Cheesy Spinach Casserole

Total Time 60 min
Prep 15 min, Cook 45 min
Servings 8

2 10-ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, press out liquid

¼ chopped onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 8-ounce package cottage cheese, low-fat 2%

½ cup feta cheese

½ cup Monterey jack cheese

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoned salt or other spice mixture to taste

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, hard (not the dried kind in a can)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Defrost spinach in the boxes or in a 2-quart casserole dish.
Fry chopped onions in oil until they are translucent and begin to soften.
Mix all ingredients except for the Parmesan cheese in the casserole dish. Sprinkle Parmesan on top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean and cheese on top begins to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Serve warm 

Comments:  I found this recipe on the Verywell Fed site and since I love spinach I had to give it a try.  I made 2 changes: I used a teaspoon of minced garlic and didn't add the lemon juice.  It turned out delicious and I can't believe how few calories it contains.  I baked mine in a pie plate which made it easy to divide into 8th's giving me as well as my food testers a nice serving to eat and really enjoy.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	117
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	9%
Saturated Fat 4g	20%
Cholesterol 65mg	22%
Sodium 310mg	13%
Total Carbohydrate 4g	1%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 2g
Includes 0g Added Sugars	0%
Protein 11g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 230mg	18%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 219mg	5%

Pita Burgers

Lean Ground Beef
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Cheese, shredded
Sauted Onions
Pita Bread

Brown the ground beef.  Drain if needed.  While the meat is still hot add to taste - ketchup, mustard mayonnaise and cheese.  Stuff into pita halves.  Top with grilled onions.

Comment:  My dog wasn't feeling well so I browned him some ground beef and mixed a little with his dog food to get him to eat.  I had about 3/4 lb. left over and didn't know what to do with cooked, crumbled ground beef, other than spaghetti, etc.  Then it hit me.  I heated it back up, added the toppings I normally add to my burgers along with shredded cheese.  I sauted some onions, stuffed the meat mixture into pita halves  and added the onions on top.  The cheese acted as a glue holding the meat together, keeping it from falling out of the pita.  The taste was better than a regular hamburger!  I took some to one of my Food Testers.  She loved it so much she bought some ground beef and pitas and 2 nights later she made her own.  I'm sure you could add tomatoes and lettuce if you use the larger pitas.  I used the small. 

Pineapple Cobbler

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into chunks
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 stick butter
1 cup self rising flour
1/2 cup milk
extra butter and white sugar for top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a large cast iron frying pan, melt the stick of butter.  Add the pineapple and brown sugar.  Cook on med-high heat until the pineapple starts to become limp.  In a bowl mix the flour and enough milk to make it the consistency of pancake batter.  Pour over hot pineapple.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until crust topping is done.  Dot extra butter over top of crust.  Sprinkle with white sugar.  Bake another 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Comments:  This is a dish I simply made up as I went along.  The pineapple was nice and sweet allowing me to use only 1/2 cup of the sugar.  The pineapple also provided the liquid needed.  I took this to the nursing home and the nurses there raved over how delicious it is.  I'm sure you could use canned pineapple but I don't know if you would get the liquid nor the touch of tartness that a fresh pineapple provided.

Shrimp Alfredo Mac & Cheese

1 box (16 oz.) elbow macaroni
1 jar (16 oz.) Alfredo Sauce
1 lb. shrimp, cooked and cleaned
1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheese
Panko

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook macaroni according to package directions.  In a large bowl combine Alfredo sauce, cream cheese and cheese.  Stir in shrimp and noodles.  Pour into a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with Panko and bake another 5 minutes.

Comments:  My nursing home friend loves shrimp, Alfredo and cheese so I came up with a combination that included all of these and named it Shrimp Alfredo Mac & Cheese.  I found the shrimp on sale - large buy one get one - so I used a bag of them cutting each into bite size pieces.  This dish came out simply delicious.  I sent some over to my 99 yr. old friend and she loved it too.

Sock-it-to-Me Cake

1 yellow cake mix

4 large eggs

1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese + 2 Tbsp. milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

Streusel Filling:

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Glaze:

½ cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. melted butter

1 tsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.  Melt cream cheese in microwave until soft.  Stir in milk.  Combine cake mix, eggs, water and cream cheese.  Mix well for 2-3 minutes on medium speed.  Pour ½ of the batter into the pan.  In another bowl mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans.  Sprinkle evenly over the cake batter (save 2-3 Tbsp. for topping).  Add remaining batter over streusel mix.  Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Glaze:  Mix the powdered sugar, melted butter and milk.  Drizzle over hot cake that has been placed on a plate.  Sprinkle with remaining streusel filling.

COMMENT:  I have a friend who is 99 years old and her favorite cake is the Sock-it-to-Me Cake.  I normally buy one but when I was getting ready to make something good to take to the nursing home on Sunday I spotted a Sock-it-to-Me Cake on the Duncan Hines site.  I checked it out and found it a bit hard to read due to the way it was written but decided to give it a try anyway.  The original recipe called for sour cream, which I normally keep but found that I was out and didn't want to go all the way to the store for just one cup.  Then I spotted the cream cheese.  I knew that if I microwaved it and added just a little milk it would end up the consistency of sour cream so I made that substitution.  It was one that I'll be using in the future for not only sweet dishes but also a few veggie dishes.  The original also called for a carton of their frosting mix.  I seldom use store bought frosting so I made up my own using the powdered sugar.  They also added 1/4 cup of sugar to the cake mix.  I couldn't see the need so I eliminated that.  My only other change was to save some of the streusel to sprinkle on the top.  All of these changes worked beautifully.  The taste the cream cheese gave the cake was so good.  This is a simple, yet one of the best cakes that would be great for the upcoming holidays.

White Chip Pudding Cookies

1 cup vegetable oil

¹⁄₄ cup sugar 

³⁄₄ cup brown sugar,  firmly packed

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 (3 ounce) package chocolate instant pudding mix 

2 large eggs 

1teaspoon baking soda 

2 ¹⁄₄ cups self rising flour 

1cup white chocolate chips (more or less to taste)

1cup nuts (optional)

Mix flour and baking soda and set aside.  Then combine butter, sugars, vanilla, and pudding mix in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs.  Gradually add flour mixture.  Then stir in chips (batter will be stiff).  Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased baking sheet.  (it works well to roll dough in ball and slightly flatten).  Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Comments:  These cookies are delicious!  I made a batch to take to the nursing home and believe me they didn't last long.  The nurses all raved about them.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1 lb. fresh Brussels Sprouts
4 thick slices raw bacon
1 med. Onion
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Clean and slice Brussels Spouts in half.  Cut bacon into small pieces.  Cut onion in half and thinly slice.  In a baking dish toss together Brussels Sprouts, bacon, onions, olive oil and garlic.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until tender and slightly browned.  Turn the oven off.  Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Return to the oven for about 5 minutes allowing the cheese to start melting.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 391
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 27 g	42 %
Saturated Fat 7 g	34 %
Monounsaturated Fat 10 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 47 mg	16 %
Sodium 1129 mg	47 %
Potassium 395 mg	11 %
Total Carbohydrate 13 g	4 %
Dietary Fiber 5 g	19 %
Sugars 3 g
Protein 24 g	48 %
Vitamin A	24 %
Vitamin C	89 %
Calcium	35 %
Iron	6 %

Blueberry Cookies

1 pkg (7 oz.) Blueberry Muffin Mix
3/4 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix muffin mix and butter until well blended.  Shape into balls about the size of a large walnut.  Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press down with a fork.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until bottoms just start to brown.  Makes 9-12 cookies depending on size.

Again I was trying to come up with something different to take to my friend for my Sunday visit.  I thought about making muffins but thought those might be a bit messy since she has to eat everything while sitting up in bed.  Then it hit me that if I added nothing but butter to the muffin mix that I just might be able to make cookies.  YES!!!! It worked and they are delicious.  I took some to a couple of my food testers and they both loved them.  They agreed they had never even heard of blueberry cookies and were shocked when I told them what they were made from.  Next I'm going to make Apple Cinnamon Muffin Cookies. 

If you use a larger package you will have to increase the amount of melted butter.  I started off with 1/2 stick of butter but it wasn't quite enough so I took it up to 3/4 of a stick.  Experiment with the amount of butter when using a larger package of muffin mix by increasing it until you have a texture that will easily roll into balls.  With these cookies you not only taste the blueberry but also butter making a beautiful combination.

Mandarin Orange Cottage Cheese

1 large carton (24 oz.) cottage cheese
1 carton (8 oz.) Cool Whip
2 cans Mandarin oranges drained (about 1 cup)
1 pkg. Orange Jello

Mix cottage cheese, cool whip and jello until well blended.  Fold in oranges.  Cover and refrigerate.

Comment:  I have a dear friend who I visit every Sunday at a nursing home.  I know the food there may not be the best so I try to bring something special to each visit.  This always prompts a conversation about food and old recipes.  She told me about a dish that she had a long time ago that was so good, so easy and only required 4 ingredients.  She didn't know the measurements but said it was something she really missed.  I went by the store on my way home and bought the 4 ingredients above perfected it with my 1st try. 

This dish is creamy and feels so cool to the tongue.  I've actually made it twice.  Once using the oranges and orange jello, once using pineapple chunks and pineapple jello.  Both are delicious.  This also makes a large amount.  I would guess the number of servings as 10-12 depending on your serving size.

Spinach Quiche

1 Tbsp. butter
8 medium green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pkg (1 lb.) fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup cottage cheese (or sour cream)
1/2 cup biscuit mix
1 cup milk (or half & half)
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 eggs
1/2 Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
(add 6 strips cooked, crumbled bacon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a pie plate (9 x 1 1/4") with non-stick spray.  Melt butter in 10" skillet over medium heat.  Cook onions and garlic in butter 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are tender.  Stir in spinach.  Spread spinach mixture in pie plate.  Mix biscuit mix with sour cream, milk, pepper and eggs.  Stir in Parmesan Cheese and nutmeg.  Pour over spinach.  Bake 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

COMMENTS:  This dish is simple and delicious!  The original recipe came from a Bisquick cookbook.  I made a change in the dish I used for baking.  I used a 9 x 9 x 2 baking dish instead of the pie plate.  I also added 6 strips of cooked, crumbled bacon, used sour cream instead of cottage cheese and half & half instead of milk.  You could change this out and use ham if you like.  No matter what, this is going to come out great!

Hamburger Parmigiana

1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup soft breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. lean ground beef
vegetable cooking spray
1 jar/can spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded or 4 slices
1/2 lb spaghetti, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl combine eggs, salt and pepper; beat with a wire whisk until blended.  In another bowl combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, stirring well.  Form ground beef into 4 patties.  Dip into egg mixture and then into bread crumb mix.  Saute in a large skillet coated with cooking spray until golden brown.  Remove from skillet and remove skillet from heat.  Pour spaghetti in to the skillet.  Top with patties.  Top each with cheese.  Pour spaghetti sauce over everything and bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.  Serves 4.

Martha:  This recipe was originally for veal but I don't eat veal so I decided to make hamburger patties and use them instead.  This turned out delicious.  I did serve it with extra Parmesan over the top.   You could also cut the size of the patties down and make 6 if you want.  Serve with a salad and you have a wonderful meal.

Baked Broccoli Bites

12 oz. broccoli, chopped, thawed
1 large egg
2 Tbsp diced onions
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 tsp. minced garlic

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.  Shape mixture into bite size logs, pressing firmly together to prevent them from falling apart.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned and hot throughout.

Comment:  A version of this recipe came from a site titled Yummly.  I did my usual and made a couple of changes.  I used chopped broccoli instead of the larger pieces or fresh.  I eliminated the salt and pepper.  The recipe called for 1 tsp of each and I found that was too much due to the salt in the cheeses.  The original recipe quoted this as having only 12 calories per serving with the recipe making 4 servings.  I can't vouch for that but I can say that this is one delicious 'snack' food.  I'll be making this later using spinach.  I have a feeling it will be just as good and possibly even better.

S'Mores Brownies

1 pkg (family size) brownie mix
chocolate chips
marshmallows

Make brownies according to directions on package.  Cool until they are lightly warm.  Top with chocolate chips.  Top with marshmallows.  Turn oven to broil.  Place under broiler and allow to lightly brown.  Cool completely before slicing.

Comments:  I don't like chocolate but my food testers do.  I had an idea for a S'Mores Cake but when I saw that I had a Family Size box of brownies I decided to use it instead with the idea of them giving this dish the gooey texture.  It worked!!!!  Guess you could use a cake mix but it just wouldn't be the same.  This is a must try for chocolate lovers.

Pumpkin Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 can pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 stick butter, melted
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water
2 cartons (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread
1 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl mix cake mix, pumpkin, butter, eggs, cinnamon and water until smooth and creamy.  (I mixed my butter with the pumpkin to cool it off).  Pour into 2 cake pans sprayed with non-stick or 1 bundt pan sprayed with non-stick or 1 deep square pan sprayed with non-stick.  Bake according to time on the cake box or until toothpick comes out clean.  I used a large square pan and cooked mine for about 45 minutes.  If using a bundt or deep square pan, allow cake to cool and slice across the center making 2 layers.  In another large bowl mix cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Add more if needed to make a creamy, spreadable mixture.  After cake cooks, ice.  Refrigerate.

Comment:  A friend gave me 2 containers of Philadelphia Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese and I had no idea what to do with it.  It is delicious as is but the expiration date was coming up soon and I knew I would never eat both containers before that date.  I've made cream cheese frosting before and know how delicious it is so why not make Pumpkin Cream Cheese frosting.  The cake portion came partly from a recipe I found online for a layered, bar cake/cookie but it gave me enough information to know how much liquid to eliminate while using the can of pumpkin.  This one turned out to be a winner.  Even if you don't like pumpkin, you'll never know that is what you're eating.  I gave a big slice to a friend who hates pumpkin.  He loved it.  I told him it was a spice cake with cream cheese icing.  Fooled him!  You can add a few nuts to the cake or icing if you like to give it another texture.  Oh yeah, the frosting makes enough that you can put a nice thick layer between the layers.  Enjoy!

Spinach Pull Aparts

1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 pkg. garlic knots, sliced into 2 pieces each
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Pizza blend cheese
butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In the bottom of a non-stick dish or dish sprayed with non-stick spray, place arrange the garlic knots so they are touching but not tight.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Evenly top with spinach.  Sprinkle with Pizza blend cheese.  Dot with butter.  Bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Comment:  I've had the thought of this dish floating around in my head for some time now and finally decided to give it a try.  My original thought was to use crescent roll bread but when I spotted the garlic knots I changed my mind.  This recipe is a 1st try and it will be my last or should I say only one.  This is soooooo good.  I'm serving it with wings but believe me, it's delicious by itself.  It's quick, easy, and so appealing to the eye.

Coconut Pecan Cornbread

1 pkg. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup powdered sugar
cream (milk or water if you want)

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix muffin mix according to package directions.  Stir in coconut and pecans.  Pour into 3 mini-loaf pans.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Mix the powdered sugar with the cream (milk/water) using just enough to allow it to melt and drizzle.  Spoon over hot bread.  Sprinkle with more coconut and chopped pecans (optional)

Comment:  My order at a nearby BBQ house came with a sweet mini-loaf of cornbread.  I don't normally like sweet cornbread but gave it a try.  As I took a bite I noticed how moist it was and that it wasn't very grainy.  This made me start thinking about how good this would be with coconut and pecans added making it a dessert instead of just a bread.  I remembered how sweet Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix is and decided to give it a try.  I didn't hit the nail on the head, but I came close.  The Jiffy Mix did have a bit more of a grainy texture but it still worked beautifully.  And my food testers loved it too!  One stood eating her whole loaf while we were standing there talking about it.  She said it was that good.

Ham & Cheese Pea Patties

1 can black eyed peas, drained
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 green onions, chopped with tops
ham
cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a med. cast iron frying pan pour enough oil to cover the bottom.  Place in the oven while it preheats to get it sizzling hot.  In a bowl mix peas, cornmeal, milk, egg and onions.  Pour half of the mixture into the frying pan with the hot oil.  It should sizzle when poured in. Top with a layer of cheese, a layer of ham, and another layer of cheese.  Evenly spread the remaining mix.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until browned and done on the inside.

Comments:  I've made what I call Georgia Pea Patties for years, using my mother's recipe.  Normally I fry them but found myself with some leftover ham and decided to give this mixture a try.  Boy is it good!  My food testers all loved it.  One thing to remember about the batter and that is that you wan it about pancake batter thickness.  You want to be able to pour it into the pan.  Also, to test your oil, flip just a drop of 2 of water into it to see if it sizzles before bringing it out of the oven.  When it sizzles you know its' hot enough.  Add as much cheese and ham as you like.  I had some 1/4" thick ham and put a thick layer of cheese before and after the ham.  Plus, if you don't like black eyed peas, I'm sure this will work well with others.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
1 box spice cake mix
1 cup apples, peeled & shredded
brown sugar & cinnamon cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl add pumpkin puree.  Whip it to make it light and airy.  Fold in the shredded apples and then the cake mix.  Place paper liners in muffin tins and then fill each with batter.  Smooth the top of each muffin with a wet spoon.  The batter is thick.  Scoop out a place in the center of each muffin, and drop in one teaspoon of cream cheese per muffin.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until done.

Comments:  This recipe is based off on Rochelle's favorite muffin from Starbucks and sounded so simple and delicious, but of course I made a few changes.  First off, I didn't have a spice cake mix in my pantry but I did have a yellow cake mix.  To that I added 1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice.  This didn't make it as spicy as the spice cake would be but I think I like it better.  It isn't overpowering.  The next change I made was to use plain cream cheese which I added about 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  I probably put a bit more cream cheese than the 1 teaspoon called for but that turned out good too.

And the last change was to sprinkle the muffins with just a little cinnamon before baking.  My muffins came out perfect!!!  Not too strong in spice flavor, just perfect.  Next time I make these, and I will, I'm going to add some chopped walnuts.  This is a must make dish for the fall.  Oh yeah, I used 2 large granny smith apples to make a cup.

Ground Beef & Hashbrowns

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef 

1 cup nacho cheese sauce (from 15-oz jar)

1 can (4 oz) mushrooms, chopped, drained

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (4 oz)

6 frozen hashbrowns (4 x 2 ½”)

Heat oven to 425°F.  In 10-inch ovenproof skillet, cook beef over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in cheese sauce and mushrooms. Top with cheese.  Place hashbrowns on top of cheese.  Bake about 25 minutes or until potatoes are crispy and golden brown and mixture is bubbling. Serves 6

Comment:  This is part of a recipe that I found on the Kraft site.  I changed from peas to mushrooms and used the large hashbrowns.  After the cooking time I did turn on the broiler and let the tops of the hashbrowns crisp just a little. For my skillet I used a square cast iron frying pan.  It worked perfectly.  This dish is so good and if you have a meat and potato foodie, they will love it!

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

1 cup uncooked wild rice blend
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 cup chicken stock
3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 can Rotel
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish with cooking spray.  Sprinkle rice over the bottom.  Top evenly with black beans.  Mix chicken stock, chili powder and cumin.  Slowly pour over beans.  Sprinkle with chicken and evenly pour Rotel over the chicken.  Cover with foil.  Bake 45-50 minutes or until rice is tender.  Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for about 5 minutes allowing the cheese to melt.  Serves 6.  Top with sour cream (optional).

Martha:  As usual, I found the recipe and made a few changes to to make it a little easier.  The original called for long grain rice but I love a blend that I get at Harris Teeter which has barley, wild rice, long grain white rice and rye berries.  This is so good and gives a great texture to the rice.  I added the cumin, used Rotel and changed from a regular cheddar cheese to the Mexican blend.  I also added the sour cream when serving.  This dish was one that my testers requested I make often.