Weekend Brunch: Alamo Breakfast Casserole

A chilly 45 degrees, sunny skies and everyone is toasty warm in bed. It's the perfect morning to make my egg casserole. Whether you're feeding out-of-towners or the family, this is a really easy and filling breakfast. It's easy to do this one ahead of time also, so you can just pop it in the oven when you're ready to get it started.

Alamo Breakfast Casserole

10 eggs
1 Tbl. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 stick melted butter
1 pint (16 oz) cottage cheese
1 pound shredded monterey jack cheese
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilis

Heat oven to 350
whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder, and butter.
Stir in cheese and chilis.

Pour into lightly greased baking pan. (13x9 dish)

Cover and bake until set, cheese is melted & just beginning to brown. (About 35 minutes)
Serve warm with whole wheat toast and fruit.

Beef and French Onion Soup

The ground was covered in mud puddles, the sky was a dark charcoal gray. Looming over the city was a dull rain and the cold wind could cut you in half. All I wanted was to be at home in my coziest pajamas with a bowl of something warm and comforting.

He has been wanting beef almost everyday for some strange reason. It's not typical and since we are not huge consumers of the meat I had to find some recipes that would fit the bill.

The smells lingering from the kitchen were divine. At last I had come up with something that would suit all of our needs. Beef and French Onion Soup! As we all sat around the table laughing over the days events, this soup certainly warmed the soul! Enjoy!

7 small onions, cut in half and thinly sliced (7 cups)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
3 cans (10 1/2 ounces each) condensed beef consommé
1 AND 1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
8 slices (1/2 inch thick) French bread, toasted
2 cups shredded mozzarella, provolone, or swiss cheese

Toss onions, butter and sugar in slow cooker. Top with bay leaves and beef.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 8 hours or until onions are brown.

stir in beef consommé, apple juice and thyme. Increase heat setting to High. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until hot. Remove bay leaves.

To serve, spoon into ovenproof soup bowls and top each serving with slice of toast and 1/4 cup cheese.

We had some loaves of sourdough bread from our recent trip to San Francisco stored in the freezer. I topped our yummy soup with toasted slices!

Alongside this yummy dish, I served grilled sandwiches. My vegetarian daughter had to have a colby/jack grilled cheese. For him, a turkey and meunster.

Twas the Eve of Thanksgiving

Comfortably sitting in my cozy chair, feet up, prep work done, I have time to reflect on my daily blessings. My life is so truly incredibly undeniably blessed. I have 2 amazing daughters, 3 wonderful almost-stepsons, a man that is my strength, and I am so thankful that as a mother and future-wife, I have the opportunity to prepare a harvest meal for my family to indulge in. My mother taught me (made me, ahem) years ago to prepare several different dishes. I groaned and complained in my teen years, but grew to appreciate the art of cooking as I grew into a young married woman and mother. Gratefulness spills from my heart this evening as I look around my home and feel the warmth of the room, the sounds of laughter of my children, smell the delicious dinner that is wafting through the air and have comfort that I am saved in the Lord.

Having a blended family in today's world makes life a little different when it comes to Thanksgiving holiday traditions and meal planning. In an effort to have a semi-traditional dinner, but with a twist, I am sitting in my chair on the eve of preparing Thanksgiving dinner for our family!

This year, it was decided that we would have our first "family" thanksgiving dinner at our house. Just the 7 of us. So, the menu was started....

Thanksgiving morning breakfast: homemade Banana Bread while we watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Roasted Turkey
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Parmesan Hazelnut Asparagus
Green Beans with Browned Butter
Twice Baked Streusel sweet potatoes
Creamy Mashed potatoes (what's Thanksgiving without Gravy, right?)
Rice for him
Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls with homemade honey butter

For Dessert, Key Lime Pie and Peach Cobbler.

Here's to a happy holiday with your loved ones!

Green Chicken

This is one filling and tasty recipe! I got 4 stars from my kiddos!

1 pkg vegetable soup mix
2 cups chicken broth
6 chicken breasts (however many will feed your family)
1 pkg of frozen broccoli florets
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

in the crock pot, mix together soup mix and broth. Add chicken (mine was frozen) and top with frozen broccoli. cook for 6-8 hours on low.

Once your chicken and broccoli is cooked, remove both from crock pot. strain your broth mixture, so you are sure to get all of the broccoli pieces out!!!

In a pan, I melt 1 stick of butter, add 1/2 cup of flour, and about 2-3 cups of milk (depends on how thick you want your sauce). Allow to thicken slightly, salt and pepper to taste and Add 2 cups of shredded cheese. I used cheddar and I had a little velveeta leftover in the fridge so I added about 8 oz.
Once the cheese mixture is nice and smooth and simmering on low, add the strained broccoli.

Shred your cooled chicken and you can either
1) add chicken to the cheesy mixture
2) spoon the cheesy mixture over the chicken!

I serve mine over rice! And Yum, this beautiful green chicken is really somethin'!

Mac and Cheese

This has to be my favorite recipe and it happens to be the only kind of mac and cheese that my family will eat....no inhale! It's a classic comfort food with the perfect flavor! It's so simple!

*Tip: start a pot of water boiling as soon as you get home from work, etc. That way, you can allow time for your water to boil as you get settled, that way when it's time to cook, your water is already the perfect temp!

*Tip: When boiling, then baking pasta, you never have to "finish" boiling your pasta, because it will become overcooked when you bake it!

Mac and Cheese

1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup of flour
2 cups macaroni
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese, reserve 1/2 cup
salt and pepper

prepare macaroni as directed minus about 5 minutes, cook just until done (it will bake, so do not overcook)
in a saucepan melt butter, add flour to make a thick roo, season with salt and pepper, slowly add milk just to thicken, remove from heat and add cheese (be sure to mix up your cheeses to make it just to your flavor) and stir quickly to allow cheese to melt.

Add drained macaroni to cheese mixture and stir well. Pour into 8x8 baking dish. top with reserved cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the "cheesy crust" is golden brown!

Peach Cobbler

I consider myself somewhat of a Georgia Peach! There is nothing quite like this juicy fruit of the south when it's at its best! I LOVE peach cobbler and this version, slow cooked, is an absolute delight! Indulge yourself!

3/4 c. Bisquick
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 can evaporated milk
2 teaspoons margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs
3 large ripe peaches, mashed, or 2 cans sliced peaches, drained.
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Lightly grease slow cooker or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine sugars and baking mix. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Pour in butter and milk and stir.

Add peaches and cinnamon, until well mixed. Pour into your slow cooker.

Cover, cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Serve warm! What's peach cobbler without vanilla ice cream???

4 Ingredients To Chocolate Heaven

Fudge Boy Chocolate Cake:

1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
3 cups cold milk
1 pkg. chocolate fudge cake mix
1 pkg. thawed whipped topping

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk. Pour into slow cooker.

In same bowl, prepare cake batter per package directions. Pour batter over pudding, careful not to stir. Cover.

Cook on HIGH 2-1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Turn slow cooker off, but keep it covered for at least 20 min. or until pudding becomes thick. Serve topped with whipped topping.