California Rice Skillet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had quite a day today. You know the kind. Nothing that was supposed to happen did, even my carefully planned dinner. A chore we thought would take no more than an hour ate up the day, so when dinner time rolled around I didn't have the energy or gumption to make the meal I had planned. Instead, I fell back on a casserole I frequently served when the children were still at home. I found the recipe on the back of an Uncle Ben's Rice box and the dish quickly became a favorite of theirs. They loved the way it tasted and I loved how easy it was to prepare. I suspect you have all the ingredients required to make casserole already in your pantry and refrigerator. It takes about 15 minutes to throw this together, but if you like casseroles, I guarantee that you will like this one. The recipe is straight forward and it is a great starting vehicle for young cooks. If you have not already sampled this simple rice skillet, I do hope you will give the recipe a try. Here is how the dish is made.

Mac n' Pimento Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Several years ago, I used some leftover pimento cheese topping in a mac n' cheese I was making for a family lunch. The addition proved to be so popular, that it has become part of the recipe I use when I make the casserole for them. These days, whenever I make the pimento cheese I use as a topping, I double the recipe so I have enough to make our special mac n' cheese. My family prefers the creamy variety, so I serve ours directly from the pot. If you prefer a crustier, cheese topped mac n' cheese, you'll find directions for that in the recipe below. While any pimento cheese spread could be used in this recipe, I love the way my version is flavored. You can see my recipe HERE. I hope you'll give this version of mac n' cheese a try. It really is delicious. Here is how it's made.

Simple Smoked Sausage, Spuds and Sprout Skillet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had hoped for a relaxing day, but the spirits who govern such things had other plans in store for us. Mid-afternoon, we decided dinner out would be our best meal option, but when the time came to make ourselves look like reputable human beings, we were too tired to go through the motions. With some help from the Silver Fox, I raided the refrigerator and pantry and came up with this very simple supper that we had on the table within 30 minutes. This is not company fare, but it is an easy and rib-sticking way to solve the "what's for dinner" problem on a busy day. You might want to bookmark the recipe, so you'll have it handy the next time you have more chores than time. Here is how this simple skillet supper is made.

Smoked Sausage Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe was originally featured on One Perfect Bite in October of 2008. Then, as now, this smoked sausage casserole was a favorite go-to meal on busy days. We will be on the road today and plan to have our main meal while we are in Portland. Dinner will be late and I wanted something that could be quickly made and on the table in a reasonable amount of time. This casserole, which is almost effortless, came to mind and I decided to make it for our dinner tonight. The casserole is made in the microwave and if you have developed reasonable speed with a knife, you can have this meal on the table in 30 minutes. It is great game day food and makes a perfect meal for the first cool days of autumn. I found this recipe, years ago, in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and it's perfect for the needs of the day. It's so simple and delicious that it should, also, be shared with others. This is Eastern European fare come to Oregon via Pennsylvania. My husband loves smoked sausage so this dish was a natural for us. If your family loves hearty, well-flavored food you'll want to give this cold weather casserole a try. The baked apples, topped with caramel sauce, were just a tempting afterthought. They, too, were prepared in the microwave. "Nuff said"!

Cottage Cooking - Skillet Spanish Rice

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Did you know my husband's sainted mother made him Spanish rice all the time? He didn't even have to ask. That's what I'm told, and how can you question the veracity of a man whose mother was a saint. While I make him Spanish rice from time to time, it's usually for lunch when we're at the lake and I'm working in a kitchen with a two burner stove and zero counter space. Simplicity and ease of preparation reign supreme in the lake kitchen, and this is a perfect meal to prepare when we are there. I rarely make it when we are at home because it doesn't seem quite up to standard. At his request, I lowered my standards and made the rice for his Father's Day lunch. I received the ultimate compliment. He thought it was better than his mother's. While breakfast stretched my kitchen skills, our lunch of Spanish rice was embarrassingly simple to make. Those of you who were children in the 40's and 50's are probably overly familiar with this dish. Most of us ate a lot of it and tend to associate it with leaner times and rationing. We forget how delicious it was and how easy it was to prepare. The recipe I use for the "better than my mom's" rice is a riff of the one that appears on the back of a Heinz Ketchup bottle. It is ridiculously easy to prepare and those of you who like casseroles that are ever so slightly sweet, will enjoy this trip down memory lane. Here is how the rice is made.

Italian Sausage Bake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another simple recipe that is great for busy days or poorly equipped summer kitchens. The peppers in the dish provide all the liquid needed to cook the casserole and the high temperature at which it bakes is no accident. You need a hot, 400 degree oven, to assure all the ingredients properly cook. I do want to point out that the casserole requires 2 hours in the oven, so your dinner plans will have to take that into account. While I have seen the recipe on many blogs, I think it was originally posted on a site called Food Fanatic, which you can find here. This makes a nice family dinner and I think those of you who like hearty, well-flavored food will enjoy this simple casserole. Here is how it is made.

