casserole Archives - The Midnight Baker

Italian Bake Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 23:00:08 +0000

Love Italian flavors and gobs of cheese? Then this is your casserole!

Got Leftovers?

Have you got leftover chicken and sausage?

Then this casserole is the perfect way to use it up. Ideally both chicken and Italian sausage is used together in this meal, but one or the other will do nicely.

What a great way to reinvent your leftovers!

Pasta As A Meal Extender

Whenever I have little bits of meat and vegetable leftovers but not enough to serve four people, I will add a starch extender to whatever I have then add sauce or gravy.

This time I used some penne pasta that I had which was not enough to serve four if I was going to make a meal where pasta was the main ingredient, so what I had left was perfect for use in this casserole.

Great Family Meal

This Italian casserole makes a great weeknight family meal. The young kiddos will love this because it’s not overly spicy and has all the foods younger children like to eat.

If you double the recipe, this is also a wonderful meal to bring to covered dishes and pot luck suppers. In fact, I think this recipe was originally in a pot luck cookbook that I had years ago.

The original didn’t call for any cheese mixed in the filling, however, I added some shredded cheese in there. You also get a nice thick layer of cheese on the top which even tastes great when the casserole is cooled. I introduced a bit of Asiago cheese into the topping, but you can easily leave that out, especially if you’re feeding very young kids who may not appreciate the taste.

The Recipe

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Italian Bake Casserole

Love Italian flavors and gobs of cheese? Then this is your casserole!

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, pasta, Pork

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: air fryer chicken wings, casserole recipe, cheese, pasta, pork,, sausage

Servings: 4

Calories: 1156kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup cooked diced chicken
6 cooked Italian sausage links cut in 1/4-inch slices
26 oz jar spaghetti sauce (you can use more if you like a saucy casserole)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
8 oz penne pasta or any shape you have on hand, cooked al dente
1/4 cup onion chopped
1 cup large diced bell peppers--I mixed red and green
2 cups shredded pizza cheese see NOTES
2 tbsp shredded Asiago cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray a 2-quart round or 11x7-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl mix all ingredients except the 2 cups pizza cheese and the Asiago cheese.
Turn into prepared pan.
Top with the shredded pizza cheese and the Asiago.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is nicely browned and bubbly.

Notes

You can also use Italian Blend shredded cheese (sold in the dairy case). If you can't find this, then mozzarella or cheddar will do.

Nutrition

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Italian Chicken Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 16 Apr 2016 23:00:02 +0000

Easy-to-make Italian-flavored chicken casserole will become a delicious hit with the family!

I’m sure there’s plenty of people who may find this recipe vaguely familiar–and you’d be right! It’s an old crockpot standby called Italian chicken. It also happens to be one dish I absolutely hate made in the crock pot. Reason is, the chicken comes out way too dry.

So what I decided to do was convert this recipe to a conventional one and the best part is, you can serve it right from the skillet and omit the casserole part.

I prefer the casserole version mainly because I like how the pasta on top gets a little bit of crunch from being baked. Plus I was dying to use this new casserole dish it was made in!

When I think of it, my version of Italian chicken is much easier than it’s slow cooker cousin. Even in the slow cooker, it’s not a “dump-and-go” recipe. You have to cook the chicken before adding the cream sauce–where you have to saute the onions and garlic before dumping in the sauce.

With my stovetop/casserole version, you just have to cook the pasta. Everything else cooks in one pan.

The slow cooker recipe also has more butter and cream cheese. I’ve reduced that here with no loss in flavor. In fact, I think this sauce has more flavor. I also added some red bell pepper not only for a pop of color, but for the great flavor it gives this chicken casserole.

This is also a great way to use up leftover chicken and turkey and makes this a really quick meal even faster to make.

Baking dish is part of the colombino collection from Ceramiche Tapinassi available from Allorashop.com

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Italian Chicken Casserole

Easy-to-make Italian-flavored chicken casserole will become a delicious hit with the family!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken casserole recipes, italian chicken

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 767kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup red bell peppers diced
10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk or half and half
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 oz cream cheese cubed
1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix for my EU readers who can't get this, here's a good copycat you can make yourself--Italian Dressing Mix. Use 2 tbs of the mix.
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese divided
8 oz uncooked bowtie, farfalle pasta -OR- your choice of shaped pasta

Instructions

Cook pasta per package directions, except cook for about 2-3 minutes LESS than recommended if making the casserole version. If you don't plan to bake in the oven, then cook pasta the recommended amount of time suggested on the package. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken cubes.
Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute until onion is translucent; about 3 minutes.
To the same pan, add the soup, the milk and the stock. Whisk until smooth
Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until it's melted and well blended into sauce.
Then add 2 tbs of the Parmesan cheese and the dressing mix. Stir until well blended.
Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat well with the sauce and heat through. May be served at this point with no additional cooking.
FOR CASSEROLE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 2-quart casserole (round, square or oblong--11 x 7-and 9 x 9-inch are good).
Turn chicken/pasta mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbs of Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and pasta is getting golden brown on the top.

