Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!
Soup is always a big hit around here, year ‘round. Well...except for #1 Son who’s not a fan. He says “I don’t like to drink my dinner”. Whatever, man. You don’t live here anymore! Now IT Guy, he IS a fan of soup and was a HUGE fan of this one. Filled with tasty goodness this is a family pleasing soup for sure!
Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup
1 small onion ~ diced
2 stalks celery ~ diced
1 pound Italian sausage
4 cups frozen diced hash browns
1 32-ounce container chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large dutch oven, saute onion and celery in a little olive oil for a few minutes, until tender.
Add sausage and cook until sausage is done.
Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper.
Add the frozen diced hash browns and and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add cream and grated cheese. Stir to combine and melt cheese.
We’re all kinds of pasta lovers here in the SFFS house. We have been since the kids were little...like most families. Cheesy pasta is the BEST pasta, don’t you think? So if you love spaghetti AND lasagna then this is for you. It’s fun to switch things up once in a while, right? This is totally kid-friendly...and adult friendly as well. We loved this. I made two small pans of this instead of one large one so I could send it home with my daughter for her family. You can do the same thing and freeze a pan for later to pull out on a busy day when cooking is the last thing on your mind. Anyway...this is super yummy and super simple!
Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce
1 pound ground beef
1 onion ~ diced
1 - 2 garlic cloves ~ minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 16-ounce container ricotta cheese
12 ounces spaghetti ~ cooked and drained
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and cook until done.
Add the spaghetti sauce, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg and some salt and pepper.
Place the cooked and drained spaghetti in the prepared pan.
Spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the spaghetti.
Pour the meat sauce over the cheese mixture then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake 20 - 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Let's get to cookin'!
Saute the onion and garlic for a bit
then add the ground beef and cook
until done. Next pour in the pasta
sauce and seasonings. Simmer.
Mix together the mozzarella cheese, egg, ricotta cheese and some salt and pepper.
Casseroles are one of our favorites around the SFFS house. Not only do we enjoy it for dinner, but since I make IT Guy’s lunch almost everyday, it makes my job easier. I detest making sack lunches...I’m not sure why. I always have. So when I can throw a few things in a lunch bag and call it good, then that’s great! And IT Guy loves leftovers so anytime he can save a trip to the corner gas station to buy one of their “sandwiches”, then he’s happy too. I say all THAT to tell you that THIS casserole is good. Super good. I made it with a spicy Mexican tomato sauce but you can use regular if you’ve got a mild palate. This is really easy, bakes fast and did I mention the leftovers? Oh yeah...they’re good too!!!
Mexican Cheesy Rice Casserole
1 pound ground beef
1 onion ~ diced
1 clove garlic ~ minced
1 8-ounce can El Pato Mexican tomato sauce (for spicy) or regular tomato sauce (for mild)
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup pinto beans OR black beans OR corn
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until done.
Add the corn, cooked rice, half of the cheese, chicken broth, green chilies, El Pato sauce and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil.
Bake 20 - 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot.
Here's all your ingredients!
Saute the onion and garlic for a bit then add the ground beef and cook until done.
Then add the chicken broth, El Pato sauce, green chilies, corn, rice and
Nothing better than potatoes. Except cheesy potatoes. We had my dad’s birthday dinner here the other night and I made these. So, so good. My dad kept saying how much he liked them and I was like...good because that’s you’re present. HA! I’m pretty sure he loves my sense of humor. Anyway...try these potatoes the next time you need a good side dish. You’ll be glad you did!
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
1.5 pounds potatoes ~ cut into 1/4 inch slices (I used Baby Dutch Potatoes)
2 cups milk
5 tablespoons butter ~ divided use
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the baking pan.
Salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat.
Add the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and the onion powder.
Stir and cook for about a minute.
Pour in the milk and cook and stir until thick and bubbly.
Add the grated cheese and stir until cheese has melted.
Pour half of the cheese sauce over the potatoes.
Arrange the remaining half of the potatoes on top of the cheese sauce then top with remaining half of the potatoes. Salt and pepper potatoes to taste.
Pour the rest of the cheese sauce over the last of the potatoes.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Pour in the Panko crumbs and stir.
Scatter Panko crumbs over the potatoes.
Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
Remove foil and continue to bake another 15 - 20 minutes until Panko crumbs are browned and potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Okee doke....let's cook!
