Pizza Casserole.

I have casually mentioned this recipe to my husband several times over the past month, but never had the right opportunity to make it.  I finally got around to making it recently.  His response: "I don't know why you waited so long."  And he's right!  You'll want to get this on your menu for the coming week.  In fact, you may even want to put it together today so that tomorrow when you get home from work or school you can toss it in the oven and have a hearty and delicious meal ready in less than an hour.

Really, what's not to love about italian sausage, canadian bacon, pepperoni, lots of cheese, tomato sauce and pasta?  I promise you will not be disappointed.

Pizza Casserole.
(Recipe Adapted from Cully's Kitchen)
1 pound italian sausage
1 pound canadian bacon
1/2 package turkey pepperoni
1 medium onion (diced)
1 small can mushrooms
2 teaspoons dried garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 26-ounce cans of spaghetti sauce
2 15-ounce cans of pizza sauce
6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (equally divided)
3 cups shredded parmesan cheese (equally divided)
1 pound medium sized pasta of your choice

Cook sausage, onion, mushrooms, garlic, and oregano until onions turn soft and sausage is cooked through.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Mix spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce together - placing a thin layer on the bottom of a deep 9x13 baking dish.  Add ingredients in the following order: 1/3 pasta, 1/3 sauce, sausage/onion/mushroom mixture, 1/3 cheeses, 1/3 pasta, 1/3 sauce, canadian bacon, 1/3 cheeses, remaining pasta, remaining sauce, remaining cheeses, pepperoni.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Allow to set for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I'm fairly certain that this recipe will replace traditional pizza in our house many times in the future.  Not completely, but it is a great substitute for those days we want pizza, but don't want to wait an hour and a half to make dough for the crust!!  And as with "real pizza" you can use your favorite pizza toppings within the casserole.  Green peppers - add 'em!  All pepperoni - it'll work!  Vegetarian - no problem!!

Rice & Pork Chop Bake.

Though I don't eat most pork, boneless pork chops are a favorite of mine.  But only prepared in the manner of Milwaukee Pork Chops, plain chops cooked on the stove top, pork chops with apple, or this baked dish.  I prefer they not be breaded.  Less is more.


I had picked up a large package of chops the other day and opted to cook two up on the stove top.  We ate them with some fresh veggies and applesauce.  As I thought about what I wanted to do with the rest of the package I faintly remember a dish my mom made during my childhood.  We've had unseasonably cold weather in Wisconsin this spring and the though of a pipping hot supper straight from the oven was all it took for me to start preparing the Rice & Pork Chop Bake.

Rice & Pork Chop Bake.
(Recipe Inspired by Mom)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup mixed rice rice
2 tsp thyme
4 pork chops
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced onions
salt and pepper

Brown pork chops for a few minutes per side.  In a large and fairly flat casserole dish (or 9x13 baking dish), combine the soup, water, rice, thyme, onion, mushroom.  Place browned pork chops on top. Cover and bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Let stand a few minutes before serving.


For those of you in Wisconsin, it looks like we'll be having some more cool days...take advantage of this and start up those ovens!  One of these days we won't want to turn the ovens on anymore.  

Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole.

I picked up some fresh cabbage from a farmer's stand with ideas of making coleslaw.  Once I got home I realized I had way more cabbage than I actually needed for said coleslaw.  The thought of cabbage roles was enticing, but I knew my husband would not be impressed and honestly it just seemed like a lot of work.  My alternative?  Unstuffed Cabbage.

Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole
(adapted from Taste of Home)
6 cups cabbage (chopped)
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion (chopped)
1 medium green pepper (chopped)
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup water
2 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 quart diced tomatoes
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic

Brown beef with onion and green pepper over medium heat until beef is cooked through.  Transfer to a large slow cooker.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. 

I know the list of ingredients is long, but this does go together quickly.  It can be used as a main dish or a sidedish.  I suggest serving it as the main course with a side of fresh bread.  Nothing beats a side of fresh bread - especially when it's still warm from baking!

Kaiser-Style Goulash.

My Minnesotan friend Ashley first introduced me to the word goulash. She referred to my casserole as goulash. Minnesota readers, is goulash one of your words, or was it just an Ashley word? Either way, I've since decided that the word goulash sounds better, so I now call this goulash. And, to give credit to my dad's family and the fact that this dish is often seen on the buffet table, I will call this "Kaiser-Style Goulash."

I figured if I was going to post about goulash I should actually know what it is. According to Wikipedia, goulash is a dish, originally from Hungary, a stew or a soup, usually made of beef, red onions, vegetables, spices and ground paprika powder.[1] The name originates from the Hungarian gulyás (pronounced goo-yash listen (help·info)), the word for a cattle stockman or herdsman.

Seems somewhat fitting:

There's beef in my recipe. And corn, that's a vegetable. It even contains spices.

Then there is the origin of "cattle stockman" or "herdsman" - very fitting considering my family history of farming!

So, without further ado:

Kaiser-Style Goulash

• 1 pound of ground beef (browned)



• 1 can of pizza sauce



• 1 can of spaghetti o's



• 1 can of tomato soup



• 1/2 package of noodles (cooked according to package directions)



• 1-2 cups of frozen or canned corn



• 1/2 stick of butter (or to taste)



• 1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)



• pepper (to taste)



• oregano (to taste)

Combine all ingredients and cook for several hours in a slow cooker. Or, if in a bigger hurry, bake in the oven until heated through. I adjust the butter, sugar, pepper, and oregano to my taste each time I make this.

And, as with the Tator Tot Casserole, this is also welcome with fresh, warm bread! Speaking of bread - mine smells WONDERFUL - just 10 minutes left!!

Not Your Average Tater Tot Casserole

I'll apologize in advance for not having a picture, but it was just too good and my roommates and I ate it up before I had the chance!!

So, the story behind this recipe is that I had some ground beef in the freezer that needed to be used up; it was already cooked. I was kind of craving our mom's Tater Tot Casserole, but didn't have tater tots and didn't fee like going to the store to get some. So, I reinvented the old standby. :)

1 pound ground beef, browned
2 large potatoes, washed and cut into chunks
mushrooms
butter
1 cup frozen corn
1 small can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can milk
black pepper and salt to taste

Fry potatoes and mushrooms (feel free to add chopped onions too -- I just didn't have them on hand) in butter until nearly done. Add remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly. Serve with warm, fresh bread. :) This recipe would probably do well cooking in the oven too, but I just used the stove top. This recipe serves about 4 people.

Now, I'll share Mom's original recipe:

2 pounds ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion
2 cups corn or green beans
32 oz. bag Tater Tots
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water

Fry ground beef, onion, salt and pepper to taste. Mix remaining ingredients, top with tater tots. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Happy cooking!!! :)