Posts Tagged ‘casseroles’

Today I'm posting a new recipe that I tried recently--we liked it so well that I've actually made it twice in the last few weeks. It's sort of an Americanized version of Lo Mein. I made it with some cooked chicken I had in the freezer--I've been trying to use up some of my freezer stash. The original recipe called for raw chicken breasts that you cut up and stir fry and then proceed with the recipe.

Stir Fried Chicken and Noodles

3 Tbsps. honey
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
dash white pepper
2 tsps. cornstarch
1-1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or a couple of raw chicken breasts cubed and stir fried
2 tsps. cooking oil
3-4 cups frozen oriental vegetable blend (I used a stir fry blend from Aldi)
1-1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 heaping cup fine noodles (begin boiling these about the time you start the stir frying)

Whisk together the honey, water, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Heat the oil in a large skillet and stir fry the oriental vegetables for 5-6 mins. Add the cabbage and stir fry for 3-5 mins. more. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Cook about two minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken and the cooked drained noodles. Heat through and enjoy!

I had never used fresh ginger until just a few years ago. It can be stored in the freezer and then grated frozen when you need it. I just wrap mine in plastic wrap and store it on my freezer door so I can find it easily.

You don't even need to peel it. Just grate the amount you need and use it to season whatever dish you are preparing. It adds a lot of flavor to many oriental dishes.

Becka

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I wanted something different for dinner today and I remembered this recipe for Crockpot Lasagna:

Crockpot Lasagna from Taste of Home magazine

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 cups spaghetti sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup water
7-8 no cook lasagna noodles (oven ready)
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Drain off any accumulated grease. Combine with spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, and water. In a greased crockpot (mine is 5 quart size) spoon 1/4 of sauce. Layer in 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the cheeses. (I used two whole noodles and half a noodle for each layer. I broke the half noodle in half again and put a piece on each end.) Repeat the layers ending with sauce and cheeses. You can assemble this ahead and refrigerate overnight. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. My family really liked this.

Sorry there are no pictures, but you probably know what lasagna looks like. By the time I thought about taking a picture we had eaten about half of it and it didn't look very photogenic, as you can imagine. It does make a pretty good casserole and it's nice because you can assemble it ahead of time.

I bought this crockpot about a year ago and I really have enjoyed it.

You can program the time and after the cooking time it automatically switches to warm so your food does not get overdone. If you have an older crockpot without this feature I would highly recommend purchasing a new one. I still use my older one for soups, beans, etc., but this one works great on Sunday when I am often cooking meats or the occasional casserole.

I did try a new dessert from a recipe I found in the summer edition of Kraft Food and Family. It, too, was very tasty and is something that can be made ahead.
If you need a cool, refreshing dessert, keep this one in mind.

We have berries ripening in the backyard and we were discussing that this might be nice made with raspberry sherbet and fresh raspberries on top.

Becka

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For those of you who are still grappling with leftover turkey, here is another recipe that you might want to try. I think it is just about the ideal after-turkey-dinner recipe because it contains turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but it's very tasty.

Green Bean and Turkey Casserole
2 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken
2 cups fresh or frozen cooked green beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup milk (plus additional for moistening mashed potatoes)
approximately 2 cups cooked mashed potatoes (make extra the day of your feast)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup French fried onions (from can or bag)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix turkey, green beans, soup, and milk. Pour into a two quart greased casserole dish. (If you have a little leftover stuffing you can add this too.) Moisten mashed potatoes with a little milk and whisk to fluff them up. Spread on top of turkey/green bean mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake about 25 mins. or until bubbly. Top with french fried onions and return to oven for about 5 more minutes. Enjoy!

I thought I'd post a picture of our grandson Drew that we took yesterday while our little guy was napping with his friend (Curious) George - who makes a great pillow!

Becka

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