Farmers Breakfast Casserole

I decided I was going to start a new Thanksgiving tradition this year and start the day with a breakfast casserole. I'm already going to consume a million calories this afternoon, so why not get a head start? This was very simple to make and it is amazing! 

1 package of crescent rolls (I used the buttery, flaky layers, obviously)

1 lb turkey sausage (or regular, whatever floats your boat)

1 cup cheddar cheese (I used sharp)

1/4 cup milk

3 eggs, beaten 

1 cup of baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

1 cup of white onion, chopped 

1 tsp of oregano 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Preheat your oven to 350. Fry and crumble sausage in a skillet with the onions. Take your crescent roll dough and unroll it, pressing it together to form a dough on the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Layer the sausage and onion and mushrooms on the crescent dough, followed by the cheese. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oregano, salt and pepper and pour it over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until dough is golden brown and eggs are cooked. Let cool for a few minutes and then cut and serve! 

 *side note: You may want to pour a little grease off of it after cutting because we all know cheddar cheese is notorious for creating greasy dishes.*

Enjoy! 

Beef Stir Fry

My husband picked stir fry for his birthday dinner. He's usually the one that makes stir fry in our house so I told him that he would have to make it so I wouldn't ruin it...and he believed me! I have my moments but I'd never make him cook his own birthday dinner. Well, needless to say, when he returned home from work the stir fry was waiting for him. I think I did pretty well for my first try. Well enough to share the recipe with you... 

1-2 lbs beef flank steak, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups of broccoli, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups of baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp ginger paste

salt and pepper to taste

First, boil your broccoli. You'll want it to be just barely fork tender. Saute your green pepper and onion in a skillet with the worcestershire sauce, ginger and garlic. In another skillet, heat your olive oil on medium and brown your steak on both sides. It won't be completely cooked through but you don't want that. Flank steak tends to get really tough the longer it cooks. Last, combine your flank steak, mushrooms, green pepper, onion and broccoli into one skillet (preferably a wok if you own one) and add the soy sauce and any salt and pepper you want. Cook for about 10 minutes until steak is cooked through. Serve over rice or asian noodles.

Enjoy! 

Chicken & Mushroom Alfredo Bake

I'll be the first to admit that I kind of have a thing for chicken and mushrooms together so there will probably be plenty of future posts that include these two ingredients. Just a forewarning! I've made this a couple of times in the past and used spaghetti squash as a pasta substitute and that worked out awesome in case you're strictly counting carbs or want to sneak veggies in somewhere. There's a lengthy process involved here as the alfredo sauce is actually a healthy, lightened up version made out of cashews. Yeah, I know, I was skeptical the first time I tried it too. Here goes...

1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 6 hours

8 chicken tenders, diced

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped

2 cups pasta of your choice

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 cup mozzarella

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1.5 - 2 cups of water

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350. Pan fry your chicken in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add 1 tbsp minced garlic, garlic powder and onion powder. Fry until it is cooked through and has a nice golden brown color. 

Take your soaked cashews, drain the water off of them and pour into a food processor or blender. Process them until they form a paste. Add 1/2 cup of water and process some more. Add 1 cup of water and continue processing until it forms a milky liquid. Meanwhile have 1 tbsp garlic sauteing in 2 tbsp of olive oil and pasta boiling until tender. Pour in the cashew liquid and stir until it thickens. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring. Once the cheese is melted, add your chicken and mushrooms to the sauce. You can add up to 1/2 cup water if the sauce is too thick for your taste.

In a greased glass baking dish layer your pasta and pour the chicken/mushroom/sauce mixture over the top. Coat it with the mozzarella cheese, cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. 

When you take it out the cheese will be melted and you will be ready to devour this delicious alfredo bake. Serve with salad and/or garlic bread and enjoy! 

Mardi Gras Fried Cabbage

I dubbed this dish Mardis Gras Fried Cabbage because the bright colors make it look like a party in a pan. I liked using the red cabbage instead of the regular green cabbage because it didn't wilt completely so there was still some crunch to each bite. It made for a more enjoyable texture in my opinion. 

You'll need:

1 package smoked turkey sausage, chopped

1/2 red cabbage, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

4-5 baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp fat (can be oil, bacon grease, lard...it's up to you!)

2 tbsp Nature's Seasons (seasoning)

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Melt your fat source in a skillet (I used cast iron) and then add your cabbage, onion, mushroom and garlic to sauté. In another skillet brown your sausage. After the veggies have fried for about 25-30 minutes, season them and add the sausage to the skillet and cook together for another 5-10 minutes. 

This turned out to be surprisingly filling and delicious. It was my first experience with fried cabbage and definitely won't be my last. Enjoy! 

Cajun Pork Cutlet & Mushrooms

Fried pork cutlet is my husband's favorite meal. Yes, I'm talking about the cheap, ground, $2 a pound pork cutlet. I give in and make it from time to time but tonight I decided to dress it up a little to make it more enjoyable for me. You'll need:

2 Pork cutlets (double recipe if needed)

1 cup Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

2 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tbsp olive oil 

Melt butter in a skillet on medium. Coat pork cutlet lightly in flour and place it in the hot skillet. Season one side with Cajun seasoning. Flip after a few minutes and season the other side with more Cajun. Meanwhile in another small skillet sauté the mushrooms and add a tsp of garlic powder for extra flavor. Once your pork cutlets are golden brown and cooked through (about 10 minutes), pour mushrooms over the top and serve. 

This turned out delicious and was a very quick, simple and CHEAP meal. Enjoy!