Green Bean Casserole

I have always wanted to make green bean casserole, but I wanted it to be unlike the ordinary green bean casserole that everyone makes. Everyone makes the kind with the soup and the "French Onions" on top. This casserole is delicious! However, I wanted to try something slightly different and it was a success. I would alter a few things if I made it again. However, I think it is definitely worth sharing.

Ingredients:

1 lb. bag of frozen green beans (I got mine at Aldis!)
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (The healthy alternative to sour cream is "Greek Yogurt" if you are looking for a substitute. It is better than plain yogurt because it is much thicker and helps keep a similar texture.)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups box stuffing

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees before you get started. Then, put the green beans in a 9 by 13 pan. I use Pyrex glass pans and they work great. Before you put the green beans in the pan, you may want to rinse them off and make sure they are thawed.

Then, in a large skillet/pot you will start to sauté the onions in some melter butter. You will continue to do this until the onions are nice and soft! Then, add the flour in with the onions and butter. Then add the milk, and bring this mixture to a boil. Once it is brought to a boil add the cheese, sour cream, sugar, and salt. Continue to stir it until it is a nice thick cheese sauce. Then, pour the mixture over the green beans in the pan.


Then, you will top it with a layer of the stuffing. I tried the stuffing because I had never done it before. You can also top it with the "French Onions," corn flakes, or nothing. I personally like a little crunch with my green beans.

Then, you will just stick it in the oven for 25-30 minutes and take it out. ENJOY! you never thought you could make casserole from scratch! Now you can! :)

*I forgot to take a picture when it was done... but it was delicious looking with all crunchy brown stuffing on top.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Green cookies? Yes, because they look beautiful, festive, and as a young child I had a love for Dr. Seuess' "Green Eggs and Ham," so this year I will have green mint chocolate chip cookies!

*I can not take credit for this recipe. It was Betty Crocker's prize winning recipe in 2010. :) However, I take credit for making them! :)


Ingredients:
1 lb Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix (like $1. 50 at Walmart)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/4 vanilla extract (it calls for mint, but you will get plenty of mint flavor with the other ingredients)
1 egg
6 drops green food coloring (try other colors... I see an art lesson coming on...)
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips (a.k.a. finely chopped Andes mints. If you buy the bag it is 2 cups)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (If you buy the bag, you will only use half)

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees!

First, mix all of you ingredients together in a large bowl. Start with the cookie mix, egg, softened butter, food coloring, and extract. Then, fold in the baking chips and chocolate chunks. Then roll in small balls and place on cookie sheet.

You will bake them for 8-10 minutes. This is something that you will have to watch carefully. It is more difficult to tell if they are done because of the green color. Let them cool and then you are ready to serve!! :) Maybe serve them as "Grinch Goodies"?

Sausage Balls!

The holidays are coming upon us which means finger foods, fat, and sweets. I am hoping that my blog will keep up with these traditions and maybe add a few new ones. Many families have the tradition of making sausage balls. They are simple, quick, yummy, and delicious. They are great for family gatherings, holiday parties, quick snack, or brunch. Or, if you are like me, you can just make them and eat them for a Sunday afternoon snack while studying. 

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick (If you are healthy, use whole wheat, or make your own)

1 lb cheese (Most cheese comes in an 8 oz bag. So, you need to buy two!)

1 lb  ground pork sausage (This is one cylinder roll, for those that are unfamiliar)

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, mix all your ingredients into a bowl. The goal is to get all the ingredients together in a large ball. This is easily done by kneading it together like dough. It may seem odd at first because their is not liquid to keep everything stuck together, but the sausage will not let you down!

Continue doing this until all the ingredients come together. It should look a little something like this...

Then, you will start rolling the mixture into small balls. They are about quarter-size spheres (sorry for the elementary math explanation). If you use the entire recipe it should make about 60 balls.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the sausage balls are golden brown. The cheese will be melted and the sausage will be cooked. Make sure they are done, no one wants a doughy sausage ball!

