For the work days: A Hearty, Comfort Food, Bake Dish Potato Casserole II

This one is with meat!  As much as I'm all for being vegetarian friendly, (for both environmental and for cost reasons),  my husband and I do love our meat.  That said, its another week day, so something quick and easy is in order :)

Ingredients:
1             bake potato
1 c          broccoli
1/2          bell pepper
1/16 lb.   Monterey Jack Cheese
2             sausages
seasonings to taste
2 tbs       half&half

Time:
15 min to prep
30 min to bake
45 min total*

Serves: 2 people

*What makes this dish quick is you can do all the prep the morning or even the day before and then just cover it and stick it in the fridge.  Pop it in the oven when you walk in the door, and by the time your ready to eat, dinner is "magically" done!

Directions:

1) Skin the potato.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  If you are going to leave some skin on, then you should make sure the potato is scrubbed extra thoroughly before you start.

2) Chop the potato into slim chunks ( and yes I know that's an oxymoron) and place in the bottom of your 8X6 or 8X8 casserole dish.  If you are making this dish for more than 2 people, then you will need to double all ingredients accordingly and increase the dish size.

3) Add the half&half and turn over the potato pieces to make sure they are all covered.  This is particularly important if you are preparing the dish in advance, as it keeps the potato from browning.  Even if you are preparing this dish in advance, this will make the potato not stick to the bottom of the dish and you still want to add the half&half.  The higher fat content of half&half will make it taste richer, but feel free to substitute.

4) Pre heat the oven to 350. Or do this step at the otherwise appropriate time :)

5) Layer desired veggies and meat.  In this case I fire roasted the bell pepper (and then scrubbed the burned skin off) to give the dish a sweeter taste.  As you've probably noticed, I am a big fan of broccoli.  The sausage does not need to be precooked, and actually works better if you don't!

6) Slice and layer the cheese on the top of the casserole.  Feel free to add seasons of choice.  I chose: Fresh rosemary, dried thyme, black pepper, and a dash of garlic powder.

7) Cover and place in the oven.  Cook for 30 minutes.  Serve hot!

Cost:

bake potato                   $0.50

broccoli                        $0.25

bell pepper                   $0.50

Monterey Jack Cheese $0.80

sausages                       $0.75

half&half                      $0.20

Total                             $3.00
Per person                    $1.50

Quick and Easy Dinner for Two (or more!)

For the work days: A Hearty, Comfort Food, Bake Dish

Potato Casserole

This is one of those meals that can be prepped before hand, even cooked before hand, and the timing is less crucial on.  Meaning:  You throw it in the oven when you first walk in the door and by the time you are actually ready to eat , ( you've read the mail, your changed your work clothes, etc), it's ready... No matter when that is! If you prefer a non-vegetarian version, in between the layers of cheese and the precooked meat of your choice. I strongly recommend some slices of deli cute ham!

Ingredients:
7           redskin potatoes
8-12     slices of white cheese (Mozzarella is great if you want to eat fast)
1/2 cup milk (any kind)
1 tbs     oil (or bacon grease)
seasonings to taste
(deli ham optional)

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook time: variable (10 min to no more than an hour)
Total time: 45 min

Serves: 2*
*If you would like to serve more, just add more potatoes and cheese!

Directions:

1) Boil the washed redskin potatoes in a pan filled with 6 quarts of water.  This can be done the night before, as long as you leave the skin on to protect the potatoes from oxidizing.  An oxidized potato ins't spoiled, but may be less fun of eating them do to it's less slightly appearance.

2) Grease the bottom of your casserole dish with the 1 tbs oil.  Above is a 4X6 Pyrex dish.  The less filled the pan the more crispy the casserole will be.  You can make any size casserole/backing dish work work.

3) Let the potatoes cool to a safe handing temperature.  Cut the potatoes in slices.

4) Layer the casserole dish with a layer of potatoes.  I leave the skins on the potatoes for their appealing red skin color and for extra fiber.

5) Pour just enough milk over the potatoes to cover the surface.  You should not "cover" the potatoes in milk, just "wet" them.  This should take less than 1/4 of a cup of milk.

6) Add a layer of cheese slices.  If you are adding meat, you should do so on top of the "wet" potatoes and before the cheese.

7) Lay another layer of potatoes.  "Wet" with milk again, using less than 1/4 of a cup.  Cover this layer with cheese.*

8) Repeat Steps 6-7 until your casserole dish is full, you run out of an ingredient, or you decide you want to be done.

9) Bake the casserole (uncovered) at 325 degrees for 10 min to an hour.  (The longer you think you will back it the 'harder' the cheese should be.  Feel free to see prior posts on Jarlsberg being a great and cheap hard cheese to back with. Also, if you plan on baking this casserole an hour, add an extra 1/4 cup of milk evenly over the top before you put the dish in.

* I usually add a "pinch" of seasonings to each layer.  A "pinch" begin a light dusting of say black pepper and Italian seasoning.

10) Serve hot and with a cold beverage to finish out your day!

Cost:
redskin potatoes        $2
white cheese              $2
milk                           $0.50
oil                              $0.10
seasonings to taste     $0.15
(deli ham optional)    ($2)                                  
Total:                        $4.75 (or $6.75 with meat)
Cost per person:     $2.37!