Andes Mint Bundt Cake

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I'm back!  So sorry for the long absence but October and November were completely consumed with my father-in-law becoming very sick then unfortunately losing his life to cancer.  It all happened so fast and was so incredibly stressful.  We are all doing ok now and trying to have a wonderful Christmas.
I have been taking pictures of some yummy food so I'll be catching up on my blogging here in the next couple of months.  We recently had our faculty party at the elementary school where I teach PE. I signed up for a dessert and literally thought of this cake while laying in bed a few nights before the party. I love anything with Andes mints! I put them in my hot chocolate, eat them plain, and have some cookies that I make with them. Chocolate cake is my absolute favorite dessert so I thought adding Andes mint would just make a chocolate cake even better. I was right! There's still time to make this for your holiday dinner or party! 

ANDES MINT BUNDT CAKE

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix 1 cup sour cream 1 C vegetable oil 4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 3/4 C Andes mint chips 1 oz unsweetened chocolate 1/2 C heavy whipping cream, chopped 20 (approx) Andes Mints, chopped

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
3.	Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate. For the ganache: Place 3/4 C Andes mint chips and unsweetened chocolate into a heat-safe bowl. Heat the 1/2 C heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan until it is just about to boil. Do not let it boil! Pour the hot whipping cream over the chips and chocolate.  Using a whisk, stir the chocolate and cream together until combined.  Let it cool for a few minutes then pour over the cake that has been inverted onto a plate.  Immediately sprinkle the chopped Andes mints on top of the ganache.  Note:  When I made this, I used Andes chips from a bag to sprinkle on top.  I didn't think it looked very pretty because the chips looked "powdery."  They almost looked like nuts until you looked close.  Next time I will buy regular Andes mints and chop them for the top and I suggest you do the same.  It will look much prettier!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

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Fall is here!!!  My favorite season just lifts my spirits and makes me so happy.  I love the smells, the food, the decor, the holidays, the cooler weather, and just everything about fall. 
Sorry it has taken so long for me to post!  School started, which for me, means that I started work again as a PE teacher at my kids' elementary school.  It's only 14.5 hours a week but I am still adjusting to getting things at home done and working outside the home.  I absolutely love my job though, and feel so blessed that it is mine! 
These simple, pumpkin cookies are just perfect for this time of year.  When my son ate one he said, "Mom these taste like Halloween!" It was so cute! 

ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 C white sugar
1 C canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
------------------------------
2 C confectioner's sugar
3 TB milk
1 TB melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 C butter and white sugar.  Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 tsp vanilla to butter mixture, beat until creamy.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls. 

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until edges are slightly browned.  

For the glaze, combine confectioner's sugar, milk, 1 TB melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla.  Add milk as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.

Once cookies are mostly cooled, drizzle the icing over them with a fork. 

Makes 3 dozen.

Creamy Pudding Brownie Cake

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Ready for this knock-out dessert?  This is hands down the best brownie dessert I've ever had.  All of my kids devoured it and my husband said that he wanted this instead of a birthday cake.  Success?  I think so!  The bottom layer is brownies, then a cream cheese layer, a pudding layer, and finally a whipped cream layer.  This would be the perfect dessert for your Labor Day BBQ or really, just the perfect dessert for any occasion!

CREAMY BROWNIE PUDDING CAKE

Ingredients:
2 brownie mixes
1 extra large egg
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (8 oz.) containers whipped topping
1 (3 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding
1 (3 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 Hershey candy bar

Directions:
Mix brownie mixes according to directions plus add an extra egg. Bake in 9x13 inch greased and floured cake pan then allow to cool completely. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 container whipped topping. Put this mixture on top of the cooled brownies. Blend puddings and milk together and put on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another layer of whipped topping. Put chocolate shavings top. Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 2 hours).

Tip: To make chocolate shavings just get a vegetable peeler and slide it over the edge of a cold Hershey's candy bar.  Makes the perfect shavings!