Homemade Bagel Bites

Forget those frozen bagel bites! Make your own, it is kind of the easiest thing since sliced bread! :)

Ingredients:
Mini Bagels
Shredded Mozzarella
Pepperoni (or other toppings)
Marinara sauce

Well, you preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, slice all of the bagels in half. Add sauce on top, then shredded cheese, then your toppings. It is that easy. Put in the oven for 10-15 minutes and you are done! :)

Cream of Mushroom Chicken

Alright, this was my first attempt at making the easy cream of mushroom soup with chicken and rice, but I did spice it up a bit. :)

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom
1 cup rice
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
Paprika
Pepper
Parsley
Bacon bits (optional)

First, you will preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then, you will mix the rice, water, and cream of mushroom soup and place them in the bottom of a small cake pan or casserole dish. Then, you will place the raw chicken breast on top of the mixture and spread melted butter on top. Then, shake paprika, parsley, and pepper on the chicken, and top with bacon bits. Cover the pan and put it in the oven for 45 minutes. :) The chicken should come out nice and juicy and very yummy!!

Blueberry Muffins :)

Alright! I have found the perfect recipe for blueberry muffins! It is wonderful and it has a special ingredient... which is actually one of the staple ingredients in my kitchen, so that could be why I love it so much! However, I made three dozen last night and by this afternoon they were all gone through Alumni breakfast for homecoming and people eating them on our homecoming float! No, I did not buy them at a bakery. I made them (yes, me) from scratch and I am so excited to share the recipe with you. :)

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sour cream
3 cups blueberries = 1 lb.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

The recipe that I tweaked to create this recipe said this would make 2 dozen. However, I made three dozen regular medium sized muffins. :) Splendid.

First, beat the eggs and add the sugar to the eggs while beating. Then add the oil and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, spices, salt, and baking soda). Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and add the sour cream. Then, just fold in the blueberries (I mentioned the art of folding in an earlier recipe). I just bought 1 lb of frozen blueberries at Aldi's for 2.99. No need to thaw, just throw in! It is that easy folks. :) Then, I drizzled some brown sugar on top before I put it in the oven. This is kind of the best part and turns it into a bakery-quality muffin!

Bake in the preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. They will be done. :) So, yes I have one muffin pan, so I cooked 3 dozen in 1 hour.

Beef Stroganoff

Alright, I know in previous posts, I have mentioned God's gifts to women... BOX MIXES. However, you always feel better and your self worth increases two notches who you make things from scratch. So, I decided that I was going to make BEEG STROGANOFF from scratch! So, I did... and it turned out splendidly. 

I found a recipe and then tweaked it. I also cut the recipe in half and I had enough to feed a family of four easily. So... here is the version I used, which is what you all want to know anyway. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 bag egg noodles (bags come in 12 oz)

1 can of mushrooms (you can use fresh if you want, I used can and it turned out great)

1 small onion chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

1 lb. ground beef

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup sour cream

salt and pepper

Side note: When I made this it was very meaty, which I like. So, if you want more sauce... just put in less meat and it will be cheaper that way too. :)

First, you will boil your egg noodles on the stove, just like any pasta! Easy! I always add a little bit of olive oil, so that they do not stick together.

Next, you will chop your onion up and saute it in a skillet. I put the butter in with it to sauté. If you use fresh mushrooms you would put them in the skillet at the same time. However, I used can, so I put them in with the onions when the onions were almost done (soft). I did this so that the mushrooms would not get soggy. 

In another skillet add the beef and brown it until it is done. Then, mix in the flour, and beef broth. Stir it until it starts to thicken up. Then, add the onion and mushroom mixture and stir in the sour cream. Add salt and pepper on top. Continue cooking it until it is hot and warm, but do not boil it. 

Once the egg noodles are done, drain them and then pour everything on top. :) DONE! Serve it with some salad and bread for a yummy meal. 

This is not the best picture! This was the leftovers. It was so good and I was so excited about cooking that I forgot to take pictures of the process.