Pepperoni Dot Casserole

The following is my most recent modification of the Polka Dot Macaroni & Cheese Casserole recipe. Why? Because I used my grandmother's advice to "use a recipe as a guideline, and raid your pantry & fridge to find out what you have to use." The ingredients are what I had available, and I have to say that it is was very yummy. I've also given you a list of my other recipes & suggestions based on this.

Pepperoni Dot Cheese Casserole (original)

• 1 cup dry macaroni
• 1 can of light kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
• 11 oz condensed cream of chicken soup (1 can)
• 24 slices of pepperoni
• 3 slices of cheese (Muenster because that is what I "had")

1. Heat toaster oven to 375 F
2. Macaroni cooks for 8-10 minutes, for last 5 mins, add the drained/rinsed beans to same pot
3. Drain the macaroni & beans, pour the soup into the pot you used
4. Add macaroni/bean mixture to pot & mix well using a slotted spatula
5. Pour mixture into an 8x6x2 greased casserole dish
6. Bake for 15 mins in toaster oven
7. Place pepperoni (stacked in 2s) like below
8. Place the cheese slices over that like below
9. Bake 10 mins or until mixture is hot and bubbly like below

Stacked pepperoni stacks

Cheese layer

Finished dish

Serves 4-6, depending on how you cut it. Serve it with a tossed salad, some fruit, and a beverage.

Other Recipe Modifications

• Polka Dot Macaroni & Cheese (original recipe)
• Mish-Mash Casserole
• Homemade "Hamburger Helper" Casserole
• Homemade "Chicken Helper" Casserole
• Ditto Casserole (with hot dogs)

Suggestions

✔ I recommend using the toaster oven because it helps cut utility costs (click HERE to read it)
✔ I suggest using the slotted spatula to stir the pasta and mixing them because it is one less item you have to wash, since you'll use it to cut the casserole when done.
✔ I mention using the stock pot for cooking the pasta, heating up the beans a little, and mixing in the soup because that reduces the number of pots & bowls that you have to wash, reduces the amount of electricity or gas to fire the stove, and makes things easy peasy.

Quick & Easy Chili

I needed something to eat but didn't want to make a "lot" of work to make it happen. The Quick & Easy Chili was the result of raiding the pantry and the fridge. So here goes.

Ingredients:

Quick & Easy Chili

• 1 lbs. ground beef
• 1/2 of a Bob Evans Sausage tube
• 1 can of mixed vegetables, drained & rinsed
• 1 can of light red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
• Chili powder (as much as you want to add)

Directions:

1. Brown the beef and sausage in a skillet, then drain
2. Add meat, vegetables, beans, and diced tomatoes to a stock pot (I used a Dutch oven)
3. Simmer for 2 hours
4. Add chili powder and stir occasionally while simmering
5. Serves 4-6 (depending on how big your servings are)

 Notes:

• I added a cup of cooked peas I had in the fridge (from the night before)
• I added a cup of cooked elbow macaroni I had in the fridge (from the night before)
• I used the SWAG method (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) when adding the chili powder a couple of times while it was simmering & I stirred it
• I used the other 1/2 Bob Evans Sausage tube to make the sausage gravy that I mentioned in my Recipe Research entry, and poured it over the chili when I ate it. YUM!!!

Ditto Casserole

I called it Ditto Casserole, because it was due to combining some other casserole recipes on my blog, all into one. But, I would have to say that this was the most tasty one yet. I probably "over wrote" the instructions, but it is easier than it reads...

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz. black beans
• 1 cup elbow macaroni pasta
• 1 can salt-free tomato sauce
• Old Bay Seasoning to taste
• 2 hot dogs
• 1 1/2 cups shredded taco mix cheese

 Directions:

1. Simmer the beans (undrained) while you boil the water for the pasta
2. Prepare the elbow macaroni pasta according to the package instructions
3. While that is going on, chop up the 2 hot dogs (cut in half lengthwise twice, then chop)
4. Preheat the toaster oven to 400 F
5. When the pasta is done, rinse and drain
6. Pour the tomato sauce into the 2 quart saucepan from the pasta
7. Return the pasta to that pot, and drain/rinse the beans & return that to the pasta pan
8. Stir well, sprinkling Old Bay (or the spice of your choice) over it while stirring
9. Add chopped hot dogs, and stir well again, adding more spices/herbs
10. Pour into an 8x6x2 oiled casserole dish, and bake in the toaster oven for 15 minutes
11. Spread the cheese on top of that baked casserole & return it to the toaster oven for 10 mins

Serve with a side of vegetables, a salad, and a desert... enjoy... serves 4-6 depending on how you cut it...

