Meaty Cornbread Casserole

Fridays are usually Girls night, so I wasn't expecting to cook tonight. I had planned this recipe for tomorrow, but it had to be used tonight. My sister Lindsey came up to stay with us for the weekend, and we have a big day of fishing planned for tomorrow. This was a good meal for the three of us and we had leftovers. The recipe is from Taste of Home. Everything tastes good with country gravy!!

Meaty Cornbread Casserole

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb bulk pork sausage

2 cans whole kernel corn, drained

1 cup water

1 envelope brown gravy mix

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 envelope country gravy mix

In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in corn, water, and brown gravy mix. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute until thickened. Spoon into a greased 8inch baking dish. Prepare corn bread batter according to package directions; stir in the pepper and garlic powder. Spread over meat mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into corn bread layer comes out clean. Meanwhile, prepare country gravy mix according to package directions; serve over casserole.

Notes: Don't be scared of using both brown and white gravy. The finished product is delicious. You can easily double this recipe. Double all ingredients, except only use 3 cans of corn. Place in a 9x13inch dish and the baking times are the same.

Ranch Chicken with Chive 'n' Garlic Corn

This is a super easy recipe for moist chicken. I can't take credit for the recipe. One of my best friends gave me this recipe on a drunken night at her apartment a few years ago. It's been a staple in our home since. The corn dish is ok. It's something to throw together on a busy night. The recipe is from Taste of Home, as are most of my recipes. I apologize for the unappetizing picture. I promise to work on my photography skills. You'll just have to trust me that the chicken tastes much better than it looks here.

Ranch Chicken

1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the ranch dressing and flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge both sides of each chicken breast in ranch dressing mixture and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella over each breast. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese is bubbly.

Chive 'n' Garlic Corn

1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream style corn
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup minced chives
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

In a large skillet, saute corn and onions in butter for 5-7 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in chives, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Notes: Any cheese you have on hand will work with the Ranch Chicken, except swiss. We have tried a few, but my husband and I like mozzarella the best. The corn dish is easy, but I think I'll spice it up next time with some cayenne pepper to give it a little more flavor.