Sausage Gravy & Biscuits Casserole

Here's a conundrum for you-I don't like sausage. But I like sausage gravy and biscuits. It's weird but...eh...whatever. Anyway, me finding out that I like sausage gravy is a fairly recent event and so when I saw a recipe for sausage gravy & biscuit casserole...I was like-yeah. I've got to make that.

And so I did. And...I had to heavily adapt the recipe because I do not know what was up with the milk measurements but they were definitely off. I also decided to make the biscuits drop biscuits to save all of us a little time and effort. And now I have thoroughly tested this for you and can pretty much guarantee that it will be perfect and you will love it!

Obviously...this is total comfort food. It's rich and flavorful and makes you feel good. The biscuits have some cheese in them because-I mean...yum. They bake in the delicious sausage gravy, soaking up a lot of that flavor. And you then have this fantastic-ness. Which I knew that I loved and I figured Michael would tolerate. Umm...he came home. He tried it. He went "Mmmmmmm! Oh my God...this is really freaking good." YES...yes it is!

Rice, Cheddar, & Spinach Pie

Ha...I just realized that I'm posting 2 pies this week. I mean...obviously very very different sorts of pie but still...I am amused. And pleased. Because pie is amazing. And we all need more of it.

I have no clue what I'm doing with rice. I did not grow up in a household where rice was served. Pasta-yes. Rice-not so much. And no one I knew really ate much of it until I got older and moved outside of my little circle. And I know Michael likes rice and I know brown rice is good for you so I really am working on figuring out how to use it more and create rice recipes. And this is my first attempt!

First of all--this rice bake can be either a side dish or a main dish, and it can be vegetarian or...not. I chose to throw some chicken in there when I made it so it would be more of a meal for Michael, but you can substitute that (like for sausage or whatever) or omit it completely and let this just be a vegetarian side! It's cheesy, hearty, filling, and super tasty. A rice success!

Chicken Noodle Casserole {from scratch}

My mom, rather famously (in my family), made a few vows about things she would never do when she had children:

1. Never be absent (her parents owned a business and were very busy. She knew she always wanted to be really involved with us and she was! She was a girl scout troop leader AND a cub scout leader, she volunteered at our schools, and she was just always very present.)
2. Never make her daughter cut her hair. Apparently there was a somewhat traumatic incident where my grandparents forced my mom (kicking and screaming) to chop off her very long hair-into something of a boy-length cut. She promised she would never force that fate upon her future daughter--me! Thank goodness. She somewhat regretted that vow occasionally but she never made me cut my hair off.
3. She would never ever make meatloaf or tuna noodle casserole.

I know. The last one seems a bit random. Apparently those were food items that were fairly common in her household and she hated them. So...she was like "never again." And she never did. I'm ok with this because I don't like meatloaf or tuna noodle casserole. It all worked out. 

What this has to do with this recipe is: Chicken Noodle Casserole was my mom's adaptation of the dreaded Tuna Noodle Casserole. Essentially, she subbed in things she liked for things she hated (chicken instead of tuna, cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom). And what resulted was probably my favorite meal growing up.

Since I was (and am) such a picky eater (and since my mom is not in love with cooking, and is pretty picky herself)-if I found something I liked...we ate it. Alot. Like...there was a point where this casserole was made weekly. My poor brother was so tired of it. But I could not get enough! I requested it constantly. I was sick? Chicken noodle casserole. It's my birthday? Chicken noodle casserole. It's Tuesday and I'm hungry? Chicken noodle casserole. And then....I moved away. And I started to learn how to cook. And I realized I had overdone it with the casserole...and sorta didn't want it anymore. And somehow here I am and I haven't eaten chicken noodle casserole in over 5 years.

Correction-I hadn't eaten chicken noodle casserole in over 5 years.
That dry spell has ended!

The other day I was hungry and itching for a recipe I hadn't made before...or at least recently. And I was thinking about all the ingredients I had and what could be done with them and...my brain just thought of this casserole. And I knew it was time to bring it back. So I talked to my mom and got the original recipe (for the tuna noodle casserole) as well as what her substitutions were. And I knew I was going to have to make my version a bit more from scratch (although I suppose since I bought the noodles and the breadcrumbs it's not technically from scratch...whatever). So I created what you see here. It tasted just like I remember. And it was still so darn simple to make (yes...even with me making homemade cream of chicken soup and roasting the chicken). It just tastes like comfort and home and like a creamy chicken noodle soup in casserole form. 

Perfect to make you feel cozy on a chilly day.

And to make you feel home.

And to make you want to give your mom a big hug. <3

(Speaking of giving my mom a big hug: Tomorrow is my birthday! And I was super sad because it was looking like I wouldn't have anything to do until the evening, when people got off from work. BUT my mom decided to take the day off so she and I can spend the earlier part of the day together. We're going to go shopping and out to eat and I'm sooo excited. Best mom ever!)

Homemade Potato Casserole

I love potatoes. I love casseroles. I love making things from scratch. This recipe combines all those things!

I feel like this casserole is that dish that everyone's aunt brings to family functions and everyone loves and gobbles up immediately. It's just like that-but sans all those preservatives. No one will know the difference, except that it tastes like way better (no offense all you aunties out there!)

I don't know if I've really said it but I need to let you all know something: my decision to move to Ohio was like....one of the best decisions I've ever made. Being home has been unbelievably amazing. I love getting to spend time with family, I love the area, I just really really love my life right now. Michael's happy. I'm happy. Everything is wonderful. And that's pretty darn awesome.

