Breakfast Casserole

St. John Lutheran Church Hopewell Township has had a Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday for as long as I can remember. The Luther League kids do the service. Following the Sunrise Service, the Luther League members and parents host a breakfast. Every year there is pan after pan of Breakfast Casserole. I think the official recipe in the church cookbook is Do-Ahead Eggs. An assortment of sweet rolls, doughnuts, fruits, and drinks are also served.

Breakfast Casserole
7 slices bread
1 c. ham (approx)
8 eggs
2 c. milk
2 c. grated cheese
1 t. salt

Break bread into pieces and spread into greased 9x13 pan. Put ham on top of bread. Mix remaining ingredients and pour onto ham. Refrigerate. Bake at 350° for 35 min.

Hamburger Casserole

We've been making this at home for years.

Hamburger Casserole
1# hamburger (raw)
½ med. chopped onion or dried minced onion
1 can cream mushroom soup
4 slices or grated cheese
½ bag tater tots

Crumble meat into 9x9 baking dish. Salt and pepper. Mince onion on top. Spread soup over meat. Add cheese. Arrange tater tots over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1½ hr.

*If you brown the hamburger with the onion first, reduce cooking time to 45 min.

** For a quicker meal, place Tater Tots in the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish and bake according to directions. Meanwhile, brown hamburger and onion. Add cream of mushroom soup. When Tater Tots are done, top with hot meat mixture. Add cheese. Broil until cheese melts and bubbles.

Fruit Cobbler

Mom's probably had this recipe since Brent Carr and I were old enough for Luther League, the church high school youth group. Brent's mom, Kim, probably brought this for one of the carry-ins.

Fruit Cobbler (Peach or Apple)

1/2 c. oleo
3 c. sliced peaches w/ syrup
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
2 c. milk
cinnamon (optional)

Melt butter in 13x9 pan. Add fruit and syrup. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over fruit. Lightly fold in. Bake at 350° for 50 min. Serve warm with ice cream or Cool Whip.

Was very good with apples. Diced and cooked on a stove top with a little water to get syrup. Added cinnamon to mix.

Cook longer if using extra fruit.

Last weekend, Mom asked if I'd make something with her peach pie filling. She wanted to take the treat into the office to share as they near the end of tax season.

I substituted 1 quart of Mom's canned peach pie filling for the 3 c. of sliced peaches. With the extra fruit, Mom suggested bumping the milk up to 2-1/3 c. I sprinkled some cinnamon on top before baking, but you really couldn't tell afterwards. I'm pretty sure I only cooked it for 50 minutes, and it toothpick tested done.

Homemade Salsa

This is an authentic recipe from my parent's neighbor!

• 2 cans stewed tomatoes


• 1/2 yellow onion diced (more or less to taste)


• 2 jalepeno peppers diced (the more seeds you leave in, the hotter it gets!)


• fresh cilantro


• garlic salt

I don't really measure the ingredients, it's all about preference. I mix these in my magic bullet mixer that Amanda Kohnen got me for my bridal shower :) I can no longer eat salsa from a jar after trying this!

Easy Tex Mex Pasta Salad

My sister whipped this up one time, and it was so easy, I could remember the recipe and replicate it. This is a great recipe to take to picnics, because you don't have to worry about anything going bad in it. Also, most of the ingredients are things you have in the pantry. Feel free to add in your own "Tex Mex" ingredients.

Ingredients

1 box rotini pasta, cooked and drained (the multi-colored kind gives it a good appearance)

1 can whole corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 jar salsa of your choice, 16 oz

Mix the ingredients together. Chill. Serve in a bright colored bowl.