Percolated Coffee

I'm a hippie in spirit, learned a LOT from my grandparents, and still make coffee the way they taught me. I use a percolator on the stove, and not a coffee maker like most people today do. Yeah, it takes a little longer to make, but it makes my apartment smell amazingly like grandma's kitchen did in the early hours of the morning, and the coffee tastes better, IMHO.

Percolated Coffee

I use a camping coffee pot, by Coleman. I started using the filters available at the local grocery store, but have discarded them and no longer use them, the ground container works better without a filter. I use cold tap water to fill the pot, and a store brand coffee for the flavor. Yeah, I could buy the fancy grinds of coffee, but I'm more about the taste & caffeine than about the "savoring" of a large mug of coffee. In my experience, I can get a better flavor of the coffee because I percolate it than I ever got by using a drip coffee maker. And it does put a smile on my face when I see the brown liquid in the little glass nipple on the top of the pot.

I don't use an egg white in the water, like my grandmother did. Though, I'm sure that would enhance the flavor even more. My tendency when making coffee in the morning, and cracking an egg, is to fry the egg up as part of breakfast. But, she always added the egg white into the pot while making coffee. I do still add a quarter cup of ice cold water to the pot when I take it off the burner, to settle the grounds, like she taught me.

Most often, I pour my mug and let it sit for about 15 minutes so it is just the right temperature to drink. I worked construction and got used to drinking room temperature coffee because we would often set our cup down, get to work, and get back to the cup when we could. So "hot" coffee isn't as enjoyable to me. Sometimes I'll just drop a couple of ice cubes into the cup so it reaches my preferred temp quicker.

Since I've been drinking coffee for nearly 30 years, my body "needs" the drug of caffeine. I get headaches if I don't have some each day. I don't drink as much as I used to, but I still need some each day. Doesn't matter if it is morning, afternoon, or evening. In fact, after a good dinner, I'd rather have coffee as a dessert than a piece of cake or pie.

Anyway...go have a cup o' Joe...

WTF Chili Stew

Okay...so here's yet another post about a recipe I came up with by simply opening up the pantry door and the fridge, and looking at what I had available to "throw together" for some meals. I named it WTF Chili Stew because of how I chose the ingredients, and that it turned out to be like a "Stew" because of how liquid it was, but was more along the lines of a "Chili."

This picture shows you the ingredients that I had to use. I downsized the portions since I was only really cooking for one. But, that gave me enough WTF Chili Stew for two meals. So, it could be for two people as well. Just make sure you add a side of fruit, and a nutritious beverage.


INGREDIENTS:

Image via Wikipedia

• 1/4 cup brown rice
• Small can of Pork N Beans
• 10.5 can stewed tomatoes (undrained)
• 1/2 "log" of ground sausage (like the Bob Evans one)
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Italian Spices
• Bag of tortilla chips

 DIRECTIONS:

1. First, start the brown rice. That takes 50 minutes for the brand I use.
2. Place the Pork N Beans and stewed tomatoes in a 2 quart saucepan and simmer.
3. Slice sausage log into 1/4 slices and brown. Cut into bite sized pieces after browning.
4. Add sausage to the bean pot.
5. Sprinkle bean pot with Old Bay Seasoning and Italian Spices. Stir well and occasionally.
6. When rice is done, add it to the bean pot.
7. Add a little more Old Bay Seasoning, and stir well.
8. Let simmer another 15 minutes. 

While that was finishing the simmering, I had enough time to wash all of the other pans and utensils that I used, so that made nearly all of the dishes done before dinner was enjoyed. When the final simmering was done, I spooned it into a bowl, grab the last of the tortilla chips I had, and sat down to enjoy by scooping my "chili stew" with the chips...

All I can say, IMHO, is MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!! It was good...and I'll make it again...