Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Tator Tot Casserole

Sometimes you just want something comforting and not necessarily healthy...and for us tator tot casserole usually does the trick. I make a few different variations but I like this one because even though its extra cheesy, all that broccoli makes up for it, right?

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Tator Tot Casserole

Ingredients

1 - 26 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup nacho cheese sauce (I like Tostito's brand Salsa con Queso)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp. hot sauce

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

6 cups ( 2 -12 oz. bags) frozen broccoli cuts

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 bag frozen tator tots

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine cream of chicken soup, queso, milk, hot sauce and spices over medium heat. Bring to a low simmer and add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese; continue stirring until melted. Add broccoli, stir to combine, and let simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chicken.

2. Pour broccoli mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Place tator tots in a single layer on top of the broccoli mixture (you probably will only use about 3/4 of the bag). Top with remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.

*Notes: I made this last night, and even with the salsa con queso, hot sauce and chili powder, it wasn't spicy at all. But I've made it before and it had a little kick, so feel free to adjust those items to taste. Also, this works just as well if you mix the tator tots in with the broccoli, but I like putting them on top because they get crisper and hold their shape better.

Sausage Hash Brown Bake

Another one from Allrecipes...it looked interesting and it called for red pepper which I was excited to use (see previous post).

I followed the advice of one reviewer and added in some eggs and mixed everything together instead of layering, to make it more of a comprehensive breakfast casserole. It was good, and I liked the basic ingredients, but if I were to try this again I might change it up - mostly not sure if the soup and all that sour cream is really necessary, especially with the addition of eggs.

Ingredients

2 pounds bulk pork sausage
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package French onion dip (I used another 8 oz sour cream with a packet of dry onion dip mixed in)
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (I had red so I doubled up on that)
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 eggs, lightly beaten (my addition)
1 (30 ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine 1-3/4 cups cheese and the next eight ingredients; fold in potatoes.

2. Spread half into a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Top with sausage and remaining potato mixture (like I mentioned, I skipped the layers and just mixed everything together and poured it into the baking dish). Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until heated through.

Red Pepper Sale

A local farmers market-type grocery store here had red peppers on sale last week for $ .19 each.

$ . 19!

That's unheard of. We definitely stocked up, especially since they can go for as much as $1.50 each in the grocery store! It still makes me happy just thinking about it.

You'll notice that a lot of my recently posted recipes included red peppers (even when they weren't called for), and we've even just been slicing and enjoying them with ranch dip. Totally my new favorite vegetable.

Kielbasa and Kidney Beans

Adam and I both liked this, its certainly nothing spectacular but it was so quick and easy that it still makes the blog :)

Kielbasa and Kidney Beans
from Allrecipes - I made some changes so I'll indicate what I did differently

Ingredients

1 pound fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper ( I only had red, so I just doubled up on that)
2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (my addition)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons steak sauce ( I didn't have this, instead I added about 1 tbsp ketchup and 2 tsp adobo sauce)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (15 ounce) can white kidney or cannelini beans, rinsed and drained (I used red kidney beans)

Directions

1. In a skillet, cook sausage for 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion, peppers and potatoes. Cook and stir until sausage is lightly browned and vegetables are tender; drain.

2. Combine brown sugar, steak sauce, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce; stir into skillet. Add beans. Cook and stir until heated through.

I served over plain white rice, and because of that I felt it was lacking in the sauce department. If I make it again I will definitely double up.

Chile Relleno

Chile relleno = ooey gooey cheesy goodness

The possibilities are endless, so I'll just provide the general details.

Ingredients

Poblano/pasilla chile peppers

Cheese of your choice (we like pepper jack)

Other stuffing ingredients of your choice, if desired (perhaps a shredded meat and rice mixture or a sauteed veggie combo)

1 large egg for every 2 peppers

Oil for frying

Sauce (A good, homemade ancho chile sauce is the best, but to save time I like to use this sauce, with a little hot sauce added for extra heat)

Directions

1. Seed, roast and peel peppers:

* I like to seed the peppers before roasting them; I find that its just easier that way. I

cut a slit across the top of the pepper about 1/2" down from the stem (almost cutting all the

way through, but not quite), and then flip the top up and pull the seeds out. Then you can

also use that opening in the top to slide in the cheese/stuffing.

* Set the oven to low broil and place the peppers on a baking sheet. Broil for 10-15 minutes,

turning frequently as they start to blister and brown, almost looking like they are getting

burnt. Once the peppers are browned on all sides, remove from the oven and place in a

resealable plastic bag or in a large bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit and steam

for 20-25 minutes.

* Remove the peppers from the bag or bowl and place on a large plate or cutting board. Peel

the outer layer from the peppers.

2. Stuff the peppers. I like mine with just cheese (any good, melty cheese will work), but you can pretty much add in whatever you want! Last time we made these I did a few with leftover carnitas, spanish rice, and pepper jack and they were really good. You may need to use a few toothpicks to hold the chile together after its stuffed, just remember to pull them out before eating!

