~*~Once a Month Cooking~*~

1.) Southeast Asian Curry Dish

6 c. cooked chicken, deboned and chopped
4 T. cooking oil
4 T. finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. finely minced ginger root
4 c. coconut milk
1 T. curry powder
1 T. chili powder
1 t. salt (opt.)
4 c. water
8 c. cooked brown rice
Heat oil in frying pan. Sauté onion, garlic and ginger until brown. Add coconut milk, curry, chili powder and salt. Stir fry 2-3 min. on medium heat. Add chicken. Freeze rice and chicken mixture in separate ziploc bags. Freeze.

2.) Chicken & Dressing

2x
4 c. diced, cooked chicken
12-16 T. butter
1 med onion, minced
1 c. diced celery
4 eggs, beaten
3 c. milk
18-20 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
2-3 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in large pot. Sauté onion and celery. In large, separate bowl, pour eggs and milk over bread cubes and toss until completely moistened. Add this to celery and onion and fry until lightly browned. Add chicken. Freeze in ziploc bags. Freeze broth in glass jars, plastic containers, or ziploc bags. To serve, thaw. Pour mixture into large, heavy pot. Pour half of broth over top. Heat over medium heat until hot all the way through, adding more of the broth as mixture becomes dry.

3.) Zesty Italian Casserole

3x
2 lb. ground Italian turkey sausage
¼ c. chopped onion
¼ c. Italian seasoning (See Make Your Own)
2 c. can tomato sauce
1½ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ c. sour cream
2 8 oz. cans crescent rolls or enough whole wheat dough to make one loaf of bread (See “Make Your Own”)
2 T. butter
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
Brown ground turkey sausage and onions. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce and seasoning. Remove from heat and spoon into ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Combine mozzarella cheese and sour cream. Spoon over meat sauce. Separate crescent rolls and place rectangles over cheese or spread bread dough across top of casserole. Melt butter and combine with Parmesan cheese. Spread over dough. Cover and freeze. To serve, place into 325° oven while frozen. Bake 1½-2 hours or until done and bread or roll dough is brown. Check often. If bread dough becomes too brown, cover to finish cooking.

4.) CHEESY Chicken and Rice Bake
1x

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup uncooked regular white rice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

To freeze: Dump all ingredients into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.

To cook: Thaw in refrigerator. Place all ingredients in a 2 quart shallow baking dish. Cover. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until chicken and rice are done.

5.) TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS
1x

1 bag of frozen chicken wings
1 cup of soy sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. ginger

Divide chicken wings between 2 or 3 one gallon bags. In a 4 cup measuring cup assemble remaining ingredients and stir. Divide teriyaki sauce between the 2 or 3 bags of chicken wings, and freeze. To prepare chicken wings, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Place wings in a large baking pan along with teriyaki sauce. Heat oven to 400° and bake for 30 minutes turning once. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli.

6.)Chicken Enchiladas

2x
(Freeze the tortillas separately for this easy dinner)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 pint sour cream
pinch garlic powder
1 can diced green chiles
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 dozen flour tortillas
grated Monterey Jack cheese

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon into a 1 gallon freezer bag and lay flat to freeze.

To prepare: Thaw sauce and tortillas. Spoon a bit of the chicken mixture into each tortilla. Roll up and place side by side in a 9 X 13 baking pan. Pour remaining mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

7.) Crockpot Chili

2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
3 16-oz. cans kidney beans, drained
2 16-oz. cans Northern beans
4 14 ½ oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 medium onions, chopped
1 c. chopped green peppers
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients, and separate into 2 1-gallon freezer bags (I used frozen bell peppers and chopped onion for mine…). Seal and lay flat to freeze.

When ready to serve, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Pour chili into crockpot, and cook on low 8 – 10 hours. (I cheated on this too. I defrosted slightly in the microwave, then put everything in the crockpot on high for an hour. After that, I switched it back to low for the remaining cooking time.)

8.) Tater Tot Casserole

2 lbs. Hamburger 1 Envelope dry onion soup mix 2 lbs. tator tots 2 cans mushroom soup 1 Pint sour cream Brown hamburger and place in a 10" x 14" baking dish. Sprinkle soup mix over meat, then place one layer of tater tots on top of that. Freeze. Thaw (it doesn't have to be completely thawed). Mix soup and sour cream together, pour over tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Serves 6 - 8 people.