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

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Wow, sorry for the absence of posts!  It has been a super busy summer for us and I have devoted almost every second of my time to my kids and having fun.  Once baseball season ended for my son, I took all 3 kids (ages 9, 7, and 5) on a road trip to my home state of Texas all by myself (I live in Utah now).  Family and friends, including my husband, thought I was nuts wanting to do this but we had a blast.  My last 4 trips home have been for funerals and I really needed to go on a fun trip home to Texas.  I wanted to show my kids that it is actually fun there!  We had such a great time visiting family and made so many wonderful memories.  The rest of the summer has been spent camping, swimming, and playing with cousins and friends.  I love summer! 

We planted our very first garden this year not expecting it to be great but it has flourished and is just beautiful!  We planted cucumber, zucchini, acorn squash, lemon cucumber, jalapenos, green peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, and pumpkin.  Much to our surprise we are being bombarded with all of these delicious vegetables and fruits!  We definitely learned our lesson to only plant 1 zucchini plant, though.  We planted 2 and have it coming out of our ears!!!  We have eaten it grilled, fried, roasted, sauteed, and in sweets and there's more coming. 

When I was growing up my mom used to make what she called Zucchini Boats and I LOVED them!  Unfortunately she has passed away and I never got her recipe from her.  I made this one up from memory and I think I did a great job.  These were so so good and even my kids ate them.  Only my youngest claims to like zucchini so when the older 2 said that it was "pretty good" I was happy with myself.  I hope you love them as much as we did! 

SAUSAGE STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS
serves 4-6 adults

Ingredients:

4-5 medium sized zucchini (I used 2 ½  huge ones)
1 lb ground pork sausage
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2 TB chopped fresh parsley
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 large egg, beaten
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 C Italian breadcrumbs
4 TB melted butter
1/3 C shredded parmesan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.  Brown and crumble sausage in a skillet over medium heat.  When sausage is almost cooked through add the onion and garlic and continue cooking until sausage is done and onions are transparent.  Drain grease from sausage mixture and allow to cool. 

Meanwhile, slice zucchini in half lengthwise.  Using a spoon, scoop out the insides, leaving about ¼ inch of the flesh.  Don’t scoop all the way to the ends as you want to make it a “boat” shape so the filling stays put. 

Save about half of the scooped out flesh and discard the rest.  In a large bowl combine scooped out zucchini, cooled sausage mixture, mozzarella cheese, parsley, tomato, and egg. 

Place zucchini boats into a 9x13 pan (may have to use 2 pans) and add just enough water to the pan to cover the bottom of it.  Add salt and pepper to the boats to taste then add sausage filling to them.  Don’t be shy, fill them up! 

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, breadcrumbs, and parmesan.  Add this mixture to the top of the sausage mixture and pat down.  This will form a delicious crust while baking. 

Carefully place the pans into the oven because you don’t want to slosh any water onto the zucchini boats.

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven.  If you want the crust extra crispy, turn on your broiler for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. 

Enjoy! 

Tomato and Olive Penne

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Here's a recipe for you that is quick, vegetarian, and low fat.  I love quick meals like this!  Baseball season has started here and our weeknights are so crazy busy that dishes like this are lifesavers.  Monday nights are piano practice, Tuesdays we have dance for the girls and a baseball game for Ethan, Wednesdays are baseball practice and cub scouts, and Thursdays we have another baseball game.  By Friday we just want to do nothing! 

I used regular penne in this but if you want to make it even lower in calories you could easily substitute whole wheat pasta.  This was very filling and kid-friendly too! 

TOMATO AND OLIVE PENNE

Ingredients

Salt and pepper

1 pound penne, or other short pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

1.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook penne according to package instructions until al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until just golden, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until tomato juices run, about 3 minutes.

3.  Add penne, olives, parsley, and 1/4 cup Parmesan to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with more cheese if desired.

Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice

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Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, is such a genius.  I would have never thought to put grilled pineapple in fried rice!  This dish is so so good that I could hardly believe that I made it.  We all gobbled it up and will definitely make it again.  I know I've made something good when my kids say, "Mom this needs to be on your blog!"  Try this because you will love it too!