3. Prepare the egg batter. Separate the egg(s): place the whites in a large shallow bowl and the yolks in another, smaller bowl. Beat the egg whites using an electric mixer (you can do this by hand, but it takes forever) until frothy and stiff peaks start to form. Lightly beat the yolks, then fold the yolks carefully into the whites and stir just until combined.

4. Fry the chiles. Heat several inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (or use a deep fryer). When oil is hot, dip chiles one at a time into the egg batter, and turn to coat. Fry in hot oil 2-3 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with yummy sauce and more cheese on top!

Mizithra in Browned Butter Pasta

1 Box Pasta of your choice (I'm personally in love with Rozoni Smart Taste Penne)

1 Stick of Butter

Mizithra Cheese to taste (Kind of hard to find sometimes, usually in the deli)

Another super easy and good "recipe" from me.

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Remember to salt the water.

Drain pasta.

In large frying pan, melt butter over low heat stirring constantly until it starts to turn brown.

Sprinkle in cheese and coat all noodles well.

Enjoy!

Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and shredded

1 egg

4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. minced dried onion

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

Butter or canola oil

Directions

1. Rinse potatoes in cold water; drain well.

2. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add potatoes and stir to combine. Add flour, onion, salt and pepper and mix well.

3. In a large skillet, heat butter or oil over medium heat. Drop potatoes by 1/4 cupfuls onto the hot skillet and flatten to form a pancake. Fry until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining potatoes, adding a little more oil or butter to the skillet before each new batch (should make about 12 pancakes, depending on size). Serve warm.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

This is one of my favorite recipe for carnitas, because the possibilities for the final result are endless! It cooks up perfectly but the spices don't completely overwhelm the meat, so you really can use it in a variety of different meals. This time around we started with these:

Pork tacos, in crispy corn shells and topped with sour cream and the sauce from Pioneer Woman's Perfect Enchiladas (which is another versatile item that we use a lot!). These tacos are reminiscent of my favorite ones from Qdoba - a place we used to frequent in Denver and I'm sad we don't have one here in San Diego :(

Of course there is a lot of meat leftover so we'll be adding it in to meals throughout the next week!

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Ingredients

2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (3-4 pound) pack "carnitas" (I can buy pork packaged as "carnitas" already at a local grocery store we have here, but if you can't find that a boneless pork shoulder roast is what to look for)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups chicken broth

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine salt, garlic powder, cumin, and ground cinnamon. Coat pork with the spice mixture, and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle cilantro on and around the pork, then pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

2. Cook on low 7-8 hours, turning meat halfway through cooking time.

No Recipe Needed - Cheesy Garlic Bread

You want to know the secret to fantastic garlic bread? A perfectly seasoned herb butter (we like garlic and dill), with a little bit of mayonnaise mixed in. Trust me, it makes a difference. Top with your favorite cheese, broil, and enjoy!

Mascarpone and Mushroom Ravioli with Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Cream Sauce

I have a few things to say about this recipe:

1. The filling is fantastic, and the mascarpone is the reason. It is GOOD stuff. I'm never using ricotta or regular cream cheese in ravioli ever again.

2. You don't need to adjust the color on your monitor - that sauce really is that lovely, bright shade of orange! I'm glad it tasted good, because there was something just a little too unnatural about the color (even though its from the roasted peppers). Wonder how it can be toned down?

Overall though, I'm going to give myself a pat on the back for coming up with this one - it was delish!

Mascarpone and Mushroom Ravioli with Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Ingredients

Ravioli
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. minced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp. green onions, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. ground thyme
1 cup roughly chopped baby spinach
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
Won ton wrappers (I used round ones)
1 egg, slightly beaten

Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Puree
3 red bell peppers, roasted, seeded, peeled, and sliced (or 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers)
3 garlic cloves, roasted

Sauce
2 cups half-and-half (I used fat-free)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup Parmesan Romano cheese (or just Parmesan if you can't find the blend)
Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Puree

Directions

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, and green onion, cook 5-7 minutes longer, until mushrooms are tender. Turn off heat and stir in thyme and spinach. Continue stirring until spinach is wilted and combined with the mushrooms. Remove mixture to a bowl and set aside. Once cooled, stir in the mascarpone cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste (I did this step the day before and let it sit in the fridge over night).

2. Meanwhile, prepare the roasted garlic and red pepper puree: Combine roasted red peppers and roasted garlic in a food processor or blendor (I used our magic bullet!); puree until smooth. Makes about 1 cup of puree.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the half-and-half over medium heat. When it starts to bubble slightly (do not let boil), whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Once butter is combined, slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly. Continue stirring (very important, otherwise your sauce might "break" like mine started too), and once the cheese is all melted in add the red pepper puree and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm over low heat.

4. On a large work surface, lay out the desired amount of won ton wrappers (recipe should make at least 16-20, depending on how much filling you add in). Brush a little of the beaten egg onto the edges of the wrappers. Place a small spoonful of the mascarpone mixture onto the center of each wrapper, then place a second wrapper over the top and press the edges together to seal well.

5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli a few at a time and cook until they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes.

6. Serve the ravioli topped with the red pepper cream sauce and extra Parmesan cheese, and of course some yummy, cheesy garlic bread.