4th of July Weekend: Fried Ravioli & Cheesy Potato Casserole

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th, we sure did! My husband had Friday off so I got to go grocery shopping alone which was nice, although I did miss my little helper while picking out garlic and limes and such. We were having a backyard barbecue on Sunday afternoon, so we did a lot of cleaning the house and prepping the yard for the party on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday night for dinner I threw a frozen pepperoni pizza in the oven, it was the Market Pantry brand from Target and it was good. On Saturday night we made Fried Ravioli which is one of my hubbies favorite meals. I had my daughter and husband both helping me; the little sous chef dipped the ravioli in the egg wash and the big sous chef dipped them in the breadcrumbs. I was in charge of frying them up in the oil and simmering the pasta sauce. Here's what you do:

*************************************************************************************
FRIED RAVIOLI

1 package frozen cheese ravioli, thawed
2 cups breadcrumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup water or milk
1 jar pasta sauce, seasoned to taste
4 cups olive oil

Mix the eggs and water in a pie plate. Put the breadcrumbs in another pie plate. Heat the oil over medium heat in a saucepan; it is ready when you sprinkle a pinch of breadcrumbs in the oil and it sizzles. Dip the ravioli in the egg wash first, then in the breadcrumbs, pressing gently so they adhere. Then place the breaded ravioli, 4 at a time, into the hot oil. Remove when they get golden brown and transfer to a paper towel covered plate. Serve with pasta sauce for dipping.
************************************************************************************

Saturday was cool and rainy, but cleared up enough by night-time for us to go see the fireworks in Morton Grove, IL. They were fantastic! Every year their show is just amazing and I think that the next year cannot be any better, but somehow they always out-do themselves. Chicago always has their fireworks on the 3rd, but going down to the lakefront is a traffic nightmare because of the Taste Of Chicago. The last few years they have had a problem with gangs showing up, and I read in the Sunday Suntimes newspaper that someone was caught with a sawed-off shotgun in their backpack trying to get into the Taste - unbelievable! And scary.

Sunday was a beautiful day, mostly sunny and 80 degrees. The BBQ started at 4pm and most of the backyard was in the shade of the house, so we weren't baking in the sun out there. Everyone brought a side dish and some beer and we had a great turn-out, about 25 people. We provided hot dogs, hamburgers, guacamole and pico de gallo with tortilla chips, toppings and condiments for the meat, cheesy potato casserole, brownies, lemon bars, soda, and some more beer. The food was great and everyone had a good time! I got a bunch of requests for my Cheesy Potato Casserole recipe, so here it is:

************************************************************************************
CHEESY POTATO CASSEROLE

1/4 cup butter
1 large white onion, diced
1 - 32oz. bag frozen diced potatoes, thawed
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 - 16 oz. sour cream
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium skillet, melt the butter. Cook the onion until soft.
Meanwhile, in a very large bowl, combine the potatoes, sour cream, both soups, 2 cups of cheese and pepper. Stir in the onions, blend well. Transfer to a 13x9 baking dish.
Bake for 50 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time. Top with remaining cheese and bake 10 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
*************************************************************************************

I don't remember where I got it, but every time I make this I get lots of requests for the recipe. It is so cheesy and creamy and yummy!

Happy eating!