When Good Food Goes Bad....

I was performing my morning routine of browsing the daily news stories on AOL when I came across an article about how long to keep leftovers in the fridge. Yes, this means that you actually throw away food based on the shelf life, not that you take a whiff and decide it's edible for a few more days. AOL linked over to Hellawella where I stumbled across this fabulous guide:

 

Even though some foods have expiration dates, this is useful for the dates that fade or the items that do not have a date. 

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole
8 Slices Of Bread - cubed
1 Lb. Sausage - cooked & crumbled
1.5 C Cheddar Cheese - shredded
10 Large Eggs
2 C Milk
2 t Dry Mustard
1 t Salt
Pepper

In a greased casserole dish, place the cubes of bread on the bottom. Top the bread with sausage (make sure it is cooked) and shredded cheese. Mix the eggs, milk, mustard and salt together. Season this mixture with pepper and pour it over the sausage mixture. Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I believe I got this recipe from All Recipes, but I am not sure. Oops! I have never made a breakfast casserole before, but our good friends came for the weekend and I was excited for the excuse to try this recipe out. It was SO good. I served the casserole with a side of buttery, garlic toast. It was a filling breakfast and everyone enjoyed it. The seasoning was great and not one ingredient stood out from the rest. It was not too cheesy or too "eggy." The next time I do this I will attempt to throw in some hash browns as well. It says this can made the day before, but I did not attempt that. I also used leftovers for J's breakfast for the next two days. A breakfast casserole that reheats well is definitely going into my recipe box.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning
1T Chili Powder
1.5 t Ground Cumin
1 t Sea Salt
1 t Pepper
1/2 t Paprika
1/4 t Garlic Powder
1/4 t Onion Powder
1/4 t Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 t Dried Oregano

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container. Increase the red pepper for spiciness.

I swear I could eat these for days upon days upon days. You get the idea. Making tacos is so easy. It was one of the first things I made when we were married. In fact, I was so clueless in the kitchen that I did not know you needed to put the taco shells in the oven for a few minutes. I wondered why they tasted stale straight from the store. True story. J started to hate tacos or he hated them all along, but our marriage was too new to judge my cooking. I had made a homemade seasoning before and he surprisingly enjoyed the meal. I made this blend because I had everything, but seasoning for the meat. Loved this. If you randomly cook or you have a spice rack, you should have most of the ingredients on hand. I saved what I had left. Cheers for no more store bought seasoning packets!

Veggie Cups

Veggie Cups
Celery
Carrots
Ranch Dressing
Dixie Cups

Cut the celery and carrots into sticks. Squirt the dressing into the bottom of the cup and place the sticks in the cup. Voila!

This is almost to obvious to write out directions for. I cut the veggies and stored them in a ziplock bag overnight. Everyone loves a healthy snack option, even if it is covered in rich dressing. I discovered this idea on pinterest and thought about how genius it was. Little clean up and no one gets mad if you double dip. You know you are growing up when the same cups used for jello shots are used for veggies. Sigh.

Ham & Turkey Tortilla Rolls

Ham & Turkey Tortilla Rolls
Sliced Ham
Sliced Turkey
Medium Sized Tortilla Rolls
Ranch Mix Packet
8 Oz Cream Cheese

Mix the ranch packet and cream cheese until the mixture is soft enough to spread onto a tortilla. Lightly cover the tortilla with the spread and place turkey or ham on top. Make sure the tortilla is lightly covered with the meat and cream cheese, but that nothing is on the edge. Tightly roll the tortilla in a log shape. When ready, cut into smaller rolls. You may have to discard the ends.


This is another great appetizer I love to snack on. I made these the night before and stuck the tortilla logs in the fridge for half an hour. Once the cream cheese chilled it tightened the roll so the log would not unravel. I cut the log into smaller rolls, stuck in a ziplock bag and kept them in the fridge until ready to serve. These are great for game day and have more substance than munching on chips the entire night.

Crock Pot: BBQ Meatballs

BBQ Meatballs
Large Bag of Frozen Meatballs
2 Bottles BBQ Sauce
1/2 C Ketchup

Throw all ingredients into a crock pot. Heat on low for 6-8 hours. After a couple of hours, mix the ingredients so the sauces combine and to ensure even coating for the meatballs.


I have a real problem making homemade meatballs. They fall apart no matter what I do. Therefore I am not ashamed to purchase frozen food. This is a great dish that requires minimal effort. Serve with toothpicks. This is great leftover.

French Onion Dip

French Onion Dip
Onion Soup Mix
16 Oz. Sour Cream

Mix the onion soup and sour cream. Chill until ready to serve.

Although you can buy pre made dips in the store, I swear the flavor on this recipe is much better. Not to mention you can take credit for it being homemade. Kinda. Plus, if you use light or fat free sour cream you can cut back on the calories. This is a staple in the dip world and what it can be mixed the day before. Remember to keep it in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.

Super Bowl Food

Peanut Butter Cocoa Crispie Treat

 There is nothing I love more than eating party food - football food, shower food, etc. Give it all to ME!

I just love to snack on yummy appetizers throughout the party and I also love making these types of food. Easy yet tasty and full of flavor.

This year J and I decided to have a very small get together for the Super Bowl. We have yet to have our housewarming party (this was not it), but we decided to invite a few friends over to snack and watch the game.

This year I spent a couple hours the night before making food for Sunday. Making things ahead helps so much. We also had company in town so it was nice to relax on Sunday and not have to spend so much time in the kitchen. Friends also brought food over.

I should have taken more pictures, but I only took images of what I made. Along with the food listed below, we had pigs in a blanket, buffalo chicken dip, and some amazing cupcakes with cream cheese icing.

French Onion Dip

Cheddar Bacon Dip

BBQ Meatballs 

Turkey & Ham Tortilla Rolls

Veggie Cups

Don't forget to check out the healthy snacks we made for Super Bowl LI!

Tater Tot Beef Casserole

Tater Tot Beef Casserole
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 1/4 C Milk
1 Envelope Onion Soup Mix
1 Lb. Ground Beef
1/2 Bag Frozen Green Beans
1/2 Bag Frozen Tater Tots
2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Mix the soup, milk and soup mix in a bowl. Brown the beef and season with S & P. Layer a casserole dish with the beef, green beans, and the tater tots. Pour the soup mix over the top. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for 40 minutes or until cheese is slightly brown.

I thought this was such a "manly" meal and it would be right up J's ally. Sure enough, it was. I had a little bit for dinner and it was so yummy! It makes a ton and you can add as many veggies as you want. It's the perfect balance of meat, veggies and with a touch of carbs. You can't get better than that. Plus, leftovers can be frozen and still taste great when reheated. I will definitely be making this again, but I will be added more veggies in addition to the green beans.