Broccoli Noodle Casserole

Broccoli Noodle Casserole

This delicious casserole is perfect as an Entree or as a Side Dish. It also gets tastier the longer it sits, making it great for leftovers! The combination of Broccoli, Mushrooms, Cheeses and Noodles makes it a winner for any crowd, young and old! Perfect for Back To School Meals served with crispy French Bread and a fruit salad…Enjoy 🙂

  • 3 Cups Mushrooms, roughly chopped (8 Oz. Container)
  • 1 Medium Onion, chopped
  • 4 Cups Chopped Broccoli (1 Bunch (2-3 Stalks))
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Butter (I use unsalted)
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Pepper
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 3 Cups Cottage Cheese (I use Lite, Small Curd)
  • 1 Cup Sour Cream (I use Lite)
  • 3 Cups Raw Egg Noodles (Medium or wide)
  • 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs (Divided)
  • 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar (Use 2 Cups if your gang loves cheese)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
  2. Gather ingredients.

Sauteed Vegetables

  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet.
  2. Add the chopped veggies and saute over Medium to Medium Low heat until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Cheese Mixture

  1. While veggies are cooking…whisk the eggs, cottage cheese and sour cream in a large bowl until well combined.

Egg Noodles

  1. Also, while the veggies are cooking, prepare the Egg Noodles as indicated on the packaging. Drain and add a little butter (about 1 Tablespoon).

Putting it All Together

  1. Using a slotted spoon, add the veggies to the cheese mixture. Mix well.
  2. Next, add the cooked, buttered noodles and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs to the veggie and cheese mixture. Mix well.
  3. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining 1/4 Breadcrumbs and 1-2 Cups Shredded Cheddar.
  4. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  5. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
  6. Serve warm as an Entree with some Crusty French Bread and a fresh Fruit Salad. Or serve as a side dish. Either way, it’s delicious! Enjoy!
Main Dish, Side Dish



Taco Pie

Taco Pie

My Mother-in-Law gave us this recipe when my husband and I were first married and it quickly proved to be one of our favorite comfort foods. With just a few ingredients, it’s VERY easy to prepare, inexpensive and everyone loves it! Who doesn’t like meat, potatoes and cheese with a little twist? Enjoy 🙂

  • 8-10 Medium Potatoes (Mashed (You can use Instant Potatoes if you’re in a hurry))
  • 2-3 Pounds Ground Chicken (Ground Turkey or Beef can be substituted)
  • 2-3 Packets Taco Seasoning
  • 2-3 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I used the “Mexican Blend”)
  • 1/2 Cup Butter
  • 1/4-1/2 Cup Milk (Whole, 2%, 1% or Skim)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt (Optional (I do not add the salt since the Taco Seasoning has enough Sodium))
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Pepper (Optional )
  1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees.

Prepare the Ground Meat

  1. Brown 2-3 pounds of Ground Meat and drain.
  2. Add 2-3 packages of the Taco Seasoning to the cooked meat + HALF the water called for.

Prepare the Mashed Potatoes

  1. Cut up and Boil the 8-10 medium-sized potatoes until tender (about 20 minutes), drain and mash.
  2. Add Butter, Milk, Salt & Pepper to taste and mix thoroughly.
  3. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly into the baking dish (like a pie crust, but thicker). Make thicker if your family loves potatoes!

Assembling the Dish

  1. Add the Taco meat mixture to the top of the mashed potatoes.
  2. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the entire dish.
  3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Recipe is for a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ baking dish, but can be easily adjusted for a smaller (or larger) sized dish.

This recipe can also be adjusted according to your family’s taste. My family LOVES mashed potatoes, so I always use a thicker layer of potatoes. Feel free to prepare Instant Mashed Potatoes, if you’re in a rush. I use 2 pounds of ground chicken or turkey when making this dish and 2 packages of Taco Seasoning, but if your family likes more meat, simply add another pound of ground meat. Same goes for the shredded cheese – I use 2 cups, but add more if desired.

In addition, ketchup is really yummy served with this dish ;).

Main Dish
Mexican



Chicken Dijon

Chicken Dijon

My family’s all-time FAVORITE Chicken recipe! I have been making this dish ever since my husband and I got married back in the early 1990s and it has become my “Go To” recipe for dinner, Church potlucks, neighborhood get togethers and school fundraisers. Everyone who eats this dish begs for the recipe! It is perfect for those chilly Autumn nights…a velvety smooth and creamy dish to warm the belly :). Enjoy!

