September 2024 – Make-Ahead Meals
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Cindy Laughman, Ephrata
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 peppers (green and/or red)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1½ pints corn
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups rice, cooked
- 1 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup onion
- 2 to 3 cups tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Brown ground beef, adding onion and chopped pepper. Add seasonings, diced tomatoes and sauce, stirring between each. Add corn, rice, and 3/4 of the cheese. Place in a 9”x13” casserole and top with remaining cheese.
Can be frozen to use at a later date. Thaw overnight in fridge.
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or till hot and bubbly.
Baked Spaghetti
Cindy Laughman, Ephrata
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 1 lb. ground beef, browned
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup chopped pepper (red or green)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 12 oz. spaghetti, cooked
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
In a large pan, brown ground beef, adding onion and chopped pepper. Add tomatoes and oregano. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, mix cooked spaghetti (drained), ground beef mixture, and cheddar cheese. Place in a 9”x13” casserole.
Mix soup and water till smooth. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Can be frozen to use at a later date. Thaw overnight in fridge.
Bake at 350°F, uncovered, for 45 minutes or till hot through.
Hash Browns
Rachel Hoover, Ephrata
- 3 cups cooked & shredded potatoes
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- cornmeal to coat
Mix together then dip into cornmeal. Drop by tablespoons into pan with hot oil. Flatten the hashbrowns with a pancake turner. Brown lightly on both sides. Cool.
Freeze on a cookie sheet, then bag and put in freezer.
Savory Sweet Roast
Rachel Hoover, Ephrata
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 can mushroom soup
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Mix and add to a 3 to 4 lb. roast. Put in slow cooker on high for 3 to 4 hours, or in regular oven for 2 hours at 325°F.
Zesty Corn Salad
Mary Ann Dell, East Earl
- (2) 15 oz. cans white corn
- 1 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 1 cup seeded and chopped Roma tomatoes
- ½ cup Italian dressing
- garlic powder to taste
Drain the corn. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and toss lightly.
Cover and chill overnight.
Upside-Down French Toast
Mary Ann Dell, East Earl
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup (light or dark)
- ½ cup butter
- 1½ cups milk
- cinnamon to taste
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
- 5 eggs
- 1 loaf French or Italian bread (best if a day or two old)
In a saucepan on medium heat, combine butter, sugar, corn syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cook until bubbly.
Cut bread into 1” slices.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Pour bubbly sauce over the bottom of a 9”x13” pan or baking dish. Place bread on top of sauce. Ladle the egg/milk mixture over top.
Cover with foil and place in refrigerator overnight so it will be ready for breakfast the next day.
Bake in a 350°F oven with foil in place for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until top is brown and a little crispy.
Marinated Carrots
Mary Ann Dell, East Earl
- 2 lbs. carrots, sliced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small green pepper, chopped
- 10.5 oz. can tomato soup
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Cook carrots until tender. Add all other ingredients. Marinate overnight.
Serve hot or cold. Will keep in refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
Baked Ziti
Mary Ann Dell, East Earl
- 6 cups ziti
- 3 cups (28 oz. jar) spaghetti sauce, divided
- 1¾ cup (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
- 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
- parsley
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 375°F.
Cook pasta; drain.
In a large bowl, stir together pasta, 1½ cups sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg, salt and pepper.
In a 13”x9”x2” baking dish, spoon pasta mixture. Top with remaining 1½ cups sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubble.
Serves 10, 1 cup each.
Make-ahead directions:
Prepare. Do not bake. Cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Refrigerate up to 24 hours, or freeze up to 2 months. Thaw from frozen version in refrigerator overnight. Remove plastic wrap; replace foil. Bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes to baking time.
Good & Easy Chicken Casserole
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 1 large onion, chopped fine
- 2 celery ribs, chopped fine
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped fine
- 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
- 10¾ oz. can reduced fat & sodium condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
- 10 oz. can diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- (12) 6” tortillas, cut into 1” strips
- 2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté the onion, celery and pepper in oil until crisp tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the chicken, soups, tomatoes and chili powder.
Line the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish with half of the tortilla strips. Top with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat the layers.
Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Awesome Pasta Salad
Pat Roth, Ephrata
“I love this salad!”
- 16 oz. package spiral pasta
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ lb. provolone cheese, cubed
- ½ lb. salami, cubed
- ¼ lb. sliced pepperoni, cut in half
- 1 large green bell pepper, cut in 1” pieces
- 10 oz. can black olives, drained
- 4 oz. jar pimientos, drained
- 8 oz. bottle Italian salad dressing
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine pasta with tomatoes, provolone, salami, pepperoni, green pepper, olives and pimientos in a large bowl. Pour salad dressing over and toss to coat.
Easy Beef Stroganoff
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 12 oz. package egg noodles
- ½ stick butter, divided
- 2¼ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 1¼ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles and stir occasionally till done; drain well.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms, onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring until the vegetables are tender and the liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Cook ground beef in remaining butter and salt in skillet until browned. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture and broth, then simmer, stirring until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream and pepper. Cook over low heat until hot, but not boiling, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve over the noodles.
Make Ahead Potatoes
Stephanie Trowbridge, Stevens
- 10 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 cup sour cream
- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
- 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
- 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- paprika
Place potatoes in a large kettle; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.
Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl and mash them. Add sour cream, cream cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, onion and salt. Stir until smooth. Spread in a greased 9”x13” baking dish.
Melt remaining butter. Drizzle over potatoes and sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and refrigerate, or bake immediately at 350°F for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. If you refrigerate potatoes, pull from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Yields 12 servings.
Overnight Blueberry French Toast
Stephanie Trowbridge, Stevens
- 12 thick slices of bread, cut into 1″ cubes
- 8 oz. package cream cheese, cut into ½” cubes
- 1½ cups blueberries, fresh, frozen or canned
- 12 eggs
- 3 cups maple syrup
- 2 cups milk
Place half of the bread cubes in a buttered 9”x13” baking pan. Distribute all of the cream cheese cubes on top. Add the remaining bread cubes and the blueberries. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat eggs, milk and maple syrup and pour evenly in the pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, keep covered and bake at 325°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.