Breakfast Casserole

It wouldn't be Christmas morning at the Koyle's without

Christmas Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

8 slices bread, cubed

2 C. cheddar cheese (shredded)

20 (1 1/2-2 lbs.) Pork sausage links

4 eggs

21/4 c. Milk

3/4 tsp. dry mustard

1 can cream o' mushroom soup

1/2c. milk

Brown pork sausage links; drain and cut into chunks. Arrange bread cubes in bottom of greased 9x13 in. baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese, and then add sausage pieces on top. Beat eggs with milk and dry mustard. Pour over sausage, cheese, and bread. Refrigerate overnight. Dilute cream of mushroom soup with milk; pour over casserole. Bake 1 1/2 hours @ 300*

We usually ate it with some type of orange roll/monkey bread, orange slices, and orange juice. Oh, the memories.

*Eileen is weird and likes to do half regular breakfast sausage and half links. So that way you get a little bit of crumbled sausage or a piece in every bite.

Moose Munch

We made this for all our neighbors this year and put it in bags with a little note that said, "Just popping in to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year?" It was a huge hit!

Homemade "Moose Munch" Honey Caramel Corn
This is a copy of the famous Harry and David's Moose Munch 

Honey Caramel Corn:

• 2/3 c. unpopped popcorn
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar (you could probably use all sucanat in place of both sugars- then end product might be a bit grainier, but still good!)
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt

For the "Moose Munch:"

• 1 c. chocolate chips of choice- milk, semisweet, dark, white (Note: this becomes "Peppermint Crunch" Caramel Corn when half gets coated with white chocolate and crushed candy canes are sprinkled over it before it dries. Which is so very good, too.)
• Optional add-ins: nuts, pretzels, crushed candy canes - though if I'm using crushed peppermint, I simply sprinkle it over the coated caramel corn before it cools. We like nuts the best; cashews, almonds and macadamia. We tried M&M's but they just made a mess and melted. 

1.      Make the Caramel Corn (good on it's own, too!): Heat oven to 250 degrees. Pop the popcorn and spread it in a large, oiled roasting pan. Put the pan in the oven to stay warm and crisp (it also helps to spread the hot caramel evenly on warm popcorn).

2.      Combine the butter, sugars, honey, and salt in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir while mixture melts and starts gently bubbling. Set a timer for 5 minutes and stir constantly while mixture gently boils.

3.      At the end of 5 minutes, remove from heat. Take the pan of popcorn out of the oven and pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn, stirring to coat the popcorn evenly. Add additional add-ins, ex. nuts etc.

4.      Return to oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring once at the 15 minute mark and again when it's done (a piece removed with a spoon will be crisp to the bite). While caramel corn is cooking, prep a cooling area on a counter with two large pieces of waxed paper.

5.      Immediately pour the hot caramel corn onto the waxed paper and spread evenly to cool, breaking up bigger pieces so that there will be smaller pieces to coat with the chocolate.

6.      Make the "Moose Munch:" Divide the cooled caramel corn in half. Place the plain caramel corn in an airtight container. 

7.      Melt the chocolate and pour over the other half of caramel corn (in a large bowl); stir to coat well.

8.      Spread the chocolate-covered caramel corn back onto the waxed paper and use a couple of spoons to separate the pieces as much as possible. You're aiming for individually coated pieces that will mix with the plain caramel corn. Let cool completely (I usually wait overnight to be sure).

When the chocolate is firm, mix the plain caramel corn with the chocolate caramel corn. Store in an airtight container for up to a week (I have even frozen this for a few weeks and it was still good).

Stoker Traditional Jello Salad

2 lg. pkgs Strawberry Jello
2 c. boiled water
2 bags frozen Strawberries
1 can crushed pineapple
2 mashed bananas

Mix frozen strawberries, bananas, and pineapple all together.
Dissolve jello in boiling water for 3 minutes, then mix with fruit.
Pour half the mixture in bottom of a 9x13 pan and let set up.
Spread sourcream on top of first layer then pour remaining jello over that for the top layer.
Let set up for 4 hours. Cut in to squares and serve.

Pomegranate Jello Salad

One of our favs for the HOLIDAYS.

2 -6oz packages raspberry jello
-Make according to package but use the juice from the pineapple with your cold water.
2 cups mashed bananas
1 to 2 pomegranates take the seeds out and rinse before hand.
20 oz can cushed pineapple drained.
2 bags frozen berries (strawberries or raspberries)
Mix everything together with the jello.

