Amish Breakfast Casserole

From Taste of Home.

1 pound pork sausage

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 C. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1-1/2 C. 4% cottage cheese

1-1/4 C. shredded Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is brown and reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees; drain.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; stir in sausage mixture. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Note: May substitute 1 pound sliced bacon (diced) for sausage.

Chorizo Queso

From @cookinginthemidwest on Instagram.

2 C. pepper Jack cheese, shredded

1 C. white cheddar cheese, shredded

8 oz. (one block) cream cheese, cut into cubes

8 oz. (half block) Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1 can (16 oz.) refried beans

1-2 pkg. (14 oz.) chorizo (any combination of pork or beef), cooked and drained from fat

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low for a few hours, stirring occasionally once everything starts melting.

Serve with chips and pico de gallo.

Note: Cook chorizo over medium to medium-high heat for about 6-9 minutes or until internal temperature is 160 degrees.

Sausage Gravy

From @amberskitchen on Instagram.

1 lb. sausage (such as Jimmy Dean)

1/3 C. flour

4 C. whole milk

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper (or less to taste)

In a deep skillet, brown and cumble sausage over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the flour over the cooked sausage and stir around until sausage is evenly coated in flour. Add the milk, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir the mixture often as it boils and thickens, about ten minutes. If gravy gets too thick, thin the mixture by adding more milk. Serve gravy over warm biscuits.

Cheddar and Chive Mashed Potatoes

The best version of "funeral" potatoes I have ever eaten! From Taste of Home.

5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups)

1 C. (two sticks) butter, cubed

1 C. sour cream

2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 C. heavy whipping cream

1-1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz. block, shredded)

1-1/2 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz. block, shredded)

1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives

Toppings:

1 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1 can (6 oz.) french-fried onions

Place potatoes in a 6-qt. stockpot; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.

Add butter and mash until smooth. Add sour cream, salt and pepper; mix until blended. Stir in whipping cream. Stir in cheeses and chives. Stir in more salt or pepper to taste. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

To serve, preheat oven to 350°. Remove potatoes from refrigerator while oven heats. Transfer mixture from bowl to a 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake, covered, 45 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes. Sprinkle with toppings; bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole II

From The Girl Who Ate Everything.

2 lbs. fresh green beans, edges trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
12 oz. white button mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt (more to taste)
1/2 tsp. black pepper (more to taste)
1/4 C. flour
1-1/2 C. low-sodium chicken broth
1 C. heavy cream
1 package fried onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the green beans and 3/4 cup water. Microwave on high for 5-8 minutes or until just tender. Drain the beans well and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until the mushrooms have released their juice. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Sprinkle the flour on top and cook for a minute. The mixture will be thick. Whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cream and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Pour sauce over green beans, stir in 1/2 cup of the fried onions, and toss well to combine. Pour into the prepared pan. If making this ahead of time, cover and store in the fridge.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until green beans are to desired doneness. For the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle additional fried onions on top and cook until golden brown.

Notes: I used two 10-oz. steamer bags of frozen green beans. I cooked the beans in the microwave for one minute less than the cooking time on the package instructions and then drained the beans in a colander to remove the excess water. Make sure to salt and pepper the mushroom mixture after adding the broth and cream. Using just the measurements, the recipe seemed like it could use more salt and pepper.

I love mushrooms, so I used two 8-oz. packages of mushrooms.

If available, my preference is for Trader Joe's fried onions.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Another winner from Our Best Bites! This was so easy to make and tasted way, WAY better than Hidden Valley Ranch from the mix which has been my go-to for years.

1 C. mayonnaise
1/2 C. buttermilk (plus more depending on desired consistency)
1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/8 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1-1/2 tsp. dried chives
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. dry mustard

Combine mayonnaise and buttermilk in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add all seasonings and whisk to combine. Add additional buttermilk if desired for consistency. For best results, let chill for an hour or more for flavors to intensify. Store in a lidded container in the fridge.

Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes (are they different from yams??) always seem so appealing to me, but then I taste them and they are disappointing so I have learned to just steer clear. When I saw this recipe from Our Best Bites, I was skeptical that they would be so good because of my past disappointment, but these were sooooo good and got rave reviews from the family!

Sweet Potatoes:
1 29-oz. can sweet potatoes, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. butter (no margarine), softened or melted
1 egg, beaten
3.5 oz. sweetened condensed milk (about 5 tablespoons)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1 C. brown sugar
1-1/2 C. (7 oz.) sweetened coconut flakes
6 Tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add sweet potatoes, sugar, 3 Tbsp. butter, egg, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla to a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until creamy. Spread in a pie plate. Mix topping ingredients together until everything is incorporated and sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake for 40-50 minutes until topping is golden brown.

Notes: You can substitute 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes) for the canned sweet potatoes. For a family-sized recipe, double the ingredients and bake in a 9x13 pan. To save time on Thanksgiving, make the sweet potatoes ahead of time and store in the refrigerator; add the topping right before baking.