Mashed Potato Casserole

12 medium potatoes
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Directions:
Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain. Mash potatoes in a large bowl. Add cream cheese, sour cram, salt, pepper, and garlic. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in chives. Spoon into a lightly greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with paprika and dot with butter. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes:

Quick and Easy Chicken Cups

1 can Grand® Biscuits
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (or 1-1/2 cups) chicken breast chunks
1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Directions:
Preheat oven according to the directions on the biscuit can. Combine the soup, shredded cheese, chicken chunks, and parsley flakes. Spray muffin tin(s) with cooking spray. Flatten each biscuit and push it into a muffin cup, shaping the biscuit dough to the sides. Fill each cup with chicken mixture. Bake 18 minutes or until the biscuits are browned on the underside and lift easily from the muffin cup.

Tortilla Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes
1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce with herbs
1 small can (4 oz.) green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion and drain thoroughly. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chilies, and taco seasoning to beef and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Grease a 9x13" baking dish. Place two tortillas side by side on the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/4 cup meat sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat to make two stacks of 4 tortillas, each layer covered with meat sauce and cheese. Spoon remaining meat sauce around edges. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese melts and casserole is heated through. Cut each stack into quarters and spoon sour cream over top.

Cheese and Chicken Pot Pie

Filling:

3 tablespoons butter
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large carrots, diced, cooked, and drained
2 large potatoes, diced, cooked, and drained
2 cups frozen peas
4 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Clean and dice celery, and onion. In heavy skillet, melt butter; saute celery and onions until tender. Stir in flour, broth, salt and milk; stir constantly until mixture thickens. Add carrots, potatoes, peas, and chicken. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan and set aside.

Topping

1-1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add butter and blend until texture resembles cornmeal. Add milk and stir well. Turn dough onto a floured board and roll out a rectangle approximately 9"x12". Sprinkle dough with cheese. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting on a 12" side. Slice the roll into 1/2 inch biscuits and place on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is bubbling and biscuits are cooked. 6 to 8 servings.

Notes:
Bake another pan of plain baking powder biscuits to serve on the side.

Tuna Bake

1 small can tuna
1 cup cooked carrots
1 cup cooked peas
1 cup medium white sauce

Directions:
Top with small (unbaked) biscuits. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350°.

Barley-Mushroom Casserole

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 green onions, coarsely chopped 4 ounces mushrooms (12 medium), trimmed and sliced

3/4 cup quick cooking barley 1-3/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 green onions, thinly sliced.

Directions:
In a 2-quart saucepan, saute coarsely chopped green onions and mushrooms until golden brown (5 to 7 minutes). Add barley, broth, thyme, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about ten minutes or until barley is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in thinly sliced green onions and let stand covered for five minutes before serving.

Good Morning Sausage and Egg Casserole

1 pound sausage
2 to 3 slices bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup diced green and red peppers
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:
In a heavy skillet, crumble the sausage and cook over medium heat until well browned. Remove from heat and drain well. Spray an 11x7-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread bread cubes across bottom of dish. Spread peppers and cooked sausage over the bread cubes; top with shredded cheese. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk , salt, and mustard. Whisk together until well blended; pour over the cheese. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve hot and refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 6 servings.

Easy Pot Pie

2 (15 oz.) cans mixed vegetables, drained
1 can cream of potato soup
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cooked and shredded turkey or chicken (1 lb. if buying at the deli)
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 ready-to-bake pie crusts (either homemade or purchased)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. In a mixing bowl, combine drained vegetables, soup, milk, turkey, thyme, and pepper and stir gently until well mixed. Press one pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan. Pour vegetable/chicken mixture into the crust. Place the second crust on top, seal the edges, and cut vents with a sharp knife. Bake about 1 hour on bottom rack in oven, or until crust is browned and filling is hot through. Remove pie from oven, cool for five minutes, cut, and serve.

Notes:
An easy way to use holiday turkey leftovers or a good potluck dish.

Bean Medley Casserole

1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 (16 oz.) can lima beans
1 (16 oz.) can pork and beans
1 (16 oz.) can kidney or red beans
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup brown sugar packed

Directions:
Brown beef and onion; drain well. Combine beef mixture with remaining ingredients, stir well. Place in lightly greased 3-qt. casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Notes:
Barbecue sauce may be substituted for the catsup and brown sugar. A lady in our church brought this dish to a potluck dinner and it was so good that I asked her for the recipe.

Zesty Lima Casserole

1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped and drained (Canned tomatoes work great!)
2 (15-oz.) cans of lima beans, drained
1/4 cup (or less) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tablespoons hot sauce
Velveeta cheese, sliced (enough to make two layers in your casserole dish)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté the onion and green pepper in olive oil until they are tender. Stir in the tomatoes and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add lima beans, salt, and both sauces; simmer a few minutes until heated through. Spray a casserole dish thoroughly with non-stick spray, and place half of the bean mixture in it. Add a layer of cheese, then another layer of beans, and finally another layer of cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and the tomato sauce breaks through, about 30 minutes.

Notes
This is my adaptation of a recipe by Mrs. Tressie M. Houchens of Glasgow, KY which appeared in the December, 2004, Kentucky Living print edition. Serve this casserole with cornbread and salad for a meatless meal.