Looking for truly memorable breakfast casserole for that family get together? This Southwestern Breakfast Casserole is essentially a classic, but with heat and flavor pumped up.
I started with my favorite breakfast casserole, but boosted flavor and heat by using a distinctively hot Italian sausage, Canino’s Hot Italian Sausage (available at Walmart). Note that they come in sausage casings that I cut off in order to cook up sausage crumbles.
This recipe uses a hot, spicy sausage and also sharp cheddar cheese. A sharp cheese is important to offset the heat and intense flavor of the sausage. Feel free to add more cheese or tweak the balance of sausage and cheese to taste. Note it is spicy but not hot-hot; if you are serving wimps, you can reduce the sausage or mix it with a milder sausage. Personally, I like the heat level at this level very much.
This casserole also keeps well in the fridge and is just as good reheated several days later. Hope you enjoy it!
3 Canino's Hot Italian Sausage Links * (at Walmart)
or 8 oz Canino's Hot Italian Bulk Sausage
12 eggs
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 green onions
1 green (or red) bell pepper, diced
1 cup diced medium hot green chiles (see note)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13’’ glass pan with cooking spray.
Cut the casings off the Canino's sausages: With a sharp knife, slit each sausage lengthwise just to cut the casings; then peel the casings off and discard.
Place a large skillet on stove over medium heat. While it heats up, add sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with large wooden spoon and cooking until browned.
While the sausage cooks, combine the eggs, sour cream, milk, green chiles, cheese and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Beat with a fork or mix on low speed with electric mixer, until combined. Drain most of the grease and add the sausage to the bowl with the egg mixture.
Add the bell peppers and onion to the same skillet the sausage was cooked in and sauté for 2- 3 minutes. Add to the bowl with the eggs and stir everything to combine.
Pour mixture into greased 9x13’’ pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the edges are set and the center barely jiggles..
Leftover egg casserole can be stored in the fridge, then reheated in the microwave and enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Note: Canino's Italian Sausage also comes in bulk 16-oz packages, but my Walmart only had the sausages. I would use half a package of the bulk Hot Italian if it's available.
Sausages are already hot. Use your judgement on heat level for chiles.
An easy main course casserole that’s tasty and a meal in itself
This Green Chile Cheeseburger Casserole is a complete meal cleverly disguised as comfort food. Personally, I always have all of these ingredients and I can pretty much throw it together in about a half hour of work. Of course it takes another hour or so to bake, but it’s really the time it takes to make that’s important.
I always have ground beef, usually in 1-lb packages, onion, shredded cheese, potatoes and lots of spices. This is just a matter of browning the beef and onion with spices while roasting the potatoes in cream of mushroom soup, and then topping the potatoes with the beef and shredded cheese. Bake another 10 minutes or so and voila! You have a 1-dish meal for the whole family. Note that I often adjusts the seasoning on the beef to taste. I might want to make it fairly mild or pretty spicy depending on the crowd I’m serving it to.
This is a combination of a balanced complete meal and comfort food. If you want to make it more robust or elegant for guests, serve it with side toppings of sour cream, sliced black olives, pinon nuts, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or whatever your imagination can concoct. Here I chose to top the casserole with chopped lettuce and fresh tomatoes.
Note this is a great dish for a football game potluck where people serve themselves. The rectangular dish won’t fit in a microwave, but you could make it in two smaller dishes that would or you could pop it in the host’s oven for 15 minutes right before serving, put it on the serving table topped with lettuce and tomatoes. Or you could put the lettuce and tomatoes on the side so guests can add it themselves.
An easy, robust dish that can be varied to suit your family's tastes. Guaranteed bombproof.
Author: Anita
Recipe type: Main dish
Cuisine: Southwestern
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 lbs russet potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk
1 lb ground beef
1 medium-large onion, chopped
½ to ¾ cup diced green chiles, depending on heat level
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp fajita seasoning
½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp beef bouillon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar or jack cheese
Chopped lettuce and chopped fresh tomatoes for topping.
Instructions
Note: use a large rectangular baking dish ( 11x7 or 13x9)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel the potatoes, cut into quarters lengthwise, and slice into pieces about ¼ inch thick. Spread evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
In a bowl, blend the cream of mushroom soup with ½ cup milk. Pour over the potatoes and spread evenly in the baking dish. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking, break up the ground beef in a medium skillet, add onions, green chiles, garlic and seasonings and brown evenly and set aside. Note: I often add seasonings to taste while the beef is cooking (more fajita seasoning, cumin or chili powder). Drain fat off and set aside when beef is browned.
