Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 14 oz can sliced mushrooms
1 large red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup converted rice
1 19 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 19 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onion

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic and red pepper until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add water, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

 Simmer covered until rice is tender and most of liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with cheese and green onions.

 Bake at 350F for 15 minutes until cheese melts.

For the original recipe, please visit Food and Whine

Queso Chicken Pasta

Seriously y'all if you are not on Pinterest you are missing out!! This is of course another one of my fabulous finds! It was so YUMMY!! The only thing I would change is the jalapeno. I think there was enough "kick" with just the Ro*Tel, but if you like really spicy then keep it in.

Here is what you will need:

8 ounces penne pasta
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cream cheese
6 ounces Colby-jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup drained Ro*Tel tomatoes
2 cups cooked shredded chicken

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray a medium casserole dish with non-stick spray.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but reduce the cooking time by two minutes.

In a medium pot heat the oil over medium heat. Once it begins to shimmer add the onion, garlic and peppers. Cook until they begin to soften, about three minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and salt and cook for an additional two minutes, or until the spices become fragrant.

Add the flour and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly, until all the flour is moist. Gradually whisk in the milk and stir until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to thicken.

Turn off the heat and add the cream cheese and 4 ounces of the shredded cheese and whisk until melted. Stir in the Ro*Tel tomatoes.

Pour the pasta into the prepared casserole dish, stir in the shredded chicken and sauce. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pasta is bubbly and the cheese has melted. Let stand five minutes before serving.

Y'all know I love sharing recipes on here, but I also like to give credit where it is due...
This AWESOME recipe comes from here go check it out too  :-)

Breakfast Casserole

This is one of Big Daddy's favorite dishes. This is our Christmas breakfast every year! :-)

Here is what you will need:

1 1/2 lbs breakfast sausage
3-4 slices bread, cubed
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
9 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

First fry up the sausage until no longer pink, allow to drain on paper towels

Spray a 13x9 baking dish with Pam spray. Add the cubed bread

Top with sausage and cheese.

Whisk together eggs and next four ingredients; pour evenly over cheese.

Cover and chill 8 hours.
Let stand at room temp for 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until set.

Chili Noodle Casserole

Chili Noodle Casserole

We all loved this casserole. I wasn't sure about it because it sounded out there but everything came together well! Sissy declared it was the BEST dinner...then she found an onion piece! UGH!! Oh well...

Here is what you will need:

12oz package egg noodles
1 small onion, chopped
1lb ground beef
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup milk
1 packet taco seasoning
4 slices American cheese
3/4 cup crushed corn chips

1. Lightly mist a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Add ground beef and onion to a skillet and cook until no longer pink,about 10 minutes; drain
5. Add tomato sauce, taco seasoning and milk. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring once.
6. Add noodles to beef mixture and mix well. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top with cheese slices; sprinkle with crushed corn chips.
7. Bake until cheese is melted and browned and mixture is bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Yum Yum! Y'all try this out, it is quick and easy and delicious! :-)

Pioneer Woman - Chicken Spaghetti

I love this Chicken Spaghetti it is definitely in my top 5 favorite recipes! Everyone that has tryed this loves it...always!  And it makes a great freezer dish. I recently made some of these for my freezer and for a friend that is going to have a baby.
I did not do step by step pictures for this because it was the day I did all of my freezer cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
• 2 cans cream of Mushroom Soup (or 1 cream of mushroom and 1 cream of chicken)
• 2 cups grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 1 jar (4oz) diced pimentos, drained
• 2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot
• 1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
• 1/8-1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup additional grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1. Boil 1 whole (or cut up fryer). SAVE THE BROTH. Save out 2 cups broth.  De-bone the chicken.(You will only need 2 cups so pull the rest and freeze it for another dish)
2. Cook spaghetti in chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook.
3. When Spaghetti is cooked combine with remaining ingredients except additional cheese.

      4. Place mixture in casserole pan and top with cheese.
      5. Bake for 45 minutes @ 350 degrees.

The trick to this dish is to keep everything diced very small.
For the original recipe please visit The Pioneer Woman  but be warned you will get addicted!  :-) She has a great site and wonderful recipes!

*** Also this dish is really good with Ruffles new Molten Hot Wings chips crunched over top....don't ask me how I know.......     :-)