I love casseroles!

Casseroles are wonderful. You can easily add/subtract ingredients on a whim without ruining the whole dish, and best of all, you can make it during a quiet, less eventful time of your day and have it ready to throw in the oven during the crazy afternoon hours. THIS is one of my favorite casseroles. I only make part of it early on in the day, and add the rest right before cooking. Still...a lot of time and stress is saved.

A friend brought this to us after one of the babies was born, and I don't know what it is officially called. I have named it "Dawn's Chicken Casserole," because that's who made it for us. And so, without further ado, ...

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Dawn's Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts, boiled
16 oz. sour cream (yes, you read that correctly...probably why this is so yummy :) )
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package Chicken-flavored Stuffing Mix (I like Kraft's Stove Top)

Instructions:
1. Cut up chicken and place in greased casserole dish.
2. Mix sour cream and soup in a bowl and fold into chicken.
3. Prepare stuffing according to package directions.
4. Press stuffing lightly onto chicken mixture.
5. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until stuffing looks a little brown and crispy.

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Dawn brought us a bag of steamed corn and some simple pre-made rolls from the grocery store bakery, and it ended up being one of those meals I felt like I could mix up together in a bowl and eat just like that.

Ready for some BBQ?

When I make BBQ Chicken, I boil chicken, shred it, put it in a ziploc bag, and squirt Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce all over it....and call it BBQ :) Sad, I know...but it really does taste good!

THIS is Chuck Roast BBQ, though...made with actual ingredients, and best of all - in the crock pot!

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Chuck Roast BBQ

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs boneless chuck roast, trimmed
1 (12 oz) cola
1/3 c Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 T white vinegar
1 1/2 t beef bouillon granules
3/4 t dry mustard
3/4 t chili powder
3 cloves minced garlic
Hamburger buns, if using for sandwiches

Instructions:
1. Place roast in Crock Pot, then cola and next 6 ingredients.
2. Cook on High for 6 hours or Low 9 hours.
3. Remove roast with slotted spoon and shred.
4. If desired, spoon onto hamburger buns.

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To make this a meal, add some baked beans, fruit salad, lemonade, and dessert baked by you and the kids!! YUM!

Crustless Egg Casserole

Ingredients:
bacon, 8 pieces (and/or sausage)
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c biscuit mix
3 eggs
1/4 c butter, melted
1 c cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Cook bacon and break into pieces
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, mix with a whisk, and pour into greased 9" pie pan.
3. Sprinkle bacon and 1 c cheddar cheese on top. Use fork to push down in.
4. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

A Soup that makes the cut for hot Texas weather

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken, boiled and cubed or shredded
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (15 ounce) can beef broth (or 2 cups)
2 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth (or 4 cups)
1 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 tablespoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
1 can Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilis
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
I (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Mexican blend cheese, shredded
Tortilla chips
sour cream, optional

Instructions:

1. In large pot, saute onions in olive oil for 10 minutes or until soft.

2.Pour remaining ingredients in the pot. Mix and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream, if desired.

Menu for the Month

Yes, I realize it's the middle of the month...but I get so sick of sitting down each week to plan meals and thinking, "hmmmm What do I know how to cook?" I KNOW that I have more than a month's worth of things in this non-cook brain of mine...I just need to compile them into months of menus so I can rotate through them, shuffle them around, and keep adding to the list.

We'll call this Month 1

SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Eat out Sunday Dinner at Grammy's!	Cheesy Chicken Casserole	BBQ Chicken Sandwiches Baked Beans Boiled/Deviled Eggs	Pancakes Bacon Eggs Smoothies	Chef Salad	Pizza	Leftovers all day!
Eat out Sunday Dinner at Grammy's!	Sloppy Joes Carrots (Ranch Dressing) Southern-Fried Potatoes	Chicken Salad (on sandwiches or crackers) Fruit Salad	Sausage Egg Casserole Blueberry Muffins Bananas Smoothies	Baked Ziti Green Bean Casserole	Pizza Quiche	Leftovers all day!
Eat out Sunday Dinner at Grammy's!	Meatball Subs Chips and Sour Cream Dip Carrots and Cucumbers	Dawn's Chicken Casserole Peas Corn on the Cob Rolls	Overnight French Toast Bacon Smoothies	Spaghetti and Meatballs TX Toast Salad	Stromboli	Leftovers all day!
Eat out Sunday Dinner at Grammy's!	Taco Soup with fritos	Chicken Tortilla Soup Fruit Salad	Omelets Blueberry Muffins Smoothies	Philly Cheesesteaks Chocolate-Covered- Strawberries	Movie Night!! Pizza and popcorn :)	Leftovers all day!
Eat out Sunday Dinner at Grammy's!	Mario's Chicken and Noodles	Lasagna	Oven Baked Fritatta Pull Apart Sticky Buns Smoothies	Homemade Petro's	Homemade Pizza	Leftovers all day!
Eat out Sunday Dinner at Grammy's! Lunch Dinner	Poppyseed Chicken Crescent Rolls	Sicilian Meatloaf Mashed potatoes Peas	Crustless Egg Casserole Blueberry Muffins Smoothies	Tofu Tacos Mexicorn	Calzones	Leftovers all day!

*A Few things to note:

* There are links to items with recipes, you just have to click on them ;)

*I have tried to plan meals that use many of the same main ingredients so there is less waste, too, although when I start shuffling them at a later date, that plan will kind of fall through!!