Notes

Leftover cooked chicken may be substituted. The browning step is eliminated if using cooked chicken.

Nutrition

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Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 00:00:39 +0000

Sausage and potatoes casserole that’s so creamy and cheesy it will have them coming back for seconds! Oh so easy and oh so delicious!

This is a perfect casserole for a cold winter’s night. Not that we’ve had much cold or even snow here in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley!

I’m always amazed at how the combination of very simple ingredients turns out to have a spectacular taste. This cheesy sausage casserole if a fine example.

It starts with frozen shredded hash brown potatoes and mild bulk breakfast sausage. Add a creamy cheese sauce and as they say, “Bob’s your uncle.”

To me, this is like mac & cheese made with potatoes. One thing I do here is I defrost the potatoes so they cook evenly. I’ve had some experiences–and not good ones–with using them frozen. Since I got smart and defrosted them, I’ve had no issues at all.

It’s important here to drain the sausage well after it’s cooked. There have been times I’ve put it in a colander and actually rinsed it under running water. This is a dish where you don’t want any pools of fat making their way to the top.

The sauce uses Velveeta (I know…I KNOW LOL). I happen to like the stuff and an added benefit is a sauce made with it will not separate and the sauce stays creamy and doesn’t get grainy. But using Velveeta isn’t a must. Made with shredded cheddar, it’s equally as good. And a nice extra-sharp variety of cheddar adds a depth of flavor you lose with the processed stuff.

Since a lot of my readers are in the European Union, mainly UK, Velveeta just is NOT available there, so you have to go the route with cheddar. And your regular sausage is different to ours, so your standard “bangers” can be used in here. I think it’d taste better with good ol’ English bangers anyway. Pity getting them in the US is SO difficult.

The recipe as written here serves 2-3. Mainly because I wanted to use these new individual casseroles. They are made by Ceramiche Tapinassi and available from Allorashop in UK–but they do ship internationally. Doubling the recipe below will give you 4 generous portions.

EDIT: In case you don’t catch it in the comments, a wonderful substitution for the Velveeta is undiluted condensed cheddar cheese soup. Thanks Lee V. for this great idea!

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Cheesy Sausage and Potatoes Casserole

Sausage and potatoes casserole that’s so creamy and cheesy it will have them coming back for seconds! Oh so easy and oh so delicious!

Prep Time25

Cook Time1

Total Time1 25

Course: Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Pork

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole recipe, potatoes, sausage

Servings: 2 -3

Calories: 1409kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb bulk mild breakfast sausage
16 oz shredded frozen hash brown potatoes (thawed)
2 tbsp finely chopped onion

SAUCE

3 tbs butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken stock/broth
2 cups milk
4 oz Velveeta cubed (see note)
Salt and pepper see note
2 tbs Panko bread crumbs optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 1-1.5 quart baking dish. A 9-inch square would probably be good too.
Brown sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain sausage well. Set aside in a large bowl. Add the shredded potatoes to this bowl as well
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium. Whisk in the flour until you have a smooth paste. Cook until this bubbles and cook for about 1 minute.
Gradually add the milk and chicken stock, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Cook until sauce begins to thicken and starts to bubble around the edge of the pan.
Add the Velveeta and reduce heat to low. Stir constantly until the Velveeta is melted.
Pour the sauce over the sausage/potato combination in the bowl—the amount of sauce you use it up to you. I used it all because I wanted it creamy. The consistency will be the same cooked as before, so let your eye—and your taste—be your guide. Mix well and turn into prepared pan.
Sprinkle top with Panko crumbs if using.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes.
Recipe may be doubled to serve 4.

Notes

Substitute 1 cup shredded cheddar for the Velveeta.

Add salt/pepper AFTER the cheese has melted in the sauce. Velveeta and ANY cheese can be salty so add last.

