Archive for the ‘# Buster Approved’ Category
Zucchini Casserole I
This recipe is from an extensive cookbook titled Favorite Recipes, compiled by the active and retired employees of Michigan Bell in 1981. I made this as written on 28 Jul 2021, the family and I loved this. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Casserole (1½ quart)
Ingredients
- 3 cups zucchini
- ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup biscuit mix, Shortcut
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- salt and pepper, as desired
- garlic salt, or powder, as desired, to taste
Instructions
- First step is to cut the zucchini into ½ inch cubes and dice the bell pepper. I cut some zucchini into ½ inch thick slices, then cut the slices into cubes.
- Preheat your oven to 160° C (325° F), get out and grease a 1½ quart casserole with butter.
- In a mixing bowl, add the biscuit mix, oil, cheese, and egg, mix together. Season as desired with salt and black pepper.
- Fold in zucchini and bell pepper. Mix in garlic salt or garlic powder as desired if using.
- Pour into the prepared casserole.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Serve as a side dish and enjoy.
Notes
Shortcut: Biscuit Mix.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Casserole Cook Book by Better Homes & Gardens, printed in 1961. I made this on 1 Sep 2021, and my parents and I loved this, I did not have any celery on hand so I omitted that, and I did double the tuna and the correct amount to use is now reflected in the recipe below. Easy to prepare and is very tasty. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Casserole (1½ quart)
Ingredients
- 3 cups dry medium egg noodles
- 1 can tuna, drained, flaked, (12 oz / 340 g)
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- ⅓ cup onion, diced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 can condensed cream of celery soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Cook the egg noodles in a pot of salted boiling water until tender. Drain and return to pot.
- To the pot add the tuna, mayo, vegetables, and salt. Mix together with the noodles.
- In a saucepan, mix together the soup and milk, heat on medium low heat until hot.
- When the soup is hot, stir in the cheese and continue to stir until the cheese is melted and blended in.
- Preheat your oven to 220° C (425° F), get out a 1½ quart casserole.
- Pour soup mixture into the noodles, mix to combine.
- Pour mixture into the casserole.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Burger Chili & Chips
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Casserole Cook Book by Better Homes & Gardens, printed in 1961. This recipe sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcuts is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Casserole (1½ quart)
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, or pork, (1 lb)
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ¼ cup celery, diced
- salt and pepper, as desired
- 1 can chili, with beans, (15 oz / 425 g / 2 cups), Shortcuts
- 1½ cup corn chips, divided
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz / 226 g)
Instructions
- In a large non stick pan, brown the meat until no more pink is visible.
- Add the onion and celery and cook until they are tender, season with salt and pepper as desired. Pour off excess fat.
- Mix in the chili.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), grease a 1½ quart casserole with butter.
- Place ⅓ of the corn chips on the bottom of the casserole.
- Add ½ the chili mixture, and ½ the cheese, and add another ⅓ of the corn chips.
- Add the rest of the chili mixture, the rest of the cheese, and the last of the corn chips.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until hot.
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost if using ground pork and the shortcut for the chili or your own chili creation.
Shortcuts: Basic Chili I, Basic Chili II, Pinto Bean Chili.
Variant: 1. If using homemade chili, use 2 cups in place of the 1 can.
Updated on 12 July 2021.
Yellow Squash Casserole
I found this recipe doing a search as I have a lot of yellow zucchini growing. This is an excellent dish to use up fresh yellow squash or even yellow zucchini, and the variant with adding some meat is highly recommended.
Equipment
- Pan (12 inch)
- Oven
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
- 1½ kilos fresh yellow squash, or yellow zucchini, (3½ lb)
- ¼ cup butter, (½ stick / ¼ block)
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, (10½ oz / 298 g)
- 227 grams sour cream, (8 oz), Shortcut
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz / 226 g)
- 1½ cups French fried onions, Shortcut
Instructions
- Prep the squash, small size can be just sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds. For large diameter, slice into ¼ inch rounds then cut slices in half. And for larger size, slice into ¼ inch rounds then cut slices into quarters. (I used 2½ of my garden grown yellow zucchini.)
- Melt the butter in a large non stick pan (12 inch would be perfect), when hot, add the onion. Sauté onion until translucent.
- Add the sliced squash on top of the onions, turn heat to low, cover the pan but stir after a few minutes and often after that. The squash will steam and they will begin to release their water.
- When the squash cooks down a bit and water has been released, season squash with salt and black pepper as desired.
- Continue to cook down the squash until the water is mostly cooked out.
- When the squash is nearly falling apart, drain well in a colander.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) and grease a 9x13 baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Add the squash to a large mixing bowl, then add the sour cream and soup.
- I added a variant, I diced a can of spam, and added that.
- Mix together, taste, season with salt and black pepper as desired.
- Pour squash into the prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the Cheddar cheese, then the French fried onions.
- Return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving, and very little cost if growing the squash yourself, which is what I used here.
Shortcuts: Sour Cream, French Fried Onions.
