Speaking of Casseroles (man, I'm getting good at "speaking of" posts!)

I had some requests to post the two casserole recipes that Taylor and I served on New Year's Day. They are both pretty easy to make, and relatively healthy, thanks to my mom. They both bake at the same temp, so you can do both at once, if you are serving a lot of people (each casserole makes a good bit).

Black Eyed Pea Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean gr. meat (beef, turkey, or even veggie crumbles could work)
1/2 c. diced onions
1/2 c. diced bell pepper
1/2 c. diced celery
3 cloves garlic
1 pack success rice cooked (or cook 1 to 1/2 cup of rice)
1 can black eyed peas
1 can tomatoes with green chiles
6-8 oz. grated cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Two options for the first step, again courtesy of my mom. She browns her meat first, then rinses it in a collander, then returns it to the skillet to add her seasongs and cooks to combine them. However, you can just add the seasonings and brown the meat all at once.

Combine cooked rice with meat and seasongs. Add canned beans and tomatoes. Put mixture into 9 x 13 casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add cheese on top, and bake 15 minutes more, or until cheeze is bubbly.

Shrimp "Jambalaya"

Ingredients:

1 onion
1 bunch green onion
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
2 cups raw rice
worcestershire sauce (to taste)
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 can reduced-sodium French onion soup
1 lb. shrimp or crawfish (frozen is fine)
butter or margarine for sauteeing the onions
salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste<

Sauté seasonings in butter or margarine. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Transfer to baking dish. Bake at 350° for 1 hour, stirring halfway through.