Breakfast Casserole ***

This time, I made this with sausage instead of ham.  It was okay, but I think that hubby picked up the wrong sausage.  It definitely didn't taste like the mild that we normally get.  The store was also out of the shredded hashbrowns, what with all the hashbrown casseroles for Christmas, so I had to use the diced potatoes.  I definitely won't do that again.  It makes too big of a potato layer, in my opinion.  I did use the 6 eggs this time, and I'll definitely continue doing that in the future.

Photo courtesy of Recipezaar

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

1 (12 ounce) bag frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1/2 cup melted butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 lb bacon or ham, cooked and crumbled
1-1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

Squeeze excess moisture from potatoes.
Mix potatoes and melted butter.
Press into 13X9 baking pan, coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425*F for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Sprinkle bacon or ham and cheese over potatoes.
Beat together eggs and milk.
Pour egg mixture over meat and cheese.
Bake an additional 30 minutes or until set.
** Amy's notes: I used 6 eggs.

Previous reviews:
6/13/10... We all really liked this. Unfortunately, when I originally read the directions, I only noticed the 25 minute cook time. I completely overlooked the 30 minutes before that. Oops. I was worried about getting it ready in time for us to eat before church, but it ended up working out, since DS1 woke us up so early, lol. My backup plan was to cook the hashbrowns in the skillet and then cook the second half of the recipe in the oven, as directed. I think that would work as well.

Anyway, I actually made no substitutions that I can think of off the top of my head. I did, however, add in an extra egg. Four eggs just didn't seem like enough for a 9x13 pan, in my opinion. Overall, it was a crowd-pleaser. I wish I'd had some salsa to put on top of mine, but oh well. Cooking the hashbrowns first gives them just a little bit of a crunch, which is actually really nice. It was nothing spectacular, but it was nice and easy and tasty, which is always a plus in my book. :)

Smoked Salmon Spread **

This was just okay for us.  It's a great base for a recipe, but it just seemed like it was missing something.  It was kind of bland for my tastes.  I first served it on regular crackers, but that just didn't taste right.  I ended up doing pita and bagel chips, and those were much better.  The salt from those gave it a bit more flavor.  I think it would have been even better on the garlic bagel chips.  I want to try another version of this sometime, since I think it does have potential.

Photo courtesy of Food.com

SMOKED SALMON SPREAD
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food.com)

12 ounces smoked salmon
2 (8 ounce) packages Neufchatel cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons milk
1 ½ teaspoons dill weed
¼ cup green onion

Beat cream cheese, lemon juice, milk and dill weed until well combined.
Crumble or shred salmon and add to cheese mix.
Mix until blended and desired consistency. More mixing breaks up salmon more - less keeps it chunkier.
Chop green onions and garnish the top of spread with them or mix into spread.
Serve well-chilled with crackers, toast points or sliced/cubed bread.

Cranberry Rollups **

I've had these on my "to try" holiday list for over a year now.  I finally got around to making them for my family's Christmas get-together, since we do appetizers and finger foods.  They were good, and they got a few compliments, but they just really didn't "wow" me.  For one thing, I think that 8 oz of cranberries is a bit too much for my tastes.  I adore cranberries, and I will eat Craisins straight out of the bag.  I only used 6 oz of cranberries in this, and the sweetness of them was just too overwhelming, in my opinion.  They're absolutely gorgeous on the tray, though.  The red of the cranberries and green of the onions against the white of the cream cheese is beautiful and very festive. 

CRANBERRY ROLLUPS
(mymayoctbabycj aka jaime)

One pkg tortillas
8 oz cream cheese (soften)
8 oz dried cranberries
Scallions (cut small, only green)

Mix cream cheese, cranberries, and scallions. Spread mixture on to tortillas and roll up.. Wrap in foil and chill for about an hour. Remove foil and slice the rolls.

Southern Pineapple Dressing ****

My kids always call this "Cranberry Stuff," but it's requested every year.  Dh would eat the entire dish by himself if we would let him, lol.  It's best hot out of the oven, but I've even eaten it cold from the fridge.  It's yummy no matter what.  I can't see myself eating it with ice cream, although I know dh would like it.  In my opinion, it's perfect all on its own.  I've been making it since right after my 5-year-old was born, and we look forward to it every year.  I use 1/2 cup of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter," and I always end up having to cook it closer to 55 minutes or an hour.  It's a little time-consuming, but it's SO worth it.  :)  This time, I halved the recipe (as a surprise dessert for dh and the kiddos) and put it in an 8x8 baking dish.  Came out perfect as usual.  It ended up having to cook for about 40 minutes total.

Photo courtesy of Recipezaar

SOUTHERN PINEAPPLE DRESSING
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar.com)

1 cup unsalted butter
3-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 (20 ounce) cans crushed pineapple, DRAINED WELL
1 cup dried cranberries, Craisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
22 slices de-crusted bread, torn into pieces

In large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, milk and pineapple, mix well. Stir in "craisins" and pecans. Fold in bread. Pour into greased 13x9 glass baking dish, do not smooth flat, leave tiny peaks.
Bake, uncovered, in 350* oven for 45-60 minutes till caramelized and peaks are tinged brown.
(OP’s notes: I serve this warm, not hot. Goes great with turkey, ham, chicken, and pork as a side dish. Leftovers even go great re-heated with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream!)
** Amy’s notes: 1 cup of butter is too much for us. I always use just ½ cup.