broccoli rice casserole

i've been making broccoli rice casserole for awhile now, but this recipe had some variations in it that i thought sounded interesting. so glad i found this, because it replaces my old recipe!

first up, the ingredients:

2 packages frozen chopped broccoli (only one is shown here, but i get broccoli florets)
3 cups instant rice
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups water
1 (16 ounce) package processed American cheese, cubed (i.e., velveeta)
1 tablespoon butter
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

once prep work is finished, your celery, onion, and cheese will look like this:

directions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. cook broccoli and rice according to package directions. (i LOVE steam in bag veggies. i stock up on them whenever they are on sale. that's what i used here.)

3. in a medium saucepan over low heat, mix cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, and 1 1/4 cups water.

4. gradually stir in cheese until melted. BE CAREFUL that the cheese doesn't burn. (this requires constant stirring.)

5. while adding in the butter, try not to eat all the pieces of cubed cheese. when you are sneaking pieces, make sure that nobody sees you. this is the most challenging part of the entire recipe...

i got caught...

moving on...

6. melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. saute celery and onion until soft.

7. in a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, rice, soup and cheese mixture, and celery and onion. season with salt and pepper. once combined, pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. (i poured mine into one of my pyrex dishes that has a lid. i knew it would make leftovers, so i put it in here to double as a baking dish and storage.)

8. i added some cheese on the top. the recipe didn't call for it, but i don't believe in broccoli rice casseroles without cheese on top. it's against my religion.

9. bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes, until bubbly and lightly brown.

i consider this a major upgrade from my old recipe. my old recipe was really inconsistent... mainly b/c i had it all in my head so it never wound up the same both times. (if you knew what the inside of my head was like, you would understand.) i will keep this one as a staple. it also makes GREAT leftovers and is great for taking along to work for lunch. all my co-workers were jealous. :)

it makes an entire pan, so this is also great for family get-togethers. i will eventually take this to a family reunion or thanksgiving or christmas and see how the family enjoys it. try it on yours and let me know how it turns out!

fin.

beef and bean crescent pie

this recipe turned out soooooooooo good!! i even brought leftovers of it over to the in-laws for sunday lunch, and it got gobbled up! try this with some tortilla chips (i like the blue corn kind) or fritos. it's not a dip, but it pairs well with something crunchy. i couldn't believe how unbelievably easy this was or the fanfare that it received. this is a crowd-pleaser with mexican flair.

ingredients:

1 - 1 1/4 pounds ground beef

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning

1/3 cup salsa (i didn't measure. i just eye-balled it, but i probably used more like 1/2 cup.)

1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (i used light and it turned out great)

1 can refried beans

2 cups Mexican blend cheese

directions:

1. unroll crescent roll dough. press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 13x9 baking dish. be sure to seal perforations.

2. in a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain the fat.

3. add taco seasoning and salsa.

4. simmer, uncovered, until thickened.

5. while the meat mixture is thickening, spread cream cheese over the dough. the recipe called for 4 ounces. i used more than that (probably 6 ounces), but i didn't empty out the container. but i probably could have. just spread it until the dough is generously covered. feel free to use all 8 ounces. :)

6. stir the refried beans into the beef mixture until warm.

7. spoon beef mixture over cream cheese layer. (i must admit, this looked kind of gross at this point, but just trust me. the outcome is great!)

8. bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

9. remove from oven. sprinkle with cheese. 

10. bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

although the middle steps look pretty disgusting, i can assure you, the end result is DELISH! as i said before, this is a crowd pleaser. it's like mexican lasagna but creamier. i also appreciate the few ingredients and little time involved. makes for a great weeknight dinner AND the leftovers taste even better. i swear! yum, yum, and yum. try it. tonight. :)

fin.