Check the potatoes to make sure the potatoes are fully cooked by pricking with a fork.
Remove from oven and spread the beef mixture evenly over the top. Then sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.
Bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.
Top with lettuce and chopped tomatoes and serve using a large serving spoon or spatula.
Incredibly easy to make and very tasty just by themselves or in sandwiches or other dishes
Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers are simple to make and are ideal to serve as a side or condiment for festive occasions. They are really good just as specified in the recipe, but it’s also easy to tweak the recipe to your own taste. You just adjust the amount of sugar for more or less sweetness, adjust the vinegar for sour-tartness, and adjust the amount of jalapeno for more or less heat. You can’t go wrong – if you think it’s too mild, just put more vinegar or jalapeno in the brine and marinate the peppers for a few more hours … or even days.
This particular batch was fairly mild with just one small jalapeno. I ate the whole batch by itself, just popping them in my mouth. You could chop them into smaller pieces but I like to keep them whole because they’re really pretty. We have Thanksgiving coming up, and these are an ideal addition to the holiday spread. Right now I have them in a seal jar in the fridge, but when we have company over I’m likely to use them to garnish other as well as offering them in a serving bowl as a dish in its own right.
Just try this out – it’s so easy and yummy you just might make it a family keeper.
Brush each pepper with olive oil, place on cookie sheet, and roast until soft and starting to blister. They roast more evenly if you turn them over after they've started to blister and roast a few minutes more..
Remove from oven, let cool and peel.
Put water in a medium saucepan and add vinegar, sugar, and jalapenos. Boil for 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
Remove jalapenos and add the roasted peppers. Refrigerate overnight.
Store in a jar in the refrigerator in the brine and fish them out to serve.
A closeup of a slice of Black Bean Quesadilla with cheese and beans oozing out, yummy & maybe a little messy
Black Bean Quesadillas are my latest experiment with main dish quesadillas. I’m on a quesadilla kick because: 1) we love quesadillas, 2) quesadillas are super easy to make, 3) they are great in front of a TV, and 4) I came home with a package of about 25 12-inch tortillas so I’m making lots of dishes using tortillas!
In the photos here, I’m showing a closeup of a quesadilla slice, a photo of a half-made quesadilla, and a photo of a complete quesadilla except for the top tortilla.
This really takes only 10 to 15 minutes to make. Most of the time is spent cooking it – I cook it over medium heat until the tortilla is starting to crisp and brown and bottom layer of cheese is fully melted. Then I flip it over onto a flat pizza pan, place the skillet upside down over the quesadilla, and flip it back over so that the uncooked side is on the skillet ready to get browned. I peek inside to see how much the cheese has melted and I use a spatula to check the bottom to see if it’s lightly browned and starting to crisp yet.
First I sautee the onions and bell peppers and set them aside. Then I actually put the the skillet on the burner, put the first tortilla in, turn the burner on (it’s electric so it takes a minute or so to warm up) and start building it while the skillet is heating up. The quesadilla only takes about 2-3 minutes to assemble, but it takes at least 5 minutes to cook each side. One quesadilla will typically make a main dish for 2 to 4 people; generally I eat about a fourth and my son eats at least a half quesadilla.
Also note that you can use any size tortilla, even little 4-inch corn tortillas if you want. You’re just layering the fillings to be no more than 1/2 inch thick total. You can also add seasonings if you wish, but the canned beans already have a lot of flavor.
Black Bean Quesadilla half-made, with bottom tortilla, layer of cheese, and filling of black beans, onions, bell peppers, and green chiles
Black Bean Quesadilla, complete except for the top tortilla
Quick and easy main dish or appetizer - filling comfort food great for that game day party.
Author: Anita
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Southwestern
Serves: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small bell pepper, diced
½ cup diced red onion
1 15 oz can black beans, drained (I used Safeway's Signature Select brand)
¼ to ½cup diced green chiles (depending on desired heat level)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar jack blend
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (approximately)
2 12-inch tortillas (white or whole wheat)
Instructions
Drain the black beans and set aside the liquid.
In a small to medium skillet, saute the bell pepper and red onion in olive oil until soft.
Stir in the black beans, then add the green chiles, adjusting the amount to get desired heat. Set aside.
In a very large skillet, place the bottom tortilla and then spread half the shredded cheddar cheese evenly so that the tortilla is mostly covered. Then lightly spread half the feta cheese over the cheddar cheese.
