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.

Your hubby just called and said that some friends are on the way over for a visit.  Wouldn’t it be fun if you were just taking something yummy out of the oven when they arrived??!!  This is one of those amazing recipes that can be baked and frosted in 30 minutes or less … truly amazing.   Read through the recipe before you start, there are some oddities that can take you by surprise.  Do exactly as it says and you will have a perfectly spectacular evening visiting with your friends over coffee and dessert.

Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

• 2 c. flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 cubes butter
• 4 Tbs cocoa powder
• 1 c. water
• 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. soda
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Sift flour and sugar together in a large bowl.  (I never take the time to do this step.)  Combine butter, cocoa and water in saucepan and bring to a rapid boil.  Pour over flour and sugar mixture and stir well (by hand).  Add buttermilk, soda, eggs and vanilla.  Mix well (by hand).  Pour into greased sheet pan and bake approximately 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  (12 x 15 pan)

Icing

• 1 cube butter
• 4 Tbs cocoa powder
• 6 Tbs milk
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Just before cake is done, melt butter, cocoa and milk together and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts.  Beat well (by hand) and spread on cake in pany while the cake is still very hot.

This cake freezes REALLY WELL either in serving sizes or as a whole cake.

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.

I’m thinking that your house is as crazy as mine in the morning.  Yes?  We live waaayyy out in the country and so it takes us at least 45 minutes to get to town.  With two kids still at home, that means every day is a rush.  I am, of course, the slowest of everyone … have Mi-ki dogs to look after … and a house that screams for my attention.  (I am seriously looking into clothes that auto destruct when they hit the laundry basket.)  Consequently, the family is on their own for breakfast.   My husband is always asking for this recipe.  What makes it so wonderful - besides the taste and the health factor -is that you make it in the evening and it is good for all week long.  Yay!!!  I win.

Muesli 

• 2 1/4 c. oats (I use a combination of rolled and steel cut)
• 1 1/4 c. milk
• 3/4 c. dried fruits (raisins, craisins, dried raspberries, dried blueberries, etc.)
• 1/4 c. orange juice (the real stuff right out of an orange is best)
• 1/3 c. chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds)
• 1/3 c. honey (heat it up for a few seconds in the microwave)

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.   Serve with additional milk/cream and honey as desired.

What could be easier???

I just love seeing my customers smile.  The best compliment of all was when a regular customer leaned in close to me as I was wrapping up her casserole and said, “My family doesn’t know that you make these”.  Nothing could have made me happier!!! Just imagining the smiles around her dinner table as her family oohed and awed … and her smiling and taking the credit for a job well done.   It absolutely made my day!

Delmonico Ham and Potatoes was from my mom.  She swears that it was one of Abraham Lincoln’s absolute favorites.  Who am I to question my mom?  So thanks, Mom, for a GREAT seller.  My customers loved this one.

Delmonico Ham and Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 # cubed ham
• 1 3/4 # cubed cooked potatoes
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
• 2 3/4 cups cream sauce (recipe below)

Layer cubed potatoes and ham in a greased casserole.  Pour the cream sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes until bubbly and golden. 

Cream Sauce:

• 6 T butter (not margarine)
• 6 T flour
• 2 1/2 cups light cream or half and half
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a sauce pan.  Add the flour when the butter just starts to brown.  Cook the roux until beautifully golden brown,  stirring constantly.  Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Add salt and pepper to taste, remembering how salty the ham is.  Cook slowly until bubbly.  Yummmm.

Serve with fresh green beans and fruit salad with Poppy Seed Dressing.  So pretty.

Enjoy!