::Breakfast Pizza::

We tried this a few weeks ago, and I totally didn't even think to get a picture of it. I promise, it's not super pretty to look at, but we have it on the menu for the holiday weekend coming up, so I'll try to give you a look at it then...better, just make it.

Ingredients:

1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 lb bulk pork sausage (I don't do breakfast sausage - I hate anything sweet on meat, so use what you like. We used mild)

1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (we used a colby jack - again, do what you want here)

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Unroll crescent dough and place on a greased 12 inch pizza pan (I wasn't in the mood, so I used a 13 x 9 - less work when it comes to rolling out the dough); press seams together and press up sides of pan to form a crust. In a skillet, brown sausage over medium heat; drain and cool slightly. Sprinkle sausage, hash browns, and cheddar cheese over crust.

In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, and pepper together; pour over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if you or your kiddos don't like Parmesan, you can use more of the same cheese that was used earlier). Bake at 375ºF for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand about 10 minutes before cutting.

Yields 6-8 servings.

Here are some tips...

- When I used my 13 x 9 pan I didn't really have to press the dough up the sides since there was no worry of spillage.

- Since I only had a little less than half a bag of shredded hashbrowns in the freezer, I added the whole bag and put in another egg.

- The first slice, I ate with Tapatío (my favorite hot sauce). The second, with the newest addition to the spice cabinet, Creole seasoning...fantastic. **Side Note: I'm ADDICTED to the Creole seasoning and use it on everything from fries to Alfredo sauce...yeah, it's THAT bad.

::Italian Pasta & Beef Bake::

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups uncooked penne pasta (6 oz) – Any shape is fine

½ lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1 can (15 oz) Italian-style tomato sauce

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained

1 jar (4.5 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 oz)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, tomatoes and mushrooms. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat; pour into baking dish.

3. Add cooked pasta; stir gently to mix. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; place sprayed side down on baking dish, and seal tightly.

4. Bake 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is melted.

I serve this with a side salad (usually Caesar) and some garlic bread. It makes a pretty rounded meal. Just another way to satisfy the spaghetti craving without the rut of plain old spaghetti each time. On occasion, I use bulk sausage instead of hamburger. It kind of depends on what’s on sale.

::Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake::

I absolutely LOVE this recipe. McKayla will eat everything on her plate whenever this is on the menu.
The recipe does seem pretty large, that's because it actually makes 2 full casserole pans. This is the BEST part. I usually make this at least once a month. First, some great ideas to do with the extra pan of food!
-Freeze the second pan to use on a day you might not have time for a healthy dinner.
-For a smaller family (this makes a LOT), you can actually divide this between 4 square pans.
-I make one full 13x9 pan and 2 square pans, this way, we can use the small ones and have a large one anytime there's extra people around.
-Give the second one away. We take meals to people that have recently had a baby or some sort of illness that may be keeping them from spending time in the kitchen and eating meals.
-Also great if you're having a large family get together, one recipe will feed quite a crowd.


Ingredients:
2 packages (6 oz each) reduced-sodium stuffing mix
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
8 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1-inch strips (to save time, I use the pre-packaged cubed ham from the deli section)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Prepare stuffing mixes according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soup and milk; set aside. Divide chicken between between 2 greased 13x9 baking dishes. Sprinkle with pepper. Layer with ham, Swiss cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, soup mixture, and stuffing. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
Cover and freeze one one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

To Use Frozen Casserole:
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 longer until heating through and cheese is melted.