Christmas breakfast casserole

Hey guys! I hope y’all had a great Christmas! Ours was wonderful! We went to my husband’s son & his wife’s home for breakfast and she made a delicious casserole for us. I thought it was so good (and simple!) that I’d share the recipe with you.

What you’ll need:

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1/8 c milk
• 2 Tbl butter, divided
• 1 lb breakfast sausage
• 3 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 bag frozen, shredded hash browns

Beat the eggs and milk together and scramble in 1 Tbl butter. Put half the scrambled eggs in the bottom of a casserole dish and set the other half aside. Brown the sausage, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain. Put into a large bowl and set aside. Brown the hash browns in 1 Tbl butter. Mix together the cooked hash browns, cooked sausage and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Spread on top of eggs in casserole dish. Top with remaining eggs and then the remaining cheese and bake @ 350 degrees until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Feeds 4.

Cost:
eggs (18 count) -$1.47
milk – $1.78/gallon
pork sausage – $1.89
shredded cheddar – $1.98
frozen shredded hash browns – $2.29
Total – $7.30

Louisiana-Style Shrimp Casserole

I thought this would be a perfect recipe to post for Fat Tuesday! I got this from the Bisquick version of my Betty Crocker newsletter Good stuff! And don’t forget your King Cake!

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 50 min

Makes: 4 servings

What you’ll need:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion stir-fry (from 1-lb bag)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons Original Bisquick® mix
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce
12 oz cooked deveined peeled medium shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed
3/4 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/4 cup milk
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, stir-fry vegetables and celery; cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

2. Stir 2 tablespoons Bisquick mix into vegetable mixture until blended. Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper sauce and shrimp. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bubbling and thickened. Pour shrimp mixture into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish.

3. In small bowl, stir 3/4 cup Bisquick mix, the milk and egg with fork until smooth. Pour over shrimp mixture.

4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Cost:
butter – $1.75/pound
garlic cloves – $1.12
frozen mixed vegetables – $2.12
celery – $0.99
biscuit mix – $3.00
diced tomatoes – $0.89
1/2 lb 30/40 shrimp – $2.50
milk – $3.99/gallon
eggs – $1.09/ dozen
Total – $10.67

Cheese Grits Casserole

I am a southern woman and I love grits! This recipe mixes together one of my favorite foods with one of my favorite ways to cook food: in a casserole! Throw it together, pop it in the oven and forget it for a little while.

What you’ll need:

3 c water
¾ c quick grits
2 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
¾ c evaporated milk
1/3 c butter, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ tsp tobasco sauce
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring water to a boil. Add grits. Cover pan and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ c shredded cheese, evaporated milk and butter. Continue stirring until cheese and butter are melted. Add eggs, tobasco and pepper, stirring well. Pour into prepared pan. Top with remaining ½ c cheese. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until it is golden brown and puffy. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Feeds 6.

Variation: Stir in 2 c diced, cooked ham before the addition of eggs to turn this side dish into a meaty main dish.

Cost:
grits – $1.89
shredded cheese – cheddar – $1.50
evaporated milk – $1.50
butter – $1.75/pound
eggs – $1.09/ dozen
Total – $2.97

4-H Corn Special

My son participated in 4-H and I think I enjoyed it as much as he did. This is a recipe that has been made at many 4-H dinners.

What you’ll need:

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 ½ c cooked rice
2 c seeded, chopped tomatoes
2 c corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
1 c crushed saltine crackers
¼ c butter, melted
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown beef and onion; drain and return to pan. Stir in rice, tomatoes, corn, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Mix until well combined. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Combine cracker crumbs and butter; sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Cost:
ground beef – $2.00/lb
onion – $1.12
rice – $2.12
tomato – $1.00
whole kernel corn – $0.40
Worcestershire sauce – $1.79
saltine crackers – $1.29
butter – $1.75/pound
Total – $7.98

Baked ziti

This recipe uses already prepared spaghetti sauce but you can use your own. Just use 3 cups of your sauce in place of the called for sauce.

What you’ll need:

1 lb ziti pasta, cooked to desired tenderness (remember it will cook more in the oven so don’t overcook it)
1 onion, chopped
6 oz provolone cheese, sliced
1 lb ground beef
1 ½ c sour cream
2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce
6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbl parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown beef and onion over medium heat. Drain and return to pan. Stir in spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Layer in the following order: ½ the ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1 jar of sauce, other ½ of ziti, mozzarella cheese, other jar of sauce, parmesan sprinkled across top. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Makes 10 servings.

Cost:
ziti noodles – $1.99
onion – $1.12
provolone cheese – $2.59/lb
ground beef – $2.00/lb
sour cream – $0.99
spaghetti sauce – $2.09/jar
shredded cheese – mozzarella – $2.85
parmesan cheese – $1.99
Total – $12.71