Variants: 1. Add diced sautéed smoked sausage, ham, or spam. 2. Use condensed cream of mushroom soup in place of the chicken soup. 3. Yellow zucchini work perfectly and I am 99% sure that green zucchini would be just as perfect.
Chili Cheese Fry Casserole
I came across this recipe while researching recipes that use tater tots, and I am glad I did! This is a delicious casserole that goes together quickly and is quite economical.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 2 cans chili, with beans, (15 oz / 425 g), Shortcut
- 1 bag tater tots, frozen, (32 oz / 2 lb / 907 g)
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz / 226 g)
- spring onion, sliced, white and green parts, for garnish
- sour cream, as desired, for serving, optional, Shortcut
Instructions
- Heat a large non stick pan on medium heat and cook the ground beef, chopping it up with a spatula as it cooks. Cook until no pink is visible. Drain fat.
- Stir the chili into the beef. Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F) and grease a 9x13 baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Pour chili mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly.
- Layer the tater tots evenly over the chili.
- Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until the tots are starting to brown and the casserole is bubbly. Sprinkle cheese over the tater tots.
- Bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese in.
- Top with spring onion, serve and enjoy. Optionally, top servings with a dollop of sour cream.
Notes
Low cost per serving if using ground pork and the shortcuts for the chili and sour cream.
Shortcuts: Chili, Sour Cream.
Variant: 1. Use ground pork in place of beef. 2. Use 4 cups of your own homemade chili or from the shortcut, making sure it is a thick type of chili.
Honey Graham Cracker Cake
This recipe comes from a friend and it is simply the best cake in regards to taste and easy of preparation. Only three ingredients needed. This is a no bake / ice box type of cake which needs time in the fridge to soften up. I made this by cutting the recipe listed here in half and the photos will reflect that.
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
- 5 cups heavy whipping cream
- 680 grams sour cream, (24 oz), Shortcut
- 3 boxes honey graham crackers, (9 packs)
Instructions
- Add the whipping cream to a large mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer until the cream thickens.
- Add the sour cream and beat that in until mixed in, scraping down the sides of the bowl so it is all incorporated.
- Spread some of the cream mixture on a plate or cake tray, I used a rubber spatula, and place the first layer of crackers to set them in place to make the base of the cake. (I cut the recipe in half and only used 3 crackers wide to make the base, if using the full recipe, you will want to use two rows of 4 crackers each to make a square.)
- Spread some cream mixture on top of the base crackers about twice the thickness of a cracker and place more crackers on top, pressing them into place. Repeat this process making the cake as tall as you like. (I made mine with 8 layers of crackers.)
- Now spread another layer on the top and clean up the sides using more cream mixture as needed to cover the cake.
- For decoration, crush 2-3 crackers in a zip lock bag with a rolling pin and sprinkle the top and sides with the crumbs. Cover and place the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours, this is to soften the crackers. Or use a variant as I did and I used colored sprinkles on the top.
- To cut this cake, and these instructions come from the author of this recipe and it is highly advised to follow this or you will have a crumbly sticky mess. Fill a tall glass with hot water and place a long knife in it to get warm. Remove the knife from the water, wipe dry with a paper towel and make one downward cut and remove the knife, wipe with a paper towel and place back in the water to warm, repeat that process to cut all the servings. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Variant: 1. Use sprinkles as desired for decoration in place of the crushed graham crackers. 2. Use cinnamon graham crackers or chocolate graham crackers in place of honey graham crackers.
Onion Vegetable Bake
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup, printed in 1985. As you read this recipe, the ingredients list will have Options and you can choose an option from the list below the ingredients. This recipe sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Casserole (1½ quart)
Ingredients
- 1 can Soup Option, (10½ oz / 298 g)
- ½ cup Liquid Option
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- dash black pepper
- 4 cups Vegetable Option, see Step 1 for clarification
- 1 can French fried onions, (2.8 oz / 79 g), Shortcut
OPTIONS
Soup - Use 1 Item
- condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
- condensed cream of celery soup, Shortcut
- condensed cream of chicken soup, Shortcut
- condensed Cheddar cheese soup, Shortcut
Liquid - Use 1 Item
- milk
- light cream, or table cream
- plain yogurt
- sour cream, Shortcut
Vegetable - Use 1 Item
- cut green beans, cooked and drained
- carrots, sliced, cooked and drained
- cut broccoli, cooked and drained
- Brussels sprouts, cooked and drained
Instructions
- For the Vegetable Option, feel free to use these approximate measurements: 4 cups cooked and drained vegetables = 1 package (16-20 oz / 453-566 g) frozen vegetables = 2 packages (9-10 oz / 255-283 g each) frozen vegetables = 2 cans (about 16 oz / 453 g each) canned vegetables = fresh (1½ lb / 680 g) vegetables.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Get out a 1½ quart casserole.
- To the casserole, add the Soup and Liquid Options, soy sauce, and pepper. Stir to mix together. (This is the cream of celery version being made.)