Fill 13X9 pan 1/2 full of mixture put into fridge or freezer to set up.
Once it is set up really well. Layer with filling & top with the rest of the jello.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 cup sour cream
1 small tub cool whip
Vanilla to taste
Mix together with a mixer then add
Powdered sugar until desired consistancy about 1/2 cup.

So freakin YUMMY.

Thanksgiving Dressing

Ethan emailed me wanting this recipe so I thought I would put it on here while I had it all typed up.
It is kind of a lot of work.
I cube up the bread a few days before and let it dry out really well. I usually place it on large cookie sheets and bake on a really low temp 200* a few times to help it dry out faster.
The bread is best if it is a homemade or bakery style bread. (not wonder bread that smashes flat)
The night before I dice all the celery and onions to make it go faster the day of.

2 lg. loaves of bread(cubed and dryed)
2 c. Butter
2 c. chopped onions
3-4 c. diced celery
1tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sage
2 T. poultry seasoning
3 c. chicken broth

Melt butter in a lg. pan. Add onion and celery; cook in the butter for 20 min. on a med -low heat.
In a large bowl mix the seasonings with the bread.
Pour the butter and veggie mixture over the bread, and mix all together.
Using a large spoon turn it over and over slowly adding the broth a little at a time to coat the bread.
Try not to mash or squish the bread but fold it gently all together.
Put in a large 9x13 pan. (I acctually use a larger pan 11x13) Bake at 325* for 20 minutes.
Then turn the mixture over with your spoon and bake another 15 minutes, until crisp on top.

*Since we never stuff it in the bird it is called Dressing.

Cheesy Lasagna!

Grandma June gave me this recipe about two years ago, because it is a great recipe for a freezer dinner for anybody. However, I made it for the first time on Monday night (the missionaries were my guinea pigs), and WOW, it is creamy and good!

1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
1-26 oz can spaghetti sauce
1 box of NO NEED TO BOIL lasagna noodles
1 cup cottage cheese
1- 8 oz box of cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef and onion. Mix together cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Layer in pan following ingredients: 1/3 of spaghetti sauce, layer of noodles, 1/2 cheese mixture, 1/2 hamburger. Then, repeat layers. Put one last layer of noodles on top and cover with remaining spaghetti sauce. Then, top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover with tin foil. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour. If you make this as a freezer dinner, label, and cover with heavy foil.

Grandma Koyle's Popcorn Balls

For those of you who couldn't go Trick-or-Treating to Grandma Arlene Koyle's, here is her recipe:
Grandma said she uses Light Karo and REAL butter (and no peanuts)

6 quarts (24 cups) of popcorn separated from kernels
1 cup salted peanuts (optional)
1 cube butter
1 cup Karo (dark or light) or honey
2 cups brown sugar

Bring last three ingredients to a bubbling and pour over popcorn. Mix well with nuts. Form into balls with buttered hands or let cool and pull into chunks.

Caramel Corn Puffs

If you want to cheat, or aren't in the mood to pop and measure popcorn.

1 bag Butter Flavored Corn Puffs
(we use the Western Family brand that you find in the chip aisle)
1 cube butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix butter, sugar, and corn syrup in 1 1/2 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Boil 4 min. Remove from heat and mix in soda. (mixture will foam up) Pour over Puffs in a large bowl until coated. Spread on wax paper to cool.

Stay Tuned

It's that time of year again. These will make you gain 5 lbs. in a week (and they are even made with whole wheat). So delicious.

Also, I found an awesome Chocolate Pumpkin Pie.

Can't wait to make them for Thanksgiving.

Strawberries and Cream Stuffed Crepes

This has to be our favorite BREAKFAST for DINNER food.
Mostly because Makayla will eat as much as I do.

Crepes:

1c. Flour

1 1/4 c. milk

3 eggs

2 Tbs. oil

1/4 tsp. salt

Put in blender and blend for 10 seconds. Scrape sides with spatula and blend another few seconds.. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.

*I posted a video below of how to cook crepes in a pan in case you have never done it before. It is fairly easy to do. I usually use 1/3c of batter at a time to work with in my 14 in pan.

*When the pan in quite hot spay with cooking spray. As you add the batter swirl in in a circular motion to thinly cover the pan.

*When the surface looks dry and the sides lift up, flip with spatula and cook on reverse side till lightly brown 30 sec. or so. (FYI-the first crepe is always a dud)

I usually make these ahead of time and put them in a tortilla/pancake keeper in the refrigerator.

