone I had eaten at a bakery a while back.

That was it. I browsed tastespotting to find a scone that did not require cutting in cold butter. This is what I found: BLUEBERRY SCONES. Melted butter? I can handle that!!!

White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

(adapted from the recipe linked above)

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 c. butter, melted (stick and a half)
2 eggs, beaten1/4 c. milk
1 cup fresh raspberries

1 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl and mix well.
In a small bowl, stir together butter, eggs and milk. Pour into flour mixture, and mix just until combined. Fold in raspberries and white chocolate.
Turn dough out on a floured surface. Form into a 9 inch circle and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Makes 8 large scones. Cut into small wedges for a smaller scone and/or to feed more people.

And, yes, I did make blueberry ones too. I used a full cup of blueberries in those.

Happy 4th of July!!

Vanilla Almond Strawberry Trifle

This recipe is simple and perfect for the season!! I went to the Farmer's Market today at Phoenix Park in Eau Claire and could not pass up the fresh picked strawberries and figured I could use them in tonight's dinner dessert.

So, the recipe was made mostly on a whim because I wanted something relatively easy to put together, I wanted to use my strawberries and I didn't want to do strawberry shortcake (because someone did that a few weeks back). I decided to make a trifle, even though I realized it wouldn't look nearly as wonderful as it could because I don't have the proper "trifle" dish here at school.

1 pound cake (I made mine from a box and followed the given directions and added almond extract and 1/2 stick butter), cut into cubes
1 box (small) vanilla pudding, prepared
1 quart strawberries, sliced
1 large container cool whip

Bake pound cake and allow it to cool completely. After pound cake is cooled, cut into cubes. Depending on the size of your dish, your layers will vary. I used a 9x13 glass cake pan so I only had 2 layers. Layer pound cake, pudding (more of a drizzle rather than a solid layer), strawberries and cool whip. Repeat as necessary. Top with a solid layer of cool whip and accent with strawberries.