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!

Caraway Rye Bread

Rye bread is a great with Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day. Usually, I just buy rye bread. This year, I decided to try Mom's recipe for rye bread. Despite the name of this recipe, Mom does not like caraway seeds, so she left them out. But I included them when I made this recipe. The bread was terrific.

You will need to find rye flour. I happened to find dark rye flour at a grocery store. There are other types of rye flour, such as light rye flour or pumpernickel flour. A lighter rye flour results in a lighter bread. I used dark rye, and along with the molasses, my bread was rather dark (but not as dark as pumpernickel bread). You could also adjust the amounts of all-purpose flour and rye flour to change the resulting bread. This recipe calls for molasses instead of honey or sugar to fuel the yeast. The molasses gave the bread a delicious taste. But, if you don't like molasses, just use another sugar.

Caraway Rye Bread 

• 2 cups warm water (about 115 degrees)
• 2 packages dry years
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. caraway seed, plus some for topping
• 3 cups rye flour
• 3 cups flour
• cornmeal
• 1 egg, beaten

Sprinkle yeast over water in a large bowl, stirring until dissolved. Add salt, molasses, butter, caraway seed, rye flour and half of the all-purpose flour. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the flour. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth--about 10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased large bowl and turn to coat dough. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about an hour. Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into an oval loaf. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves on sheet, leaving them at least three inches apart. Using a sharp knife, make five slashes across the top of each loaf. Let rise for an hour. Preheat oven to 375. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes. Brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle caraway seed on top. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Chicken Casserole

This casserole recipe is not as famous as Tuna Noodle Casserole, but both are quite similar due to the use of chopped hard-boiled eggs and potato chips. Like many American casserole recipes, these recipes use a can of condensed cream soup. While these casseroles are quite filling, they might not be the most healthy recipes. But I like to think that the inclusion of celery in this Chicken Casserole makes this one slightly healthier.

This casserole gets refrigerated overnight, which makes this a great dish for a busy weekday meal. I used cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken soup, but either would work fine. I used the entire can of soup, so I reduced the amount of mayonnaise. The quantities below are from Mom's recipe. I also liked the use of sliced almonds in the topping. Perhaps the use of almonds was why Mom did not make this recipe often because us kids likely complained. Like so many casseroles, this one is delicious leftover.

Chicken Casserole 

• 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped 
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 3/4 cup cream of chicken soup
• 2/3 cup sliced or chopped almonds
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crushed potato chips

Combine the chicken, celery, eggs, lemon juice, mayonnaise, onion and soup. Place into a 1.5 quart casserole dish. Mix the almonds, Parmesan cheese and chips together. Pour over the top of the casserole. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Simple Cream of Tomato Soup

When I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box, I remembered that we frequently had tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches when I was young. While I recall that Mom usually used canned soup, as the recipe title indicates, this soup is very simple. And this soup can easily be customized to meet your preferred tastes. Just don't forget the grilled cheese.

When I made this soup, I adjusted Mom's recipe just a bit. I did not pass the tomato base through a sieve because I wanted some bits of tomato and onion in the final soup. For that reason, rather than using onion slices, I finely chopped the onion. I also used just a little bit less milk than the recipe calls for, but you could easily use more or less milk based on how creamy you like your soup. For this recipe, I followed the basic recipe, but next time I make this soup, I might add a seasoning such as basil or oregano and garlic.

Simple Cream of Tomato Soup 

• One-half small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• Dash pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups milk

Add onions, sugar, pepper and tomatoes to a large sauce pan. Heat and simmer for 10 minutes. If you prefer not to have chunks, blend the tomato mixture or pass through a sieve. In another sauce pan, melt the butter, then blend in the flour. Gradually add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Slowly stir the milk mixture into the tomato mixture. Season if desired, and heat to simmering. Enjoy!

Maple Cinnamon Cookies

I love maple syrup. So, when I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box, I knew I had to try it. The cookies are very delicious. They remind MDS of his Grandma's snickerdoodle cookies, which is probably a result of the cinnamon. The cookies are soft and chewy. As a result of the maple syrup, the cookies are slightly sticky, so use wax paper between layers to keep them from sticking together.

This recipe is simple. The dough is made in advance, formed into a log and refrigerated. When you are ready to make the cookies, just slice the dough and brush with maple syrup. I had some extra syrup, so I brushed it on after the cookies came out of the oven to give them some extra maple flavor.

Maple Cinnamon Cookies 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tdp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• Maple Syrup

Cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat thoroughly. Add in the flour, cinnamon, salt and soda. Mix well. Shape the dough into a roll about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in wax paper and chill until firm. When ready to bake, slice about 1/4 inch thick. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.Bruch with maple syrup. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until delicately browned. Cool on wired rack. Enjoy!