Egg Bake

My Mom makes this delicious Egg Bake often around the holidays & thought I might share it with you all. It is full of yummy stuff & definitely won't leave you feeling hungry! 

Egg Bake

1 Doz Eggs
1 Cup of milk OR half and half
1 Package of cubed hash brown potatoes
1 Package of Jimmy Dean Mild sausage, browned & drained
1 Package of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 Onion chopped
1 package of fresh mushrooms sliced OR chopped
1 package of shredded cheddar cheese

Optional:  
1 green pepper, chopped
ham
broccoli

Directions:
Spray 9 X 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray or butter. Spread hash brown potatoes on bottom of baking dish. Cook sausage until not pink anymore. Fry your bacon (crumble bacon once fried). Saute onions, green peppers, mushrooms in a little butter until soft. Spread sausage & bacon in baking dish on top of potatoes. Sprinkle onions, mushrooms & green peppers over meat mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over sausage & bacon mixture. Beat your eggs with your milk/half & half. Add salt & pepper to egg mixture, slightly beat again. Pour egg mixture over the meat/veggie layers.

Cover & set in the refrigerator overnight or a few hours.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour covered with foil. Take egg bake out after one hour & sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese on top of egg bake. Keep foil off & put back in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Check to make sure the center is not jiggly loose. The center should be set.

Take out of oven - let sit for about 5 minutes - cut into squares & enjoy.

You can add broccoli, ham or any thing else you may think sounds good to this if you also.

Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole

I came across this "keeper" on Pinterest the other day & gave it a try. I had some chicken breasts in the freezer that needed to be cooked up & the rest of the ingredients on hand so I made this super easy casserole the night before & popped it into the oven a couple of hours before dinner the next day. It was SO good & one that I will definitely be making again. If you love a loaded baked potato then you will love this! It definitely isn't heart healthy - but what casserole is?!

(photo credit)

Ingredients:
3 - 4 medium potatoes, scrubbed & diced (about 1.5 lbs. or 4 1/2 cups) 
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced 
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled & crumbled 
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/2 cup heavy cream 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" baking pan or casserole dish. Spread half of the diced potatoes in bottom of pan. Place the diced chicken breasts evenly on top. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half the bacon crumbles, 1/2 cup of the cheese, & half the green onions. Spread the remaining diced potatoes on top, followed by the remaining bacon, another 1/2 cup cheese, remaining green onions & another 1/4 teaspoon each salt & pepper. Pour heavy cream over top of casserole & then dot with the butter. Cover with aluminum foil & bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover & bake another 30 minutes. In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese & bake until melted. Serve.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

This recipe is one of my many "Pinterest-finds" & one I have made at least 3 times now as well as shared with others. Those "others" I speak of raved about how good this pork tenderloin was so thought it would be a good one to put on the blog. Give it a try - you too won't be disappointed!

(photo credit)

Crock pot Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

2-3 pounds Pork Tenderloin

1 tsp ground sage

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 T cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 T soy sauce

Mix together the seasonings: sage, salt, pepper & garlic. Rub over the tenderloin. Place 1/2 cup water & the tenderloin in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8hours.

1 hour before the roast is finished, mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan; brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, water, soy sauce.

Heat over medium heat & stir until mixture thickens - about 4 minutes. Brush roast with glaze 2-3 times during the last hour of cooking. (For a more caramelized crust, remove from crock pot & place on aluminum lined sheet pan, glaze & set under broiler for 1-2 minutes until bubbly & caramelized. Repeat 2-3 more times until desired crust is achieved.)

Serve with remaining glaze & enjoy!

Fried Okra

Mu husband LOVES fried okra so I have been trying to find a good recipe for it! I came across this one on Paula Deen's website & made it this weekend! It turned out pretty darn good & will definitely be making it again!

Fried Okra

Ingredients:
6 cups oil, for frying

1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons House Seasoning, (recipe below) 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh okra, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. (You may not need to use this much oil; do not fill the pan more than halfway up the sides with oil.)

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, House Seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Dip okra in buttermilk and then dredge in cornmeal-flour mixture to coat well. Carefully add okra to the hot oil and cook until golden brown. (It may be necessary to fry the okra in batches.) Remove from oil, drain on paper towels, and then serve immediately.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Chicken Tortilla Crockpot Soup

A good soup recipe for the upcoming fall & winter months!

Chicken Tortilla Crock-pot Soup
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Directions:

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Serve with tortilla chips - enjoy!

Grilled Cabbage

My husband loves cabbage - me not so much - so I am always looking for new recipes so I can cook it for him & for me to be able to tolerate eating it. This is a great tasting recipe that I found which includes butter & bacon - what's not to like about that??

GRILLED CABBAGE
1 head cabbage
4 teaspoons butter
4 slices bacon

Spice mix:
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cut cabbage into four wedges.
Place each wedge on a piece of doubled heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Spread cut sides with butter.
Mix spices together in a small container & sprinkle all of the mixture equally over each wedge.
Wrap bacon around each wedge.
Fold foil around cabbage, sealing each wedge tightly.
Grill cabbage, covered, over medium heat for 40 minutes or until the cabbage is tender, turning twice.