9.) PORK BARBECUE
1x

Pork roast
BBQ sauce of your choice (I highly recommend "Bone Suckin' Sauce" from NC!)
Sandwich rolls or buns

Place pork roast and BBQ sauce in crockpot. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred, cool, bag and freeze. You can freeze the buns as well, so you have enough for your family, and can buy them in bulk.

Reheat and serve on buns with slaw on the side:

BEST Southern Cole Slaw Recipe:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Combine and mix until smooth. Pour over shredded cabbage (I get the pre-shredded bags from the store) and allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour. The longer the slaw marinates, the better it is! -Christy (Southern girl at heart if not locale)

10.) Tamale Corn Casserole

2x
Serves 10
3 c. corn meal
8 c. water
6 cups whole kernel corn
2 c. chopped olives
1 c. chopped onion
2 c. tomato sauce
½ c. green chilies (opt.)

Boil water. Add corn meal. Cook until the consistency of mush. Cook corn, olives, onion and chilies in tomato sauce over medium high heat until onion is transparent. If mixture boils down too much, add water. In casserole dish, place half of mush. Pour vegetable mixture over this. Top with remaining corn mush mixture. Cover; freeze. Place directly into 350° oven from freezer. Bake 2 hours or until hot and cooked through. This is very good!

11.) South of the Border Chicken Bake
1x
2 cans cream of mushroom soup -- 10 3/4 oz.
2 cans cream of chicken soup -- 10 3/4 oz.
3 1/2 cups milk
4 cups cooked chicken -- chopped
2 onions -- finely chopped
2 cups salsa
4 cups cheddar cheese -- grated
24 corn tortillas -- each cut into 8 pcs.

In large bowl, combine soups and milk; stir well. Add chicken, onion,
salsa and three cups of grated cheese. Layer tortilla pieces first
followed by chicken mixture into three lightly buttered 8" x 8" baking
pans. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil; label and freeze.

12.) MOTHER'S FRESH BROCCOLI AND HAM CASSEROLE

8 oz. macaroni (small elbows,
small shells or other), cooked
1/4 c. margarine
1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. grated onion (optional)
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. diced leftover ham
2 c. cooked, chopped broccoli
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 c. corn flakes or bread crumbs, mixed in 2 tsp.
melted margarine

Cook macaroni. Rinse with boiling water. Make white
sauce of margarine, flour and milk. Add cheese, onion and
mustard. Fold in mayonnaise, ham, broccoli and seasonings.
Top with corn flakes or bread crumbs which have been mixed in melted margarine. Bake in 2 quart casserole at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or bake in several smaller casseroles. Freezes well.

13.) Magnificent Casserole

1x
2 pounds Lean Ground Beef
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 tablespoon Green Pepper -- minced
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Swiss Cheese -- grated
8 ounces Egg Noodles -- (package)
1 pound Cottage Cheese
1/3 cup Green Onion -- chopped
2 cups Tomato Sauce

In a large pan, cook noodles in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain & set aside. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream. Add onion and peppers. Set aside. Brown ground beef & drain any fat. Add tomato sauce to ground beef. Grease 9 x 13 inch cake pan or casserole dish, and arrange the following layers: Noodles, cheese mixture, meat mixture - then repeat. Top with grated Swiss cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Note: If you will be freezing this casserole for later use, you may want to reduce or omit the amount of green pepper and onion which are used, as they have a tendency to get stronger over a long period of time.

14.) Easy Chicken Quesadillas

2 pounds Chicken -- cooked & diced
1 can Green Chiles
1 pound Colby-Jack Cheese -- shredded
1 dozen Flour Tortillas

Mix chicken, chilis & cheese, then freeze in an airtight container. When ready to serve, butter one side of all tortillas. Spoon mixture onto one tortilla, cover with one and lightly brown on each side.

Note: Flour tortillas may also be frozen separate from the chicken mixture, but stored with chicken mixture so all ingredients are on hand when you are ready to serve this meal.

15.) Shepherd's Pie Recipe

This is a tasty shepherd's pie made with ground beef, mashed potatoes, and seasonings. Scroll down for more Shepherd's Pie Recipes, including several using leftover beef.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

2 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs, separated

6 tablespoons butter

8 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon ketchup

beef broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Parmesan cheese

16.)Fajitas

Brown ground beef and sauté onions in 2 tablespoons butter until golden. Mix ground beef with onions, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of beef broth and cook, covered, over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist. Beat egg yolks until light, then in another bowl, beat whites until stiff. Beat the yolks, cream, 6 tablespoons butter, and garlic powder into hot mashed potatoes. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Put meat mixture into a casserole then top with potato mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350° until potato topping is puffed and browned, about 25 to 35 minutes.

