September 8, 2009

Wednesday's Chow - Cheesy Rice Casserole

I'm still running my Recipe Extravaganza and Contest, so be sure to share your recipe with us.

Congratulations to Lexie. Her “Green” Rolls Appetizers won the first week's drawing. She'll receive a “Smart Women Read Romance” T-shirt and a bottle of Bath and Body Works P.S. I Love You lotion. Luckily, I stumbled across both posts where people were posting recipes: Wednesday's Chow and Recipe Extravaganza and Contest - Share recipes...win a prize . Thanks to everyone who posted. I'll be posting some of those great recipes (15 in all) in the future. This week's prize will be a Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea collection: hand lotion, waterless hand foam and deep cleansing hand gel, along with a copy of my short story A COWBOY'S DREAM.

The contest will run this way: Each week from Wednesday to Tuesday, post recipes as comments on my blog. The recipes need to be for that week's topic. On the following Wednesday, I'll put all the names in a hat and draw a winner. The more recipes you post, the more times your name will be in the hat. I'll post the prize each week, so you'll know what you're posting for. For all the contest details, check out Recipe Extravaganza and Contest - Share recipes...win a prize on my blog.

This week, the recipe should be a side dish. I've found one that would be great for family dinners, pot lucks or holiday gatherings.

CHEESY RICE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 10-oz pkg of frozen peas, cooked and drained
1 4.5-oz jar sliced mushrooms, drained
(or 4 oz fresh mushrooms)
½ pound Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 ¼ cup cooked rice

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a 1 ½ quart casserole. Mix well. Bake for 20 minutes.

Serves six.

Anna Kathryn Lanier
Monthly Prizes to Win!
http://www.aklanier.com/
http://rosesofhouston.blogspot.com/

27 comments:

LuAnn said...

Gosh, so many choices on what to send, but I know lots of people enjoy Three Bean Salad and this is probably the best recipe I've found for it.

Three bean salad

One can each of regular size cans of yellow green beans, green green beans, garbanzo beans and red kidney beans
Few slices of onion, optional

Drain beans and toss lightly with onions in a large bowl.

Combine:
2/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Pour over beans. Refrigerate until cold and well-blended.

LuAnn said...

Oh, and this is another favorite of mine ... and so quick and easy!

Egg macaroni salad

7-1/4 ounce package macaroni and cheese dinner
10 ounce package frozen peas
1 medium tomato, chopped
¾ cup salad dressing
½ cup celery slices
½ cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
6 hard-boiled eggs

Prepare dinner as directed on package. Add peas, tomato, dressing, celery, onion and seasonings. Chop 5 eggs; add to mixture. Mix lightly and chill. Stir in additional dressing before serving, if desired. Garnish with remaining egg, sliced.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Paige Ryter said...

OK...I'm no cook AT all, and burn water (no kidding) to the point of setting off the smoke detector. But I do have a recipe that my mother-in-law gave me--no cooking involved. YAY!!!

Five cup salad:

1 cup of mini marshmallows
1 cup VERY drained crushed pineapple (8 ounce can)
1 cup sour cream (yeah...trust me on this, it's wonderful)
1 cup drained mandarin oranges
1 cup shredded coconut

Add everything together and mix. Put in the refrigerator for at least a few hours to mix flavors.

Good luck!!!

Anna Kathryn Lanier said...

LuAnn, thanks for the recipe. I'm going to try the mac salad. Paige, I'm glad you stopped by. Your salad sounds great, too!

Paige Ryter said...

Thank you! That's pretty much my entire repetoire of recipes. The marshmallows and sour cream together tastes almost like whipped cream (my favorite food group).

SiNn said...

greenbeans and beacon


fresh or canned green beans (if u use the cans do about 2 depending on the size of ur family)

bacon grease and some bacon bits

fry the bacon and pour the fat over the green beans in a skilett saute till the greenbeans r hot and the grease is mixed in only use about 2 or 3 table spoons of the grease add the fried bacon or bacon bits stir and m let simmer til they r hot

SiNn said...

home made mack and cheese

2 lbs of elbow macaroni
2cups of milk
3 cups of cheddar
3 cups of colby
3 cups of mozzerella
3 cups of taco seasons cheese

boil the macaroni and dran let stand and add to a baking pan

layer all the cheese together add the milk to the baking pan bake untill the top is golden brown serve

my family gets this with steak or roast

Paisley Kirkpatrick said...

Loving the recipies!