Filling:

1pkg. cream cheese

1/4c. brown sugar

1/4c. sour cream

1/4c. Fresh or frozen fruit (optional)

*Beat filling all together until smooth.

*Spread 2 Tb. filling on the light side of the crepe and roll.

* Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar.

* Bake @375 for 15 min or until warmed through and sugar begins to crystallize.

Topping:

1/2 c. sugar

3 c. Strawberries (fresh or frozen)

*Mash all together and warm on stove top.

*Pour over the top of the warm baked crepes.

Crepes are also yummy and fun to have on hand to eat with peanut butter, nutella, or with omelet like fillings.

How to Cook a Crepe

Creamy Twice-Baked Potatoes

Doesn't the picture make you want to just eat them?

6 medium baking potatoes

4 T. butter

1/8 c. milk

1/2 tsp. salt

4 T. cream cheese

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 bunch chopped green onions (optional)

Paprika

Pierce potatoes and bake @ 375 for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Cute a thin slice off the top of each potato. Scoop out the pulp and place in a mixing bowl. Add butter, milk, and salt; beat until fluffy. Beat in cream cheese, cheese, sour cream, and onions. Spoon into potato shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Place on a baking sheet. Bake, uncovered at 350 20-25 min. or until heated through and tops are golden.

Chocolate Peanut-Butter No Bake Cookies

2c. sugar
4 T. cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 c. milk
1 c peanut butter
1 T. vanilla
3 c. quick oats (oatmeal)
Waxed Paper

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk. Let boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, then add peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal. Stir together till combined well. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop by teaspoonfulls until cooled and hardened.

Taco Soup

It's so easy to make, and SO good, and it feeds a ton of people! Go get the ingredients today. But, we have a warning that young children might refuse to eat it, more for us adults!

1 lb hamburger (or less)

1/4 cup diced onions

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can corn, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 11.5 oz can of V8 juice

1 package/envelope taco seasoning

Corn chips, sour cream, chopped green onions and/or grated cheddar cheese for toppings.

Brown hamburger in a large soup pot. Add onions and cook for a minute or two. Add in seasoning and stir. Add remaining ingredients except toppings and bring to a boil.

Zucchini-Pineapple Cake or Bread

Beat until foamy:

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla


Combine

3 cups unsifted flour
2 tsp. soda
Salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg

Add flour mixture to egg mixture.

Add:

2 cups grated zucchini
1 8 oz. can well drained crushed pineapple
Nuts and raisens

Stir gently until blended. Bake in one 9X13 inch pan or 3 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes for the cake and a little less for loaf pans. Be sure to check with a toothpick to see that cake (bread) is done. Can frost or serve plain.

White Chili

If any of you are looking to mix up your meal rotations, this is a fun one! I stole it from my friend, Jessica's blog, she says it would be her last dieing meal. It is a good meal if you like green chilies and lime!
Spray a large soup pot with Pam and saute:
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion

Add:
1 tsp chicken oxo
2 cans of chicken broth
1 4oz can green chilies, undrained
2 8oz cans white shoe peg corn, drained (Hominy)
1 tsp cumin
2-3 tbsps of fresh lime juice (or much more :-)
2 14oz cans of white/ northern beans drained

Simmer gently and finish with:
2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken

Serve topped with:
crushed tortilla chips
lime wedges
fresh cilantro (optional)

Mmm, mmm, mmmm...

Note by Eileen- This is FREAKIN delicious. We added 1/2c. light sour cream and some monterey jack cheese and melted it through before we ate it. The cilantro is a must. YUMMY.

Rice Pudding

This is a recipe that my mom has used for years. We ate it almost as often as we did potatoes because we always had milk on hand. The story goes that when Lawna was young (4-6mon.) and my mom ran out of milk because she was already pregnant again. A friend suggested this recipe. Nowadays we all know that we should never give our babies eggs or whole milk before the age of 1. But, I guess Lawna turned out without allergies okay.

I make it for my children when the milk is about to expire and we have a ton left. Makayla loves it and even has special requests for it. One night she said, "mom, can you get up and make rice pudding so that when I wake up I can have some for breakfast?" Talk about the entitlement trap. This is also the ONLY form of Dessert that I feed my children for Breakfast ever.

Rice Pudding

1/2 c. butter

1 c. rice

6 c. milk

1 tsp. salt

6 eggs

1 Tb. vanilla

1 c. sugar

Raisins (optional)

Cinnamon

Melt 1/2 cup butter in bottom of heavy 2 1/2 qt. pan, then add 1 cup of rice, 6 cups of milk, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Simmer, covered 1 hour on low heat until rice is cooked. Beat together eggs, vanilla, and sugar and slowly add to rice stirring until it coats the spoon (until the eggs are cooked). Add cinnamon and raisins if desired. We like the apple pie spice.

* We almost always 1/2 this recipe.

Fudge Bars

DOUGH
1 C. butter 2 1/2 C. flour
1 C. brown sugar 1 tsp. baking soda
1 C. sugar 1 tsp. salt
2 eggs 3 C. oatmeal (instant)
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and oatmeal. Combine both together to form dough. Spread 2/3 dough on a flour and greased cookie sheet.

FUDGE
1 (12oz.) pkg chocolate chips 2 tsp. vanilla
1 can sweet & condensed milk 1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. butter

Melt all together in microwave, and pour over pressed out dough evenly. Press out remaining dough, and place in pieces on top of fudge.

Bake @ 350* for 20-25 min. Cool and cut like brownies.

Veggie Dill Dip

Dill Veggie Dip 

1 C. sour cream

1 C. mayonnaise

1 T. minced onion flakes 

1 T. parsley flakes 

1 tsp. Seasoning salt 

2 tsp. lemon juice 

1T. dill weed 

 *Mix all ingredients together. Chill, and serve with fresh vegetable tray.

Avocado Dip

Avocado Dip

1 lg. avocado 1 T. mayonnaise
1 C. cottage cheese 1 T. lemon juice
3 oz. cream cheese 1/2 tsp. onion salt
1 T. minced onion 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Mash avocado, and lemon juice. Then mash in cream cheese. Add cottage cheese, onion, mayo, and salts mix well. Put avocado pit in dip to keep from turning brown. Serve with corn chips.

In Honor...

In honor of the RIVALRY Game today. I thought I would post our favorite tail-gating treat!

Stuffed Jalapenos

12 large jalapenos
1c. shredded jack cheese (I like pepper jack)
8oz. cream cheese
12 slices bacon
12 tooth picks

Slice 1/4 of the jalapeno off the top length wise. (Leaving it like a boat) Clean out all the seeds and ribs.
Mash softened cream cheese and jack cheeses together and stuff inside peppers.
Wrap with bacon and secure with toothpick.
Bake 400* for 15 min.
If not eating right away layer a crockpot with tin foil and keep warm on low.

NOTE: FREAKIN YUMMY, but FREAKIN FATTENING.

What's For Dinner???

Sunday Dinner

Malibu Chicken
(Basically same ingredients as cordon blue just prepared different with different sauce.)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
6 chicken breasts, skinned,boned,pounded thin
3/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs (I use Panko)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 slices cooked ham
6 slices swiss cheese
3 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2T. Honey

6 servings
50 minutes
20 mins prep

Combine flour, salt and pepper.
Stir egg and water together with a fork.
Coat each chicken piece with flour, dip into egg mixture and then coat with crumbs.
Press crumbs in firmly.
Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat.
Brown chicken 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
Place browned chicken on oven proof platter.
Bake at 350* F for 20 min.
Add a layer of ham then cheese for 10 more min until cheese melts.

Combine mustard, honey and mayonnaise.
Serve chicken immediately with sauce.

We are serving it with twice baked potatoes.

Alfredo Sauce

I usually buy alfredo in a jar, but this was tasty, and easy! Ya'll should give it a try. Also, supposedly you can use it as a pizza sauce too!

2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup low fat cream cheese
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves
1 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and process until smooth.

In a sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more until it becomes much thicker.

When it's nice and thick add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Grandma June's Chocolate Chip Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 sm. pkg. vanilla instant pudding

1 sm. pkg. chocolate instant pudding

1 c. water

1/2 c. cooking oil

Beat all together for two minutes

Add 4 eggs all at one time; mix another minute.

Add one small package chocolate chips.

Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan for 1 hour @ 350*
If you have problems with the cake not cooking after an hour or all the chocolate chips falling to the top, and/or your cake falling apart after baking add an extra 1/4 cup of flour in with the  cake mix.

Family Recipes

Here it is!

This is the place to post all our shared family recipes.

Label them by food group and ingredients, and who's recipe it is.

Ex. Dessert, Cake, Chocolate Chip, Grandma June.

That way we can search for and find them more easily.

Feel free to post RECIPES OLD, NEW, and anything inbetween. And don't forget the pictures, if you have them.