Category Archives: Casseroles

Food & Family“Colored Easter Eggs” Take on New Meaning

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Bunny Bait

After surviving several spring snow storms, many Midwesterners are eager for warmer temperatures to bring with it blooming tulips and song birds. It makes me long to “defy Mother Nature” by setting a beautiful table with a cheerful, yellow bunny jacquard tablecloth accented with a centerpiece that Better Homes and Gardens claims is easy to create at home.

Someday I will try my hand at making one of the beautiful table arrangements that I’ve pinned on my “Easter board” on Pinterest! In the meantime, I’ll try something a little more “kid friendly.”

Yesterday I mixed up a batch of Bunny Bait as snacks for my Girl Scout meeting. They loved it! Actually, kids of all ages can enjoy this sweet treat. Just think how it exciting it could be for little kids to set out “bunny bait” the night before Easter in hope of enticing the Easter Bunny to stop by and fill their baskets with goodies. This recipe is so quick and easy that even toddlers could help by pouring in some ingredients like pretzel sticks, M&M candies or pastel marshmallows.

Making seasonal recipes and crafts is something that I’ve enjoyed since my childhood. Tomorrow I’m looking forward to trying a Pinterest-inspired idea to dye hard boiled eggs for Fancy Edible Deviled Eggs. I can’t wait to see the look on my relatives’ faces when they first see my egg tray at Sunday’s family potluck. :) I’m not sure which they’ll be more disappointed about: the fact that I brought colored eggs or the fact that I didn’t bring my “signature” asparagus casserole.

Today I’ll share the asparagus casserole recipe with on TheFieldPosition.com. Like most tried and true recipes, this one game from a church cookbook. I’m also including links to some of my favorite brunch recipes in case you’re looking for new ideas, too.

Asparagus Casserole

Ingredients:

Asparagus Casserole

 

  • 2 c. sliced carrots
  • 3 hardboiled eggs
  • ½ lb. Velveeta cheese
  • 1 box frozen asparagus

Directions:

  1. Cook asparagus and carrots in water to crisp-tender. Drain, saving liquid.
  2. Add enough water to make 1 ½ cups.
  3. Melt 4 tablespoons of Real® butter.
  4. Add 4 Tablespoons flour to the butter.
  5. Pour the flour mixture into your 1½ cups of liquid. Cook until thick.
  6. Season well with salt and pepper.
  7. Add cheese and stir until melted.
  8. Layer asparagus, carrots and eggs in a casserole dish. Pour over sauce.
  9. Top with buttered bread crumbs.
  10. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes.

Easter Brunch Ideas:

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Food & FamilyDreaming of Spring Break Along the North Shore

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As North Central Iowans were digging out from the 10 inches of snow on Monday morning, I couldn’t help but notice the irony. You see Monday was the start of our kids’ Spring Break, but it felt more like Winter Break!

The view from the top of Lookout Mountain was worth the trek through the muck and the mud!

This time last year, however, our family was hoping for fresh powder as we loaded our SUV and headed to Lutsen, Minnesota. We were looking forward to meeting friends for a few days in the Caribou Highlands where we could literally ski out the back of our rented condo and catch a gondola to the slopes.

Each morning we hit the trails early and were able to enjoy two or three hours of ski time before warm temperatures turned the slopes into slop; conditions were better suited for building snowmen and tossing snowballs than boarding or skiing.

On the third day, we totally abandoned our skiing plans and took a hike. The sun shined brightly overhead, and temperatures reached the low 70s. Conditions were nearly ideal for a 2.25-mile trek to the top of Lookout Mountain in the beautiful Cascade River State Park. Although melting snow made for muddy trails – and we hadn’t really packed gear fit for this expedition– the view from the top was worth it!

Last year our family enjoyed Spring Break in Lutsen, Minn., where we hiked through the beautiful Cascade River State Park.

Lutsen ranks as one of my favorite family vacation spots. I know our experience was enhanced because of the company we kept. Our family has fond memories of playing board games and eating at Sven & Ole’s Pizza in Grand Marais with the Luchsinger family.

It’s funny how we often associate good memories with good food… That’s why I headed to the kitchen when my heart was yearning for northern Minnesota. This week I literally got a taste of the North Shore, using the wild rice and maple syrup that I had purchased during our visit there. I also served homemade bread topped with strawberry rhubarb jam, which I had purchased in Grand Marais. Today I’m sharing not only sharing my North Shore menu, but I’m sharing my recipes on TheFieldPosition.com. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family did!

What’s your favorite family vacation spot? I’d love it if you’d share a related recipe with me at shannonl@lathamseeds.com.

Wild Rice with Pork Chops

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw wild rice
  • 1½ cup water
  • 2 cans, mushrooms, stems and pieces
  • 3 Tbls. granulated instant chicken bouillon
  • 1 can, cream of mushroom soup

Directions:

  • Grease a casserole or a 9×13 pan.
  • In the bottom of the pan, sprinkle wild rice. Add water and mushrooms with the juice.
  • Sprinkle chicken bouillon over the top. S
  • Spoon mushroom soup over the mixture.
  • Remove fat from 6 or 8 pork chops that are cut about 1” thick. Brown and season the chops; place on top of the rice mixture.
  • Cover casserole with tin foil, sealing the edges securely.
  • Bake in 350-degree oven for 1 ½ or 2 hours until rice I done.
  • Serve on a platter, arranging pork chops around the rice. Garnish with red apple rings and parsley.

COOK’S TIP: Complement this casserole with a side of Warm Apple Salad with Maple Whipped Cream. Real whipped cream with a hint of maple is a real treat – more like dessert than a salad!

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Bonnie Frederickson: Three Bean Burger Bake

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Bonnie Frederickson: Three Bean Burger Bake

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1, 16-oz can of butter beans
  • Light kidney beans
  • Northern Beans, drained rinsed
  • 1, 16-oz can chili beans (not drained)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:

  1. Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet until the onion is tender.
  2. Combine the rest of the ingredients and put in a 2-quart casserole dish.
  3. Bake 350° for 35 minutes uncovered.

Note: The hamburger can be omitted. This is good served with cornbread.

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