Spinach and Ham Strata

Courtesy of Jennifer Whiting

1 large loaf of sourdough bread, cut into 1" chunks
1-2 tbsp oil
1 10-12 oz pkg of frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1/2 onion chopped finely (I use onion power)
1 red bell pepper finely chopped
1+ cup of ham, cut into bite size pieces
7 eggs
2 1/2 cups of milk
2 handfuls Italian mix shredded cheese (parm and mozarella mix)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 shakes ground nutmeg

In a saute pan, add oil, bell pepper, and onion.  Cook until just tender.  Add spinach and ham and cook for about 3 minutes on med-high heat.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Then whisk in milk.  Set aside.

In another large bowl, combine bread chunks with the spinach&ham mixture, along with a handful of cheese.  Spread mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

Pour egg mixture evenly on top of bread mixture.  Sprinkle another handful of cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees from 54-55 minutes or until set.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

I've always been afraid to make this on my own and bought the ready to make box. But I finally gave it a try and this recipe is delish!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic
  
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion, and bell pepper until tender, add rice and cook until rice is browned.
   
2. Stir in broth and tomatoes. Season with chili powder, cumen and salt. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

Glazed Carrots

Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

• 2 (16 ounce) packages fresh baby carrots or cut regular carrots into 1/4 inch medallions
  
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 (1 ounce) packages ranch salad dressing mix (I rarely have this on hand, so I use 2 tbsp of Ranch dressing from the bottle)
  

Directions

1. Place carrots in a saucepan; add 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pan, combine butter, brown sugar and salad dressing mix until blended. Add carrots. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until glazed.

Creamy Ham and Potatoes

Does any one else have leftover ham after Christmas every year and wonder what to do with it? I borrowed this recipe from Allrecipes and made several changes. Loved it.

Creamy Ham and Potatoes
original recipe courtesy of Allrecipe
here is my version:

Ingredients

• 5 pounds white potatoes, partially cooked
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup chopped onion or a sprinkle of onion powder if you're a Blake
  
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
  
• 1 pound cooked ham, diced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  
• 1/4 cup sour cream
  
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1/4 tsp Thyme
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel potatoes; slice 1/4 in. thick. Spread in 9x13 pan. In saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour until well blended. Add onion, green pepper, ham, broth, sour cream and shredded cheese; cook until thickened. Season with Thyme, salt and pepper, if desired. Pour ham and cheese mixture over potatoes and toss gently. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender.

Celebration Cookies

Celebration Cookies
Courtesy of Anna Penrod

2 sticks butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. soda
4 tsp. baking powder
4 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; beat well. Add sour cream and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Roll on floured surface 1/2 inch thick. Cook on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes (I actually do 12-14 minutes).

The dough is pretty sticky. I just put flour on the counter and on the rolling pin. Then, the first time I roll a batch of dough out, I normally have some of it stick to the counter, so I have to scrap some of the cookies I "cut" and roll the dough back into a ball. Just a little more flour and it shouldn't stick much after that.

The trick for the frosting? Well, it's called extra milk. NOT MUCH. Just a smidge and the frosting becomes a WEE BIT runny. This keeps the frosting from getting real thick, but I don't like much frosting anyway, so it works for me. (And who cares what other people prefer because the less they like them, the less they eat. The less they eat, the more I get. :))

Creamy Tomato Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup
Courtesy of Jessica Reyna

1 large can diced tomates
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups water
3/4 cup diced onion
1 1/2 tsp basil (fresh is best, but I often use dried and it still tastes good)
1 clove of garlic (I use 2 cloves)

Dice the onion and saute in 1 tbsp butter. Add garlic at the very end. When onions are translucent, add the other ingredients, mix and simmer.

White sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk

Melt butter in a small saucepan and add flour, salt and pepper. Mix well, remove from heat and gradually add in milk. Make sure there are no lumps then return to heat and simmer until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes). When finished, add to tomato mixture

*I often add an extra can of tomatoes and a cup of heavy cream to thicken up the soup. For creamier soup, use an immersion blender or pour (little by little) into an upright blender to puree ingredients. Messy, but yummy in the end.

Cowboy Beans

Cowboy Beans
Courtesy of Terri Graf

One of my former colleagues made this dish for Bunko last month and it was yummy!
Serve with cornbread or tortillas.

1 lb hamburger
1 large can of Pork and Beans (I used 2 regular cans)
2 cans of garbanzo beans (drain off water)
1 green pepper - chopped
1 Onion - diced
1-2 jalapenos - diced
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar.
1-2 Tbsp oil

Garnish with sour cream and cheese

Saute green peppers and onions, add meat and cook until brown, Mix everything into the crock pot and cook on high for 2-4 hours or low all day long.