I opened my business with this casserole.  It isn’t fancy.  There are no exotic ingredients.  It’s super easy to make  and people just love it.  I guarantee there won’t be any leftovers.

Green Enchilada Casserole

• approximately 1 # hamburger
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 2/3 c. water
• 1 c. grated cheese (cheddar, jack, jalapeno – you choose)
• 1 small can chopped green chilies
• 12 corn tortillas

Brown the onion with the hamburger.  Drain the meat and add diced chilies.  Combine soups and water.  Put a scoop of meat mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Roll up tortillas and lay in greased baking dish.  Pour soup sauce over all.  Top with cheese.   Bake in a 350 degree oven until enchiladas are bubbly and cheese is melted.

This is a tuna casserole recipe for serving at home … it was never a big seller at the restaurant … and honestly, that makes sense.  Just about everyone thinks that they can make tuna casserole … and most of them can.  But this is the creamiest, yummiest tuna casserole ever!   It is old fashioned … just a bit “oakey” … not exactly what anyone would call “health food” …. but absolutely wonderful.  One of my employees offered it to us if we would name it after her.  So Barbara, thank you! 

Barbara’s Tuna Casserole

• 3 1/2 c. uncooked wide egg noodles
• 1/2 c. diced green chilies (8 oz.)
• 1 c. Cream of Chicken soup ( 9 oz.)
• 2/3 c. corn
• 4 oz. diced Velveeta
• 1 c. milk
• 6 oz. drained tuna
• 2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare the noodles as instructed on the package.  Drain well, rinsing with cool water.  Combine all but the cheddar cheese.  Pour into a greased casserole.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese.   Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes until bubbly.

Honestly and truly … you will love it.

We were often asked to prepare items for executive breakfast meetings to be delivered from the cafe.  Talk about an early morning for us … yikes!  Over and over the item requested was our Quiche.   I’ve  just got to say, there are a lot of just ok Quiches out there.  The difference is not that the cook is less accomplished, it’s not even necessarily that the recipe is bad.  More often than not it is the ingredients.

Quiches, to be more than just “ok”, must be made with the best quality ingredients.  If you make a Quiche with skimmed milk … ick … you end up with a watery thing.  If you use inferior cheese, the taste leaves you unimpressed.  So … please use the very best quality ingredients if you are going for the WOW! factor.  Restaurant/cafe owners … the customers really will pay more for great.

Bonnie’s Best Quiche

Line a pie pan with your favorite pastry.  Flute the rim above the edge of the pan.  Cook a breakfast meat such as bacon, ham or sausage … or use some leftover ham or chicken.  Drain the meat well, pat it with a paper towel if necessary.  Break the meat up into small pieces and just barely cover the bottom of the pastry shell … too little is better than too much.

Combine one cup of shredded cheese, you can use a mixture.  (This is where you really get to play.)  Here are some examples of a few that I’ve used – Gruyere, Swiss, Jalapeno Jack, Sharp Cheddar, Gouda.  Sprinkle over the meat and top with an additional 1/2 cup of freshly shredded parmesan.  Combine 1 cup milk, 1 cup cream, and 4 well beaten eggs. Pour this over all in the pie shell.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the Quiche comes out clean.    

Simply Elegant!

Variations: 

• Vegetarian using grilled or sauted vegetables … mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes (seeded), green onions,  peas, etc.  
• Get wild and use bar-b-qued meats … leftover chinese food.
• Seafood!!!!  Make sure that the seafood is cooked before it goes into the quiche.