Zucchini Casserole

So I had a ton of Zucchini left and really needed something to do with it. I googled some casserole ideas and could not find anything that matched ingredients I had and that sounded good. So using what I had and some basic ideas I gathered from the recipes I read I made my own. Here it goes.

Zucchini Casserole ( I need another title )

3 cups thinly sliced and halved Zucchini and yellow squash

bring to boil with about 1/8 tsp salt then take off stove

While bringing to boil in separate bowl mix:

1 can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic and onion
about 1 cup penne regatta pasta
about tablespoon olive oil
about 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
about tsp. powdered garlic
about tsp. italian seasoning
few dashes black pepper
few dashes parsley
1/4 cup sour cream

Drain zucchini then add to mixture

I let it sit for a few hours in the fridge while I went to work.
This allowed for the pasta to soak some of the liquid and soften up, which is what I was hoping for.
I put this in a shallow  9X5 glass casserole dish.
I put this in the oven for 35 minutes and set it to 350 degrees.

I'll get back to you on anything else I do and how it turns out

Grandma's Potato Soup

Ok, so I'm in the airport right now doing this from because I made it last night so this is my best attempt for the moment. I'm putting down what her recipe says and what I did.

Ingredients:
4 cups small  chopped potatoes ( I did 5 for this recipe)
3? cups chopped onion
3 cups chopped celery( I did 4)
1/3 cup green pepper
5-6 cups milk ( I did 8 and then grandma added more later because she likes it really soupy)
4-5 slices bacon cooked and chopped
1 Tbls. of the bacon grease
2 teas. salt
1 Tbls. Parsley
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
(I put in a teaspoon minced garlic as well as powdered garlic and some pepper)
( I also added about 6 oz. cream cheese to the vegetables right after they were drained andmixed it in as it melted. I really like the added cheesy flavor and thickness this gives the soup but it is not a part of Grandma's original)


Boil and cook potatoes, onion, celery and green pepper
In medium pot melt butter on low
slowly mix parts of cold milk and flour and pour into melter butter
continuously stir with wooden spoon until the mixture seems to stay on the spoon and flour and milk and butter are well mixed
drain extra water off of cooked vegetables
add milk and butter and flour mixture
add everything else
Cook for a while to warm up and thicken
add a can of clams to make it into clam chowder

Chicken & Biscuits (From a magazine)

This was a recipe Grandma Monks gave me from a magazine and Grandma Williams likes it a lot. Its very easy and simple to make. 


Ingredients:
1 Can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 c.  sour cream (divided)
2 c. chopped cooked chicken ( I just used the canned)
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables (Thawed)
1 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese 
1 cup baking mix
3 Tbl. milk


Process:
Heat oven to 375
Mix soup and 1/2 c. sour cream in 8 inch square baking dish
Add Chicken, vegetables and cheese
Place baking mix in medium bowl 
Add remaining 1/4 c. sour cream and milk
stir until stiff dough forms
Drop by heaping tablespoons into 6 mounds over chicken mixture
Bake 35 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and chicken mixture is hot and bubbly.

Italian Sausage Pasta Bake ( Baked Ziti Inspiration)

Disclaimer: This is just what I did using what I had. I'm not a professional, the recipes aren't perfect. I want people to read these and try them and give feedback for improvements and additions. I also want a record of what I do so I can see how I change things and what I like better.

I'm also posting this recipe months after I made it so I might be interpreting my written directions a little wrong since I can't remember all of the steps.

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked pasta - (Approx. Used Bowtie - Just used what we had)
2 c. Onion - chopped
2 Tbl. Fresh Cilantro chopped
1/4 c. green onion chopped
1/2 c. green pepper
3/4 c. fresh corn
1 c. Fresh mushrooms chopped
1/2 c. Zucchini chopped
1/2 c. Yellow Squash
15 oz. Can chopped tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup water
 1 lb. choppped italian sausage link


Process:

I mixed all vegetables minus the cilantro(I think), tomatoes and paste and then split the combined ingredients in half. I did this because I didn't realize how much they would make. I ended up using half of the batch and mixing it with the tomatoes, paste, water, sausage, and pasta after is was cooked. (I might have split the pasta in half too, because I think I ended up turning the 2nd half in to a pasta salad pretty much as it was and it being really good.)

I put it in a casserole dish (9x12 ?) then cooked for 30 min @ 350, then 20 min @ 400.


Changes:
Obviously I would split the vegetables in half next time so as not to make so much. Also I would cook the sausage first because I worried about it cooking. I think it also need more tomato sauce in it. I didn't have any on hand when I made it. Next time I will make sure to make it with more sauce.