Hearty Ham Casserole Recipe

This recipe is moderately freezer friendly.  The only issue with freezing it is the potatoes turn pretty mushy and it’s more like mashed potatoes. It still tastes good though!

Hearty Ham Casserole

• 2c potatoes, cubed
• 2c ham, cubed
• 1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1/4c finely minced fresh parsley
• 1/4c butter
• 1T chopped onions
• 1/3c all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4c milk
• 1/8t ground black pepper
• 4oz American processed cheese, shredded
  

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, roughly 15 minutes.  Drain and cool potatoes.

Combine potatoes, ham, corn, and parsley and set aside.  In a saucepan sauté onion in butter for 2 minutes, stir in flour until well blended.  Gradually add milk and pepper.  Bring to a boil, cooking and stirring for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour over ham and potatoes mixture. Stir to mix well.

If you plan on freezing this to make for another day, cool it off before putting into a prepped (with foil and plastic) 11×7 baking dish. Do not top with cheese yet!

If making it now pour the mixture into a greased 11×7 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 – 10 minutes longer until the cheese is melted.

If you froze this, grease your pan you used for freezing then completely un-wrap the meal and put into the pan. Let it thaw then follow the same cooking directions as above. If it’s cold it will take longer to cook, so allow for more time for that.  Mine was frozen, then thawed but still cold so it took about 40 minutes to get all the way hot.

Such a yummy comfort food!  Serve with a salad.

New Job

I officially started a new job yesterday! I actually had orientation last week, but yesterday was my first actual shift. I had been a SAHM for a year and our situation prompted me to look for work.

I'm hoping to spend some of my time off coming up to get more posts written up and scheduled to go live. Please be patient with me though as this is already proving to be a huge transition in mine and my family's lives. There will be more recipes posted soon though - I promise!

Corndog Casserole Recipe

This recipe I’m about to share is a huge hit with the kids, and I like it bunches too! It’s nowhere near what the corndogs at the fair taste like, but it works when the craving hits. I know most have seen the corndog muffin recipes all over the place with just corn muffin mix, the ingredients called for on the box, and hotdogs. This is so much better! Make it in a 9×13 cake pan and cut, or make them as muffins. Just be sure you check on them regularly if you’re making muffins, don’t want them burnt!

Corndog Casserole
Yield: 12 servings

• 2c thinly sliced celery
• 2Tbs butter
• 1+1/2c sliced green onions
• 1+1/2lbs hotdogs
• 2 eggs
• 1+1/2c milk
• 2tsp rubbed sage
• 1/4tsp black pepper
• 2 packages corn bread/muffin mix (Jiffy)
• 2c (8oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

In a skillet saute celery in butter for 5 minutes. Add onions, saute another 5 minutes. Place onions and celery into a large bowl and set aside. Cut up the hotdogs (I do rounds, and then cut those in half). Saute those for 5 minutes or until lightly browned, add hotdogs to the bowl with the onions and celery, mix it up a bit.  Set aside 1 cup worth of the veggie/hotdog mix.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, sage and pepper. Add remaining hotdog mixture. Stir in the corn bread mixes. Add in 1+1/2c of the cheese.

Spread into a greased cake pan (9×13). Top with reserved hotdog mixture and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Chop Chop Veggie Salad Recipe

This is super yummy, easy, and healthy. Perfect for those summer BBQs!

Chop Chop Veggie Salad

• 2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 head fresh cauliflower, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 c sliced green olives
• 1-2 handfuls shredded cheddar
• Your favorite ranch dressing

Combine everything in a large bowl, store in fridge until ready to serve.

I prepped it at lunch time, and by dinner time it tasted even better since all the flavors had a chance to blend together some.

Wordless Wednesday: Disappointment at the Range

Creamy Mac-N-Cheese for a Crowd

This side dish could easily be turned into a main dish if you’d like. Otherwise it’s most definitely enough for a crowd! My 7qt slow cooker was very full! I froze some of the leftovers to see how it holds up to freezing then reheating, so far I haven't tried it yet though.

Slow Cooker Mac-n-Cheese

• 2lbs elbow noodles
• 4c half and half
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2c butter, melted
• 4c shredded cheddar
• 1 container ricotta cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions (leaving them a little firm), drain.  Combine all ingredients and place in slow cooker. Cook on low for 2 -2.5hrs until heated through.

Garlic Bacon Ranch Chicken Recipe

It doesn't get much easier than this! It’s by far one of the easiest to prep freezer meals, and has versatility! You can grill it, bake it, and slow cook it, whatever you want!

Garlic Bacon Ranch Chicken

• Enough boneless skinless chicken breasts for your family
• Up to 1 bottle of your favorite ranch dressing
• 3T bottled minced garlic (more or less depending on your garlic preference)
• Real bacon pieces (from the salad dressing isle)

Combine everything in a labeled gallon size freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible. Lay flat to freeze, upright to store.

Thaw before cooking. For on the grill or to bake it, pull the meat out and discard the dressing and cook as you normally would.  For slow cooker, dump all the chicken and as much of the sauce as you want into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6hrs or high for 4, until done.

You don’t have to freeze this of course, but I do recommend you let the chicken and sauce marinate together for awhile in the fridge.

Serve with pasta, rice, or potatoes as well as a veggie of your choice and salad.