*Sundays, we eat out for lunch and have dinner at my in-law's...what a blessing!!

*I don't always plan sides ahead. I tend to make the main dish and search the fridge, freezer, and pantry for things to throw on plates during that last hour before dinner. (carrots from the fridge, cucumbers I can slice up, grapes, smoothies, canned or frozen vegetables, and anything else I picked up at the store and need to use up before it goes to waste)

*You'll notice that Wednesdays are Breakfast for Dinner nights and we usually have pizza (in some form or fashion) on Friday nights :)

*When you make a month of meals and see what you, as a family, eat on a regular basis, you also notice what you DON'T eat much of. For instance, almost every dinner consists of a beef or chicken dish...NO fish. I need to find some good, easy fish recipes that my husband and boys will EAT!!

Sausage Egg Casserole

Ingredients:
12 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 lbs. ground breakfast sausage
16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

7 slices bread, torn into pieces

Instructions:
1. Brown sausage, crumble, and drain.
2. Pour eggs in greased 9x13 dish.
3. In bowl, mix sausage, bread, and 12 oz. cheese. Pour into eggs.
4. Top with remaining cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake until brown and bubbly.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

This is one meal friends have brought us after I have had babies. It is yummy and freezes well! Depending on your family's taste for spicy foods, you can adjust the amount of chili powder/cayenne pepper to your liking.

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Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
Cooked chicken (boiled is great)
1 pkg. spaghetti
3 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c chicken broth
1 T seasoned salt
can of diced tomatoes
chili powder or cayenne pepper

Instructions:
1. Boil spaghetti
2. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces
3. Drain tomatoes
4. Put all in a bowl. Pour in 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup.
5. Pour in 2 c cheese
6. Add chicken broth
7. Add spices
8. Pour spaghetti mixture into casserole dish. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top.
9. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Sausage-Stuffed French Loaf

Another great one from Southern Living's Easy Weeknight Favorites! Don't let the number of ingredients scare you away. They are things you probably have in your fridge or pantry (if I had them in mine, I'm sure you have them in yours!)

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Sausage-Stuffed French Loaf

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) loaf unsliced French Bread
1/2 pound sausage
1/2 pound ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 t Dijon mustard
1/4 t fennel seeds
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T butter
1 large clove garlic, crushed

Instructions:
1. Cut off ends of loaf; set ends aside.
2. Hollow out center of loaf with a long serrated bread knife, leaving a 1/2 inch shell.
3. Drop bread removed from inside of loaf into food processor. Process to make coarse crumbs.
4. Cook sausage, beef, and onion in a large skillet over med-high heat until meat is browned; drain.
5. Add 1 cup of reserved breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, parsley, mustard, fennel seeds, salt and pepper to skillet. Stir well.
6. Spoon meat mixture into bread shell; replace loaf ends, securing with toothpicks.
7. Melt butter in saucepan. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute.
8. Brush butter over loaf.
9. Wrap loaf in aluminum foil, leaving open slightly on top; place on baking sheet.
10. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.
11. Cut into slices and serve!

A Southern Meal

Main Dish: Honey Ham
Side Dishes: Southern-Fried Potatoes (recipe below)
Watermelon
Deviled Eggs
Dessert: Hot Fudge Brownie Sundaes

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Southern-Fried Potatoes
(from Southern Living's Easy Weeknight Favorites)

Ingredients:
(Cast-iron skillet)
3 large red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks (I leave the peels on)
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Fry potato chunks in hot oil in a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 12 minutes, turning often.
2. Add onion, if desired, and cook 5 more minutes.
3. Remove mixture to a serving bowl, using a slotted spoon.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Banana Bread

Ready for a yummy, EASY recipe that is oh-so-NOT-good for you?? You can certainly make this one healthier by using less sugar and/or replacing the shortening with regular butter (and probably other things, but I wouldn't know because I'm NOT a cook at heart, remember??)

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 3/4 c flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c shortening (Crisco)
2 eggs
2 T milk
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed

Instructions:
1. Stir flour, baking powder, salt, and soda in small bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix shortening and sugar with a mixer in a large bowl.
3. Add eggs and milk to shortening mixture. Beat until smooth.
4. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the shortening mixture and blend with beaters.
5. Add 1/2 of the bananas, then the rest of the flour and rest of the bananas. Beat well.
6. Lightly grease 8x8 pan (or bread pan, but 8x8 pans work the best for me when getting this thing done all the way through.)
7. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes. (Just stick a fork in the middle to make sure it comes out clean, letting you know it's cooked all the way.)

I serve this with lunch, as a snack, or even as dessert!! My kids act like I'm giving them brownies :)

Italian Chicken Breasts

Italian Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
3/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 c shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
Chicken breasts, boiled
2 eggs, beaten
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Instructions:
1. Beat eggs in a bowl, set aside
2. Crush Ritz crackers in ziploc bag.
3. Add cheeses to crackers in ziploc and shake to mix.
4. Spray pan and pour spaghetti sauce in to cover bottom.
5. Dip chicken in egg then coat with cheese and cracker mixture.
6. Set into dish, on top of sauce
7. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes
8. If desired, scoop sauce onto chicken prior to serving.

*This meal is great with buttered spaghetti noodles and a vegetable on the side!