Lunch and Dinner Stratas

strata (Photo credit: triesquid)You probably have seen many recipes for breakfast strata's, but here are some lunch or dinner strata's that are simple and quick and very tasty.


Chicken Asparagus Strata

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked sliced asparagus
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Hot cooked noodles or rice

Combine the soup, milk and sour cream. Pour half into a greased 1-qt. baking dish; top with the asparagus, chicken and rosemary. Pour remaining soup over top. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with noodles or rice. Yield: 4 servings.

Chicken and Cheese Strata
3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 cups cubed French bread
2 eggs
3/4 cup 2% milk
2/3 cup condensed cream of onion soup, undiluted
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterrey Jack cheese

In a 10-in. ovenproof skillet, saute chicken in 2 tablespoons butter until no longer pink. Add the broccoli, onion salt, thyme, rosemary and pepper; heat through. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
In the same skillet, toast bread cubes in remaining butter until lightly browned. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk and soup; pour over bread cubes. Stir in chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 8 servings.

Wine 'n' Cheese Strata

11 cups cubed day-old French bread
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
3 green onions, sliced
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; top with Swiss and Monterrey Jack cheeses, ham and onions. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, wine or broth, mustard and pepper. Pour over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sour cream and Parmesan cheese; cook and stir over low heat until warm. Serve with strata. Yield: 12 servings.

Enjoy
The Old Guy

Veggie Noodle Bake & Green Bean Salad

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Egg noodles Source: Self Copyright: None (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Veggie Noodle Bake

1 can (14-1/2 ounce) whole tomatoes, drained and cut up
2/3 cup canned tomato puree
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/3 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2-1/2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
1/2 cup small-curd cottage cheese
1 package 10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/3 cup shredded American cheese

In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, tomato puree, onion, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

Spread 1/3 cup tomato mixture in a greased shallow 2-quart baking dish. Top with half the noodles. Spread with cottage cheese; top with spinach. Drizzle with 1/2 cup tomatoe mixture; top with remaining noodles and tomatoe mixture. Sprinkle with American cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield is 6 servings.

Green Bean Salad

1 medium potato, peeled
1/2 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 medium tomato, cubed
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin and separated into rings
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano ( may sub. with 1 tablespoon dried)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (may sub with 1 tablespoon dried)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Place potato in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook for 15 minutes or until tender.
Drain and cool; cut into cubes. Place green beans in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; Cok, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until tender crisp. Drain and cool.

In a serving bowl, combine beans and potatoes, tomato and onion. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over the bean mixture and toss to coat. Yield is 4 servings.

Enjoy.
The Old Guy

Box of Twinkies (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Strawberry Twinkies Dessert


14 Hostess Twinkies
2 packages strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 packages instant vanilla pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 small container Cool Whip, thawed
1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and chopped

Place 14 Twinkies in a 9-inch x 13-inch x 2-inch pan. Dissolve the strawberry gelatin in the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Pour over the Twinkies. Sprinkle on some chopped strawberries reserving some for garnish. Mix the milk with the pudding. The mixture will be thick. Carefully spread the pudding over the Twinkies. Spread the Cool Whip over the pudding and garnish with remaining strawberries. Cover and place in refrigerator over night. When ready to serve, cut into serving size pieces. Refrigerate left overs (if there are any).

Enjoy
The Old Guy

Strawberry Shortcut Cake

a Plate full of Strawberries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Strawberry Shortcut Cake


1 cup miniature marshmallows
2 cups (10 ounce packages) frozen Strawberries, sliced in syrup, completely thawed
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup solid shortening (Crisco)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 large eggs

Generously grease bottom only of a 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over bottom of pan. Thoroughly combine completely thawed strawberries and syrup with dry gelatin; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend a low speed until moistened. Beat three minutes at medium speed. Pout batter evenly over marshmallows in prepared pan. Spoon strawberry mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. The strawberries sink to the bottom, the cake is in the middle, and the marshmallows come to the top.