Tuna Pasta Salad

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie that I remember my mom making when I was a little girl! It is a great cold pasta salad during the summer months! I make it quite often & take it for lunch throughout the week!

Tuna Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
3 cups pasta, cooked, drained and cooled (macaroni, penne, shell, etc.)
1 12 oz. can of albacore tuna, drained
½ cup frozen peas, cooked, drained & cooled
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup sour cream
2 green onions, finely chopped (or 1 T dried)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (or celery salt to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper.
Add tuna, peas, onions and celery

Refrigerate 1.5-2 hours before serving. Can also be made the day before!

Grape Salad

I had this interesting salad at a get-together last week & it was SO yummy! It is perfect to take to a pot-luck or neighborhood get-together! I will definitely be making it quite often this summer!!

(photo credit)

Grape Salad

1 ½ lbs green seedless grapes

1 ½ lbs red seedless grapes

8 oz sour cream

8 oz cream cheese

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Topping

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

Remove stems from grapes and rinse. In a medium bowl, beat sour cream, cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla with mixer until smooth. Stir grapes into the cream cheese mixture and place in a serving dish.

Combine brown sugar & pecans and sprinkle over top of grapes (you may also place on the side if you desire).

(To make a more "lighter" version you can substitute lite sour cream & low-fat cream cheese!)

Oreo Dessert

(photo credit)

My Aunt brought this yummy dish to a family gathering last summer & it was oh so heavenly! Definitely a great dessert to bring to a potluck or just enjoy for yourself!

Heavenly Oreo Dessert

1 (15.35 ounce) package Double-Stuffed Oreo cookies
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 packages (3.9 ounce, each) Instant Chocolate pudding mix
3 1/4 cups cold milk
2 (8 ounce) containers Cool Whip
1 (8 ounce) block Cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions: Take a large zip-lock bag & place all the Oreo cookies inside. Seal bag shut & place on counter. Using a rolling pin, crush the cookies until they are small chunks/crumbs. You want them to still be chunky & small, but not fine crumbs.

Set aside half of the cookie crumbs for the topping. Pour the other half of cookie crumbs into a 9x13 baking pan. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs & mix well to combine. Once combined, press into the pan to form a crust.

In a bowl, whisk together the 2 pudding mixes & milk. Cover & place in fridge to set.

In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Fold in one container of Cool Whip. Spread mixture over the cookie crust. Next, take chocolate pudding & spread over the cream cheese mixture. Spread the other container of Cool Whip over the chocolate pudding layer. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cookie crumbs. Cover & chill in fridge at least 2 hours before serving.
 

Enjoy ♥

School Lunch PB Bars

Does anybody remember eating peanut butter bars in grade school? I totally do. They served them as dessert with school lunches & I always remember thinking that one bar was just not enough!

This recipe is pretty darn close to what we experienced in grade school & it makes an entire cookie sheet full. I can only make them if I have a place to take them & share otherwise me & my husband would be forced to eat the entire pan. I must warn you though, they are kinda dangerous...at least in my chocolate/peanut butter loving world :)

School Lunch PB Bars

1 1/2 C Flour

1¼ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Baking Soda

¾ C Butter

¾ C Sugar

¾ C Brown Sugar

1 ½ tsp. Vanilla

1 1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter (divided)

2 Eggs

1 ½ C Quick Oats

Frosting:

½ C Butter (1 stick)

3 ½ C Powdered Sugar

2 T Cocoa

¼ C Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugars, 3/4 C peanut butter, eggs & vanilla until light & fluffy. Gradually add dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Then, stir in the oats. Spread onto a greased 11 x 15 Jelly Roll Pan (cookie sheet). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes.

The frosting is a two step process. First, whip the remaining ¾ C Creamy Peanut Butter until it becomes lighter colored & fluffy. Carefully spread the whipped peanut butter over the pan cookie.

Then, add butter to a small sauce pan & melt the butter. Add the milk & cocoa. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Heat just until boiling. Remove from heat & add vanilla. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar. Stir until thickened. Pour over the peanut butter & gently spread over the cookie. Cool completely, & slice into bar cookies.

Enjoy :)

Baked Potato Slices

So simple - I can't believe I didn't think of how to make these sooner?!

Ingredients:
Russet potatoes
butter
bacon crumbles
shredded cheddar cheese
green onion    

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
 
Cut potato into 1/4" slices. Brush both sides of potato slices with butter; place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides, turning once.
 
When potatoes are ready, top with bacon crumbles, shredded cheddar cheese, & green onion; continue baking until the cheese has melted! Can add a dollop of sour cream also - YUM!

Mini Corn Dog Bites

MINI CORN DOG BITES
 
How fun to make this with your kids or to just bring out the kid in you!!

Mix up an 8.5oz box of corn muffin mix, divide batter into the Mini-Muffin Pan and add hot dog slices. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°. 

Enjoy this fun way to serve corn dogs with "flair!"