PORK CHOPS WITH PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

www.pioneerwoman.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 whole Pineapple, Cut Into Spears And Skewered
• 2 cups White Or Brown Rice, Cooked
• 6 whole Pork Chops
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil Or Canola Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Sliced
• 6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce
• Salt To Taste
• 3 cloves Minced Garlic
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 jar (small) Drained Pimentos
• 1-1/2 cup Frozen Peas
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (additional)

Preparation Instructions

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Grill pineapple spears until they have good marks/color on the outside. Slice, then set aside.

Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color.

Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes.

When the onions are starting to soften, add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and hot sauce. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the pork chops are completely cooked and the sauce is thicker.

Remove the pork chops to a bowl, then let the sauce bubble up and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour it over the pork chops. Set aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add peas, pimentos, and a couple of tablespoons (additional) soy sauce. Add cooked rice and stir it around to cook for a couple of minutes.

To serve, pile rice on a plate, then top with a pork chops and onions from the sauce. Drizzle a little bit of sauce over the top. 

Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake

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Oh my goodness the last 3 weeks of my life have been nuts!  Some of it great and some of it pretty cruddy.  Week 1 we went to Disneyland and San Diego.  It was amazing!  We had the best family vacation and had no injuries or sickness-yay!  Week 2 I started my new job as the PE teacher at my kids' elementary school.  It is so much fun but the transition of being away from home for 15 hours a week has been a little stressful.  I know 15 hours isn't much but for someone who has been a "stay-at-home" mom for the last 10 years, it has been quite an adjustment.  I'm so lucky to have such a supportive husband who has been helping so much at home.  I couldn't believe my eyes when he did the dishes the other day without being asked!  Week 3 I was sick with some kind of flu.  In fact, I still have it and now 2 out of my 3 kids do too.  Luckily, the worst of it for me was over the weekend so I didn't have to miss any work last week.  I just need to feel better!  Today I'm pretending like I'm fine and have a yummy homeade dinner and dessert planned and decided I better blog too.  If I pretend I'm fine maybe I'll get better faster?  Who knows but I'll try anything!

This Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake is sooooo delicious!  It's been a while since I made this and am thinking I need to make it again soon.  I think it would be great for Easter dinner!  The presentation looks like you spent forever on it but it is so easy.  This is a great "go to" cake for any occasion!

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CRUNCH CAKE

www.ourbestbites.com

1 package Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake

1 recipe (give or take a little) Chocolate Ganache (ingredients and recipe below)

Crushed Heath bars or a bag of chocolate-covered Heath bits

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1 Tbsp. cold water

2 Tbsp. boiling water (just heat it in a small bowl in your microwave)

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Bake cake according to cake mix instructions in two 8″ round pans. Allow to cool and set aside. This can be done several days in advance; just freeze the cakes when you’re done.

In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water and allow to stand for about 1 minute. While gelatin is softening, bring 2 Tbsp. water to a boil in the microwave. Whisk into the softened gelatin and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, whipping cream, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. Mix in gelatin mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Super Easy Chocolate Ganache

8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate

8 oz. heavy cream

Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes and stir. Heat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until chocolate is fully melted and can be whisked and incorporated into the cream. Be sure and scrape the sides and bottom to make sure you don’t find any globby bits of chocolate when you start working with it.

The ganache will thicken as it cools, so if it’s a little too thin for you, hang tight and it will be ready pretty quickly. When it’s completely cool, it will be thick and fudgy and can be used like frosting. Store in an airtight container. You can reheat it to achieve your desired consistency.

Prepare ganache (if you haven’t already) according to directions.

With a serrated knife, carefully slice the dome-iest part of each cake layer off so the layers are level. Place one layer on the serving plate and spread about 1/2 of the chocolate mousse over the cake. Sprinkle with Heath bits.