Slice the potatoes and put half in the bottom of an 9x9 inch baking pan.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Now let's make the cheese sauce.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter
over medium heat. Add the flour,
1 teaspoon of salt and the onion
powder. Cook and stir for about
a minute or so.
Pour in the milk and cook and
stir until thick and bubbly.
Then add the cheese.
Stir until smooth.
Pour half of the cheese sauce over
the seasoned potatoes. Top with the remaining potatoes then salt and pepper. Pour the rest of the cheese sauce over the potatoes.
Well, well, well...what do you know! This is pretty good. My DIL brought me a bag of frozen chicken breasts the other day so I thawed them out to use for dinner. Then my mom called and told me she was bringing me some fried chicken so I wouldn’t have to cook. So I threw that bagged chicken in the fridge faster that a jack rabbit on a hot tar road. But I knew I’d need to use it in the next day or so and THIS is what I came up with. I scoured the pantry for things that would work in this recipe because I did NOT want to go to the store. So, after all that, this recipe turned out really good and something that I’ll be making again. Soon!
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Bake
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni ~ cooked al dente
2 cups broccoli florettes ~ washed, blanched
2 -3 cups cooked chicken ~ diced or shredded
1 small onion ~ diced
1 clove garlic ~ minced
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese ~ divided use
4 ounces cream cheese ~ room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter ~ melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the Panko bread crumbs and the melted butter. Set aside.
In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Melt the butter in the pan then add the flour and cook for a minute or so.
Pour in the milk and cream and cook until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the sour cream, cream cheese and 2 cups of the grated cheese.
Cook and stir until melted and well combined.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cooked chicken, the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese and blanched broccoli.
Pour cheese sauce over everything and toss gently to coat.
Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with Panko crumb mixture.
Bake for 30 -45 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.
Let's make a casserole! I also used panko...which I forgot to add to the picture! Oopsies!
Cook the onions and garlic in a little
olive oil then melt the butter in the pan.
Add the flour and cook
that for a minute or so.
Up next, the milk and cream and cook until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Next comes the cream cheese, sour cream and 2 cups of the grated cheese.
Stir that around until the cheese
is melted and the mixture is smooth.
In a large bowl, add the cooked chicken, blanched broccoli, pasta, the remaining cheese and the sauce. Toss to coat.
So what can I say about this other than how yummy and easy it is? I served this right out of the pans onto our plates but you can also put it in a casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese then heat it up in the oven for a few minutes if you want to serve it at the table. Serve all your favorite taco toppings with this to dress it up any ole’ way you like.
Taco Meatballs with Cheesy Rice
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 package taco mix
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups rice ~ cooked according to package direction to make 3 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Salt to taste
Extra cheese for sprinkling
Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the taco mix and the water.
Add the ground beef and stir to combine.
Make meatballs about the size of a golf ball.
Cook meatballs in the hot skillet until done on all sides.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.
Add the sour cream, buttermilk, cheese, garlic salt and salt.
Stir over medium heat until cheese has melted.
Pour cheese sauce into the cooked rice and stir.
If desired, place rice in the bottom of a baking dish, then arrange meatballs on top. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top then heat in a 350 degree oven until cheese has melted...about 10 minutes.
Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
The line up!
Combine the taco mix and water then add the ground beef and stir.
Make the meatballs and cook 'em up!
Make the cheese sauce. Super easy!
Add the cheese sauce to the COOKED rice and stir.
Serve the meatballs over the rice with all your favorite toppings!
A video showing how to make this ran through my Facebook feed not long ago and I thought it looked quick and easy and yummy. IT Guy is all about breakfast so I knew he would like this and there are so many ways you can change up the ingredients. I thought I’d try it to see if it really was as easy as it looked...and it was! I stuck pretty much to the recipe I saw in the video but the next time I make it, I’ll add some green chilies to it because I know IT Guy would flip! Anyway....I played guinea pig for you guys and now you know this really works and it’s very tasty!!!! Leftovers? The bomb.
Ham and Egg Cheesy Biscuit Casserole
1 8-count can refrigerator buttermilk biscuits
10 eggs
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 onion ~ diced
2 cups diced, cooked ham
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup diced green onion ~ green part only
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the diced onion, diced ham and the eggs. Whisk until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the grated cheese.
Arrange biscuits in the bottom of the prepared pan.
Pour egg mixture over the biscuits.
Sprinkle with green onion.
Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until lightly browned and eggs are done.
Let's do this!
Arrange your biscuits in your pan.
In a bowl, combine the eggs, diced ham, and diced onion. Salt and pepper to taste