1 package fajita seasoning

1 to 2 pounds of chicken or steak, sliced into strips

Sliced vegetables (such as onion, green and red peppers)

Flour tortillas or tortilla chips

Grated Cheese (any type)

Sour Cream (optional)

PREPARATION:

Make your own fajitas at home. Buy the fajita seasoning packet and add it to meat and veggies or just the veggies of your choice. Serve with heated flour tortillas or chips and salsa, with store bought store brand tortilla chips and whatever salsa is on sale.

You can get chicken breasts in bulk on sale periodically so when you do make sure to get plenty and stick them in your freezer.

17.) Quick, Easy -N- Fast Burrito Casserole Recipe

For the filling:
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. olive oil
2 1-pound cans black, pinto, or pink beans, rinsed and drained
1 C. tomato sauce
2 t. ground cumin
4 fresh or pickled jalapeño chilies if desired, seeded and chopped
1/4 C. chopped fresh coriander if desired
twelve 7- to 8-inch flour tortillas warmed
1 1/2 C. grated Monterey Jack (about 6 oz.)
guacamole and tomato salsa as accompaniments

Make the filling:
In a large heavy skillet cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over
moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the beans, and
mash about half of them coarse with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the tomato|
sauce, the cumin, the chilies, and salt and black pepper to taste, simmer the
mixture, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is thickened slightly, and
stir in the coriander.
Working with 1 warmed tortilla at a time and keeping the others covered, spread
about 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center of each tortilla and roll the
tortillas, enclosing the filling but keeping the ends open. Arrange the
burritos, seam sides down, in one layer in a baking dish, sprinkle them with the
Monterey Jack, and bake them, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated
350°F. oven for 10 minutes. Serve the burritos with the guacamole and the salsa.

Makes 12 burritos, serving 6.

18.) Asparagus casserole

2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans cut asparagus, drained
1-1/2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. flour
3/4 c. milk
2/3 c. Cheddar cheese, grated
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. Ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350° F
Place cut asparagus in casserole dish.
In small pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add
flour, then add milk gradually. Cook slowly until thickened,
stirring constantly. Add cheese and salt.comPour sauce over asparagus, sprinkle with cracker
crumbs and dot over top with butter. bake 30 minutes.

19.) Crab and Macaroni Casserole

2 C. shell or elbow macaroni
1-1/4 C. milk
1 can cream of celery soup
1 C. cooked peas or carrots
1 t. salt
1/2 t. onion salt
dash of black pepper
1 lb. crab meat, picked over or 2 small cans, drained or can use
imitation crab meat pieces
1 roll Ritz type crackers, crushed
1/4 lb. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350° F
Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Melt butter
and mix with crackers; set aside. Cook macaroni al dente to package
directions. Drain and rinse with cool water and drain again.
Add milk to soup and heat until hot. Add peas, salt, onion salt and
pepper; then add the crab meat, mixing lightly. Pour into casserole
dish. Sprinkle with buttered cracker crumbs and bake
for about 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

20.) Mexican Cheese Casserole

4 chicken
breasts, cooked and cut into pieces or 2-3 cans boned chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 lg. can evaporated milk
1 can chopped green chilies
1 bag Doritos
Grated cheddar cheese
Crush 1/2 package Doritos and line casserole dish. Combine rest of
ingredients and add to Doritos. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and
bake at 350° for 30 minutes
Use remaining Doritos to eat casserole with

21.) TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

1 can tuna (7 1/2 oz)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can green peas
3 cups noodles, cooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Flake tuna in casserole dish. Add soup to tuna. Add noodles, salt, and peas. Stir all together.

