Tex Mex Tamale Casserole

Tex Mex Tamale Casserole

Yield: one 9x13 pan, about 8-12 servings

Adapted by Kristen from Mel's

• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 large poblano chile, diced
• 1 c frozen corn kernels
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 TB chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (15-oz) cans beans, drained (I do one black, one pinto)
• 1 TB fresh lime juice

• 1 ½ lbs cooked ground turkey (or cooked chicken)

• 14 corn tortillas cut into fourths
• 1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 c Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• Chopped cilantro for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and stir in the onion, bell pepper, poblano, corn and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, 3-4 minutes. 
• Stir the flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the beans, cooked meat, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
• Place a thin layer of the mixture in the bottom of the 9x13. Then layer with 1/3 of the tortillas, 1/3 of the sauce mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat that process again twice more ending with the cheeses (make sure the top layer of tortillas is fully covered with sauce, otherwise the bits showing will get hard).
• Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream and avocados.

Kathy's Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Kathy's Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
one 9x13 dish



1/2 stick butter
24 oz. frozen hash browns

6 eggs
1 c. half and half or milk
1 4-oz can diced green chilis
1 c. swiss cheese, grated
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb. meat, cubed/crumbled (ham, turkey, sausage, or bacon)
dash of salt and pepper

Mix melted butter and hash browns in a baking dish and cook for 20 minutes at 350.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over baked hash browns. Bake 30 minutes (cheese should bubble, and liquid should be disappearing). Let sit a few minutes after taking out of the oven.

Mel’s Shepherd’s Pie

Mel’s Shepherd’s Pie

One 9x13 dish

(Mel's Pic)

POTATO LAYER:

 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 4-5 cups)

 2 TB butter

 ½ - 1 cup milk (add slowly to decide how much)

 ½ c. Parmesan cheese

 ½ c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

 Salt and pepper

 1 tsp garlic powder

 1 egg yolk

MEAT FILLING:

 2 pounds ground beef or turkey, etc

 1 c. chopped onion

 2 large carrots chopped small (about 1 cup)

 2 cloves garlic, minced

 1 tsp salt

 ½ tsp black pepper

 3 TB flour

 1 TB tomato paste

 1 ¼ c. low-sodium beef or chicken broth

 1 tsp worcestershire sauce

 1/4 tsp dried oregano

 1/4 tsp dried thyme

 1/4 tsp dried rosemary

 ½ c. frozen corn kernels (frozen is WAY better here than canned)

 ½ c. frozen peas (**don’t use the carrots/corn/peas frozen trio bag, not the same.)

 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Add a little salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes or so (it will depend on how large or small the potatoes are cut) until the potatoes are tender. **Start meat mixture while potatoes are cooking**(see below)

Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Mash the potatoes lightly. Add the butter, milk (start with 1/2 cup and add more if needed), Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, salt and pepper to taste, and garlic powder. Mash together until smooth and creamy. Stir in the egg yolk until combined.

For the meat and vegetable mixture, in a large over medium heat, add the ground meat, onion, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are starting to soften, 5-7 minutes or so. Drain any excess grease from the mixture.

Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook over medium to medium-high heat for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Stir in the corn and peas.

Pour the meat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top all the way to the edges of the pan creating a seal over the meat mixture. Sprinkle the 1 cup cheddar over the top of the potatoes.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges are golden and the casserole is bubbling. Let it rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving.

Turkey Potato Rosemary Casserole

Turkey Potato Rosemary Casserole

Kristen W

Yield: one 9x13 pan

1 lb. ground turkey

1-2 cloves garlic

½-1 tsp. fresh rosemary (I like the leaves roughly cut into smaller pieces)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c. sour cream

1 c. milk

2 c. grated Cheddar cheese

1 2-lb. bag of frozen hash browns/grated potatoes

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Cook turkey in a skillet, once it’s almost done add garlic and rosemary. Combine soup, sour cream, and milk in a bowl. Mix and add 1 ½ c. cheese, hash browns and turkey. Stir and spoon into greased 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with some shredded cheese and pepper. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Campbell’s Kitchen

Yield: 6 servings

2 TB butter

2 TB flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. white sugar

¼ c. onion, diced

1 c. sour cream

3 (14.5-oz.) cans French style green beans, drained (or frozen or fresh)

1 ½ c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 c. French fried onions

Melt 2 TB butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat. Transfer mixture to a 2 ½ quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly. Top with French fried onions and cook for 5 more mins.

Cowboy Casserole

Cowboy Casserole

Steven W.

Yield: one 9x13 pan

1 can chili

1 can cream of mushroom soup

5 flour tortillas

1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar)

In a greased 9x13 dish, layer tortillas, cream of mushroom soup, chili, and then cheese.  Make each layer relatively thin, so you can repeat the layers 3-4 times.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole

Tami B.

Yield: one 9x13 pan

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c. sour cream

1 c. milk

2 c. grated Cheddar cheese

1 2-lb. bag of Tater Tots

1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Combine soup, sour cream, and milk in a bowl. Mix and add cheese, Tater Tots and hamburger. Stir and spoon into greased 9x13 dish. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ann's Frito Casserole

Ann’s Frito Casserole

Tami B.

Yield: 6-8 servings

1 lb. hamburger

1 medium onion, chopped

3 ¼ c. water

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. oregano

1-2 tsp. cumin

1-2 tsp. chili powder

1 clove garlic

½ c. minute rice (or cooked normal rice)

Brown hamburger and onions. Stir in remaining ingredients except for rice. Let simmer 30 minutes uncovered. Add instant rice and let simmer 10 minutes or add

cooked rice and mix well. Serve over corn chips with cheese, green onions, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna Noodle Casserole
Our Best Bites Blog

Yield: 4-6 servings

8 oz. medium shell pasta, cooked al dente
4 TB butter, divided
1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced or diced
¼ c. diced onion
olive oil, as needed
4 TB flour
1 c. milk, warmed
14.5 oz. chicken broth (almost 2 cups), warmed
¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper1/8 teaspoon dill
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, more if desired
2 TB fresh minced parsley
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
5 oz. can tuna, packed in water, more if desired

Topping:
¼ cup Ritz cracker crumbs mixed with about ½ tablespoon melted butter

Melt 1 TB butter in a large skillet.  Add celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes longer, stirring often.  If needed for moisture, add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan; more if needed during remaining cooking time. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.

Melt remaining 3 TB butter in pan and add flour.  Stir constantly for 30 seconds.  Slowly add broth and milk, a little at a time while constantly whisking until mixture is smooth.  Bring to a low simmer.  Add salt, pepper, and dill.  Stir constantly until thickened and bubbly, 2-3 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and add lemon juice, parsley, and ½ cup Parmesan cheese.  Whisk until smooth and taste.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and extra lemon juice if desired.  Remove from heat and add pasta, vegetables, and tuna.  Stir to combine and place in a 3 qt. baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese and sprinkle cracker crumbs or chips on top.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until top is golden and pasta is hot and bubbly.  Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving to allow sauce to thicken.

Hamburger Casserole

Hamburger Casserole

Tami B.

Yield: 6-8 servings

1 – 1 ½ lbs. ground beef

2-3 c. sliced potatoes

2 c. sliced carrots

½ - 1 c. chopped onion

2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom soup

½ c. milk

Brown and drain beef. Layer potatoes, carrots, and onions in 9x13 casserole dish. Layer meat over top. Mix milk and soup in a bowl and pour over the top. Bake 2-2 ½ hours at 350.