ASPARAGUS PARMESAN AU GRATIN

1 ½ cups (3 oz) French’s original or cheddar French fried onions
1 ½ pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and peeled if thick
1 (10 ¾ oz) Campbell’s Cream of Celery Soup
½ cup half ‘n’ half cream or milk
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Crush French Fried Onions in plastic bag with hands or rolling pin.
Cook asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain well.
Mix soup, cream, Parmesan cheese and mustard. Pour half the sauce into greased 1 ½ quart baking dish. Arrange asparagus on top of sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over asparagus.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot. Top with crushed onions. Bake 5 minutes until golden and crispy.

Lexie said...

@SiNn (and in general)
Is my family the only ones who use mustard in their home made mac&cheese? I never see any other recipe with it included...

Recipe:
Potato Cheese Bake (of Cholesterol Hell)

5lbs yukon potatoes
16 ounces of cheddar cheese
1 package bacon (optional)
8 ounces sour cream
Salt
Oil

1) Add oil to the frying pan, half as much as you'd need to coat the bottom

2)Peel and dice up the potatoes into bite-sized chunks, sprinkle with salt and pan fry them until tender

3) In medium sized saucepan take the sour cream and dump it into saucepan and stir until loosened a little bit, begin to add the shredded cheddar in slowly, stirring the entire while, while over medium heat.

4) Once all of the cheddar is melted, turn off the stovetop and set aside.

5) Put Potatoes into a casserole pan of some sort (I use my large lasagna pans). arrange flat and then pour the cheese sauce over top.

6) Put potatoes and cheese into the oven and heat at 350F for 10-15 minutes (depending on if you want the cheese to start burning or not).

To add bacon: do all of the above, cook the bacon and crumble it over top the cheese&potatoes.

Other options include frying the potatoes in the bacon grease.

And that's the recipe's name my grandma gave it XD

Lexie

Carol Jo Kachmar said...

Since many people are back into gardening or at least have access to a farmers' market, here is a recipe for Deviled Green Beans that is quick and easy.

2-4 Tablespoons Butter
2-4 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1-2 Tablespoons Worchestershire
Sauce
1-3 drops to taste of tabsco sauce
or cayenne pepper

Soften the butter and then mix the above ingredients together

Quickly cook 1/2 to 1 lb. green beans either cut, frenched or of the haricot vert size until barely done. You can cook them in water, steam or the microwave.

Drain the beans and then mix with the butter mixture and serve.

Carol Jo Kachmar said...

Continuing with my garden veggie theme, here is a recipe for all that zucchini and/or summer squash you need to use up.

Zucchini and/or Summer Squash Saute

3 small zucchini
3 small summer squash
(or you can use 6 of one kind if that is what you have)
2 green onions or scallions
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 Tablespoon of oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the zucchini and squash, trim off the ends, and cut them diagonally into 1/4-inch slices as uniformly as you can.

Chop scallions including some of the green tops. (This much can be done in the morning and kept in plastic bags in the fridge.)

In a large skillet, heat butter and oil, add zucchini and squash slices. Cook and stir for just 3-4minutes. Then stir in scallions and saute mixture for 2-3 minutes more, adding a dollop more butter if necessary. Don't overcook - the squash should retain some crispness. Season with sugar, if you're using it, and with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. (Serves 6)

Carol Jo Kachmar said...

My third garden recipe uses two garden veggies and is quick also.

Zucchini with Cherry Tomatoes

1 1/2 lbs. small zucchini
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in
halves
3 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon
juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper

Make sure the zucchini are uniform in size so the slices will cook at the same rate. Wash but do not peel them. Slice them about 1/2-inch thick. Put in a skillet and add boiling water to cover. Cook covered, until barely tender, about 10 minutes at the most.

Drain well. Return the zucchini to the skillet and add the tomatoes, butter,lemon juice and all the seasonings. Toss gently to mix. Taste. Add more seasoning if necessary. Then cover and simmer until the tomatoes are heated through, about three minutes.
Serve while hot.

Carol Jo Kachmar said...

Lastly, here's a quick version of an old favorite, the mashed potato casserole. Since this can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead, it is great for parties. It's oh so delicious but very high calorie which is why I only serve it at parties and other special occasions.

Quick Mashed Potato Casserole

2-3 lbs packaged mashed potatoes
(Of course, you can make your
own if you have the time.)
1/3 - 1/2 cups sliced green onions
(That's 3-5 usually.)
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons melted butter (or
stick margarine if you choose)
plus extra for greasing
8-12 oz dairy sour cream
Up to 1/4 cup fresh milk as needed
Snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Grease a 1 1/2-2 quart casserole dish and set aside. Heat the cartons of mashed potatoes in the microwave until hot and put all the potatoes in a large bowl. Cover bowl to keep potatoes warm while, in a small skillet you cook the green onions and garlic in the butter until tender.

