Christmas

So it's almost a month after Christmas, but I've been so busy with going back to school this semester and we're trying to sell our house (more on that at a later date) but better late than never to fill you in on our Christmas activities. And it was Mason's 1st Christmas!

Mike was really sick on Christmas eve. Like, had to go to the emergency room and get a shot to stop throwing up sick. So he stayed in bed most of the day. He did manage to get up for about an hour so we let Marley open her presents from her Grandpa with hair (Mike's dad)

On Christmas morning we woke up early and opened our presents from Santa. We then headed over to grandma and grandpas to open more presents. Then we headed down to Auntie Pam Pam's house for dinner and more presents. It was a long day with lots of good food and lots of fun times. 

 

Since my mom decided to make this a "pajama christmas" a few days later I went back to her house to get some fancy pictures of the kids. And yes, Marley is wearing a dress!! 

I think this face sums up the holiday perfectly. HAHA! So good all year and now that it's over she turns evil! 

Meatball Sub Casserole

The pictures for this casserole make it look delicious. But, we did not like it at all. Okay, I'll give it some credit, everything was good except for the ridiculously soggy bread on the bottom. Now, if you like really soggy bread, then this is the recipe for you.

1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1-lb. pkg. fully cooked frozen meatballs, thawed

1 (28 oz.) jar pasta sauce

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, and italian seasoning. 

Place bread slices on bottom of baking dish. (Toast bread if you don't want it so soggy)

Cover with the cream cheese mixture and mozzarella cheese

Mix meatballs, sauce and water in a bowl and pour on top. Cover with more mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. 

See looks really good huh? Yah, we didn't think so. The original recipe did suggest toasting the bread first so it wouldn't be so soggy, but of course I didn't see that tidbit of info until after I made it and stuck it in the oven.  Oh well! 

Italian Sausage Melt

Last summer I got a really good deal on some italian sausage. However, it's been sitting in the freezer ever since because I didn't know what to make with it. Until, that is, I stumbled on this recipe for italian sausage melt. 

1 1/4 cups Original Bisquick® mix

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 tablespoons very hot water

1/2 lb Italian sausage

1cup Alfredo pasta sauce

1cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix bisquick, water, and butter together in bowl. 

Spread onto bottom of greased baking dish. 

Cook sausage. Once cooked drain any grease there is and place on top of the bisquick. 

Spread alfredo sauce on top. (I just realized while typing this up the recipe calls for 1 cup of sauce, I used the whole jar-oops!) 

Top with cheese. (I didn't have any mozzarella so I used cheddar instead) Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. 

It was really good. It reminded us of biscuits and gravy. I will definitely be making this again with only 1 cup sauce and mozzarella cheese to see if it tastes any different. 

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

I bought a bunch of frozen dough so of course, I searched pinterest for recipes. I found a recipe for this Pepperoni Pizza Bread here. Looks good!!

2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

This makes 2 loaves. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Flatten out dough into a large rectangle. 

In bowl mix together egg, oil, and seasonings.

Brush mix onto flattened dough. (save the rest of the mix for later)

Place your meat, cheese, pepperoni and any other veggies you want to add onto dough. 

Roll up starting with a long side. Place on cookie sheet and brush with oil/egg mix. 

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. 

Yum! This was even good for lunch the next day!