Sarah's Egg Casserole for Big Breakfasts

This was one of the very first recipes that a sweet girlfriend and neighbor gave me as a young bride.
It's the kind of recipe you don't need to read ever again once you've made it.  It's so simple your left brain could make it, as mine has a few times.
The ingredients can be anything you have on hand, or think would be good to throw in;  bacon, ham, cheese, chile, tomato, spinach, onion, turnips.
Hah! Gotcha.
Anyway, the basic recipe is:
1 dozen eggs
1 large (24oz) container of cottage cheese. (1 egg per every 2 oz. cottage cheese)
Salt
Pepper
And whatever you think would be good.  In my case, this was chile and Monterrey Jack Cheese.  Cooked sausage is a very good addition, as well.
Directions:
(Note: I'm making a half-sized recipe here)
1. Grease an oven-proof dish.
2. Turn the oven on to 325°.
3 Whisk the eggs.
4. Add the cottage cheese, mixing thoroughly.
5. Add your own "embellishments." (Or don't.)
6. Pour it into the dish.

7. Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes. (Or, keep refrigerated until morning, as I did, and cook it then.)
8. Cut in squares to serve.

Grandmother's Alabama Chile

This recipe was given to me by my late mother-in-law and it is my "go-to" recipe for when I'm: sick, tired, sick and tired, sick of being tired, ...you get it.  This dish is delicious, dead easy, nutritious, and cheap.  What's better than that?

You need these ingredients.
Rotel.  You must use Rotel chile and tomatoes.  I know everyone south of the Mason-Dixon line knows about Rotel, but maybe it's universal now.  It should be.
Kidney beans.  I don't know whether any other bean would work, but this was in the recipe given to me and I've never strayed.
Ground beef.  I like Chuck.  It tastes good.  I buy my own chuck roasts and grind my own ground beef with my Cuisinart mixer grinder attachment, but I'm the only nut I know who does that.  If you use chuck from the store, you probably will need to drain it.
Diced tomatoes.  If you really like pica, or "spiciness" as the Yankees call it, you can use another can of Rotel.  Otherwise, use the diced tomatoes.

And an onion.  This onion was rotten in the middle, but I am not squeamish and cut the rotten part out and used the rest.  NBD.

I love to use my Kmart wok for this kind of thing.  Heats quickly, doesn't splatter, holds a lot.  Put some olive oil in there and add the onions.  Cook until slightly transparent.

Add the ground beef and brown it up good.

Drain the beans and give them a quick rinse.

Add the Rotel, tomatoes, and beans to the browned beef.

A little salt, and cover it up.  Let it cook on low for about 10 minutes.




DONE!



















If you don't have tortillas, I'm sorry for you, but this is a nice alternative.

Now toast your tortillas.  This is the difference between a good tortilla and a really delicious one.  You can do this on an electric element, too.  Wrap them in foil until ready to serve, preferably with real butter and a salad.  And some nice red wine.


Ahhhh.  Much better now.