Ham & Cheese Casserole Bread

After hosting Easter, I had a lot of leftover ham, so I was happy to find this recipe in Mom's recipe box as a great way to use some of those leftovers. The bread is very flavorful, but also very simple to make--just mix everything together and bake it in a dish. I brought some of the bread to Mom's for a standard Saturday night. Mom, Meg and Tim really liked the bread, so I was happy to share it with them.

I did not have biscuit mix on hand, instead, I used two cups of flour, one tablespoon of baking powder and four tablespoons of melted butter. While this was a good use of leftover ham, it would also be good with leftover bacon or sausage. I also really like sesame seed, and I would consider mixing in some sesame seeds into the dough, in addition to adding some on top.

Ham & Cheese Casserole Bread 

• 2/3 cup chopped green onion
• 2 cup biscuit mix
• 1 cup chopped cooked ham
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seed
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted

In a bowl, combine biscuit mix and ham. In another bowl, blend oil, eggs, milk, mustard, onions and 3/4 cup cheese. Stir into ham mixture. In buttered round casserole dish, spoon in ham mixture. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese, sesame seed and melted butter on top. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Delight

When I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box, I thought it might be perfect for family get-together, such as Easter. And, seeing as MDS and I hosted Easter at our house, I was glad that this recipe was easy to make ahead and bake just before serving. Mediterranean Delight is a fancy name for baked pasta. Mom recalled this recipe and called it a short-cut lasagna. Whatever you call it, it is delicious. And, it you are lucky enough to have leftovers, this dish is even better as leftovers. This dish was so popular at Easter, there was barely any leftovers, so I will just have to make it again.

The recipe is what you might expect for baked pasta: tomato sauce, noodles, meat and cheese. This recipe uses cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Mom's recipe calls for shell pasta, but I used basic macaroni. I made the standard 13x9 pan with meat, but there was still enough for a small pan without meat. So if you are looking for a baked pasta recipe, give this one a try.

Mediterranean Delight 

• 1 package (16 oz) shell macaroni
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 pound Italian Sausage, crumbled and browned
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. In a 13x9 pan, spread pasta. Top with cottage cheese mix. Spread sausage over and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Pour pasta sauce on top of sausage. Stir lightly. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 to 10 more minutes. Enjoy!

Beef-Spinach Casserole

Recently, on a cold and rainy day, I decided to stay in and cook. On such a day, this delicious casserole made the day.  This recipe is another great find from Mom's recipe box. It is a filling dish that smells so nice as it bakes and tastes even better. There are three layers: the meat layer, the spinach and ricotta layer and the cheese layer. The next time I make this recipe, I might try to increase the spinach and ricotta to make that layer thicker.

Despite the seemingly long ingredient list, this casserole is easy to make. In this recipe, I especially liked the nutmeg. It added a great flavor when mixed into the ricotta and spinach. The use of bread crumbs and tomato sauce in the meat layer reminds me of Mom's Meat Loaf. But the extra layers made this recipe unique. I did not use the mushrooms in this recipe, and you could easily leave out or modify an ingredient to customize this recipe. So give this recipe a try.

Beef-Spinach Casserole 

• 1 package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can (8) ounce tomato sauce
• 1 can (4 ounce) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup ricotta
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 ounces mozzarella 

Cook spinach, drain and squeeze out extra water. Set aside. Cook the beef, onion and garlic until browned. Lower heat. Stir in tomato sauce. Cook for three minutes until heated through. Add bread crumbs and toss to mix well. Spread evenly in a two-quart baking dish. Beat egg, spinach, ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread over the meat. Top with mozzarella. Bake at 450 for 9 to 15 minutes, until cheese melts and starts to brown. Allow to cool. Enjoy!