Tag: homemade casserole

Recipes and Cooking

Keto-Friendly Cheeseburger Casserole

Brandi C

Keto-Friendly Cheeseburger CasseroleKeto-Friendly Cheeseburger Casserole

Now, this Keto-Friendly Cheeseburger Casserole did not blow my dress up BUT I will make it again with some tweaks.  I will post how I made it and how I will change it up in the future.

Note:  I doubled this, so I made a HUGE pan of it because I have a larger than normal family, please adjust according to your family size!  Also, this will freeze well.  Use a layer of aluminum foil and then that press and seal stuff from Walmart.  Then, for poops and giggles, add another layer of aluminum.  Be sure and label and date.

You can take all the wrapping off and let it sit in the fridge to thaw.  Once thawed, cook normally.  You can also take all the wrapping off, add back a layer of aluminum foil and cook it at 250, covered, for several hours.

Ingredients

4 lbs hamburger (next time, I will use ground beef and sausage)

Bacon bits

4 all-beef hotdogs (I had one random pack in the freezer and it needed to be used)

onion

seasoning

minced garlic

1 package of frozen riced cauliflower

3 c. cheddar

2 T. mustard (use just 1 next time)

1/2 c. mayo (use a 1/4 c. next time)

1/2 c. ketchup (use a 1/4 c. next time)

Directions

Saute onion, garlic, meat, and seasoning.  Drain if necessary.  Add uncooked cauliflower rice and stir in.  Next, add mustard, ketchup, and mayo stirring well.  Then, add in about 2 c. cheddar.

Place in greased 13×9 dish.  Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

 

 

Recipes and Cooking

Healthy Chicken and Rice Recipe

Brandi C

Healthy Chicken and Rice Recipe

Let me say that there is SO much you can add to this! When I make this again, and I will, there are several things that I will add. The reason why I didn’t this time is that I am “shelf” cooking. We desperately needed to go to the grocery, so I used what I had on hand.

I will put “optional” on each thing I will use next time. The recipe can be loaded up with veggies and goodness. There was one mistake that I made. I put the rice in raw, which did not cook well. This is a technique that I use with Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole. That always works well. However, I had to add more chicken broth, cover, and cook it longer this time.

Lesson learned.

Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Use 3 chicken breasts (I cooked these in 1 c. of water, with seasoning and minced onions in my instant pot). Once it was cooked, I cut it up into chunks. I used 1.5 c. of the chicken stock. Next time, I will use 2 cups of chicken stock.

In a big bowl, I put all my chicken, broth, 1 can of cream of chicken, a block of cream cheese, seasoning mix, 2 packets of the dry ranch, 1 c. rice (COOK THAT FIRST), and some cheddar.

Next time, I will add 1 steamed bag of cauliflower rice, possibly broccoli, fresh mushrooms, and chopped-up spinach. Oh, that would be so good.

I put all of that in a greased 13×9 dish. The topping was 2 sleeves of ritz crackers with some butter in them. I ran that through the food processor. Spread that over the top of the casserole and add a bit more cheddar.

Cook at 350 for 30 minutes, covered. Then, I uncovered it for about 20 minutes. It was delicious.

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Recipes and Cooking

Chicken and Orzo Recipe

Brandi C

Chicken and Orzo Recipe

This Chicken and Orzo Recipe made more than I had anticipated. I made one 13×9 pan for tonight and a smaller pan to freeze for later.

Chicken and Orzo Recipe

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • Seasoning
  • 30 ozs chicken broth (can be broth or water/chicken bouillon)
  • 2 c. spinach, chopped
  • Cauliflower rice, 2 c. (I buy it frozen and thaw it)
  • 28 oz. diced tomatoes
  • 2 c. orzo, uncooked
  • Minced onion
  • 2 c. cheddar (reserve some for the top)
  • 1 can cream of chicken
  • 2 packets of Italian dressing mix

Directions

Cook the chicken and then cut it up. Mix everything in a giant bowl. Place in a 13×9 greased dish. This amount made that 13×9 and an 11×8 pan. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top. Bake at 350, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.

I didn’t have many children here; only 5 kids ate here. We were able to eat the entire smaller dish. The 13×9 dish I wrapped and froze for next week!

Substitutions

You can substitute Ranch packets instead of Italian packets. Also, taco seasoning can be used as a substitute, and maybe add a can of corn to that and make it Mexican-flavored. This chicken and orzo recipe was delicious. It is one I will make again because I can sneak so much goodness into it without my family thinking I’m killing them.

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Recipes and Cooking

Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole

Brandi C

Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole

Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole

This Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole is something you can slip in SO many good things. You can mix regular rice with cauliflower rice. Also, add some spinach or kale to the mix. Chop up some fresh mushrooms. Use your imagination! I have started sprinkling a bit of nutritional yeast on top, along with some cheddar cheese. Also, cashew cheese would be good, although it would totally screw with my brain. I’m not sure I could use cauliflower rice and cashew cheese. That may be too much for my little heart to manage.

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • Sausage (1 lb)
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Seasoning
  • Green Pepper (optional)
  • Fresh mushrooms (optional)
  • Fresh spinach, chopped (optional)
  • Cauliflower rice (optional)
  • 2 c. rice
  • Cream of Chicken, 2 cans
  • 2 cans Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Cheddar
Easy Brunzi Baseball Casserole Directions

Fry sausage, beef, onion, garlic, seasoning, chopped-up peppers, and chopped-up mushrooms.  Drain.

In a large bowl, add meat and veggies, thawed out cauliflower, spinach, UNCOOKED rice, soups, and a handful of cheddar.

