Ham & Noodle Cakes

After Easter, I had plenty of ham leftovers. This recipe from Mom's recipe box, like the many casserole dishes that use up ham, is a great use of ham leftovers and very easy to make. I especially like how the grilling brings out a nice caramelized flavor.

When I made this recipe, instead of using noodles, I used a leftover baked potato that I mashed a bit before blending into the mix. I am sure that the noodles would have been just as delicious, but I was looking to use up leftovers. This recipe is also easy to increase or decrease based on the amount of ham you have left over, so give it a try sometime.

Ham & Noodle Cakes 

• 8 ounces fine noodles, cooked and drained
• 1 1/2 cup finely diced ham
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine ingredients; drop by spoonfuls onto a hot, lightly buttered griddle. Bake to golden brown, turning once. Enjoy!

Chinese Beef Skillet

Mom loves Chinese food, so it is no surprise that Mom's recipe box has some recipes for Chinese-style dishes. This recipe is so delicious. I occasionally make stir fry meals using whatever ingredients that I have on hand, but I have never added pea pods to my stir fry dishes. I plan to do so now because they added great flavor and crunch to this dish.

This recipe comes together quickly. The recipe calls for frozen pea pods, but I used fresh sugar snap peas. Only after I started making this recipe did I realize that I was out of fresh onion, so I just used dried minced onion. I served this recipe over brown rice, but it would also be good with rice noodles. This recipe is a delicious and easy dish that is a good addition to your quick meal rotation.

Chinese Beef Skillet 

• 1 pound round steak, cut in cubes
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 medium cauliflower, broken in buds
• 6 ounce package frozen pea pods, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

In a skillet, brown meat quickly in hot oil. Add one cup water, onion, garlic, and bouillon cube. Heat and stir until cube is dissolved. Add cauliflower, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Stir in pea pods. Cover and cook for five to eight minutes more or until cauliflower is just tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer meat and vegetables to warm serving dish. Combine cornstarch, remaining water, and soy sauce. Stir into pan juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until mix thickens and bubbles. Pour over meat and vegetables.

Tuna Au Gratin

Mom had a lot of recipes using canned tuna that she used during lent when we always had fish on Fridays. This tuna recipe is delicious and easy. I especially liked the slight crunch that the bell peppers gave the dish.

Nowadays, I rarely use canned tuna, but instead prefer to use the tuna pouches. For this recipe, I used three 2.5 ounce pouches. I am not sure if that amount of tuna is exactly equivalent, but it worked out fine. Also, I did not have pimento on hand, so just used more bell pepper. Because pimento adds a bit of spice, adding a few dashes of chili sauce could give the dish some zing. This casserole dish allows for you to modify the amounts of ingredients to suit your taste. When I made this recipe, I turned on the broiler for the last three minutes to brown the cheese and bread crumbs.

Tuna Au Gratin 

• 2 (7 ounce) cans funa, flaked
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped pimiento
• 2/3 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Combine first five ingredients. Spoon into small shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Enjoy!

Grated Potato Casserole

I had some extra potatoes, so I looked through Mom's recipe box for something to use them up. I found this casserole. It makes an excellent side dish. Adding some chunks of ham could make it a great main dish. With such common ingredients, this casserole has a classic flavor and is great for using up items that you might have around the kitchen.

When I made this recipe, rather than throw all the ingredients in a blender, I just finely chopped all the vegetables and mixed everything by hand. I did not have green pepper, but used the red and yellow pepper that I had around the house.

Grated Potato Casserole 

• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup diced cheddar cheese
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 4 medium potatoes, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced

Place milk, eggs, butter, and salt in blender. Start blender; add cheese and vegetables gradually. Blend until all the vegetables are cut fine. Turn into buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350 for one hour. Enjoy! 

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!