Ham Egg & Cheese Bake

A recipe that can be changed and changed again to suit the ingredients you have on hand or your mood or taste. Use the basic ingredients and add sauteed onions and peppers or jalepeno and sundried or chopped fresh spinach, tomatoes...sausage or bacon instead of the ham....monterey jack or hot pepper cheese instead of the cheddar....the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Ingredients:

2 C diced ham or 1 lb cooked and drained sausage or crumbled bacon
6 slices cubed bread
1 C shredded cheddar
10 eggs
2 C milk
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t yellow mustard (makes cheese taste cheesier)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 9 X 13 baking pan with non stick spray.  Arrange meat and cubed bread (or any other veggies, etc you decide to use) in bottom of pan. Top with shredded cheese. In large bowl combine eggs, milk, seasonings, and mustard until well mixed. Pour egg mixture evenly over the pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until eggs are set in center.

Easy peasy!! and oh so yummy!

Sam's One Each Chili

Not one bowl each.......one of each

1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 lb 80% ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 T chili powder
1 t papricka
1 t garlic powder
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t sugar

Brown ground beef, add onion and pepper and saute until soft. Add remaining ingredients and cook for, you guessed it......1 hour on medium.

Can be doubled, tripled, etc.....as long as you have a pot big enough.

Deer Tips Stroganof

Venison is a staple at our house. This is just one of the many ways I prepare it. It can be added to and adapted by adding vegetables or omitting the sour cream, using rice instead of noodles, putting the meat with sauce in a casserole and topping with potatoes. Hope you try and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1/2 Stick Butter
1 T Vegetable Oil
1-1 1/2 lb Deer meat cut into 1" cubes
1 C Fresh Button Mushrooms - sliced
1/2 C Sweet Onions - diced
1 t garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic smashed
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 C Worstishire Sauce
1 can Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pkt McCcormick Brown Gravy
1 C water
1/4 C Sour Cream
1 12- 16 oz Package Wide Egg Noodles - cooked as directed on package while preparing the tips

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add next 6 ingredients spreading them out so they brown some. Cook for 5 minutes or so stirring occasionally making sure to turn the meat cubes on different sides so all sides brown. Add Worstishire sauce and allow to cook for 5 minutes more (this reduces the worstishire and allows it to infuse the meat and mushrooms with it's flavor. Add undiluted soup, gravy packet and water. Mix in thoroughly. Cook on medium for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream. Heat through for about 5 minutes. Do not allow to boil once sour cream is added as it will break the sauce (make the solids of the sour cream curdle up). It won't change the flavor if it happens and is fine to eat, but it doesn't look pretty.

Leftovers Primavera

Yesterday, I had to clean out the refrigerator. A job I hate doing. Anyway, I made up this dish to keep from throwing out things I had in the fridge. So it is adaptable to what you have in your fridge that you don't want to go to waste. I suppose you could use all new ingredients if you really wanted to.

1-1/12 lb leftover chicken chopped or shredded into about 1" pieces

1 C leftover sauteed quartered button mushrooms 

2 C leftover chicken stock (the carton kind)

1/4 of a leftover 8 oz philly cream cheese

1/4 C leftover shredded sharp cheddar

2 C leftover veggies (I had green beans and corn but brocholli and yellow squash would be really good too)

1/4 C Parmesian

1 stick butter

1 t garlic powder

1/4 t pepper

1 t salt

2 T flour

1/4 C leftover half n half (milk will do)

1 16 oz box of pasta

Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add chicken and mushroom. Stir until heated through. Add flour and stir for 3-4 minutes. Slowly add chicken stock stirring over medium heat until it comes to a soft boil. Add cheeses and seasonings. Stir occasionally until cheeses are melted. Add half n half. Mean while bring stock pot of water with veggies added to it to a boil. Cook pasta in water and veggies according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta thoroughly. Mix pasta into chicken mixture. Serve with parmesian and warm bread.

Mommy's Collard Green Quiche

Sorry, no picture yet.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

1 C All purpose flour
1 t Sugar
1/4 t Salt
3 T Butter
4T COLD Water

shhhhh....or you could do Pillsbury Pie Crust

Custard:

4 slices bacon, diced
1 1/2 C onion, diced (mom used yellow, but I like walla walla or vidalia)
8 oz fresh Collards chopped
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
4 whole eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 C milk
1/2 C half & half
1/2 C grated Swiss Cheese
pinch Nutmeg
1 T Flour

Preheat oven to 350F.

Pie dough: In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, 2 knives or forks, cut in butter until dough resembles small peas and is crumbly. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and gently mix after each addition. The mixture should begin to bind together after the last tablespoon of water is added. If it does not, add 1 more tablespoon of cold water. Gather the mixture into a ball and let it set for 5 minutes. Lightly flour a flat surface and roll dough into a 12-14 inch diameter circle. Gently roll onto rolling pin and place into a 9 inch pie plate. Press into the pie plate and flute edges. Top dough with beans or pie weights and bake for 5-10 minutes or until crust is just beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile in large skillet fry bacon until crispy. Add onions and saute until onions are translucent. Add collards and salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Drain excess water from pan. Allow to cool slightly.

In large bowl combine eggs, egg whites, milk, and half and half and whisk until well combined. Add cheese and nutmeg. Sprinkle with flour. Stir in cooked collard mixture.

Pour into pre-baked pie shell. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until filling is set. A knife inserted into the middle of the quiche will come out clean when done. Remove from oven and let set 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Makes 8 slices.