  • 4 Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Trimmed, Rinsed & Dried)
  • 3 Tablespoons Salted Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup Chicken Broth (I use the Reduced Sodium one)
  • 1/2 Cup Half & Half (You can substitute with Whole Milk, 2%, 1% or Skim for a lighter version)
  • 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley (Minced; You can substitute with Dry Parsley, but reduce to 1/2-1 Tablespoon if you do)
  1. Gather all ingredients.
    Preheat oven to approximately 250 degrees (this is for keeping chicken warm while preparing the Dijon sauce).

  2. In a large skillet, melt the butter.
  3. Add the Chicken Breasts and cook over Medium to Medium-High heat for 20 minutes (10 minutes per side) until lightly browned.
  4. Transfer Chicken to a warming dish and place in the preheated oven, leaving the drippings behind.
  5. Add the Flour to the drippings in the large skillet and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk.
  6. Add the Chicken Broth and Half & Half to the flour mixture, stirring with the whisk over Medium-High heat until it thickens and begins to bubble.
  7. Reduce heat to Medium and add the Dijon Mustard, mixing well with the whisk.
  8. Return the Chicken to the skillet, cover and heat for approximately 10 minutes.
  9. Add the Parsley just before serving.
  10. Serve with your favorite side dish (I usually serve it with Rice and a steamed vegetable or salad).

I sometimes prepare this dish in the oven by making the sauce first in a saucepan, then dumping it over uncooked Chicken Breasts in a large baking dish and cooking it for 25-30 minutes in a 400 degree oven (inside temperature of Chicken should measure 165 degrees). I usually turn the chicken over once or twice while baking.

Serve over rice and pair with a steamed vegetable or fresh salad and a nice glass of Pinot Grigio!

Main Dish



Chicken Bulgogi Bowls

Chicken Bulgogi Bowls

This tasty Korean recipe is easy to make and has quickly become one of my family’s favorites! Even though the classic Bulgogi sauce is meant to be a marinade for beef, I use it with ground chicken or turkey for a lighter fare. The pickled cucumbers and lightly cooked carrots add a wonderful mix of flavors to this already yummy dish. Drizzle a bit of spiciness with a little Sriracha Crema sauce over the top and you’ve satisfied all of your taste buds! Enjoy!

  • 2 cups Rice (I usually use Jasmine Rice)
  • 2.5-3 lbs Ground Chicken
  • 1-2 Cucumbers (I use English Cucumbers )
  • 2 cups Shredded Carrots (I shred my own in a food processor, because we like finer shredded carrots, but store-bought shredded carrots are fine.)
  • 3-4 Scallions (Thinly sliced and separated into white and green parts)
  • 10 teaspoons White Wine Vinegar (Divided in half (I prefer “Pompeian” brand for its light taste))
  • 17.6 oz. Bulgogi Sauce (aka: “Korean BBQ” (I use “Chung Jung One,” since it’s the only brand available in our area))
  • 1 cup Lite Sour Cream (I use “Daisy” brand)
  • 1-3 teaspoons Sriracha (I usually use 2 tsps per cup of sour cream, but if you want it spicier add 1 tsp at a time)
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Butter (Salted or unsalted)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1-2 Tablespoon olive oil (or Canola oil)
  • Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
  1. Cook Rice according to package directions. Add butter, salt and pepper once the rice is finished cooking and stir well.
  2. Heat 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced white parts of the scallions and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add the ground chicken to the cooked scallions and cook thoroughly. Stir in 5 tsp of the White Wine Vinegar and pour the Bulgogi sauce over the top, mixing well. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.
  4. While the chicken is cooking, wash the cucumbers and carrots (if you’re shredding your own carrots) and dry. Remove the ends from both the carrots and the cucumbers. With a vegetable peeler, shave the cucumber lengthwise into thin ribbons (continue peeling until you reach the core where the seeds begin).
  5. In a medium-sized bowl, combine 5 teaspoons of the White Wine Vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar; mix well. Add the cucumber ribbons to this mixture and place in the refrigerator.
  6. To make the Sriracha Crema, combine the sour cream and 2 teaspoons Sriracha (more if you like it really spicy). Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you get the desired consistency for drizzling. Place in refrigerator until ready to eat.
  7. I cook the carrots just before I’m ready to serve, so that they are nice and warm. Drizzle oil in saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about 2 minutes…you want them still a little crispy and tender.

Assembling the Bowls

  1. Spread about 1/2 cup of rice in the bottom of a bowl. On top of the rice arrange the chicken, carrots and cucumbers (amounts of each topping depend on the person, but I usually serve about 1/4 cup of each topping). Add green scallions and drizzle some of the Sriracha Crema sauce over the top. Enjoy!

You can substitute ground turkey or ground beef for the ground chicken. Also, you can add sesame seeds to the top and to the chicken mixture (I omit due to food allergies).

Main Dish
Korean