Spicy Summer Casserole

Summer summer summer! I just love it. Gardens are flourishing and all the Farmer Fred's of town are out to sell their bundles. It's so easy to get carried away at the local farmer's markets all over town. There's just too much to choose from. I find myself buying it all up only to have a good chunk of it go bad before I can use it. I have a hard time limiting myself to a few things every week. I want it all! So this week, I had a plan.

This is Grace

A few weeks ago I was getting together with my friend Grace. We were going to rectify a little speeding ticket I acquired and I was meeting her at her place. She said to come over early to help her eat a casserole she made. She had lots of veggies that were going to go bad if she didn't use them. It was really good! I couldn't stop eating it. So this week I bought extra produce just so I could make it. It's super easy, and you can use whatever produce you like. Just another yummy idea to get all those vegetables eaten. After all, they make you grow up big and strong.

I used several different peppers, onion, tomato, and asparagus. The great thing about this dish is you can add what you like. There's no "recipe".  But I'll tell you what I did anyway. Mostly because I have pictures...

I sliced and diced:

1 zucchini

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 tomato

Toss that with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Added 2 big handfuls of shredded pepper jack cheese.

Put it in a greased baking dish and topped it with more cheese.

Then I covered it in panko bread crumbs.

Drizzle some olive oil over top and bake at 350 degrees.

The end result should be bubbling and golden. 

I turned on the broiler for a few minutes to get it extra golden. 

Enjoy as a side dish or as a main course. Either way, it's tasty and easy and something everyone will love! Sorry there's no after picture, I ate it all...

Sausage Cream Cheese Casserole

I was introduced to this recipe a few years ago by a friend. I was a little skeptical about it because I'm not a big pork eater, particularly sausage. It's kind of amazing tho. This will pretty much rock any breakfast table. It's ridiculously simple to make and really easy to eat.

You need 1 pound of sausage. 

Break it up so it will cook evenly over medium heat.

As it browns, break it up some more.

You're going for something along the lines of ground beef here.

You don't want it really chunky.

Once it has been cooked through you need to drain it.

Then put it back in the skillet.

Everything's better with cream cheese. 

The whole thing...

goes into the skillet with the sausage. 

Break it up a little so it gets all melty and stir it into the sausage.

Keep stirring

Looking good!

Spray an 8x8 baking dish with Pam. 

I take a paper towel and spread it around so it's not too greasy.

All greased up and ready to go! 

Add 1/2 a package of crescent rolls to the bottom the dish.

Pinch together the perforations and stretch it up the sides.

Add sausage mixture.

Spread it around.

Add the other half of the crescent rolls.

Again, pinching together the perforations and this time pushing down the sides.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

It should be golden brown.

It's buttery and flaky on the outside.

Spicy and creamy on the inside. 

Win! Win!

I make it and eat it all day. 

I can't resist.

Sausage Cream Cheese Casserole

1 pound of sausage

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese

1 8 count package crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Break up sausage in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned and cooked through.

Drain sausage as needed and return to skillet. With the heat turned to low, add the cream cheese.

Melt the cream cheese into the sausage.

Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Place half of the crescent rolls in the bottom of the dish. Stretch them up the sides and pinch together the perforations. 

Add the sausage mixture and add the remaining crescent rolls to the top. Again, pinch together the perforations. Also, push down the sides. 

Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Tip: Need a great idea for party appetizers? Instead of making a casserole, make this with individual crescent rolls. Just add the filling and roll them up. Baking according to package directions. 

It's sure to be a crowd pleaser. 

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

I love my mom's hashbrown casserole. I can never make it quite like her but mine is pretty tasty. It has all the components of a great casserole: sour cream & cheese!!!! Lots of cheese!
It's great for breakfast... lunch... dinner. Yes, dinner. I have altered the recipe some to make it dinner friendly. It's a little more savory, equally delish.
To make this you will need:

• 1 bag diced potatoes. (I like the kind with peppers and onions. Or you can get the shredded kind. Whatever you like)
• 2 cans Campbell's Chedder Cheese soup
• 12 oz. sour cream. 
• 1 cup shredded chedder cheese, divided.
• salt & pepper. 

Break up the hashbrowns and pour them into a large mixing bowl. Stir in sour cream and chedder cheese soup and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. You probably won't need to add much salt.

YUM!

If it doesn't look this creamy feel free to add more sour cream.

Put it in a glass casserole dish. Cover it with the rest of the shredded cheese.

Put it in the oven.

I made two small ones. But feel free to make one large one. It's yummy no matter what you put it in.

Bake at 350 degrees until it's bubbly and the cheese is melty and golden. About 20 minutes. But just use your eye. If it's bubbly and golden, it's done!

And it will look like this:

Thick Cut Fries w/ Parsley & Sea Salt

This is a delish snack for anytime and is great with whatever you would eat fries with!

5 good sized red new potatoes
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tbsp. dried parsley or 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup of vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Rinse under cold water in a colander and pat dry with a paper towel. Toss with the  rest of the ingredients. Return to colander and drain off excess oil. Spread out the fries evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until desired crispiness.

Note: I am a big fan of using extra virgin olive oil in pretty much everything. However, when I'm baking potatoes and want them crispy, vegetable oil works great!

Simply Scrumptious

 I love Giada de Laurentiis. I was shopping in Target the other day and saw her newest cookbook, "Giada At Home" and I just had to have it. It is full of amazing recipes and I've been DYING to try some! So since I love eggs and my boyfriend loves steak I decided to go with the Grilled Tuscan Steak with Fried Egg and Goat Cheese. It's a really simple recipe and it turned out sooo good.  I omitted the goat cheese because Anthony (my bf) doesn't think it's cheese unless it comes from a cow. I substituted shredded parmesan and it worked great. You can find the recipe in Giada's cookbook or online

Grilled Tuscan Steak w/ Fried Egg

Need a little more? I made fried tortellini to go with my steak! 

Get your favorite store bought ravioli or tortellini

Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk

Mix together 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 cup of italian seasoned bread crumbs

Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper

Coat the pasta with egg then dredge in the flour

Heat about 3 cups of vegetable oil to about 300 degrees

Deep fry until golden and serve with your favorite marinara sauce. YUM!