Sandra Lee w/ a twist!

I love watching Sandra Lee's show but a lot of the recipes that she makes aren't really applicable to my life. I'm not the kinda woman who throws big parties for her friends w/ these amazing "tablescapes" and food I probably couldn't even afford to make, tbh. I love the idea of "semi homemade" food and I think that someone needs to take the Sandra Lee approach to it... but on a budget. Semi Homemade Ghettoness, is what it is, really. Here, I'll give you an example...

Here's a guide for my Potato & Ham Casserole:

Ham
2 boxes of au gratin potatoes
1 can of whole kernel corn
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Pepper
Parsley (for garnish)

First off, I went to the store on a Sunday and bought one of those fully cooked ham. I cubed some up into bite sized pieces and put the rest in the fridge to use in other meals throughout the week. I got a baking dish, greased it and threw in the 2 boxes of au gratin potatoes. Add the sauce packets, water and milk as instructed on the box and mix. Then I opened a can of whole kernel corn, drained it and added it to the potatoes, oh, and throw in the ham cubes and seasonings while you're at it! I topped the casserole w/ dried parsley, covered the dish w/ aluminum foil and baked in the over for the allotted time and temp that the boxed potatoes instructed. Came out ooey, gooey, savory and yum! My son even asked for seconds, which is definitely a rarity.

Listen, you could slice the potatoes yourself, cook up a cheese and cream mixture and all that OR you could use the box. Only thing that would be a drawback here would be the salt content in any boxed meal. Not something you'd wanna eat all the time but, like Rachael Ray says, "All in Moderation!"

More on what I did with the rest of the ham later.