- Stir in the Vegetable Option and half of the onions. (This is the cream of celery and carrots version being made.)
- Bake for 25 minutes, top with remaining onions and bake an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve as a side dish and enjoy.
Notes
Variants: 1. Use Half & Half Cream in place of Light Cream. 2. Use as many French fried onions as you desire.
Biscoff Icebox Cake
I came across this recipe on Instagram, and the description and photos were mouthwatering. I found the items needed and I made this for a family gathering on 25 Apr 2021, and it was a hit! I can honestly say, this 'cake' is the best I have ever made, highly recommended.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (8x8 or 9x9 inch)
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
- 226 grams Mascarpone cheese, (8 oz)
- ⅔ cup Biscoff cookie butter, or store brand of cookie butter
- 2½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix, (4 serving size / 3.4 oz / 96 g)
- 35-45 Biscoff Lotus cookies, (about 1½, 8.8 oz 250 g packages
- candy sprinkles, or cookie crumbs, as desired, optional
Instructions
- Add the cookie butter and cheese to a mixing bowl. (I used Great Value brand cookie butter.)
- Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Clean off the mixer blades and rinse them.
- In another mixing bowl, add the cream and pudding mix. Beat with the mixer until the mixture begins to get thick.
- Pour the pudding mixture into the bowl with the cheese mixture. Beat with the mixer until just combined. Overmixing may result in a more dense cake. (Smooth out the top of the cream filling then use a spoon to evenly mark out 3 sections, like a 'peace sign'.)
- Place cookies in a even layer in the baking pan. (I used an 8x8 inch pan, using a 9x9 inch pan will require a few more cookies.)
- Spread ⅓ of the cream filling over the cookies, then repeat with another layer of cookies, pressing then into the filling below them, then spread another ⅓ of the filling over the cookies. Then add one final layer of cookies, then spread the remaining ⅓ of filling and smooth out as that is the top of the cake. Decorate with candy sprinkles or cookie crumbs, as desired. Place in the fridge for 8 hours to set up and soften the cookies.
- To serve, slice into serving portions. Enjoy!
Notes
T
Basic Frittata
This is a basic frittata recipe that is easy and delicious, and no cream cheese used in this. I made this on 22 Apr 2021 and it was very well liked my parents and I. This recipe is a mix of several frittata recipes and I settled on this for ease of preparation, readily available ingredients, and excellent flavor.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or cooking oil
- 1 bell pepper, color of your choice, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 12 eggs
- 3 tablespoons whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cheese, your choice, shredded, divided
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a non stick pan, when hot, add the onion and bell pepper, and sauté until tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool just a bit.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- To a mixing bowl, crack in the eggs and add the cream. Whisk until the yolks and whites are just mixed together. Stir in the salt, 1 cup of the cheese, and the sautéed bell pepper and onion.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan.
- Sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of cheese. I used a Monterey Jack & Colby blend.
- Back for 25 minutes, the eggs should be puffed up and cooked in appearance, the center will jiggle just a bit when the pan is lightly shaken. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice into serving portions.
- Serve as a breakfast, lunch, or my favorite; breakfast for dinner. Enjoy!
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Sausage Breakfast Bake
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup, printed in 1985. As you read this recipe, the ingredients list will have Options and you can choose an option from the list below the ingredients. This recipe sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section. These photos are from one variant of this recipe, and it is delicious!
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Pan (7x11 inch)
Ingredients
- 340 grams Sausage Option, (12 oz)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 can Soup Option, (10½ oz / 298 g)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup Liquid Option
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- butter, as needed for serving
- Topping Option, as needed for serving
OPTIONS
Sausage - Use 1 Item
- pork sausage links, Shortcut
- smoked sausage links
- Italian sausage, links, cut into 2 inch lengths, Shortcut
Soup - Use 1 Item
- condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
- condensed Cheddar cheese soup, Shortcut
- condensed cream of celery soup, Shortcut
Liquid - Use 1 Item
- apple juice
- milk
- chicken broth
Topping - Use 1 Item
- honey
- maple syrup
- fruit preserves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) and grease a 7x11 baking pan with butter.
- In a large non stick pan, add the Sausage Option and water and place on medium heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking to brown the sausage and cook them through. When fully cooked, remove to paper towels to drain. I used the pork sausage links option.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the Soup Option and eggs and stir to mix well. I used the cream of mushroom soup option.
- To the soup mixture, slowly stir in the Liquid Option and oil, stirring until completely mixed together. I used the apple juice.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder. Whisk together.
- To the flour mixture, add the soup mixture. Stir together until just moistened.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. Arrange the sausages on top and push slightly into the batter.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched with your finger.
- Use a spatula to cut and serve with. Serve with butter and Topping Option. Enjoy. After the photo I used the honey option.
Notes
Low cost per serving if using the Shortcuts.
Shortcuts: Pork Sausage, Italian Sausage, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup, Condensed Cream of Celery Soup.
