mexican tamale casserole

Now, you are more than welcome to make your own tamales for this dish.
I have.

But, really?  Who are we kidding?  We (i.e. the casserole freezer, be it a career-minded woman or a brand new mother) don't have time to home-make our tamales and then turn them into a casserole.  

And honestly, if you did, why would you want to turn something so scrumptious into a baked casserole?

(Not that this casserole isn't scrumptious...but that is beside the point...)

But, really.  If you have home-made your tamales, then just eat them.

If you don't have time, make this casserole. 

:)

Mexican Tamale Casserole

Makes two 9x13"s.

48 ounces canned or frozen, chicken or beef tamales

20 ounces package frozen yellow corn

9 ounces canned diced mild green chilies

6 green onions, chopped

1-2 cups chopped fresh cilantro, depending on how much you like it...

2 cups sour cream

16 ounces salsa verde, store-bought or homemade

1 tablespoon ground chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups grated Monterey Jack or Colby cheese

Remove husks from tamales. Place in single layer in two 9x13" baking dishes, with sauce (if canned). Sprinkle with frozen corn, chilies, green onions and one cup cilantro, each. Whisk sour cream, salsa verde, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Drizzle over casserole. Sprinkle grated cheese over top.

Cover with foil, label and freeze.  Defrost completely and bake casserole until heated through and bubbling, about 35 minutes. Serve with avocado and more salsa, if desired.  Enjoy!

pesto pasta bake

This will be, by far, the easiest casserole of the month.
Possibly the easiest casserole in the world.

It's a simple baked pasta but oh-so-delicious!

It uses a bunch of store-bought ingredients and creates something delicious with minimal effort.

Pesto Pasta Bake

Makes 2 casseroles.

*should we address this?  My theory is....why make one casserole when it takes just as little effort to make two?....but if you don't want two casseroles, just half all the ingredients*
2 pounds of small pasta (elbows, shells, little curly ones, whatever you like)
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups basil pesto, store-bought or homemade
48 ounces marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
2-3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt water and boil pasta until barely al dente.  Drain and return to pot.  Add ricotta and pesto and stir to combine thoroughly.  Pour into two 9x13" lasanga pans and cover with marinara sauce.  Sprinkle cheese over, cover with foil, label and freeze.  When ready to eat, defrost completely, and bake at 350* for 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden.  Enjoy!

red beans and rice

Onto casserole #2!

This really isn't a casserole, per say, but I throw the mix into a lasanga pan and freeze it.  

Hey, it works.

Red Beans and Rice

Makes two 9x13" casseroles.

4 cups dried red kidney beans, sorted and rinsed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

16 ounces sliced kielbasa or chorizo, or hot Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 large green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crumbled (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

5 cups freshly cooked jasmine rice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt, black pepper, and Tabasco, to taste

Soak beans overnight in water to cover. Drain beans, reserving soaking liquid. Measure liquid and if necessary, add water to equal 8 cups.

In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add kielbasa and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and reserve. Remove all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pan.

Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add reserved beans, soaking liquid, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram and red pepper. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour and 15 to 30 minutes.

Lightly grease two 9x13" lasanga pans.

Drain beans, reserving 2 cups liquid. Put beans and liquid in prepared baking dish. Remove and discard bay leaves.  Stir in kielbasa, rice, vinegar and salt, pepper, and Tabasco, to taste.  

Cover with foil, label and freeze.

When ready to eat, defrost completely and bake at 350* for 30 minutes, until heated and bubbly. Serve with Tabasco and enjoy!

lasanga

Will you all kill me if I cheat this month?

I have the sweetest little muffin you've ever seen taking up vast amounts of my time.

So, let's call this month "Mommy Month".

We'll have casseroles all month, that you can prepare in advance and freeze.

For a rainy day, visiting in-laws, or, oh, say, a new baby boy that takes up quite a bit of time that would normally be spent in your beloved kitchen.

And yes, I know that casseroles aren't even remotely close to what I'd consider gourmet.  But let's face it: everyone needs a few freezable recipes in their back pocket.

You'll forgive me, yes?

And we'll start with a basic....a basic lasanga.
This is not authentic lasanga....that is coming later this month.
But, this is super simple and satisfying and you can whip it up in less than thirty, then throw it in the oven while you put together a simple salad and some garlic bread.
Easy!

Basic Lasanga

Makes one 9x13" casserole.

1 pound ground beef
32 ounces marinara sauce, homemade or your favorite store-bought
15 ounces ricotta cheese
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
9 no-boil lasanga noodles

Preheat oven to 350*.
Brown the ground beef over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Drain off excess fat and add marinara sauce.  Bring to a simmer with one cup of water and then turn off heat.  Set aside.

Combine ricotta, 3 cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, eggs and parsley in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.

Spray a 9x13" lasanga pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Spread one cup of the meat and sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan.

Lay 3 noodles on top.

Spread 3/4 cup of the meat sauce on the noodles.

Dollop 1/2 of the cheese mixture on top.

Press 3 more noodles into the cheese.

Spread another cup of the meat sauce over the noodles.

Dollop the last of the cheese mixture on and press 3 more noodles into the cheese.

Cover with the last of the sauce, spreading the sauce to the edges of the dish.

Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until nice and golden brown on top.
Let sit for 10 minutes and then serve.  Enjoy!

laundry detergent + A NEW BABY BOY :)

I know this is a cooking blog but I came across this recipe for homemade, "green" laundry detergent and I just had to try it.
Did you know that laundry detergents at the store run somewhere around $0.60+ per load?
This one?
About $0.02 per load.

Can't beat that :)

Well, okay.
I can beat that.

The cutest thing on this earth just made his appearance in our lives.
The cost for that?
= 28 hours of hard labor + a few extra pounds of "cravings" + one loving and Godly husband that made it home just in time from his deployment to witness the birth of his first son.

*sigh*

Laundry Detergent

Makes 2 1/2ish gallons

4 cups water, boiling
2 cups grated soap (I used organic soap...about one large bar plus one travel sized bar)
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda (not baking soda)
2 gallons water

Bring your water to a boil, add grated soap (I used my food processor to make this easier), and reduce to low until melted.  *This might take a bit of time depending on what soap you use.  It took me about 15 minutes to get it completely melted*
Pour into a large 5 gallon bucket.  Add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved.  Add the water and stir.  Pour into an old laundry detergent container and use 1/4 cup for a load.  Shake well before using because the detergent might gel.

*And sorry for the terrible pictures.  I used organic soap...but it was brown.  Makes for some ugly detergent.*

Use on itty bitty baby clothes and big, strong Marine cammis :)