The Daily Dish Recipes

Leftover ham from the holidays? I have a great recipe to help use up some of the ham and make a meal that is fit for a king. Plus, the kids love it, so you can’t get any better than that. Usually I sprinkle some cheese over the top of it just before serving and its absolutely perfect.

Ham and Potato Chowder Recipe

1/4 c. melted butter
1 med. onion, minced
3/4 c. diced ham
1/2 c. chopped celery
2 c. finely diced raw potatoes (we use different kinds each time - sometimes whatever we have leftover)
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. pepper (depends on how strong you want it)
4 c. milk

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and then saute the onion and celery. Add the ham and saute as soon as the onion starts to turn “milky/clear”. Add the potatoes and cook about 10 minutes or so longer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the flour, the salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the milk and return to the heat. DO NOT LET BOIL. Stir and allow the mixture to warm slowly. Needs to be served immediately because chowder will continue to thicken upon standing. If this happens, you can add some warm water to the chowder to thin it out a little and give it the desired consistency. Enjoy! Double the recipe if you would like to freeze a batch. Chowder will be thinner when you serve it next time. Can be refrigerated for about 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container. Delicious!

When I was growing up, I remember going to my friends house and getting the chance to make a really yummy snack with her mom. As soon as my kids were old enough, we made our first batch ourselves and have never stopped. They love Puppy Chow Snack Mix and know how to make it themselves now. This is the recipe we use:

Puppy Chow Snack Mix Recipe

1 stick of butter
1 small bag chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter
1 box Chex Rice Cereal (we have also used Crispix)
1 box powdered sugar

In a large pot or saucepan over low heat, melt butter, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Mix well. Add the cereal and mix, coating all pieces. Pour the entire warm mixture into a paper bag with the powdered sugar. Close tightly and shake to coat. Turn the coated mixture out onto a piece of waxed paper, spreading out thin to allow to cool. Can be stored in an air-tight container, shake before eating. Looks really cute served in a clean dog bowl at parties or just because. Yummy!

I have always loved Green Bean Casserole since I was very young. When I got older, I longed for a less “processed” way to make it, including having fresh ingredients. I have made green bean casserole the traditional way, and just used fresh green beans, but when I stumbled across this recipe for a ‘totally from scratch’ green bean casserole, I jumped on it. I love preparing this for special holidays, and I do switch it out (depending on time and volume needed) with the traditional recipe, but either way - it’s still good.

Special Easter ‘Made From Scratch’ Green Bean Casserole

2 packages frozen French cut green beans (you can use fresh green beans if you desire)
8 oz. package of crimini mushrooms, quartered (sometimes I use sliced and chopped portobella mushrooms)
3 Tbs. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 c, milk
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can French fried onions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the green beans into a saucepan and fill with about a 1/2 in. of water. Bring the water to a boil and steam the green beans until they are tender but still a nice bright color. Approximately five minutes or so. Drain them. Add the mushrooms and toss together.
In a larger skillet, melt the butter over med. heat. Add the onion and parsley and then cook and stir until the onion is tender. Using a whisk or fork, whisk in the flour until well blended and then mix in the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly so that no lumps form and add and stir in the sour cream. Warm on medium until the sauce begins to bubble. Now add the green beans and mushrooms, stir to coat.
Now, remove the skillet from the heat and add some Cheddar cheese and French fried onions, saving a little of both to sprinkle over the top. Spoon entire green bean mixture into a casserole dish and then top with the remaining french friend onions and cheese. Bake in a preheated oven until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes. Absolutely fantastic with ANY meal!!

I love super easy meals for dinner, especially on those days where we would rather be doing something else and not stuck in the kitchen. Hamburger meat recipes seem to come in handy, because ground beef is so easy to work with and cooks pretty quick. This great hamburger meat recipe was a hit the first time I made it, and it tastes great!

Hamburger and Green Bean Casserole

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 - 3/4 c. bread crumbs (I use croutons sometimes and the flavor is amazing!)
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 egg
1 lb. ground beef
salt, pepper and garlic to taste
2 cans green beans

In a large bowl, combine mushroom soup with bread crumbs, onion and ground beef. Add the green beans. Add egg and mix well. Add seasonings to taste. Fill a casserole dish with mixture and top with extra bread crumbs if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

This is super easy to prepare, and is great for potlucks and parties.

Substitution Note: Sometimes if I don’t have an onion on hand, I will substitute the onion and bread crumbs for French Fried Onions like you would put in a typical green bean casserole. We buy the bags in bulk, so I almost always have them on hand to add a little flavor to a dish! Tastes great and honestly works exactly the same way!
Also try changing the meats and use chicken instead. Makes a whole different meal!

With strawberry season rapidly approaching, fresh strawberries should be abundant. Time to roll out a few of my most delicious, favorite strawberry recipes. This one is a favorite at our home!

Strawberry Party Roll Recipe

1 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 lb strawberries, sliced
1 c. whipped cream
1 1/4 c. mini marshmallows
1 jelly roll cake - prepare chocolate or vanilla in a jelly roll pan
powdered sugar

Place the cake on a towel and roll into a roll until the filling is finished. In a bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar and strawberries.  Fold the whipped cream and the marshmallows into the bowl. Unroll the cake and spread the filling on the cake as if icing it, but don’t get it on the sides. Re-roll the cake and chill for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

This is perfect for summer bbq’s and spring picnics! We love it anytime!

Several months back, a reader (Jill Stryler) shared a recipe she had found, for Homemade Bran Muffins. It has been forever since I have had really delicious bran muffins and I am kinda picky about them, because they do have to have a sweetened flavor. Plus, I want my kids to be able to eat them. Well, this is the recipe she shared and I have to give her a big shout and a special thank you because my kids love them and so do I! (She needs a blog so I can give her real credit!)