Pour into a greased 13×9 dish.  Sprinkle with a bit more cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake

Brandi C

Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake

Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake

I’m just going to write this how I cooked it, so it will not be like a list and the instructions.

K?

K.

Without further ado, here is my Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake.

In my instant pot, I placed 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts. I put them on the trivet with a cup of water. The chicken was frozen. Once I put the lid on, I just put it in the “poultry” setting.

When cooking, I took 2 bunches of asparagus and cut off the woody parts. I cut the rest of it into bite-sized pieces. You could also substitute broccoli, but Big Daddy does not like the broccoli and chicken combo :/

When the chicken was done, I put it in my kitchen aid, and I used that to shred the chicken (aka brilliant idea, so thanks to youtube for showing me that). I added my seasoning mix and the asparagus in that same pot where I shredded the chicken. I thought it looked a bit dry, so I put in 2 cans of cream of mushroom and about a half cup of sour cream.

Instant Pot

In the instant pot, I put in a box of elbow macaroni with a 1/2 stick of butter. I add enough water to cover the pasta. I set the pot on the manual for 6 minutes. While that was cooking, I made a white sauce. It was 2 T. butter to 2 T. flour. I whisked that together in a pan until it was mixed well. Once I mixed it, I added a cup of milk. I stirred that (it will stick) until it was thick, and then I took it off the heat and added about 2 c. mozzarella. With as much pasta and chicken as I had, I should’ve doubled it, and it would’ve been good with some cream cheese!

Oven Time

I greased a 13×9 pan but realized I needed something big to stir it all together. Also, I realized that I made a lot, so I greased another 11×9 pan to freeze for a later meal. I mixed the pasta, the chicken/asparagus mixture, more seasoning, Italian breadcrumbs, and a little leftover mozzarella.

I put it all in the dish, covered it, and cooked it at 350 for 45 minutes. Then I took the aluminum off and cooked it for another 5 minutes.

It. Was. Good.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Fantastical Chicken Asparagus Casserole

Brandi C

Fantastical Chicken Asparagus Casserole

Fantastical Chicken Asparagus Casserole. This was one of those “made-up” meals. It was so freaking good! I love experimenting. There have been some fantastic creations that have come out of my kitchen. However, there have been some serious stinkers that I’m thankful the chickens will eat! I hate wasting food.

4-6 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (I used a whole small chicken that I cooked in the crockpot, always saving the broth, of course)

1 bag of real bacon bits

1-2 bunches of fresh asparagus snapped and washed

1 container of fresh mushrooms

Seasoning

Roux

3 T. flour

3 T. butter

Melt in the pan. Remove pan from heat.

Add 1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream and stir until well mixed.

Return to heat.

Add 1 1/2 c. mozzarella

Seasoning

Fantastical Chicken Asparagus Casserole

In a greased 13×9 pan, layer cooked shredded chicken. Top with asparagus spears. Add mushrooms and bacon bits. Sprinkle with seasoning.

Pour over roux sauce.

Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Uncover and cook for 15 minutes.

Enjoy. Fantastical Chicken Asparagus Casserole was a great meal, and I’m so thankful that all my kids either love asparagus or tolerate it beautifully! I could do asparagus with a bit of butter and saute all day long. It is so good and so good for you.

 

Recipes and Cooking

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Brandi C

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole – An Easy, Family-Friendly Meal

Need a warm, hearty dinner that’s packed with flavor and sneaky veggies? This Chicken and Broccoli Casserole checks all the boxes. It’s comforting, cheesy, and simple to pull together. You can even make one for now and freeze another for later—mom win!

If you’ve got picky eaters in the house (don’t we all?), this is the perfect dish to sneak in some extra nutrients. I like to toss in finely chopped cauliflower and spinach—thanks to the creamy cheese sauce and seasonings, they’ll never know the difference!

The key to pulling this off? Have it baked and cleaned up before your crew comes flying into the kitchen asking, “What’s for dinner?” 😉

Ingredients

  • Cooked chicken (see tips below)

  • 32 oz. broccoli, steamed and chopped

  • 1 large onion, chopped and sautéed

  • Fresh garlic to taste

  • 2 cans mushrooms, drained

  • 16 oz. pasta, cooked and drained

  • 1 tsp. lemon pepper

  • 1 tsp. dried basil

  • 1/3 cup milk

  • 8 oz. Velveeta

  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup

  • 1 can cream of chicken soup

Optional Add-Ins:

  • Chopped cauliflower

  • Chopped spinach

  • Minced onion

Topping

  • 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers

  • A bit of butter for browning

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chicken
    You can cook and shred chicken breasts in broth, use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, or even go with canned chicken in a pinch (just drain and season it up).

  2. Flavor the Broccoli
    After steaming and chopping your broccoli, stir in a little seasoning and minced onion for added flavor. This step makes a big difference!

  3. Mix It All Together
    In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the topping. Stir, stir, stir—until everything is creamy and well mixed.

  4. Assemble the Casserole
    Pour the mixture into a greased 13×9 baking dish.

  5. Prepare the Topping
    Brown the Ritz crackers in a little butter, then sprinkle them over the casserole.

  6. Bake
    Bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.

Results & Leftovers

This recipe makes enough for two full 13×9 pans! We enjoyed one for dinner (with plenty of leftovers), and I popped the second into the freezer for a busy day. I love having meals on hand that I know everyone will eat—without fuss.

Let me know if you try it—and if your picky eaters notice those sneaky veggies! 😉