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

22.) RICE AND SALMON CASSEROLE

1 can salmon
1 sm. green pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 med. onion, chopped
3 cans tomatoes, chopped
3/4 c. uncooked rice
1 can mushroom soup
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 soup can water

Mix well in lightly greased 2 quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

Here are the recipes I compiled for January! Hope you enjoy! Back to my Blog
1.) Southeast Asian Curry Dish 2x 6 c. cooked chicken, deboned and chopped 4 T. cooking oil 4 T. finely chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 T. finely minced ginger root 4 c. coconut milk 1 T. curry powder 1 T. chili powder 1 t. salt (opt.) 4 c. water 8 c. cooked brown rice Heat oil in frying pan. Sauté onion, garlic and ginger until brown. Add coconut milk, curry, chili powder and salt. Stir fry 2-3 min. on medium heat. Add chicken. Freeze rice and chicken mixture in separate ziploc bags. Freeze. 2.) Chicken & Dressing 2x 4 c. diced, cooked chicken 12-16 T. butter 1 med onion, minced 1 c. diced celery 4 eggs, beaten 3 c. milk 18-20 slices whole wheat bread, cubed 2-3 c. chicken broth salt and pepper to taste Melt butter in large pot. Sauté onion and celery. In large, separate bowl, pour eggs and milk over bread cubes and toss until completely moistened. Add this to celery and onion and fry until lightly browned. Add chicken. Freeze in ziploc bags. Freeze broth in glass jars, plastic containers, or ziploc bags. To serve, thaw. Pour mixture into large, heavy pot. Pour half of broth over top. Heat over medium heat until hot all the way through, adding more of the broth as mixture becomes dry. 3.) Zesty Italian Casserole 3x 2 lb. ground Italian turkey sausage ¼ c. chopped onion ¼ c. Italian seasoning (See Make Your Own) 2 c. can tomato sauce 1½ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded ½ c. sour cream 2 8 oz. cans crescent rolls or enough whole wheat dough to make one loaf of bread (See “Make Your Own”) 2 T. butter 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese Brown ground turkey sausage and onions. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce and seasoning. Remove from heat and spoon into ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Combine mozzarella cheese and sour cream. Spoon over meat sauce. Separate crescent rolls and place rectangles over cheese or spread bread dough across top of casserole. Melt butter and combine with Parmesan cheese. Spread over dough. Cover and freeze. To serve, place into 325° oven while frozen. Bake 1½-2 hours or until done and bread or roll dough is brown. Check often. If bread dough becomes too brown, cover to finish cooking. 4.) CHEESY Chicken and Rice Bake 1x 1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup 1 cup water 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ¾ cup uncooked regular white rice 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves To freeze: Dump all ingredients into 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer. To cook: Thaw in refrigerator. Place all ingredients in a 2 quart shallow baking dish. Cover. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until chicken and rice are done. 5.) TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS 1x 1 bag of frozen chicken wings 1 cup of soy sauce 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 Tbsp. vinegar 1 tsp. garlic salt 1 tsp. ginger Divide chicken wings between 2 or 3 one gallon bags. In a 4 cup measuring cup assemble remaining ingredients and stir. Divide teriyaki sauce between the 2 or 3 bags of chicken wings, and freeze. To prepare chicken wings, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Place wings in a large baking pan along with teriyaki sauce. Heat oven to 400° and bake for 30 minutes turning once. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli. 6.)Chicken Enchiladas 2x (Freeze the tortillas separately for this easy dinner) 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1/2 pint sour cream pinch garlic powder 1 can diced green chiles 3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced 1 dozen flour tortillas grated Monterey Jack cheese Mix first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon into a 1 gallon freezer bag and lay flat to freeze. To prepare: Thaw sauce and tortillas. Spoon a bit of the chicken mixture into each tortilla. Roll up and place side by side in a 9 X 13 baking pan. Pour remaining mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 7.) Crockpot Chili 2x 2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained 3 16-oz. cans kidney beans, drained 2 16-oz. cans Northern beans 4 14 ½ oz. cans diced tomatoes 2 medium onions, chopped 1 c. chopped green peppers 1 tsp. garlic powder 3 Tbsp. chili powder 2 tsp. cumin 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. salt Combine all ingredients, and separate into 2 1-gallon freezer bags (I used frozen bell peppers and chopped onion for mine…). Seal and lay flat to freeze. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Pour chili into crockpot, and cook on low 8 – 10 hours. (I cheated on this too. I defrosted slightly in the microwave, then put everything in the crockpot on high for an hour. After that, I switched it back to low for the remaining cooking time.) 8.) Tater Tot Casserole 1x 2 lbs. Hamburger 1 Envelope dry onion soup mix 2 lbs. tator tots 2 cans mushroom soup 1 Pint sour cream Brown hamburger and place in a 10" x 14" baking dish. Sprinkle soup mix over meat, then place one layer of tater tots on top of that. Freeze. Thaw (it doesn't have to be completely thawed). Mix soup and sour cream together, pour over tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Serves 6 - 8 people. 9.) PORK BARBECUE 1x Pork roast BBQ sauce of your choice (I highly recommend "Bone Suckin' Sauce" from NC!) Sandwich rolls or buns Place pork roast and BBQ sauce in crockpot. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred, cool, bag and freeze. You can freeze the buns as well, so you have enough for your family, and can buy them in bulk. Reheat and serve on buns with slaw on the side: BEST Southern Cole Slaw Recipe: 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup cider vinegar Combine and mix until smooth. Pour over shredded cabbage (I get the pre-shredded bags from the store) and allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour. The longer the slaw marinates, the better it is! -Christy (Southern girl at heart if not locale) 10.) Tamale Corn Casserole 2x Serves 10 3 c. corn meal 8 c. water 6 cups whole kernel corn 2 c. chopped olives 1 c. chopped onion 2 c. tomato sauce ½ c. green chilies (opt.) Boil water. Add corn meal. Cook until the consistency of mush. Cook corn, olives, onion and chilies in tomato sauce over medium high heat until onion is transparent. If mixture boils down too much, add water. In casserole dish, place half of mush. Pour vegetable mixture over this. Top with remaining corn mush mixture. Cover; freeze. Place directly into 350° oven from freezer. Bake 2 hours or until hot and cooked through. This is very good! 11.) South of the Border Chicken Bake 1x 2 cans cream of mushroom soup -- 10 3/4 oz. 2 cans cream of chicken soup -- 10 3/4 oz. 3 1/2 cups milk 4 cups cooked chicken -- chopped 2 onions -- finely chopped 2 cups salsa 4 cups cheddar cheese -- grated 24 corn tortillas -- each cut into 8 pcs. In large bowl, combine soups and milk; stir well. Add chicken, onion, salsa and three cups of grated cheese. Layer tortilla pieces first followed by chicken mixture into three lightly buttered 8" x 8" baking pans. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil; label and freeze. 12.) MOTHER'S FRESH BROCCOLI AND HAM CASSEROLE 1x 8 oz. macaroni (small elbows, small shells or other), cooked 1/4 c. margarine 1/4 c. flour 2 1/2 c. milk 3/4 c. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated 1 tsp. grated onion (optional) 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 c. mayonnaise 1 c. diced leftover ham 2 c. cooked, chopped broccoli 2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 c. corn flakes or bread crumbs, mixed in 2 tsp. melted margarine Cook macaroni. Rinse with boiling water. Make white sauce of margarine, flour and milk. Add cheese, onion and mustard. Fold in mayonnaise, ham, broccoli and seasonings. Top with corn flakes or bread crumbs which have been mixed in melted margarine. Bake in 2 quart casserole at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or bake in several smaller casseroles. Freezes well. 13.) Magnificent Casserole 1x 2 pounds Lean Ground Beef 8 ounces Cream Cheese 1 tablespoon Green Pepper -- minced 1/2 cup Sour Cream 1/2 cup Swiss Cheese -- grated 8 ounces Egg Noodles -- (package) 1 pound Cottage Cheese 1/3 cup Green Onion -- chopped 2 cups Tomato Sauce In a large pan, cook noodles in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain & set aside. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream. Add onion and peppers. Set aside. Brown ground beef & drain any fat. Add tomato sauce to ground beef. Grease 9 x 13 inch cake pan or casserole dish, and arrange the following layers: Noodles, cheese mixture, meat mixture - then repeat. Top with grated Swiss cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Note: If you will be freezing this casserole for later use, you may want to reduce or omit the amount of green pepper and onion which are used, as they have a tendency to get stronger over a long period of time. 14.) Easy Chicken Quesadillas 1x 2 pounds Chicken -- cooked & diced 1 can Green Chiles 1 pound Colby-Jack Cheese -- shredded 1 dozen Flour Tortillas Mix chicken, chilis & cheese, then freeze in an airtight container. When ready to serve, butter one side of all tortillas. Spoon mixture onto one tortilla, cover with one and lightly brown on each side. Note: Flour tortillas may also be frozen separate from the chicken mixture, but stored with chicken mixture so all ingredients are on hand when you are ready to serve this meal. 15.) Shepherd's Pie Recipe 1x This is a tasty shepherd's pie made with ground beef, mashed potatoes, and seasonings. Scroll down for more Shepherd's Pie Recipes, including several using leftover beef. 