Place second layer on top of Heath bits.Spoon ganache over the top layer, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with additional Heath bits and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage

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The next couple of weeks are going to be CRAZY so I thought I'd better get this awesome recipe up before then.  We are going to Disneyland and San Diego then I'm starting a new job as the PE teacher at my kids' elementary school.  I'm so excited!  I don't want you to have to wait another day before seeing this recipe though.  This is my "company dinner" recipe and one of my favorite meals ever.  I'm also proud to say that this is MY recipe :)  It makes so much too!  When I make this for just my family of 5 I'll do one 9x13 pan then 2 smaller pans to put in the freezer (it freezes great!).  We have leftovers with the big pan so actually you could get 4 meals out of this.  If I make it for company I'll just go ahead and make two 9x13 pans and sadly there are never leftovers.  It is THAT good! 

STUFFED SHELLS WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

1 (12) oz box uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 pound Italian sausage-cooked, crumbled, and drained
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese softened
1 (5 oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg lightly beaten
1 T dried parsley flakes
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
32 oz of prepared spaghetti or marinara sauce (about 1 1/2 jars)

Cook shells according to package directions, drain and
set aside. (add a little oil to the cooking water so the shells don't stick together)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl,
combine cooked sausage and next 11 ingredients. Stir
in 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Spread half of the
spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes.
Spoon mixture into shells and arrange them over sauce
in the dishes. Top with remaining sauce. Cover
tightly with aluminum foil. Bake covered for 40
minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup
mozzarella. Bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Chocolate Glazed Cupcakes with Vanilla Creme Filling

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A couple of weekends ago I was watching Cupcake Wars on Food Network and it totally inspired me to bake.  I wanted to make cupcakes, of course, but wanted to do something "fancy" and something from scratch.  I got online and started searching for something and came across this recipe on one of my favorite food sites, Our Best Bites.  I've never made anything from them that I didn't like so I thought I'd give it a try.  Don't let this recipe intimidate you because it isn't hard, it just has several steps.  These cupcakes were TO DIE FOR!  I happen to absolutely love chocolate ganache and could simply eat it with a spoon so topping the cupcakes with it was just perfect.  I've used the vanilla creme before for cake frosting so I knew that would be great too.  Definitely try the creme recipe for cake frosting sometime, because it is really good and easy.  I hope you enjoy these and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

CHOCOLATE GLAZED CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA CREME FILLING

http://www.ourbestbites.com/

Devil's Food Cupcakes

1 C Flour

1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
4 T unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C luke warm water
1/4 C buttermilk

Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with liners. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. I know lots of people skip sifting, but in some recipes it’s really important. This is one of them, so just pop it in a strainer and shake all those lumps out.

In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the water and buttermilk, beating on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat on medium high speed just until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not over beat.
Divide the batter evenly among muffin cups- use a cookie scoop for even filling. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Anywhere from 15-20 minutes. Mine usually only take about 15- don’t over bake! Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then remove them and let them cool.

*My cake stuck a little more than I would like to the paper liners so I would suggest spraying them. 

Vanilla Creme Filling

3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I use non-fat when it’s all I have and it’s actually fine)
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat.Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring, until you can start to see the bottom of the pan. Smash any flour lumps with a rubber spatula to keep mixture smooth.

Keep cooking mixture until it resembles pudding.

Put this mixture in the fridge and let it cool completely, it’s fine if it stays in there long enough to get chilly, you just don’t want it warm at all. As it’s cooling, feel free to stir it occasionally to speed up the process and keep it from forming a crust on top. When it is chilled, you can move on to the following step.
It an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You’ll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, not the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat to combine and then scrape down the sides. Don’t be scared. It’s going to look like a goopy mess and kind of lumpy and separated.

But you just wait. It’s gonna blow your mind in a few minutes. Beat on med-high until it comes together and becomes light and fluffy. It can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes.
It will transform from that sloppy mess into something gorgeous, fluffy, and incredibly light and silky. If the time has passed and it still looks like a hot mess, just keep on beating and it should eventually come together. Feel the mixture between two fingers to see if the sugar granules have dissolved; if not, just beat a little longer.

