Tater Tot Taco Casserole

First of all, a friend gave me this recipe, so whomever initially wrote it, thanks!

I love casseroles. My kids - they're hit or miss. Whose kids aren't? But this one incorporates all sorts of foods they love plus some healthy ones. It's a nice alternative to taco night. So is taco soup. YUM. If I haven't posted that one, let me know and I'll share that! Top this however you want on your plate: add black olives, peppers, sour cream, you name it! Just like a home made taco bar, but in casserole form. Don't like black beans? Substitute in pinto or chili beans. You can use fresh or frozen corn in lieu of can corn and any meat: pulled chicken, ground turkey, etc... Like Mexican cheese instead, use that. Be creative in what you like to use, here's the base recipe:

casserole dish, deep sided pan
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can enchilada sauce - we used medium
1 pkg of frozen tater tots (I like tots, so I used the whole bag. You could use half a bag)
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Pull out the tots from the freezer and set them on the counter. Heat your oven to 350 deg. In a large pan with sides, brown meat and onions. Drain fat. Add garlic, taco seasoning, corn, and beans. Heat through. While the meat mixture is warming, pour half of the enchilada sauce in a rectangle casserole dish. Set dish aside. In the pan, or a large mixing bowl (<---- I used a bowl), combine meat mixture, tater tots and 3/4 of the cheese; pour into prepared dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Top casserole with remaining cheese and bake 10 more minutes.

I topped my portion with sour cream, so did my kids because it came out with some heat. I think that's about it. Enjoy!

Turkey Mac & Cheese

I don't know if this recipe has enough cheese! It's delicious and SO creamy....

8 oz noodles of your choice. Jacob chose this, but I also had mini shells on hand.
4 T butter
1/4 C flour
2 C milk
1 bay leaf
Dash of ground Nutmeg
2 1/2 C Cheddar Cheese (white, yellow, whichever), shredded
2 C Gruyere or Gouda Cheese, shredded
12 oz turkey sausage, stuffed with cheese (you can use any type of sausage or even kielbasa, I bought fully cooked meat), sliced
1 C crushed pretzels (Here, I would use bread crumbs instead, maybe not 1 full cup on crumbs. The pretzels came out soft)

Cook noodles according to package directions for al dente. While your water is coming to a boil, shred cheese. In a sauce pan melt butter over Med heat. Add flour and whisk 2 minutes. Add milk, bay leaf, and nutmeg. Whisk occasionally until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. (Drain noodles when they're done.) Add 2 C of cheddar cheese, and 2 C Gouda cheese to milk. Mix well. Add sausage and noodles, mix well. *Add up to 1 C of warm water to make the cheese less viscous. (you can use the water the noodles were cooked in here)* Spread mixture into a greased baking dish, at least 2 qt. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 C cheddar cheese and top with pretzels or bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes to heat through.

Casserole Surprise

I don't  know if I've posted this before, but I've learned that my kids do not like their dinner plate broken down into meat, veggie, starch, fruit. They pick at it. But.....if I make a casserole, it's gone in 5 minutes. Today's dish is created from a combination of my likes and the kid's likes. You got meat, starch and veggies all in one! Best part - NO ONE knew I put fish in this dish.......

8 oz of noodles - I used mini pinwheels
12 oz velveeta cheese
1/3 c skim milk
1 small frozen pkg of broccoli & cauliflower that you steam in the microwave
S&P to taste
3 tilapia loins
any seasoning you like (see below)
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 deg. Cook noodles according to package directions. While noodles are cooking pan sear (cook) tilapia in butter and any seasoning you like (garlic, dill, sage, basil, etc..) Shred tilapia, set aside. Microwave veggies and dice. Drain noodles, dump back in pot. Return the pot to the stove and add milk, cheese. Mix until melted. Add veggies and fish - mix well. Place mixture in rectangle baking dish.Top with cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Corn Casserole

This dish goes great with Cilantro Chicken, posted 09/19/11 (I believe). It's a different taste, but the flavors just explode in your mouth! You can add spice to your liking (ex: hot sauce).

3 1/2-4 C corn (fresh, frozen, or drained canned)

1/2 pkg bacon (about 8 slices)

2 T diced garlic

1 med onion, chopped

2 T flour

1 t each: salt and pepper

1 C sour cream

Cook bacon on frying pan. Dry bacon on a paper towel. Crumble all the bacon except for 2-4 slices. Saute onion and garlic in bacon drippings until onions are soft. Add salt, pepper and flour. When it starts to bubble cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. (at this point you can either mix in the pan or transfer to a bowl if you are using a small frying pan) Mix in sour cream. *This is where I would add any heat. Mix hot sauce, chili powder, or whatever you like into your sour cream Before you mix it into your onion mix.* Next, mix in bacon crumbles and corn. Transfer to a 1.5 qt baking dish. Top with bacon slices. Bake at 350 deg for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

If you like chicken cordon bleu - but hate how your chicken never stays closed, your cheese runs out, or just don't want to deal with it - this is for you! It is also a great potluck pleaser. You can chop up the meat or shred it for little ones. Serve with a vegetable side dish.

3 C chicken cubes, cooked (or turkey)

2 C ham cubes, cooked (I use a ham steak and cube it)

1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 Med onion, chopped

1 stick of butter, divided

1/3 C flour

2 C half-and-half cream

1 tsp dill

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground mustard

1 C dried bread crumbs

1//4 C chopped walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F.

Mix chicken, ham, and 1 Cup of cheese in a bowl. Set aside. Melt 1/3 C butter in a saucepan. Add onions and saute until soft. Add flour and mix to form a paste. Slowly add half and half, stirring constantly. Let it bubble and stir until thickened. Add dill, nutmeg and ground mustard. Pour mixture over chicken and mix well. Pour into rectangle baking dish.

For topping:

Melt remaining butter, should be 2 T. Mix butter and bread crumbs in a bowl. Add 1/2 C cheese and walnuts. Spread topping over chicken mixture in dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.