From leftovers, you can make a great dinner!

I don’t like to dump food in the trash, and most of the time I just keep it for a few days in the fridge until I figure out what I can use it for.

I tent to make always too much pasta, so this kind of dinners often find a place on my dining room table.

During the week I made pasta twice. Then, surprisingly we bought two rotisserie chickens that we didn’t finish.

My slow cooker sure makes a grand entry back to the kitchen when I have a whole chicken. I can make the most amazing bone broth after 16-18 hours of slow cooking.

Anyhow, this lunch or dinner is done in no time. My family absolutely loved it. 

I am lucky that all my kids love peas, cheese, chicken and pasta. Put everything together, bake and there you go, dinner on the table that no kid would refuse to eat. You can switch and/or add any veggie of your choice.

What I love about this is that it’s nice and creamy, a perfect combination of flavor. I did use Ragu Double Cheddar Cheese from the Jar, but I also made a base sauce which was perfect.

It is really optional so you may use one or the other. Also, like I said on my notes, you may use other veggies or no veggies at all, chicken or no chicken.

You can design this meal to please your own preferences. Cooking is about enjoying the process and experimenting what works the best.

One of my favorite pasta dishes CHICKEN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

I know what you gonna say, but my son loves Ragu cheese as much as he loves ketchup. So, if that will make him eat more veggies I am all for it.

Those are two products “must have” in my fridge. So here what we made with things that we found in my fridge.

That beautiful ceramic bakeware is from Xtrema.

If you make them, please tag me on Instagram @sandraseasycooking and make sure to use hashtag #sandraseasycooking so I could see your delicious creations

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Yield: Serves 6

Baked Pasta with Chicken Casserole

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Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb Macaroni type of pasta Any smaller pasta could do
• 1 1/2 cup Rotisserie Chicken, pull apart white and dark meat, skinless
• 1 cup Frozen Peas or any vegetables; broccoli or similar
• 1 cup Ragu Cheese Double Sauce optional
• Cheese Sauce
• 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
• 1/4 tablespoon Guar Gum or similar you may use flour, Xanthan gum, etc.
• 6 oz Half & Half
• 1/2 cup Milk more if needed
• 8 oz Shredded Cheese I used Tillamook Mexican Blend
• 3 slices Fontina Cheese or any cheese that melts well, like mozzarella
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Dash Salt or to TASTE
• Garnish:
• 1 cup Fried Onion Rings optional
• 1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley optional
• 2 slices Bacon, crispy and chopped optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven on 375 F

Cheese Sauce

1. Heat a skillet or a frying pan and add butter. When butter melts add a thickener like flour. I had Guar Gum so I used that.
2. As you add a thickener, mix it with a wooden spoon until the texture is smooth. At the same time start adding liquid – half and half/heavy whipped cream and milk. 
3. Keep mixing into circular motion until smooth. 
4. Add cheese and mix until the sauce is formed. If you need more milk or cream just add to make it more liquidy.
5. In a separate large bowl combine pasta, chicken, peas. Mix well. 
6. Pour cheese sauce and ragu double cheese over the pasta mixture. You do not have to add ragu cheese but it tastes really good if you can find it in your store. 
7. Now, add everything to the baking dish. Pack it very well, then add a handful of shredded cheese on top. 
8. Bake for about 20 minutes in preheated oven, then add fried onions and bake for an additional 10 minutes. It is optional so you do not have to add fried onions.
9. **Cook some bacon and chop it and sprinkle on the top. A great addition to this casserole.
10. **Sprinkle some chopped Italian Parsley.

Notes

You can use any types of pasta for this dish as long as it’s precooked.

Chicken can be grilled, sauteed or baked before combining it with pasta.

You may use any vegetables that you desire. Peas are a great addition to this dish.

You DO NOT have to add any vegetables. If you don’t like it, then you do not have to add any additional vegetables. You can serve it on the side.

Did you make this recipe?

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No Crust Quiche with Potato, Rice, and Ham is an easy and simple meal. If you have leftover ham or rice, use it in this delicious quiche.

Do you ever look at your fridge and don’t know what to make for lunch or dinner? That was the case last week for me at dinner time.

In my case, I stood in front of the fridge and didn’t know what to make for dinner. If I make eggs and bacon, well that was too easy and plain for my family;

if I make potatoes and chicken, they had that only a few days before; Pasta? Oh, they are eating pasta often!

So I put a little bit of this and a little bit of that and ended up making this delicoys baked dish that I called quiche.

It is a simple and easy recipe, scrumptious, and for me, it’s like combining all three meals into one.

Tap here for more tasty brunch recipes

On the other hand, I might say that I am going through bloggers’ blockage often, and not only that, I have no idea what to make to share with you, but it can be tricky not to copy what I’ve shared before.

If you go through my index-it has over 300 plus recipes, and yes, at this point, it can be hard to pick something to be easy, affordable, something that a busy mom can make fast, or a single dad or even college student.

Nonetheless, I’m not particularly eager to waste your time, so I am looking at the most uncomplicated recipes possible that do not lack taste, comfort, or nutrition.

As a mom of three, I try to balance my day every day. Sometimes it doesn’t go the way I’ve planned, and that’s is perfectly fine.

Are you looking for Breakfast and Brunch Ideas? Tap here and get more yummy recipes from my blog.

It would be bizarre if everything is peachy perfect all the time, right?!
Anyhow, I rely on fast, comforting, but nutritious and tasty meals every day because I enjoy cooking for my family.

To be honest with you all, I feel incredibly fortunate that I get to do this as my full-time job. Sharing my simple meals with everyone is an absolute delight!

Hey, if you make my No Crust Quiche with Potato, Rice, and Ham, please tag me on INSTAGRAM @sandraseasycooking. Thank you all on advance for all your love and support!

Yield: 4

No Crust Quiche with Potato, Rice, and Ham

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Easy and simple Brunch Idea

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

CRUST:

• 2 potatoes med. size, shredded
• 1 tbsp. oil

Seasoning for potatoes:

• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Filling:

• 1/2 cup Rice, cooked, leftover work too
• 1/2 cup Canadian Bacon or Ham cubed
• 1/4 cup red onion, green onions work well.

Ingredients for eggs mixture:

• 3 eggs, mixed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 cup heavy whipped cream
• 1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

Topping:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F (190C-200C)
2. Shred Potatoes, and season with the seasoning in the ingredient list.
3. Heat a skillet or frying pan with a good drizzle of oil and add seasoned shredded potatoes to cook for 6-7 minutes on medium-high heat until potatoes are halfway cooked. Make sure to stir them every few minutes. Transfer into a well-greased skillet or a baking pan. Make a crust out of potatoes by lightly pressing it. Look at the instructional pictures.
4. If you do not have leftover rice then boil some; wash under cold water twice, add about 1/4 salt, a drizzle of oil, and enough water to go over rice, approx. 1 inch. Cover, let it boil at high heat, then turn heat to simmer/low temp and cook for 8 minutes without touching. Take the lid off, fluff rice and it is ready to be used. On the other hand, if you have leftover rice you do not have to do anything except add to the dish.
5. Slice and dice ham or any other meat, Canadian bacon, chicken, turkey bacon, or add mushrooms for a veggie version. Slice and chop onion; shallots and green onions work well for this too.
6. Add rice to the potatoes, then smoked ham and chopped onion.
7. Beat eggs well, then pour heavy whipped cream, you can use milk or half and a half if you do not have heavy cream, then add 1/4 cup of cheese and salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix well then pour over the rice, smoked ham, and onion. Make sure to slightly mix around the rice to coat the filling.
8. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of shredded cheese on top and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it.

Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest