Southern Butternut Squash

I finally found a butternut squash casserole (and I bet you could substitute sweet potatoes for the squash with equally delicious results) recipe that uses sweetened condensed milk. I just KNEW there had to be some recipe with that in it! Anyway, this recipe is absolutely delicious! Daddy made a pie with some of the left overs after dinner the other night. Although, I thought (of course) it wasn't quite sweet enough for a pie. :)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups mashed, cooked butternut squash
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Blend together the butternut squash, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, butter, vanilla, cream and sugar.
3. Pour into prepared casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 45 minutes or until set and edges begin to bubble.
4. Prepare a topping if desired by combining 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Mix together and sprinkle over squash before baking.

I did the brown sugar, flour, and butter for the top, but we didn't have any nuts. The topping melted into the rest of the casserole, but that only made those spots that much more delicious!

LINK

Grits 'n' Greens Casserole

This is a recipe that we all enjoy - it's southern all around.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups cream
2. 8 cups chicken broth, divided
3. 2 cups grits - NOT instant or quick-cooking
4. 1 large bag frozen collards (we've used home-grown greens and it works great)
5. 2 sticks butter
6. 2 1/2 cups Parmesan
   
7. 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
8. 1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions:

Grease a 9x13 casserole dish

If you want to brown the casserole, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine cream and 6 cups of the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in grits and cook over medium heat until the grits return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and stir frequently to keep it from burning, 25-30 minutes.

Add milk if needed to thicken to proper consistency (about like slightly runny oatmeal).

While grits are simmering, cook frozen collards with remaining 2 cups of chicken broth 'til tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well in colander, squeezing out remaining liquid.

Add butter, Parmesan and pepper to cooked grits, and stir 'til butter is melted. Stir in cooked greens and spoon into greased casserole dish. Top with additional Parmesan and bacon. Dish can be served at room temperature or heated in a 350 degree oven 'til browned on top.

Green Chile Chicken Casserole

Again, I can't take credit for this recipe as it's another one of my grandmother's.

1 1/3 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup fat-free sour cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (10 1/2 oz) cans condensed 98% fat-free cram of chicken soup, undiluted

1 garlic clove, minced

24 (6 inch) corn tortillas ( I used 20 and if I make it again, I'd use 16)

4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)

2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield: 12 servings

~Kaliste~

Pepperoni Macaroni

2 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) pizza
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/3 cup milk
1 package (3 1/2 oz) sliced pepperoni, halved
1 jar (4 1/2 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzerella cheese


Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain macaroni. In a large bowl, combine pizza sauce, tomato sauce and milk. Stir in sausage mixture, macaroni, pepperoni, mushrooms, and olives.
Transfer to a greased 13in.x9in.x2in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Yield: 8-10 servings


~Kaliste~