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 2 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 eggs, separated 6 tablespoons butter 8 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon ketchup beef broth 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Parmesan cheese 16.)Fajitas 1x Brown ground beef and sauté onions in 2 tablespoons butter until golden. Mix ground beef with onions, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of beef broth and cook, covered, over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist. Beat egg yolks until light, then in another bowl, beat whites until stiff. Beat the yolks, cream, 6 tablespoons butter, and garlic powder into hot mashed potatoes. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Put meat mixture into a casserole then top with potato mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350° until potato topping is puffed and browned, about 25 to 35 minutes. 1 package fajita seasoning 1 to 2 pounds of chicken or steak, sliced into strips Sliced vegetables (such as onion, green and red peppers) Flour tortillas or tortilla chips Grated Cheese (any type) Sour Cream (optional) PREPARATION: Make your own fajitas at home. Buy the fajita seasoning packet and add it to meat and veggies or just the veggies of your choice. Serve with heated flour tortillas or chips and salsa, with store bought store brand tortilla chips and whatever salsa is on sale. You can get chicken breasts in bulk on sale periodically so when you do make sure to get plenty and stick them in your freezer. 17.) Quick, Easy -N- Fast Burrito Casserole Recipe 1x For the filling: 1 onion, chopped fine 4 garlic cloves, minced 3 T. olive oil 2 1-pound cans black, pinto, or pink beans, rinsed and drained 1 C. tomato sauce 2 t. ground cumin 4 fresh or pickled jalapeño chilies if desired, seeded and chopped 1/4 C. chopped fresh coriander if desired twelve 7- to 8-inch flour tortillas warmed 1 1/2 C. grated Monterey Jack (about 6 oz.) guacamole and tomato salsa as accompaniments Make the filling: In a large heavy skillet cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the beans, and mash about half of them coarse with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the tomato\| sauce, the cumin, the chilies, and salt and black pepper to taste, simmer the mixture, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is thickened slightly, and stir in the coriander. Working with 1 warmed tortilla at a time and keeping the others covered, spread about 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center of each tortilla and roll the tortillas, enclosing the filling but keeping the ends open. Arrange the burritos, seam sides down, in one layer in a baking dish, sprinkle them with the Monterey Jack, and bake them, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 minutes. Serve the burritos with the guacamole and the salsa. Makes 12 burritos, serving 6. 18.) Asparagus casserole 2x 2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans cut asparagus, drained 1-1/2 tbsp. butter, melted 1 tbsp. flour 3/4 c. milk 2/3 c. Cheddar cheese, grated 1/8 tsp. salt 1/2 c. Ritz crackers, crushed 1/2 tbsp. butter Preheat oven to 350° F Place cut asparagus in casserole dish. In small pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour, then add milk gradually. Cook slowly until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cheese and salt.comPour sauce over asparagus, sprinkle with cracker crumbs and dot over top with butter. bake 30 minutes. 19.) Crab and Macaroni Casserole 1x 2 C. shell or elbow macaroni 1-1/4 C. milk 1 can cream of celery soup 1 C. cooked peas or carrots 1 t. salt 1/2 t. onion salt dash of black pepper 1 lb. crab meat, picked over or 2 small cans, drained or can use imitation crab meat pieces 1 roll Ritz type crackers, crushed 1/4 lb. butter or margarine Preheat oven to 350° F Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Melt butter and mix with crackers; set aside. Cook macaroni al dente to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water and drain again. Add milk to soup and heat until hot. Add peas, salt, onion salt and pepper; then add the crab meat, mixing lightly. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle with buttered cracker crumbs and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 20.) Mexican Cheese Casserole 1x 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces or 2-3 cans boned chicken 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 lg. can evaporated milk 1 can chopped green chilies 1 bag Doritos Grated cheddar cheese Crush 1/2 package Doritos and line casserole dish. Combine rest of ingredients and add to Doritos. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and bake at 350° for 30 minutes Use remaining Doritos to eat casserole with 21.) TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE 2x 1 can tuna (7 1/2 oz) 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 small can green peas 3 cups noodles, cooked 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk Flake tuna in casserole dish. Add soup to tuna. Add noodles, salt, and peas. Stir all together. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 22.) RICE AND SALMON CASSEROLE 2x 1 can salmon 1 sm. green pepper, chopped 3 stalks celery, sliced 1 med. onion, chopped 3 cans tomatoes, chopped 3/4 c. uncooked rice 1 can mushroom soup 1 tbsp. soy sauce 1 soup can water Mix well in lightly greased 2 quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 4 to 6.