Rise and Shine Casserole

Getting up early for a sunrise service on Sunday?  Looking for something to do with leftover Easter ham?  Have a ton of family spending the night, and you need breakfast fast?  Give this recipe a shot!

Ingredients

• 8 frozen hash brown patties
• 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 pound cooked ham, cut into cubes
• 7 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Arrange hash brown patties on the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese and ham over patties.
3. Beat eggs, milk, salt, and mustard in a large bowl using a whisk; pour over ham. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake until edges are golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes more.

But wait!  This recipe can also be tweaked by adding a ton of other ingredients like chives, mushrooms, and other veggies.  Don't have hash browns?  Substitute with toast, bagels, or other goodies.

Pasta Aglio E Olio

When it comes to spaghetti we tend to think red sauce, but that can get a little boring.  There's more than one way to prepare spaghetti!  Pasta Aglio E Olio, which translates as "spaghetti with garlic and oil" is a dead simple recipe.  You can count the basic ingredients on one hand!  ...  However, the basic recipe can be expanded on with a wide range of additional ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried spaghetti
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook until al dente. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large, shallow pot. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges-don't overcook it! Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and toss well. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning and serve warm with Parmesan on the side.

When it comes to additional ingredients, the sky is the limit.  Popular options include the addition of extra herbs like thyme to the sauce as it cooks.  You can also finish up by adding a squeeze of lemon with the parsley.  Then you can also add things like Parmesan cheese to the mix or cook shrimp in the sauce for some added flavor.

Mini Grilled Gyro Burgers

A gyro-spiced beef-and-lamb mixture is formed into little patties, grilled, and topped with tzatziki and pickled pepperoncini for one tasty sandwich.

Why this recipe works:

• A 50/50 mix of ground beef and lamb strikes a nice balance between the flavor of a burger and a gyro.
• Adding additional fat or bacon into the meat mixture ensures a juicy patty.
• Puréeing the meat mixture in a food processor results in a fine texture that's reminiscent of a standard gryo-loaf.
• Tzatziki adds a cooling touch, while pickled peperoncini add heat and tang.

INGREDIENTS

For the Tzatziki:

• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 English cucumber, peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh dill
• Kosher salt

For the Burgers:

• 1/2 pound freshly ground lamb, well chilled
• 1/2 pound freshly ground beef chuck, well chilled
• 3 ounces pork fatback or bacon, diced and well chilled
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 medium clove)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup finely minced red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Greek
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 9 slider-size potato rolls, split
• Pickled peperoncini, for topping

Type of fire: Direct
Grill heat: medium-high
 

DIRECTIONS

1. For the Tzatziki: Mix together yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and dill in a medium bowl. Season with salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
2. For the Burgers: Place lamb, beef, fatback or bacon, garlic, salt, onion, oregano, and black pepper in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth puree is formed, about 1 minute total, scraping down side of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary. Form meat mixture into 9 equal-sized patties.
3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place buns on grill, cut side down, and grill until lightly toasted. Set aside.
4. Place gyro patties on grill and cook until well seared on both sides and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.
5. Transfer patties to toasted buns, top with a spoonful of tzatziki and a few slices of peperoncini. Serve immediately.

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For Fun:

The official music video for Luke Bryan and Jimmy Fallon's song "I Don't Know How to Pronounce Gyro." Full lyrics below: LYRICS I was born in southwest Georgia, Always tried to make my daddy proud.

YouTube Link

Rhubarb Strawberry Crunch

Ever wonder what to do with that big rhubarb plant in the garden? This is your answer.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 3 cups diced rhubarb
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, strawberries, and rhubarb. Place the mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, butter, and oats until crumbly. You may want to use a pastry blender for this. Crumble on top of the rhubarb and strawberry mixture.
4. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and lightly browned.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

• 3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 10 small red potatoes
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

Directions

1. Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender.
2. Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes.
3. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain.

Yummy Pecan Pralines

Pecans are cooked to the soft ball stage with brown sugar, white sugar, evaporated milk and butter and then beaten and poured on a slab to firm up in these sweet, chewy candies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups pecan halves
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Generously grease a large slab or baking sheet.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, white sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Stir in butter, pecans and vanilla. Heat, without stirring, to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
3. Beat until thickened, then pour immediately onto prepared surface and let rest until firm and completely cool before cutting.