Evenly spread the black bean mixture over the cheese, then top with a second layer of cheddar and then feta cheese. Top with the second tortilla.
Cook over medium heat until bottom layer of cheese is melted and bottom tortilla is getting crisp.
Using a very large plate or pizza pan, flip over and cook the other side.
Slide off onto a large platter, cut into wedges, serve & enjoy!
Simple Spicy Chicken Quesadillas are super tasty yet easy to throw together in about 20 minutes, and only use about 6 ingredients. I always have these ingredients on hand, and this makes nearly a complete meal.
Quesadillas have always been one of my favorite, quick main dishes, and this particular recipe is one of a handful at the top of my list. It’s not only yummy, but it can be thrown together in 15-20 minutes and is basically a full meal. Plus, the filling is typically enough for four or more servings; if I’m cooking for two, I can just refrigerate or freeze half the filling and later make another meal of quesadillas in about 5 minutes.
This recipe is also bombproof and versatile. I used Kickin Chicken seasoning (by Weber), which is particularly good and spicy; but I could have used Fajita Seasoning or Taco Seasoning and this would have turned out nearly as good. I specified quantities in this recipe, but I was basically tasting and adjusting. It’s really hard to mess this up.
I always have chicken in the freezer. In this case, I had 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Thighs will work just as well. Note that proportions don’t particularly matter. You can use less chicken and it will still be very good – it just will be far less meaty and the meat will be more of an accent. I also used 1/2 can of Rotel Tomatoes – I could have used a whole can and it would also be good.
What you see in the photo is made with 12-inch whole wheat tortillas. Naturally, any size or type of tortillas can be used; just make it about the right amount to serve 4 people. In this case, one half 12-inch quesadilla was about right for 2 people; I made it with one tortilla placed on a 12-inch non-stick skillet, put the cheese and filling on one half; then I topped it with another layer of cheese, folded it in half and cooked it until cheese melted and quesadilla was starting to brown on the bottom. Then you just flip it over, lightly brown other side, cut it into wedges and serve. See photo here (before adding more cheese and folding it over).
There’s no way to mess this up and it’s tasty and satisfying – pretty much a complete meal. You gotta try this one!
An easy, healthy, really tasty main dish or appetizer made wtih only 6 ingredients.
Author: Anita
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southwestern
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken
1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
½ to 1 can Rotel Tomatoes
¼ to ½ tsp Kick'n Chicken Seasoning (or other Mexican spice blend)
About 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
2 12- inch or 4 8-inch or 10-inch tortillas
Instructions
Cut chicken into small cubes or chunks, and start browning in oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat.
When about half-cooked, add the Rotel Tomatoes and Kick'n Chicken seasoning, adjusting Rotel and seasoning if more spiciness is desired. Stir occasionally and cook until chicken is fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet, place a tortilla and cover with layer of cheese and layer of chicken mixture. Top with another layer of cheese and fold over (for 12-inch) or top with a second tortilla (for 10-inch or smaller).
Cook over medium to medium-high heat until cheese melts and tortilla is starting to brown.; then flip and brown other side.
This taco casserole is quick and easy and a guaranteed hit. Plus it keeps well and freezes well. I even like it cold, but well …. that’s me. I like lots of things cold. Next time, I might make a double batch and freeze half.
This can also be made in a round dish or a smaller, deeper dish. It can also be made with tortilla chips instead of tortillas – doesn’t matter at all.
I served this with sour cream, but it’s also great with guacamole or sliced avocado. To make it particularly festive, I’d top it with diced tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream. Better yet, have them available on the side so people can top it themselves as they wish.
Using Rotel Chili Fixins means you don’t need to add seasoning. You can substitute Rotel Tomatoes with Chiles and add a half teaspoon of taco seasoning (or to taste) for a similar result.
I’ll be making this again and again. Hope you like it!
Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, Chili Fixins, onion, and soup.. Simmer and stir over medium-low heat ntil evuerything is well combined and heated through.
Grease an 8×12 casserole dish. Layer half the tortilla pieces, half the meat mixture, then half the cheese,; then repeat the layers, so the casserole is topped with the remaining cheese..
Bake for 30 minutes
Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa.
Arroz a la Mexicana is a flavorful blend of rice, tomatoes, chiles and vegetables. We actually ate it as main dish for lunch just because it’s very satisfying. I originally planned to add seasoning, but when I tasted it I found the flavor was really good and it did not need seasoning at all.
