If you like something quick, easy, and really tasty….than this might be something good for you to try. We serve this over rice and add broccoli on the side, or you can even use this as an appetizer. Either way, I think you will really enjoy this!!
“Million Dollar Casserole” is a crowd pleaser for the holidays, family dinner on a Friday night, or just anytime. It is a simple dish and served with a side-salad or veggies. This would be a treat for anyone. I have included both the regular recipe and also my own. The one that I used is a little different because I was using up the left-overs in my pantry and freezer. Enjoy and have fun with this one.
This is a layered recipe….so I like to make two layers, but you can also go as high as three or four layers depending on how deep your casserole dish is.
Basic idea for this dish is to place …
layer with sauce on the bottom of the dish
next a layer of pasta
then a layer of meat
next a layer of cheese
then a layer of sour cream mixture
repeat
Top with cheese and bake for thirty minutes on 350 degrees. Enjoy!
My ingredients:
crushed tomatoes
cheddar cheese
leftover meatballs (crushed up)
16 oz. sour cream/ one package of cream cheese/ 12 oz. ricotta cheese all mixed together well
bow tie pasta (that is what was in the pantry)
Regular recipe:
spaghetti sauce
chop meat (already cooked)
mozzarella cheese
16 oz. sour cream/ one package of cream cheese/ 12 oz. ricotta cheese all mixed well together
elbow macaroni
This recipe is so forgiving…. so use what you have; clean out your freezer and pantry.
I love watching You-Tube channels on home and organization. How about you? I sat one day and watched two of my favorite channels….Jamerrill Stewart and Parsnips and Parsimony. They are two large families, but the overall idea is the same. One family will fill their pantry once a month for the next month’s menu, with a few extras. The other family will fill their pantry with extras for when the budget is tight. They then have food in the pantry to pull from.
After watching the two of them, I took one look at my freezers and realized….what a mess!!! Not only was it a mess, but I would buy doubles of things I did not need, and not enough of what I needed because I was not organized. Another You-Tube channel that I love is Coupons to Provide. She goes on to say how she is a visual person…and oh how I could relate to that. If she puts it away in a closet, etc…and she does not see it….she forgets she has it.
Bingo…that gave me an idea. What I need is a place for a pantry that would be organized, simple (with my busy schedule I need this), efficient for the family to use, and visual for me. I need to know quickly what I have in order to work for meals.
So, I emptied my pantry….what a job. I sorted what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to give away. I was able to bless someone else with the things I will not use, and I created a great little nook.
Now every time I enter and exit my kitchen….I get to see my pantry stash of stuff, and I love it. If you are not a visual person, and/or a practical, functional homemaker….this would probably drive you nuts. But for me it is perfect.
So now it is time to clean up, and clean out my two freezers. Creative cooking will be happening in our home from now until Easter. Come and join in the fun; clean out your bits and pieces in both your pantry and freezer.
Nothing beats homemade meatballs over a big plate of pasta! Meatball subs and sandwiches are always a treat too. I find when I have a crowd over or a large family gathering for the holidays, this is a great thing to serve. This is a simple foolproof recipe that I am sure you will enjoy!
Ingredients:
3 lbs. of meatloaf mix (my preference but you can use ground chicken, turkey, or 100% beef)
1 cup of breadcrumbs
½ parmesan cheese
2 eggs
¼ cup of milk
1 – 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon of onion powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 large jars of spaghetti sauce (enough to cover the meatballs)
Easy to prepare
Dump everything in a bowl and then mix together.
Roll into the size of a meatball that you prefer.
Easy to cook:
Toss in a crock pot and cover with spaghetti sauce for four hours on high, or six hours on low ( if you find this is the best tasting).
Or…
You can bake them in the oven or fry them in a pan first, and then cook on the stove top or crock pot the same way.
For best results, I find letting them cook slow and long will retain all the flavors!
Good old fashioned mac & cheese…is there anything better? Whether it is a cold, rainy, or snowy night, or a beautiful summer night, this is a good thing to make. Mac & cheese is always a crowd pleaser….and here is one of my favorite recipes. Enjoy!!
1 1b. of elbow macaroni (or the pasta of your choice)
1½ cups of cheddar cheese
1 cup of queso fresco cheese
½ cup of cream cheese
1 cup milk
½ stick of butter
salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta to al dente, drain, and rinse.
In a separate pot, melt and mix together the butter, milk, and cheeses.
Add the salt and pepper to the cheese mixture (to taste).
Place pasta in a casserole dish; pour cheese mixture over it, and stir it in with the pasta a little bit.
When you are too busy, then you are just too busy. Usually what suffers is yourself. You forget to take time to keep yourself in good shape. Mental, physical, and emotional health need to be a complete package. I know myself; I am running around taking care of others, and working full-time. I find that my needs are not being taken care of.
Physically, I need to get up, walk, and eat right. That seems to be something that I can do, when I push myself. But, when it comes to my mental and emotional health, I seem to feel like, “I am ok”, but I am not. I need to keep these areas in check too.
I decided for this year I need to challenge myself and be creative with how I do it, but also realistic. I need something that I know that I can really do, yet not set myself up for a fall.
Come and join me in my “5-5-5” challenge this year. Leave me a comment below, and visit my channel on how to also help yourself.
Do you need a cheap and inexpensive gift idea that can last a lifetime? My kids, this year, gave me a wonderful gift and I wanted to share with you all.
Gifts can be expensive, and/or sometimes we just don’t really know what to get. I know myself; so many times I have purchased a gift for someone and they in turn gave it back to me, put it on a shelf, or who knows what. Why waste your time and money buying something when you have other options?
Check out this great gift idea; comment below if you decide to do this, and let me know what you did.
WOW…..on those days when life’s storms come, and then chaos seems to follow, do you just feel like you want simplicity to come? We had one of those days this week, and I found myself craving for a simple way of life, and to slow things down so that I could think about what the next step would be.
For me, soup is comfort food, and since I work full time….I don’t usually have the time to invest in an all-day prep for soup making. So come and join me for this quick and easy soup recipe. It will not only comfort your stomach, but your soul as I share some ideas of how to get through life when you have days like this. Also, how to turn your soup into comfort for someone else.
Resume Of A Mother 