Category Archives: casseroles

sloppy joe casserole and homemade macaroni and cheese an easy meal idea for a busy day

Posted on 09/17/2013 | 8 comments

Sloppy joe casserole and homemade macaroni and cheese is an easy meal for a busy day. Since we are busy making applesauce this was a great my top choice for dinner. Early in the morning I had this all prepared and sitting, waiting in the oven for the dinner hour. We were all famished and it tasted good with our homemade applesauce.

It is very simple and easy meal to make. It reminds me of tater tot casserole, a favorite of the Duggars, but not so creamy. The homemade macaroni and cheese is a favorite of everyone’s and is the most request food when it comes to special birthday dinners. Try it with it’s secret ingredient, ok not so secret, but it makes it taste so good.

Maryon homemade macaroni and cheese

1-16 oz pkg elbow macaroni noodles, cooked for about 7 minutes–you do not want them all the way cooked, otherwise when you goto bake them, they will be mushy. Less is best when cooking these.
milk–enough to cover about 1/3 of your baking pan
velveeta cheese–about 6 large slices
colby cheese about 2 cups of shredded or cubed
if I have any cheeses on hand like mozzarella, or cheddar we will throw these in as well, the more the better.
chicken bouillon about 2 Tablespoons, depending upon your tastes

I know I have said it before I don’t like to cook via the recipe, I usually always do a taste of things and see what I need more of. But I will do my best to describe what it is I do.

After you have partially cooked and drained your macaroni, you are going to place that in a greased baking dish. Pour milk over top of the macaroni, you want to see the milk in your noodles, about 1/3 of the bottom of the pan is milk. Next place your cheeses in the mixture. I like to shred or cube my colby cheese. If I have some leftover mozzarella or cheddar, I use that as well. I add about 6 thick slices of Velveeta to my pasta for its creaminess factor. I then add about 2 T of chicken bouillon. Give it a good stir. Cover it with tin foil and bake 350 for about 30-45 minutes.

Make it alongside of sloppy joe casserole

This dish is easy as you just throw in your ingredients and bake it.

How to make sloppy joe casserole

In a baking pan,place 2 lbs of cooked ground beef or turkey in the bottom. Pour 2 cans of sloppy joe on top and stir together. Place a bag of tater tots on top and cover with tin foil. Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 15 more minutes until partially crispy. Sometimes if we are not serving it with macaroni and cheese, we will place some Velveeta cheese slices on top. It is also good with canned green beans.

Plain and simple cooking….

8 Comments

Posted in casseroles, In my kitchen

Tagged kitchen, recipes

A meal for $.50 a serving that tastes great!!! sausage, beans and rice recipe

Posted on 07/09/2013 | 9 comments

This meal is super easy to make and tastes delicious. At about $.50 a serving not bad for a quick meal.

You will need the following to make sausage, beans, and rice

pkg smoked sausage
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans chilli beans
2 -8oz cans of tomato sauce
2 lb package of rice

these spices are extra if you cannot afford them leave them out but if you have them, they enhance the flavor immensely.

1/2 chopped onion
2 stalks celery diced
a teaspoon of each basil and oregano

First take your smoked sausage.

Cut it into chunks and then place it in your skillet over medium heat.

Time for flavoring. You can cut up half an onion and add to skillet.
Dice up 2 stalks of celery and add to your skillet.

Continue cooking over medium heat until your vegetables are soften.

While that is simmering, you can make your rice. We usually eat brown rice, we have 5 gallon buckets full in the basement. But we were given this rice and decided to use it, was very good with the meal. We mixed up the whole bag according to package directions. The secret to non sticky rice is to not stir it once it is boiling. Do a quick stir when first mixing it with water and then after that just put the lid on to simmer and leave it alone until serving time. After the meat and veges are cooked, add your 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of chilli beans, and 2-8oz cans of tomato sauce.

I like to add a teaspoon of oregano and basil, but skip this step if you do not have it.
Stir until combined and continue cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice–delicious.

This recipe is enough for two meals for our family. You can freeze the sausage, beans and tomatoes mixture if you were not able to eat all of it at a time.

bag of rice $1

sausage $4

2 cans diced tomatoes $2

2 cans chilli beans $2

2 cans tomato sauce $1

total cost about $10

total servings 20

cost per serving $.50

9 Comments

Posted in casseroles, In my kitchen

Tagged frugal, kitchen

Beef stroganoff in the crockpot recipe

Posted on 07/05/2013 | 8 comments

This is a quick and easy recipe that uses up leftover roast. We make it in the crockpot to avoid “heating up the house” in the warm summer.

In crockpot, add about 1 lb shredded chopped leftover roast. Cover meat with water, add beef bouillon to taste– about 1-2 T,one chopped onion, and 2 cans cream of mushroom soup.

Mix together, then add 1-16 oz container of sour cream.

Cook 2 pkg wide curly ribbon noodles till almost but not quite done. Add to crockpot, then turn on low for 2 hours.

Very simple easy summer meal.

8 Comments

Posted in casseroles, In my kitchen

Tagged crockpot, easy, kitchen, recipes

Stuffed Pizza Shells recipe

Posted on 07/04/2013 | 9 comments

We made 3 pans of this last evening and was able to be a blessing to a couple families so they wouldn’t have to make dinner tonight. It goes together quick and is a nice change from lasagna or pizza casserole. Try it tonight with your family.

If you know me and my cooking, I cook by tasting everything to see how the flavors mold together, I suggest you do the same, experiment see what flavors and things you would like to add to this dish.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef with onion and garlic to taste
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 package of pepperoni cut up
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
flavorings, chopped onions, minced garlic, basil and oregano add all of these into it, start small and add more as you like
1box jumbo shells
1 jar of spaghetti sauce

start by browning your hamburger, at this point you can add onion and garlic. Add 1/2 of a chopped onion and a Tablespoon of minced garlic as your meat is browing.