.tamale pie. {husband's choice}

This is hands down the BEST recipe EVER. No joke, I know I always say that but seriously. Make this and eat it and you will be naming your next child after me, its just that amazing. The hubby and I ate this entire dish (serves 6) in two days (and we are not big people). I could hardly sleep at night because I could not wait to wake up in the morning and have leftovers for breakfast. Anyways, I can not take all the credit for this recipe. The original recipe can be found here and while you are over there check out her amazing blog. Enjoy!





Ingredients
15 oz. corn bread box (or the equivalent of your homemade version) * I used trader joes. yum
1 lb. ground beef
2 red peppers, diced (any color and amount would do)
1 onion, diced
half bag of frozen corn (this is just how much I had... a can, a bag, whatever)
salsa (any amount to give it some liquid)
sour cream (a couple spoonfuls, again, to moisten it) *I omitted because I didn't have it
cheddar cheese, grated (however much you want)
1 can black beans (if you don't like beans, skip it... or pinto, kidney... all would do)
optional: 1 can of condensed tomato soup (I didn't have any this time and didn't miss it)
optional: chili powder

Preparation
Cook beef. Add peppers + onion and sautee. Add corn to warm it up. Take off heat and add your sour cream, cheese, salsa, beans. Put it all in a 9x12 casserole dish. Take your favorite corn bread mix (already mixed up with the oil + eggs, etc.) and add it right to the top, uncooked, spreading it out evenly. Yeah, it seems weird to add raw corn bread mix to the top of the cooked meat + veggies but that's how it's done. Then cook it for 400 degrees for like 20-25 minutes or so. This is probably different than the corn bread baking directions but it still works. Just make sure the corn bread is truly cooked on top or the underside can be really undercooked since it's right on top of the casserole fixings.

.broccoli casserole.

Super easy and super yum. I added chicken to make it more of a meal versus a side dish. Original recipe is by Paula Deen and can be found here. Perfect for these cold nights that we have been having :)



Ingredients
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup Grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 cup crushed Ritz crackers (I used saltines since it was what I had)
2 tablespoon butter, melted

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13 by 9 inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combing, broccoli, mayo, cheese, soup and eggs. Mix well with a metal spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the crushed crackers and pour the melted butter evenly over the crackers. Bake for 35 minutes or until set and browned.

.zucchini bake.

In our house we LOVE zucchini and yellow squash. Probably could eat it everyday its that yum. I usually just saute in with some lemon pepper but when I came across this recipe on Pinterest I just had to give it a try. We literally almost ate this entire dish that you see below in one sitting and keep in mind its just me and the hubby and we are little people. It was just THAT good. Try it out for yourself :)




Ingredients
2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2-4 T chopped fresh basil (I skipped this)
2 T thinly sliced green onion ( I skipped this)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup white cheese blend
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (I would use a little less if you only have the very finely grated Parmesan from a can)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices. Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop. Slice green onions.

Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked. Serve hot.