Use it to fill or frost cupcakes, cakes or other pastries. You can’t go wrong putting this on just about anything :)

*This is more than enough to fill 12 cupcakes.  If you're going to use it to frost a cake or cupcakes I suggest doubling it.

Time to fill cupcakes:

Now there’s 2 ways to fill a cupcake. I use them both depending on the consistency of the cupcake I’m using. See what works best for you. One option is to take a pastry bag with a regular tip on it and place it directly in the center of the cupcake. Press out filling while slowly pulling the bag up and out.

Another method is to take a sharp knife and remove the center of the cupcake in a cone shape. Place filling inside, cut the bottom of the “cone” off, and place the top part back on.

Chocolate Ganache

3/4 C Cream
2 T real butter, melted
8 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
Place chocolate in a bowl. Pour melted butter over it. Place cream in microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes- it needs to be at a simmer. Immediately pour over chocolate and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for about 3 minutes and then stir until smooth. Let it cool until it’s a good spreading consistency and then spread on top of filled cupcakes.

That filling is so so good combined with the moist cake and silky ganache.  I will be making these again!



Spanish Spaghetti with Olives

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Do you need a new take on that same boring spaghetti dinner?  If so, I have the answer right here with my Spanish Spaghetti with Olives.  This was fun to make (yes I said fun) and turned out delicious!  The rich meaty marinara sauce pairs perfectly with the tang of the olives and the subtle hint of heat that comes from the crushed red pepper.  My 3 picky kids even gave this a thumbs up!  I used ground beef but ground turkey would be great too I'm sure.  Oh, and how do you like the picture?  I finally dragged out my awesome photography light and love how this turned out.  Those little S&P birdies look like they want some spaghetti too! 

SPANISH SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVES

Ingredients:
8 oz thin spaghetti
1 TB olive oil
3/4 C chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed saffron thread (OPTIONAL)
16 oz extra-lean ground beef
1 jar marinara sauce (about 32 oz)
1/2 C sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
1/4 C water or chicken broth
1 TB capers, drained
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley, divided

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion to pan; saute 4 minutes or until tender.  Add garlic; saute 1 minute.  Add beef and cook until browned.  Stir in oregano, celery salt, red pepper, black pepper and saffron.  Stir in marinara sauce, olives, broth, capers, and half of the parsley.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. 

Either add pasta to meat mixture and combine or serve sauce over the pasta.  Whichever you prefer!  Sprinkle with remaining parsley.  Serves 4-6

Egg and Sausage Casserole

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Happy New Year!  I can't believe it is already 2012.  I am so ready for a new year and know that there are so many good things to come!  The last two months have been so crazy busy for me that I didn't realize I hadn't blogged in so long.  December was especially busy because I was asked by my kids' elementary school principal to make Cake Pop gifts for the entire faculty as Christmas gifts.  I ended up making about 400!  I was happy for the opportunity but I was so glad to be done with it.  We had a wonderful Christmas and were so thankful to spend it with our family here in Utah. 

One of my kids' (especially Ethan's) favorite dinners is this Egg and Sausage Casserole.  I don't remember where the original recipe came from but I've been making it for years and have changed it a bit.  It is so easy and quick too!  We always have it for dinner but it would, of course, make a great breakfast too.  It makes a whole 9x13 pan but it reheats great.  It is easy to lighten this up too by using Jimmy Dean's Low Fat pork sausage, low fat crescent rolls, and low fat cheese.  I hope you enjoy this easy recipe!  

EGG AND SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork sausage

1 (8 oz) tube refrigerated crescent roll dough

10 eggs, beaten

2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Place sausage in a skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.  Drain and set aside.

Line bottom of prepared baking dish with crescent rolls dough and sprinkle with crumbled sausage.  In a large bowl, combine beaten eggs and the rest of the ingredients.  Pour over sausage and crescent rolls.

Bake in prepared oven for 35-45 min, until eggs have set and top is golden. 

Makes 8 servings.