Nutrition

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Beef Mexican Trash

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Beef Mexican Trash

This cheesy taco-flavored ground beef casserole may not look pretty, but it’s outrageously delicious!

It’s my guess that this casserole is called “trash” because it’s not the most beautiful thing to look at. It may not be a work of art, but it’s definitely tasty!

Any time I’ve seen this, it’s been made with chicken. I wanted to see what it would be like made with ground beef–which of course was on sale pretty cheap this week.

Mexican sloppy joes!!

I also couldn’t see chicken soup as a base, and mushroom wouldn’t work in something vaguely Mexican, so I decided to use cheddar cheese soup. It was a good choice.

This reminds me of taco-flavored sloppy joes. The tortilla chips absorb some liquid and strangely have the texture of a dumpling in the finished product. I found the intense corn flavor of the chips added an extra dimension to this casserole too. In fact, I thought it was the thing that made it great!

The kiddos will love this one hands down! It’s a perfect mid-week meal.

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Beef Mexican Trash

This cheesy taco-flavored ground beef casserole may not look pretty, but it’s outrageously delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: beef, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beef recipe, casserole recipe, mexican

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 918kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
10.75 oz can condensed cheddar cheese soup
10 oz can Rotel tomatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 bag plain tortilla chips coarsely crushed
additional cheese for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Brown ground beef; drain any fat.
In a large bowl, mix the browned beef, 2 cups cheese, cheddar cheese soup, Rotel tomatoes, sour cream, milk and taco seasoning.
Place 1/2 of the crushed tortilla chips in the prepared baking dish. Spread 1/2 of the ground beef mixture over them. Spread the other 1/2 of the tortilla chips on top, then spread the remaining beef mixture over the top.
Top with additional cheese (amount depends on your taste).
Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Nutrition

Beef Mexican Trash

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Beefy Taco Mac Bake

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Beefy Taco-Mac Bake

This beefy taco casserole is made even better by making your own baked tortilla chips!

Make something Mexican was the request–and I had everything mostly on hand with this.

Beefy Taco-Mac Bake

I’ll be upfront and say I’m not a great lover of taco seasoning because of the cumin, but when I combined this with some of Goya’s Adobo seasoning, it tasted really GREAT!

I also wanted to use up an odd bit of spiral pasta I had hanging around for I can’t remember how long, plus I had some leftover sliced olives from when I did the Mexican French Bread Pizza for an olive promotion for Price Chopper Supermarkets.

Only thing I was lacking was a bag of tortilla chips–but I did have some small flour tortillas, so I made my own. One thing I can say is I will NEVER buy tortilla chips again. I think the homemade ones actually was the thing that made this casserole shine.

This casserole is really a combination of taco-flavored beef macaroni and nachos! A real family pleaser!

A combo of nachos and tacos combine here

Like my bakers? They’re Temp-Tations Floral Lace and are available from Temp-Tations. Mine are blue but they come in many nice colors. Here’s the website:
Temp-tations.com

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Beefy Taco Mac Bake

This beefy taco casserole is made even better by making your own baked tortilla chips!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Keyword: beef recipes, taco casserole, taco mac

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 651kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 oz rotini pasta
1 lb lean ground beef at least 90 percent lean
10.75 oz condensed tomato soup
15 oz canned diced tomatoes*
4 oz canned diced jalapenos optional
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese**
2 tbsp taco seasoning 1.25 oz package
2 tsp Adobo seasoning Goya makes this

Topping:

2-3 cups broken tortilla chips***
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese**
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3 green onions chopped

Instructions

Cook pasta per package directions. Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray either and 11 x 7 or 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in a large heavy skillet; drain fat.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato soup, taco seasoning, Adobo seasoning, 1/2 cup of cheese and the pasta. Stir to combine. Place mixture in the prepared baking pan.
Top with broken tortilla chips. Top tortilla chips with the 2 cups of cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sliced olives and chopped green onion.
Serves 4-6 depending on appetite.

Notes

*For added heat a can of Rotel tomatoes may be substituted.

**A combination of sharp cheddar and Monterrey jack may be substituted for the Mexican blend--1/2 cheddar, 1/2 jack. All cheddar or all jack is another alternative. Choice is yours!

***I made my own tortilla chips from 6-inch flour tortillas. Brush one side of each tortilla with olive oil. Repeat for how may chips you want to make. I used 4 tortillas. Stack tortillas oil side up and slice into eighths. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Someone had a hearty appetite!

