Sunday, March 20, 2011

Cheesy Corn and Broccoli Casserole

Course: side dishes
P+ Value: 4
Servings: 10

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients

4 medium corn on the cob, par-cooked and cut from cob
3 stalk(s) broccoli, cut into florets
1 Tbsp light butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup(s) 2% reduced fat milk
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp sea salt
1 item(s) bell pepper(s), red, finely chopped (medium)
12 cracker(s) Nabisco Ritz Crackers, crushed
8 oz Kraft 2% Milk Natural Cheese Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded cheese

Instructions


HEAT oven to 350F.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook broccoli florets 3 minutes, then drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Meanwhile, Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in saucepan on medium heat 1 min. Blend in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring until well blended; cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add Italian seasoning, salt and half of the cheese; cook until melted, stirring frequently. Add corn, pepper and 1/4 cup crumbs; mix well.

Arrange broccoli in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with sauce, then remaining cheese. Melt remaining butter; mix with remaining crumbs. Sprinkle over ingredients in baking dish.

Bake 30 min. or until heated through.

Notes: Make sure the corn and broccoli are dry or dish will be too wet.

Make-ahead, do not add cracker crumb topping until ready to put it in the oven. Bake 45 min or until heated.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Ham and Bean Soup


Course: soups
P+ Value: 5
Servings: 10

Preparation Time: 8 hours (to soak beans)
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 pound(s) dry great northern beans
1 cup(s) carrot(s), chopped
1/2 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
2 leaf/leaves bay leaf
2 tsp thyme, fresh, 2-3 sprigs
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 serving(s) Chipotle Chili Powder, tsp
2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), pressed (medium)
1/2 cup(s) celery, chopped
1/4 serving(s) smoked paprika, tsp
1/2 pound(s) uncanned chopped ham
2 tsp table salt

Instructions


Rinse, sort then soak beans in cold water overnight or according to package directions. Drain.

In a large pot, combine all ingredients, then add water to cover by 2 inches. Simmer over med-low heat for 1.5-2 hours or until beans reach desired texture.

DEVOUR. Victoria told me this was the only soup she has ever liked!
I didn't have any celery on hand, so since I was serving it with roasted broccoli, I trimmed the stems and cut them into half-circle discs and tossed them in instead.