Noodle-Almond Casserole

This recipe is a delicious side dish, and you could turn it into a main dish by adding chicken or tuna. I especially like the cottage cheese and almonds in this dish. The recipe is quick to make and uses easy and available ingredients, and this casserole can be assembled in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

When I made this recipe, I used elbow noodles. Any noodle would work, and I think egg noodles would be especially delicious. Also, instead of browning the bread crumbs before putting them on the casserole, I switched on the broiler for the last few minutes which gave the bread crumbs a nice crunch. Next time I make this dish, I might use more oregano.

Noodle-Almond Casserole 

• 8 ounces medium noodles
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter

Combine cream of mushroom soup, almonds, cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, and oregano. Cook noodles until tender; drain. Add sauce; turn into casserole dish. Brown bread crumbs in butter. Sprinkle crumbs over casserole. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Asparagus Venetian

In the Spring, asparagus becomes readily available and is a reminder that warmer weather is coming. I found this asparagus recipe in Mom's recipe box, but I cannot figure out the origin of the recipe or why it is called Venetian. Whatever the origin of the recipe, this recipe makes a delicious side dish.

When I made this recipe, I used fresh asparagus and oven roasted it. The recipe notes that if using frozen asparagus, you should cook and drain it first. But fresh asparagus works best. When I made this recipe, I kept the asparagus spears intact, but it would be easier to serve if the asparagus is chopped up further.

Asparagus Venetian 

• 2 pounds fresh asparagus
• 1/3 cup onion butter (1 envelope onion soup mix blended with 1 stick melted butter)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Clean and arrange asparagus on baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, removing the asparagus before it is done. Arrange the asparagus in a baking dish. Drizzle with onion butter; then sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. If desired, place under a broiler for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

Here is a recipe that is easy to pull together with common ingredients that you likely have in your pantry. I especially like the lemon that is used to flavor the top of the muffins and might use more lemon next time I make these muffins. If you do not have a lemon on hand, grated orange rind would work fine. The nice thing about making your own muffins, you can adjust the flavors to fit your preferences. Here, the recipe calls for one cup of blueberries, but I used a little more than a cup because I especially like blueberries. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, which do not need to be thawed, but can just be mixed into the batter frozen.

Blueberry Muffins 

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 Tbsp. sugar 
• 2 tsp. grated lemon rind

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg; add milk and melted butter to egg. Add in dry ingredients, stirring until flour is just moistened. Add blueberries. Spoon into greased muffin pan. Mix two tablespoons and grated lemon rind together. Sprinkle lemon sugar onto each muffin. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Enjoy!