Yum-O!

In my circle of peeps, I am not known for my cooking.  There was an incident back in my single days, when I had to knock on the door of my neighbor (who also happens to be one of my BFFs, Ivy) and figure out what I was doing wrong in making pancakes (from a mix!).

And knowing I was about to get married, my biggest fear was how I'd get dinner on the table every day when I was more than happy to eat popcorn and call it a night.  Jeff is still in shock that in my 30+ years, I never learned how to make a basic grilled cheese sandwhich.

Unfortunately the kids and husband have come to learn that when the smoke detector goes off, it means dinner is done and ready. Scary that no one is worried the house is on fire and should run to safety.  Instead, everyone runs to the table.

Every now and then I hit upon a winner.  A dish so simple and easy to make, that you can't mess it up.  A dish so tasty and mouth watering, that everyone wants seconds and thirds.  A dish that can feed a good number of people, and makes vegetarians and meat-eaters both equally happy.  And most importantly, a dish that can be assembled the night before and cooked right before it will be served.  This dish is good for breakfast, brunch and most definitely entertaining.  Actually, my mom just made it and served it with dinner at a little party she hosted.

I didn't realize how insanely popular my CHEESY EGG CASSEROLE was until last week, when I had not one, but two people request the recipe from me again.  I believe I first debuted this dish about 6 years ago.  Since then I've probably made it for approx. 4 or 5 different groups of people over the years who came to the house for brunch.  Even when I don't make it for several months, I still get requests all the time wanting the recipe.  These people are still remembering how great it was that one time I made it for them.

Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you all to one of the best recipes I know.  Credit needs to be given to Al Gore, who invented the internet.  heheehheehee.  No seriously, I did a google search one day (many moons ago) and found it online.  It is a favorite recipe of a bed and breakfast in Nacogdoches, Texas; The Haden Edwards Inn.

THE CHEESY EGG CASSEROLE

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup cottage cheese

One 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

One 4-ounce jar whole pimentos

Combine flour, salt, and butter in a large bowl; add eggs, cottage cheese, chilies, and shredded cheese. Mix well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 10 x 6 x 2-inch baking dish. Garnish with pimentos. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. This can be prepared the night before and cooked the next morning.

Serves: 6 to 8

Some items to note:  I double the whole thing to make it a little thicker.  Therefore, it needs additional cooking time...like closer to 40 minutes, maybe 45.  Just check it frequently to see if it still looks loose or not.  Also, I cut out using the pimentos.  I think this taste took away from the dish.

Oh and for the record, I make a mean grilled cheese sandwhich now.  :)