I used a rice blend consisting of Texmati, brown rice, white rice and wild rice. It should be just as good with white rice or any rice you want. This also could be a main dish with the addition of a protein like sausage or beef. This is not just simple, but also has a very nice flavor balance, so it makes a good base for many different main dishes. Personally, I think the can of Rotel Tomatoes & Green Chiles is what makes the difference – it adds such robust flavor not much else is needed.
I’ll be using this basic recipe for many variations in the future since it’s that perfect combination of flavorful, simple to make and satisfying full meal. Also, I generally have all the ingredients so I can put this together without any shopping.
Southwestern Frittata is a simple breakfast casserole with sausage, green chiles, red peppers and a bit of seasonings. Great for a brunch buffet.
This Southwestern Frittata is ideal for a brunch or get together. I took it to a friend’s house around noon on Sunday. It’s easy to make, easy to serve, never fail, and a guaranteed hit.
A nice thing about frittatas is that you basically throw the ingredients together, pour them into a baking dish, bake and serve. Another way to make them is in a slow cooker. I have a large rectangular slow cooker that’s great for frittatas; I put about an inch of water in the bottom, place the ceramic dish in it and cook for about 35 minute or until it’s fully set. The difference is that it cooks more evenly and generally doesn’t brown the frittata.
I tend to vary how much green chiles and red peppers I use depending on desired heat and balance of flavors I want. I use mild or medium hot green chiles as I like a balance of flavors without too much heat in this dish. I have also made this without the cumin and cayenne, and I thought it was very good either way. It’s also a very forgiving recipe – I’ve made it with 8 eggs and just a slight increase in liquid, cheese and peppers, yet it was essentially the same.
What you see is the photo is baked in the oven at 375 degrees, so it browns a bit on the top and around the edges.
Mexican Hamburger Stew is is one of those classic, throw a bunch of ingredients into a slow cooker or pot on the stove, and pretty soon you have a yummy family meal. It is essentially a classic stew except made with ground beef and then given a Southwestern flair with the addition of green chiles and Southwestern spices (chili powder, cayenne, and cumin).
Personally, I tend to like Southwestern soups and stews on the spicy side. It’s really easy to adjust to your family’s desired heat level by starting with a moderate level and then adding spices to taste. If you want to tweak the flavor exactly to your liking, try directly tasting the 3 spices. I dip my finger in water and the the spice and taste it. The cayenne is what directly adds heat. Cumin and chili powder add the chili taste, but they have different flavors. I think of chili powder as adding classic American chili taste. I grew up in Virginia and our homemade chili had some chili powder but no Southwestern taste; plus it was on the mild side. I had no idea what real Southwestern food was like. For me, cumin is essential in many dishes for getting a real Southwestern flair. I hope you like tweaking the seasonings to get your own balance of flavors. Note that for pot lucks, you might want to separate it into 2 batches – one mild and one hot. Very easy.
This is an easy, basic recipe to make over and over, plus it freezes well. Try it and experiment with your own variations. Hope you like it!
In a Dutch oven or large skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles, until beef is fully cooked; drain. If desired, transfer to large slow cooker. set to high. Add the tomatoes, green chiles, carrots, celery, potatoes, water, rice, salt, pepper and spices; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30-60 minutes or until vegetables
and rice are tender.
If desired, add more seasonings (chili powder, cayenne, cumin) adjusting to taste..
Uncover; simmer 20-30 minutes longer or until thickened to desired consistency.
These Beef & Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños are super easy to make and guaranteed to be a hit. With just 6 ingredients, you can throw them together and then just heat them up 20 minutes before it’s time to serve them. Make them with fresh jalapeños, making sure to adjust how many you use depending on the size of the peppers.
In this case, I used the largest jalapeños I could find – they were each about 6 inches long and much bigger than typical jalapeños. I like to leave the stems on; you can use them as handles for popping them in your mouth and it also makes them look more like peppers. Of course, some are curved. Naturally, the bigger the jalapeños, the more filling they’ll hold and the fewer peppers you’ll need. It’s also faster to stuff them with bigger peppers. Otherwise, size doesn’t really matter. The filling is just a matter of cooking up ground beef with seasonings and stirring in the cream cheese. It’s amazing how yummy this simple combination is. It seems so simple, but it’s really a killer combination. Note you can also assemble these ahead of time, put them in the fridge, and then pop them in the oven 20 minutes before serving. That’s makes it very easy to serve at get togethers.
This is so easy and so scrumptious, you’ll make it again and again. Hope you like it!