Smoked Sausage and Cabbage Skillet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I just saw a cartoon that inferred, nay actually said, "If it is fast, easy and cheap, it's not food." Hah! The food police can't scare me 'cause I carry a knife and have been in the kitchen for more years than they have been alive. I've developed formidable knife skills that more than match my attitude, so they generally stay clear of me. Chop enough onions and that is bound to happen. So, whilst they while away, I went ahead and made a fast, easy and cheap meal for our dinner just to spite them. I'm happy to report it's good enough to share with all of you tonight. While I've made a few changes, my recipe is based on one that was first posted on the blog Happy Living with Tina which you can find here. This dish has the added attribute of being easy to clean up after. Everything is mixed and cooked in one skillet, so even if you choose not to make this now, keep the recipe in mind for the barely adequate kitchens that are found in summer rental cottages. I do hope that at some point you will try this. Here is how the casserole is made.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Southwestern Soft Taco Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe produces way more food than the two of us can eat, but I decided to make it anyway. I had a plan. We'll be eating out at least twice this weekend, but I thought it would be nice to have something in the refrigerator that can be reheated for those meals we will have at home. Cooking everyday is not all that it is cracked up to be and given the right circumstances, nuking is a beautiful thing. We happen to love this casserole, and Mary makes it for family and church functions. It is easy and inexpensive to make and it's draws teenage grandsons to the table faster than bees to honey. The recipe is straightforward and it calls for ingredients that can be found in any grocery store. If you have never tried this casserole, do yourself a favor and give it a try this weekend. You can find the recipe, here.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Game Day Chili Mac Skillet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This casserole made a regular appearance on our table when the children were at home, and while we don't serve it often these days, it has remained a family favorite. It's also a great dish to prepare for a group of fellow football enthusiasts when you need something that is fast, easy and inexpensive to serve on game day. The dish, which is made with common pantry items, takes 10 minutes to prepare, 25 minutes to cook and it is made in just one pan that can also be used for serving. You can alter heat and spices to your personal taste, and while many will consider it heresy, you can use any cheese you like. I do hope you'll try this for your own family. The base recipe can be found here.

Chicken and Rice Casserole - Away A While Recipe Favorites

Chicken with Rice Skillet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are certain dishes that seem to withstand the tests of time and fashion. This homely, old-fashioned favorite is one of them. Every country that the Silver Fox and I have visited, has a version of chicken and rice. There is something about it that's restorative and it brings back memories of dinner at grandma's kitchen table. It is a simple dish that is easy to prepare. It is inexpensive to make, and if you have never had it, you owe it to yourself to try it at least once. The version I'm featuring tonight was created by Mark Bittman and his recipe makes easy work of its preparation. My only caution is to make sure that the skillet you use is deep enough to hold the chicken without it hitting the lid of your pan. You can change the type of rice, as well as the liquid you use, with no adverse affects. The saffron in the recipe is a completely optional ingredient but it makes an awfully nice addition to this dish. You will have to keep an eye on the rice and the times suggested in the recipe should be taken with a grain of salt. Mine took an additional 20 minutes to cook. This is one of those recipes that is easy to make your own, so don't be afraid to swap or add ingredients that you enjoy. The recipe for Mark Bittman's version of the dish can be found here.

                    

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Inside Outside Cabbage and Rice Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The first flush of fall always brings out the farm wife in me. Though our numbers have dwindled, falling leaves mean that flour and yeast will be bought in quantity and my stockpot, hidden for the summer, will again assume a place of prominence in the kitchen. When our children were still at home, it also signaled casserole season. Two of my three were athletes, and had the appetites of trencherman. The third, while less active, just loved to eat and had a metabolism that allowed caloric consumption that would have felled a lesser mortal. Suffice it to say, casseroles made a regular appearance on my table, and tonight's feature for deconstructed cabbage rolls is one they really enjoyed. The recipe is simple to follow and it is easy enough for your young athletes to make for themselves. This is a heavy dish, so I don't recommend serving it to those with peckish appetites, but if you cook for hearty eaters who enjoy full-flavored meals, you might want to give this casserole a try. Here is how it is made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Pauper's Pork Chop Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know, I know! It's not Friday, but I wanted to share this very simple recipe with you before the week was out, and tomorrow I'm having a giveaway and featuring a sponsored post that doesn't exactly fall into economy class. So, today it is. While you'll have to turn the oven on to make this casserole, it is filling, as well as economical, and it is a nice dish to serve after a day on the water. My only caution is that you'll want to slice your potatoes paper thin or they won't cook within the allotted time. While it is probably not necessary, I feel duty bound to remind you that bouillon powder and Parmesan cheese are both salty, so you'll want to hold back on the amount of it you use to season your pork chops. Warnings aside, I like the simplicity of this recipe and I think you will too. It makes a hearty, well-seasoned meal that your family will enjoy whatever the season. Here is how the Pauper's Casserole is made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Stuffed Eggplant Creole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe is for a stuffed eggplant dish that is both inexpensive to make and delicious to eat. The ingredients needed to prepare it are readily available and I think you'll be able to find the Grapenuts in the cereal aisle of your grocery store. Just be sure to get the original cereal rather than the newer flaked variety. The nut-like morsels of the original give some texture to the soft filling while also helping to absorb excess moisture in the stuffing. This is a very old recipe that was published back in 1969 in The New McCall's Cook Book. I still have my dogeared copy of the book and while many of the recipes it contains have been eclipsed by time, this is one that those of you with gardens might want to try this summer. It is easy to follow and the minimal cost of its ingredients make it a perfect candidate for a Frugal Friday feature. I've pretty much kept with the original recipe, save for the omission of a 1/4 cup of butter that was used in the breadcrumb topping. Delicious, but verboten these days. I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how this version of stuffed eggplant is made.