Artery clogging corn casserole

I'm sure everyone knows who Paula Deen is. I'm convinced she has millions invested in butter. The woman cooks with one thing in mind, FLAVOR. Calories and fat grams are not things she's heard of. I remember seeing her speak about her style of cooking once and she noted that her family owned restaurants and so they always cooked with flavor, and not your figure, in mind. That being said, I'm quite proud of taking one of her recipes and actually making it less healthy.

I made her recipe with 1 omission and 2 additions. I omitted butter. Instead I chopped and cooked a 1/2 lb. of bacon and poured all the grease and the bacon into the mix and I added one beaten egg. The casserole had great flavor and a thick, almost custardlike texture. It was so rich and yummy.

I did this to turn this side dish into a main and I totally intended on serving it with a huge healthy salad to balance it out. Turns out my lettuce wasn't feeling any love and despite having been purchased only 2 weeks ago, took a turn to the dark side.

Instead I made fried okra for hubby and I had green beans. Arteries be damned.

Chicken tamale casserole - future cooking

I know what you're thinking, hasn't she already done one of these? The answer is NO. I made a chicken enchilada casserole and a chicken enchilada soup. Both of which were nothing like this.
I was turned on to this recipe by a fellow pregnant lady from my birth board and I just have to pass it on. As I was making it (almost exactly as specified), I was thinking to myself, this is going to be weird and bland. I was WRONG. You can find the recipe over at Cooking Light. The only changes I made are as follows:
I used 1 egg instead of the egg substitute
I added 1/2 tsp garlic powder
I used canned regular sweet corn
I didn't drain my chiles (to make up for the moisture missing from not using creamed corn)

The modifications I made were due to what I had on hand (and my love of garlic) and it was still really good. I was shocked that it tasted so much like chicken tamales and without the work! Oh and it's only 350 calories per serving. This was so easy. I threw a pound of partially frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot this morning with 4 bouillion cubes and 4 cups of water. When I came home, I shredded the chicken. EASY. This would be fantasic for a potluck too. My hubby wasn't thrilled by the sweetness the cornbread mixture lent to this dish, but I really liked it alot.

Baked macaroni and cheese

Hmmm it appears I'm in the mood for comfort food. This was a first attempt for me. Again, I modified a Joy of Cooking recipe. I really want to tell you to avoid making homemade macaroni and cheese, that it's difficult and not very good, but unfortunately, I can't. This was AWESOME.

It was really easy. I can see this is going to be a problem for me. I loved the subtle kick the cayenne pepper gave it. I stood in the kitchen eating out of the dish before it got washed. I just couldn't walk away. The flavor was great and the texure was perfect.Baked Macaroni and Cheese (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)
Makes 6 main dish servings
Ingredients:
8 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked until just tender in salted water
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups skim milk
2 large shallots, minced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp paprika
2 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Topping:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

Directions:
Melt butter in large saucepan over med-low heat. Add in flour and whisking frequently, cook for 3 minutes. Gradually stir in milk, shallots and spices and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

Melt butter for topping (either in microwave or stovetop) and stir breadcrumbs in butter until well coated.

Preheat oven to 375. Stir in 1 3/4 cups of cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cooked macaroni. Pour into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake 30 minutes or until breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham - future cooking

I'm still stocking up my freezer with easy to reheat foods. This weekend I made scalloped potatoes and ham. I first made this dish by using boxed scalloped potatoes and some cubed ham back in my early twenties. My grandmother recommended the combination to me and it's had a special place in my heart ever since.

How I make it has evolved quite a bit over the years, along with my cooking, and my quest to eat healthier. As simple as it is, this is one of my husband's favorites. I usually serve it with corn or collard greens. It's very easy to make, great for feeding masses inexpensively and is very much comfort food. To make this vegetarian, I suggest using frozen thawed peas or corn in place of the ham. I think those combinations would be great too.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Makes 6 entree servings
Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes, washed and sliced 1/8" thick (I used Yukon Gold)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 can condensed cheese soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (could use cream of chicken too)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup sour cream
12-16 oz cooked ham, cubed (I just buy the cooked ham steaks)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Bring large stock pot of salted water to boil. Gently lower potatoes into pot and cook 5 minutes. Drain and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix together all other ingredients, except grated cheese, until well blended. Gently fold in potatoes and lightly stir until evenly coated. Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 40-45 minutes. Broil until cheese is browned to your liking. The sauce will look runny. Remove from heat and allow to stand at least 10 minutes to thicken before serving.

Wild rice and chicken casserole

I'll be spending tomorrow with out of town guests and preparing for a dinner party (which of course I will blog). I also am intending to make Peppermint bark this weekend after seeing how expensive it is in the store and seemingly easy it is to make on Jen's blog. Until then, this was a "use up what I need to dinner" that turned out pretty good. Sandra Lee would be proud hahaha.

Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups wild rice (1 box cooked per pkg. instructions)
1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced
2 large shallots, sliced
2 tb olive or canola oil
2 tb minced garlic
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until cooked, 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute 1 minute more. Remove from heat and add all spices, soup and sour cream. Stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Add cut up chicken and stir to coat evenly. Pour chicken mixture into a 9x9 baking dish and top with wild rice. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to set 5-10 minutes before serving.I served atop a pile of homemade collard greens with a side salad.