Wild Rice, Chicken and Ham Casserole

2 - 6 oz pkg long grain and wild rice
3 - 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 C mayonnaise
3 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp curry powder
4 C cooked chicken or turkey, cubed
1 lb of ham, cubed
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 C slivered almonds

needed for cooking day:
2 TBSP chopped parsley*


Cook rice as package directs. Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder in a bowl. Layer rice, chicken, ham and mushrooms in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour sauce over all. Top with almonds. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

(Since everything is cooked, should be easily frozen; this 4 C of chicken and 1 lb of ham is a lot of meat so each recipe could be divided into 2 meals.)

Recipe from The Brunch Basket by Junior League of Rockford, IL.

Quick Quiche *updated

The other day, I prepared the Quiche in a Bag we had made at a previous cooking day. I was getting so frustrated because it always takes at least an hour of baking before it looks set. I even take it out and let it sit for 10 minutes, thinking it would set up as it cools. But it didn't, so back into the oven it went. And we ended up eating our breakfast much later than I had intended.

So I went searching for a new recipe. I found this one at AllRecipes. I haven't tried it yet*, but it looks promising because it's got less milk but for the most part is the same as the recipe we've been using (different meat and cheese but those were adaptable anyway). I figure, if there's less milk, it will bake faster, right? I'll let you know. I'm going to switch the quiche recipe for my RMG cooking night to this one.

8 slices bacon
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk


Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.

Line bottom of pie plate with cheese and crumbled bacon. Combine eggs, butter, onion, salt, flour and milk; whisk together until smooth; pour into pie pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until set. Serve hot or cold.

For freezing, instead of following these directions, combine all ingredients (pre-cook the bacon) and transfer to a freezer zip top bag. Freeze. To prepare, thaw completely in fridge. Give the bag a few squeezes to distribute the ingredients. Pour into a prepared pie pan as directed above and cook at 350 until set.



*OMG! This is my new favorite quiche recipe. It baked in only 45 minutes @ 375 and it was so good! We added about a 1/2 cup of frozen spinach to the quiche and then I baked it in a homemade pie crust (that's why I upped the temp to 375). It was just a tiny bit frozen when I put it in so if making it fresh, I would start checking earlier.

Quiche in a Bag

1 cup cooked sausage or diced ham (Optional)
10 oz. frozen package chopped spinach or broccoli, thawed a little and broken up.
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 small onion chopped
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder

Mix eggs, milk, flour and baking powder with a wisk or mixer until well incorporated. Add meat, veggies, cheese and onion. Pour into a freezer bag. Freeze. To cook, thaw bag, squish the bag well a few times to incorporate the ingredients. Pour into a pie plate sprayed with non stick spray. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until set.

Tristy: I vary the meat and veggies all the time. Right now in my freezer I have a few asparagus and mushroom quiches and a few sausage and spinach ones. They're great to have on hand for Sunday breakfast. But we also eat for dinner with a salad and rolls. Great way to use eggs on sale.

Lisa: I like to make this in a pie crust. I've learned to cook the crust first for about 10 minutes before pouring in the filling. Also, it may require extra baking time. My husband likes when I make it in a hash brown crust: Thaw a bag of frozen shredded potatoes (or use the refrigerated ones) and pat into the sides and bottom of a pie plate. Season with salt and pepper and then pour in the filling. It makes a great breakfast entree.

Another note: This Quiche Recipe has a shorted cooking time and I, personally, prefer it.

Stromboli

We decided not to make this recipe as a group because it looks too fussy. When we're cooking together, we've got our kids with us and they tend to get cranky when we take too long in the kitchen. But, it looks like a good freezer recipe nonetheless and someone may want to try it.

Stromboli

• 1 loaf frozen bread dough
• Sliced mozzarella cheese
• Sliced pepperoni
• Sliced ham
• Sliced hard salami
• Bottled Italian salad dressing
• 1 egg
• 1 envelope dry zesty Italian salad dressing
• Prepared marinara sauce

Grease a baking sheet, and roll the dough out to fit the shape of the pan. Layer the center one-third of the dough with the cheese & meats. Sprinkle with bottled Italian dressing, to taste. Using a pizza cutter, cut the sides of the dough diagonally, about every inch. Starting at the top edge of the filling and working your way down each side "braid" the sides by folding strips over the top of the filing, alternating left-right, left right. Be sure to seal the ends of the loaf by tucking the ends up under the "braid."

Beat together the egg and dry Italian dressing. Brush over the top of the stromboli.

To cook: Bake the stromboli at 350 degrees 15 minutes, just until the loaf begins to brown. Cool completely, wrap and freeze.

To serve: Thaw and finish cooking at 250 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until brown and the cheese is melted.

Variations: Use broccoli and onion; broccoli, ham and cheddar cheese, or sausage and pepperoni.

1 loaf serves 4.

Hot Colby Ham Sandwiches

This recipe has been on our "to try" list for a while now. We've never made it as a group, but Tristy made it on her own once. I don't have the source.

Hot Colby Ham Sandwiches

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
• 15 dinner rolls (about 3-inch diameter), sliced
• 15 slices Colby cheese
• 15 thin slices deli ham (about 1 pound)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

In a small bowl, combine the butter, mustard, onion, poppy seeds and sugar. Place roll bottoms, cut side up, in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Top each with Colby cheese, ham and mozzarella. Drizzle with half of the butter mixture. Replace roll tops. Drizzle with remaining butter mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 15 servings.



Here are instructions from another recipe that calls for similar sandwiches to be wrapped individually in foil.... Bake at 350° for 6-10 minutes or until cheese is melted, or freeze for up to 2 months. To use frozen sandwiches: Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is melted.

These sandwiches got mixed reviews. Be sure to check out the comments.

Ham & Cheese Muffins

This is a recipe for Ham & Cheese Muffins, another make-ahead breakfast item. Linked to HillbillyHousewife.com where I found the recipe.

■3/4 C low fat Cheddar cheese
■1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
■1 3/4 C baking mix
■1 C skim milk
■1/4 tsp pepper
■1/4 C low fat ham, chopped fine
In a large mixing bowl mix together the two cheeses, the milk and the baking mix.
Be sure the baking mix is completely moistened.
Add the pepper and ham and continue to mix until the pepper is mixed in well.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spray the muffin tin cups with a non stick cooking spray.
Pour the batter into each muffin cup filling them 2/3 full.
Bake 12 minutes or until a golden brown on top,

These muffins are great for a quick lunch. Add a salad or even a fruit and you have a lunch that’s fast, easy and really yummy.