Broccoli, Cheese & Rice Casserole

Broccoli, Cheese & Rice Casserole

2 cups instant rice - uncooked
2 cups water
1 stick butter, cut into small chunks
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 small packages frozen broccoli, thawed
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 jar (10 oz.) cheese whiz

In a large bowl mix rice and water. Add butter, onion, broccoli and mushroom soup. Mix well. Stir in cheese. Pour into a 2 qt. casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover and bake 30 minutes or until rice has absorbed water and is tender. (The deeper the dish, the longer the cooking time). Serves 6-8.

Changes - I like this with or without the onions. I also like to add extra mushrooms now and then or change the soup to cream of chicken instead of mushroom. And if you don't have cheese whiz, use 3/4 cup of shredded cheese. You can make a full meal dish from this by adding chopped chicken.

Roasted Herb Potatoes

2 lbs. potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1 Tbl. your favorite herb salt free herb mixture
4 Tbl. vegetable oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 15 x 10 baking sheet with non-stick spray. Arrange potatoes in a single layer. Season with herbs, salt and pepper. Pour oil evenly over potatoes. Bake 1 hour turning after 30 minutes. Potatoes should be golden brown. Serves 4-6

Changes - use just one herb such as rosemary or chives. Add onion wedges for more flavor treating them the same as you do the potatoes. If your potatoes are browning quicker than they need to, lay a sheet of foil over them to slow down the browning.

Orange Cycle Salad

3-4 oranges, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 cup small marshmallows
1/4 cup almond slivers
2 Tbl. sugar, if needed
1 Tbl. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix all together and chill.

As a kid I couldn't get enough of those ice creams on a stick called Dream Cycles/Orange Cycles. The vanilla ice cream inside with the orange on the outside were so refreshing. This salad reminds me of those ice cream truck treats. The only thing I would change might be the nuts but even a change that small will change this salad's flavor.

Rice Balls

3 eggs
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 oz. Mozzarella cheese cut into 3/8" cubes
1 cup dry bread crumbs
oil for deep frying

In a bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. Stir in rice, butter, cheese salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. With your hands, roll into 1 1/2" balls. Press a mozzarella cube into each and reshape the ball.

In a small bowl, lightly beat 1 egg. Dip each ball into egg, roll in bread crumbs and deep fry until balls are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.

These are tasty just as they are but you can serve them with drizzle of spaghetti sauce. They are great to make up for parties but really need to be kept warm during serving. The Mozzarella cheese is great inside but I've made them with cheddar and pepper jack for a change in flavor. You can add a little minced garlic or minced onion for more flavor. Or you might want to add some Italian seasonings for an added flavor boost.

Rice Balls

3 eggs
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 oz. Mozzarella cheese cut into 3/8" cubes
1 cup dry bread crumbs
oil for deep frying

In a bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. Stir in rice, butter, cheese salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. With your hands, roll into 1 1/2" balls. Press a mozzarella cube into each and reshape the ball.

In a small bowl, lightly beat 1 egg. Dip each ball into egg, roll in bread crumbs and deep fry until balls are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.

These are tasty just as they are but you can serve them with drizzle of spaghetti sauce. They are great to make up for parties but really need to be kept warm during serving. The Mozzarella cheese is great inside but I've made them with cheddar and pepper jack for a change in flavor. You can add a little minced garlic or minced onion for more flavor. Or you might want to add some Italian seasonings for an added flavor.

Potato Stuffing

Potato Stuffing

2 lbs. potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 tsp. dried sage
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 cup minced parsley
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds

Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2" cubes. Boil 5 - 7 minutes in enough salted water to cover by 2". Add chopped celery to boiling potatoes and drain in a colander. In a large bowl mix seasonings and bacon. Add potatoes. Mix lightly. Pour into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle almonds over top. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until potatoes are starting to brown. Serves 6-8

Changes - Top with cheese before adding almonds. Sprinkle French fried onions on top before broiling.