Add the onion-garlic-butter mixture, sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper to the bowl of potatoes.

If needed, (It usually isn't.) beat in, a bit at a time, just enough milk to make the potatoes smooth and fluffy.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish, cover, and chill up to 24 hours.

To serve, bake, uncovered, in a 350degree oven for 45-50 minutes or till heated through. If you wish, sprinkle with chopped parsley for a decorative effect. Makes 6-10 servings.

Anna Kathryn Lanier said...

Great recipes. Thanks for sharing. I like cooking with zucchini, so will try out those recipes. And Lexie, I really dislike mustard, so I don't use it much. However, I do put it in my mom's potato salad. Just a squeeze. But usually, if the recipe calls fro mustard, as Paisley's does, when I make it (and I plan to make it), I'll most likely leave out the mustard. Some thing with green bell peppers. I dislike the green ones, so leave them out. I think they give the food a bitter taste.

Unknown said...

Like Paige, I burn water, so my recipe for a non-fail side dish is:

CORN

One can - preferably Green Giant
Open
Heat in microwave with a pat of butter
Serve

Voila!

Or if you find corn too binding, then you can do the same with Green Beans...just add a few bacon bits and people think you're magic. :)

Paige Ryter said...

OK...I think I understand that recipe, Ginger. But tell me...do you put the can in the microwave or not? I'm that cooking-challenged...and I can see me doing that.

HA!

CJ Parker said...

I tried this last night. Turned out great. Hubby said to save the recipe!

CJ Parker said...

Desert recipe:

Baklava

1 box Greek phyllo sheets (in your grocer's freezer section)
2 sticks real, unsalted butter (melted)
4 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsps cinnamon

In a regular 13" x 9" Pyrex baking pan, layer 8-10 sheets of phyllo
(cut to fit the pan, about half the phyllo sheet), brushing melted
butter on each sheet before adding the next sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 the
walnuts, 1/2 the sugar and 1/2 the cinnamon on the prepared phyllo
(use more or less of each depending on taste). Layer five more sheets
of phyllo, again buttering each as you go. Sprinkle the remaining
walnuts, sugar and cinnamon on top of this. Then layer about 15-18
more sheets of phyllo on top of this, buttering each sheet as you go.
Then you want to cut the pieces before baking in the pan, going
diagonally to get that diamond shape. This takes some finesse. You'll
wanna make sure your knife is sharp and you get all the way down to
the bottom of the pan. Then bake in a 350 degree oven for approx.
half an hour or until top and bottom of phyllo is golden brown. Let
it cool, then make the syrup.

Syrup:

4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 stick butter (use real butter.)
honey (from 1/2 cup to 3/4 depending on taste)
a pinch of vanilla (1/2 tsp if liquid extract)


Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for five minutes.

Pour hot syrup over the baklava, then let cool until the syrup is
absorbed.

Anna Kathryn Lanier said...

C. J., thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe....for a minute, I thought you were talking about Ginger's corn recipe..lol.

Oh, if you want to add something special to Ginger's recipe, dollop in a spoonful of butter (or 1/4 cup...whichever you prefer)

CJ Parker said...

LOL No. But I've used Ginger's recipe a few times when I didn't feel like cooking the old fashioned way. But all these recipes sound great. It's fun to try new things.

Mary Ricksen said...

Easy string bean dish.


melt together one package cream cheese. one third stick of butter.
cup of grated cheese. add cooked string beans or canned.
Yummy!!

Mary Ricksen said...

OOps grated romano cheese

Mary Ricksen said...

Oh I forgot my mom added milk to make it the consistency she liked.
that's it. (I think)

Judy said...

Armanian Rice

1 can beef broth
1 can beef consomme
1 can water
1 heaping cup raw rice
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 green pepper, chopped fine
1/2 to 1 medium onion chopped fine

Sautee pepper and onion in butter.
Mix all ingredients in dish and bake at 350 degrees until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. I've found the amount of time depends on the oven! You can cut the amount of water you use and cover the dish if you think it will cook better in your oven.

This is a nice side dish for ham.

Tam G. said...

Corn Bread Casserole



Beat 2 Eggs lightly
Add: 8 oz pkg cornbread mix
8 oz can cream corn
8 oz can kernel corn (drained)
1 cube butter (melted)
1 cup sour cream

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes
Last 15 minutes add grated swiss cheese or top

Tam G. said...

tamjeang1@msn.com

Azura said...

Wow!! That's great!! Bath and Body Works P.S. I Love You products are really best!! She won lovely prize!! I will participate in this contest very soon...