Easy Homemade Bran Muffins Recipe

2 c. bran (not cereal, real bran)
1 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. molasses

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (bran, sugar, flour, baking soda and salt). In another bowl, combine the oil, buttermilk, eggs and molasses. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Fill each muffin cup of a greased muffin pan about 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350′F for 15-20 minutes. Check with a toothpick, and when toothpick comes out clean - muffins are ready.

For some reason, each time I make this recipe I wind up with more or less than I did the last time. It seems to make about a dozen to a dozen and a half muffins.

Once again it is time for my Monday Madness Recipe Roundup - I am happy to announce that it is the sixth and seems to be a well loved feature, so I intend to keep it up for awhile. As I have mentioned before, there is absolutely no criteria to get on this post, except that I have to come across a new recipe (from the past week, with only a few exceptions) on your blog. Your blog DOES need to have a date on it, so I can verify when it was posted. Usually the roundup is formed when I just accidentally find a recipe I just need to try. I need to keep them all in once place, and this works. Then I can share them with others as well and provide a bit of linky love.

To see past recipe roundups, click here.

Mama Loves Food stopped me right in my tracks with a most delicious looking Green Bean Chicken Casserole - two of my favorites paired together as one dish. I have done something similar but never with whole chicken and this recipes is awesome. This is on our menu early this week! Oh, and there’s photos and they are simply mouthwatering!

My Path to Fitness had me hooked with a really great recipe for Sour Cream and Cheese Dip - I don’t plan to save it for super bowl Sunday. I have the ingredients to try it out this afternoon.

My Kitchen Table brought me back to my childhood with delicious Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies that I remember fondly from childhood. I cannot swear this is the same recipe my mom used, but the cookies are the same name and they both came from Quaker. Yum!

I am a shrimp addict, and seriously I could eat it with every meal (though I’m not really seeing it for breakfast but you never know) well, yesterday Are You Hungry? posted a recipe for  a really yummy Shrimp Seafood Dip.

Tasty Recipes is a new to me blog this week, but I found several that looked awesome - my favorite was her recipe for  Chicken Caliente (also known as King Ranch Casserole) -  it looks and sounds amazing and it is going on my next menu plan!

While I definitely stumbled upon several other amazing and delicious recipes, I’ve just been so busy that this weeks picking are a bit slim but trust me, they are worth it! I will have a better round up next week. Thanks for visiting and be sure and visit these blogs and give them some love.

This is one of those meals I love to feed to my family. Not everyone loves broccoli but allowing the broccoli to simmer in the dish, allows the nutrients to be released into the other ingredients. What does that mean? It means that if a child removes the broccoli and won’t eat it, at least they are still getting some of the benefits from the broccoli. And for the record, one of my children that hates broccoli will eat it in this dish, because it is so flavorful. This was originally a Campbell’s recipe that I have doctored and tailored to fit my families taste. Delicious!

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

1-2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
2 cans of low fat cream of chicken soup (just look for a reduced fat or lower fat version)
2 c. water
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. uncooked instant rice
2-4 c. fresh or frozen broccoli

Heat the EVOO oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. Season chicken with whatever you like. We use a bit of garlic powder, onion salt and seasoning salt. Cook the chicken in the skillet until it is browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Add the soups, water, pepper and paprika to the skillet and stir. Heat until it is boiling. Add the rice and broccoli to the skillet and reduce heat to low. Place the chicken back into the skillet and sprinkle additional paprika and pepper over the chicken. Cover the dish and cook for about 8-10 minutes or so. The dish is ready to serve when the chicken is cooked all the way through and the rice is tender. This is so good and you can add other veggies if you want (we sometimes add celery for a different flavor) or try it with a different meat. Fast and easy!

We love nacho’s at our house, and we tried to change it up every time we decide to make them. While plain old cheese nacho’s are good, I prefer all kind of toppings and different meats to be included in mine. Thankfully the kids agree, and by far this is one of our favorite ways to make nachos.

Chicken Nachos Recipe

1 bag of tortilla chips
3/4 c. chopped avocado
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 chopped tomato
1 c. shredded chicken (cooked)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (mozzarella and monterey jacks are our favorites)
Salsa and Sour cream on the side

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet or pan with tin foil. Arrange the chips on the pan. In a bowl, combine the avocado, tomato and cumin. Sprinkle all over the tortilla chips. Next, top the chips with the chicken and finally end with the cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. We recommended keeping a watchful eye so you don’t overcook anything. Serve with some sour cream or salsa on the side. Delicious!!

We do this for a snack, but we have also done it for a meal before when we have had other “Mexican” style appetizers too.

We made these for the first time last night, and they absolutely rocked. I almost didn’t try them because I am trying to do with as little dairy as possible, but after one sip I needed another which eventually turned into a mug full! But I wasn’t actually on the banana diet thing anyway, so I enjoyed a really yummy cup of this delicious drink. My kids adored it and we figured out it could be made with lots of flavors of ice cream as well as extracts.

Hot Almond Cream Drink Recipe

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 c. vanilla ice cream
2 tsp. almond extract
3/4 c. boiling water/cup
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

On low heat, in a pot, melt the butter and mix in the sugars on the stove top for about 5-10 minutes stirring nearly constantly and careful not to allow it to burn. Pour the sugar mixture into a large bowl and add the ice cream and the almond extract. Using a mixer, beat until the whole thing is smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl frequently. Now you have your basic part done.

To make a cup of the delicious beverage:
Spoon 1/4 c. of the mix into a mug. Next add 3/4 c. boiling water and stir well. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve. My kids enjoyed it with some whipped cream on top but I opted out of that. This recipe makes about 3-4 mugs full out of it. So be sure to halve, double or triple to suit your needs. Hope you enjoy and let me know how you like it.