My point is that I would totally bring this to something with my family.

Allow me to describe to you what sort of taste journey you would go on if you made this casserole: soft, delicious, potatoes are cooked with onions and garlic and chicken broth for flavor. They also have some sour cream added, for that tangy/baked potato kind of spin. And of course...there is cheese. Always cheese.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Lasagna

 

My picky eating is a much bigger problem in the savory food world than the sweet (I mean...we can all agree chocolate and sugar and butter are delicious, amirite?) So I get SO. GOSH. DARNED. EXCIIITED when I find a new dinner recipe! Like...sure....they're pretty much all variations on each other (chicken? check. garlic? check. some kind of cheese? check. A carb? CHECK) but....I mean...whatever...they're sort of different...

Anyway. So like....I love chicken. I love garlic. I love lasagna.  I love Parmesan. Sooooo let's be real: Garlic Parmesan Chicken Lasagna was MADE FOR ME TO LOVE AND TO EAT! (I've made it twice already)

And ya know what's sort of dope (yeah. I just said dope. dealwithit!)? I used MY OWN,  freshly grown, parsley to top this lasagna and for the pictures!! FRESH HERBS ARE THE BESTEST! (yes....I said the word dope and then I said "bestest". I'm a complex woman.)

This lasagna tastes like...home to me. Like...it's a cross between lasagna (of which I actually love my mom's mom's recipe and use it to this day.) and this chicken noodle casserole dish that was probably made every week or every other week growing up because I WAS OBSESSED with it. This dish is like those....but better. It's probably gonna be made a lot from now on. It doesn't even take long to make (especially if you use pre-cooked chicken)! *happy dance*

I know even my mom would like this recipe. And she's just as picky as me. It was funny, my cousin Megan asked me the other day "Do you eat like your mom or like normal people?" To which I replied, "Somewhere in between...." My mom got a bit offended and insisted she eats way more things than me-which used to be true. Now I'd say we're probably even. We both eat things the other won't, but for the most part we're both pretty basic. I, however, am much more open to new foods than my darling mother (I like to cite the dreaded incident where I made her my just chicken pot pie recipe and she PICKED OUT ALL THE SCALLIONS! Like....what?! She insisted she'd gag if she ate one, to which I told her the flavor was there regardless! Agh!) Anyway...yeah. She'd like this. I'm pretty, darrrrn, sure! In fact-I think I'll make it for her soon! Hooray for having that option!

I mean...I don't know what else to say. Garlicky sauce, cheese, noodles, chicken. 

You obviously are gonna love it.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Lasagna

Slightly adapted from Pinch of Yum

Serves 9-12.

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp. butter
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic (4-5 cloves)
• 6 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 5 cups milk
• 10-15 no boil lasagna noodles
• 3 cups cooked, shredded, chicken (rotisserie adds great flavor, but you can also just bake/roast up some chicken)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup Swiss cheese (I've also used mozzarella)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• Optional-fresh herbs, such as parsley

Preparation:

• In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, stirring to avoid burning.
• Add flour, poultry seasoning, and salt. Whisk and cook or about 1 minute.
• Add milk, 1 cup at a time, stirring until slightly thickened before adding the next cup. Continue cooking until thickened, smooth, and simmering. Remove from heat.
• Grease a 9"x13" with nonstick cooking spray and preheat oven to 400F degrees.
• Cover the bottom of the pan with broken lasagna noodles (3-5), half of the shredded chicken, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup water (this helps cook the noodles), and 1 and 1/2 cups of the prepared sauce. Repeat this 1 time. Top with another layer of noodles, the final 1/3 cup water and 1 and 1/2 cups sauce, and the Swiss (or mozzarella) cheese. 
• Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes.
• Remove foil and cover the top with breadcrumbs. Bake 5-10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. 
• Sprinkle with fresh herbs and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

I baked this with love. For you!

Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole

I don't go into this a lot but...I've had really awful experiences with roommates (not including Michael, he's an angel <3). They always have ended in ruined friendships, panic attacks, crying, and me hiding in my bedroom from roommates who hate me (I swear I didn't do anything!). Anyway, details aside, they didn't go so well. The first real incident I had of this was in my first (non-dorm) NYC apartment, in Brooklyn. It ended very badly. I have very few fond memories of my time there or of the people I lived with. Especially of one roommate (who I hadn't really liked to begin with)--probably the only thing about her that I liked was a poppy seed chicken casserole she made. Prior to the fallout she made it and shared with all of us-and it was delicious! It tasted fattening and bad... but oh sooo good. Then, post fallout, she would still make this casserole frequently...and oh how I wished I could have some. Anyway, since I moved out, I haven't thought much about it. Until I saw a recipe for just this casserole online!

Now, I made a few adaptations. I didn't have poppy seeds, and really didn't think they'd make much of a difference (they didn't seem to). I also thought I'd try to somewhat healthify the recipe by using homemade cream of chicken soup (good choice), subbing in Greek yogurt for sour cream (altered the flavor slightly, but not in a bad way), and using homemade Ritz crackers (BAD CHOICE--they just weren't crisp enough. Stick with the store bought for that one). Of course you can completely disregard my adaptations and make this the original way, but now you have options :).

It's delicious. It's rich and buttery and really unforgettable.

 After all that roomie drama this casserole stuck with me. 

And I'm sure you'll find it just as memorable and addictive!