Ready to eat!

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Twisted Tater Tot Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:21:00 +0000

Twisted Tater Tot Casserole

Not your ordinary Tater Tot Casserole!

Raw ground beef
is pressed into the pan like a crust, then casserole is broken up and
stirred mid-way in the cook time so you get nice, solid pieces of beef
unlike the usual “brown-then-mix” version of this dish. Don’t worry, the meat will be completely cooked at the end.

Also
added is everyone’s favorite–BACON–as a tasty condiment, green and
red bell peppers for super flavor and some french-fried onion for some
more added YUM factor. And it’s all topped off with sharp cheddar
cheese. Nothing could be better on a cold, wintry night.

I
used the mini potato patties (crowns) in this since the shape is more
appealing to my eye and since they’re flatter than the standard
cylindrical-shaped tater tots, they’ll brown and crisp faster.**Don’t forget to read all the great ideas for substitutions that readers have given in the comments! Some wonderful ideas and taste change-ups!!!**

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Twisted Tater Tot Casserole

Not your ordinary Tater Tot Casserole!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: beef, Comfort Foods

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef, casserole recipe, tater tots

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 602kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb very lean ground beef at least 85% lean
1 can cream of mushroom soup low-fat preferred, but not necessary
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
6 strips cooked bacon crumbled
1/2 cup french fried onions such as French's
2 cups potato "crowns" or regular tater tots

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Press
ground beef into a 11 x 7-inch deep baking dish. Spread the potato
crowns evenly on top of the ground beef. Pour the soup over the potato
crowns. Sprinkle the diced bell peppers, bacon and french fried onions
on top of the soup. Distribute one cup of the cheese on top.
Bake
at 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir the
casserole, breaking meat into chunks. Add the rest of the cheese and
cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Nutrition

Twisted Tater Tot Casserole

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Easy Cheesy Pizza Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 17:01:00 +0000

Easy Cheesy Pizza Casserole

What’s for dinner? Surprise them with this easy and delicious pizza casserole.

This is an idea I worked from a basic recipe I saw in a magazine years ago. That used “wampum” biscuits (the canned variety found in the dairy case, aptly named because you wampum on the edge of a counter LOL) and only ground beef. I make my own parmesan and herb drop biscuits for this as it’s much tastier.

I incorporate the ground beef–sometimes–but have substituted Italian bulk sausage for it too. I also add more cheese in the meat mixture with the addition of ricotta cheese. I also tend to mix and match cheese toppings where the original just called for a 2-to-1 mix of mozzarella & cheddar. If I have it, I add pepperoni as well.

Anyone from New York City will immediately think of the square Sicilian pizza when they taste this.

Whatever works for you as a filling is fine here, so feel free to use this as a guide only for times, assembly and amounts.The baking dish is my beloved Revol Belle Cuisine 1.8 quart rectangular baker.

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Easy Cheesy Pizza Casserole

Surprise them with this easy and delicious pizza casserole.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: beef, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Pork

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Blue Cheese, pizza casserole, pizza recipes

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 959kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef*
1/2 cup ricotta
pinch of oregano
pinch of basil
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
– 26 oz jar of pasta sauce -or-: 1 can of pizza sauce**
1/8 – 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Pepperoni slices I used 1/2 of a package of Hormel brand
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded aged Provolone
Herbed Parmesan Drop Biscuits
Additional Parmesan cheese for topping
Herbed Parmesan Drop Biscuits:
2 1/4 cup baking mix like Bisquick or Jiffy
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2/3 cup milk

Instructions

Brown ground beef in skillet; drain fat. Mix in pasta or pizza sauce and pepper flakes; set aside. Mix ricotta cheese with the herbs and Parmesan in a separate bowl; set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients for the biscuits. Add milk and stir until combined.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with non-stick spray. Drop biscuit dough by teaspoons in the bottom of pan, spacing evenly. It’s OK if there is space between the dough–it will expand as it’s cooked. Top with ground beef mixture and dot with the ricotta cheese mixture. Bake at 375 for about 20 min or until biscuits are puffed and beginning to get golden brown.
Top with mozzarella and provolone cheeses and distribute pepperoni slices evenly over top, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Return to oven and bake until cheeses are melted and beginning to bubble. This should take about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving. May be topped with the additional Parmesan cheese.
Serves about 6 (hearty servings)
*equal amount of bulk Italian sausage may be substituted
**home made sauce may be substituted

Nutrition

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