Cheese Souffle

Family traditions are so important to our family. I love looking forward to them each time we get together. One of my favorite traditions is this breakfast souffle. We eat it every Christmas morning at my Grandpa and Grandma Carter's house.

I have been wanting to make it for forever, it seems like I love it so much once a year, and then don't see it until 365 days later. This year at Christmas I made a decision to make it a few extra times. So easy to put together...but, my goodness, does it have a lot of cheese! Don't think this is an egg bake or bread pudding. Nope! This is fluffy cheese! Yummy, all the same, but not something to add to a daily diet!

Cheese Souffle Ingredients:

6-10 slices of bread

3/4 lb graded mild cheddar cheese

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

2 Tbsp. butter, melted (Ignore the tub of margarine.:))

Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9x13 making dish.

Remove crusts from bread and cut into cubes.

Layer half the bread cubes, half the cheese.

Then repeat with remaining bread cubes and cheese.

In a bowl, beat eggs slightly.

Add the remaining ingredients (milk, salt, dry mustard, melted butter) and stir together.

Pour mixture over bread and cheese.

Regrigerate overnight or for a few hours. (I'm good with about 20 minutes!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.

Yummy and enough cheese to last you the whole week! Serve with yummy sausage balls and petite carmel rolls...I'll post those to round out my breakfast week blogs!

Pasta Fagioli

This delicious soup was such a welcome change from my norm. Super filling with both beans and pasta, just pair with a slice of crusty bread and you're good to go!

Pasta Fagioli Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

4 cups chicken broth (1 carton)

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can canellini beans

1 can kidney beans

1 1/2 cup ditalini pasta

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage in a large stock pot.

Add onions to the pan and cook until translucent.

Add chicken broth and tomatoes.

Smash 1/2 can canelleni beans and add to the pot.

Add remaining canelleni beans and can of kidney beans.

(Drain and rinse both beans before adding to soup.)

Add pasta and Italian seasoning.

Cook until pasta is tender.

Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Green Chile Beef Enchiladas

I consider this a "healthy" Mexican dish. Although my dad will be the first to point out that, if you're going to rank cuisine, that Mexican is about as bad as you can go. Kansas City does spoil residents with free AMAZING white cheese dip. (I need to blog my copycat recipe!) These enchiladas are made with fat free cream cheese, something I don't usually turn to, but definitely did not miss the extra"ness" of full fat cream cheese.

Green Chile Beef Enchiladas Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 package (8 oz.) fat free cream cheese

1 can (4.5 oz.) chopped green chilies

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

6-8 flour tortillas

1 can green chile enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef.

Add canned chilies and cream cheese.

Let melt and stir together.

I have recently fallen in love with black beans and am creating recipes just so I can eat more of them! :)

Create enchiladas by spooning beef mixture and a small handful of beans into flour tortillas.

Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce onto bottom of greased 9x13 baking dish.

Roll up enchilada, place in dish.

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.

Top with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until warm and bubbly.