Cheesy Chicken Tator Tot Casserole

 

I have been making the hamburger version of tator tot casserole for quite a few years and while I like it, mainly because it is easy and my kids will eat it, I really, really, like this version. And it can be cooked in the crockpot which is even better. I am becoming a big fan of crockpot dinners, especially when I am running kids around to everything they have to do.


Cheesy Chicken Tator Tot Casserole
Source: The Country Cook

1 (32 oz.) bag frozen tater tots
1 (3 oz.)bag bacon pieces (you can cook your own bacon and break into pieces)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
salt & pepper, to taste

Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half of the frozen tater tots on the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the bacon pieces. Now top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Add diced chicken on top. Season with salt & pepper. Now add 1/3 of the bacon pieces and another 1/3 of shredded cheese. Put the rest of the frozen tater tots on top.
Finish with the remaining 1/3 cheddar cheese and remaining 1/3 of bacon pieces.
Pour 3/4 cup milk all over the top. Cover and cook on low about 4-6 hours.

*You can make this in the oven, you just need to partially thaw the tator tots first.  Spray a

9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

Then layer ingredients into baking dish. Cover and bake at 350F degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half.

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini

My zucchini plants this year did give me a few zucchini but that was about it. Luckily good people who can grow things like to give zucchini away. I love zucchini bread, but only so much of it so then I had to decided what to do with all the rest of the zucchini. I found two new zucchini loves. One is zucchini fries and the other is this stuffed zucchini. It was really, really good and I love that it is cooked on the grill so you don't have to heat up your house!

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini
Source: Our Best Bites

2 medium zucchini (about 10″)
4 oz Italian sausage
1/4 C diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon of dried)
2/3 C Italian cheese blend
1 T Italian style bread crumbs
kosher salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on. Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling. Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.
Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stove top. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, some salt and some pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down. Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside. Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs.  Then, give them a little drizzle of olive oil.
Place them back on the grill (filling side up). Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook. If you’re doing this inside, it will take a little longer seeing as you can’t close the lid to keep in the heat. You also might want to broil them in the oven when they’re finished to help the cheese on top get nice and bubbly.

Peach Pie

This is probably my most favorite peach dessert of all time. It is my Grandma Hunsaker's recipe and it is so so good!!!


PEACH PIE
 
4 cups peaches
¾ cup sugar
1 pkg. Knox gelatin
¼ cup cold water
½ cup hot water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ pt. cream
Crust:
16 graham crackers
1 teaspoon flour
½ cup melted margarine
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Make crust and press ¾ of it into a 10” pie pan.  Add sugar to the sliced and peeled peaches.  Set aside.  Mix gelatin and cold water and let set until hard and add hot water to soften gelatin.  Add lemon juice to peaches.  Let it begin to set.  Add whipped cream to mixture and pour into crust.  Top with remaining graham cracker crust.  Chill before serving.

Cinnaburst Bread

About a year ago, my friend introduced me to cinnamon chips. I now put them in everything and I love them. I knew when I found this recipe on pinterest I had to try it. It is just a basic white bread with cinnamon chips mixed in, but it is so yummy!

Cinnaburst Bread
Source: Rae Gun Ramblings

 

1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk

1/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1/3 cup oil
1/2 T salt
1 egg
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cinnamon chips ( I might have added a little more)

In mixer combine yeast, sugar, and warm water and milk; let bubble for about 5 minutes. Add in oil and egg. Slowly add 2 cups flour, mix and then add salt. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until it comes away from side of bowl. Add the cinnamon chips when it gets close to the right consistency. The dough will be very sticky but the softer the dough the lighter the bread. So use the least amount of flour you can handle. Let rise in mixing bowl for about 30 minutes. Form into loaf (or whatever shape you want). Let rise and additional 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Makes 2 loaves

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Spaghetti has always been a meal that I have liked. It is just an easy go-to meal when I have nothing else planned. My kids even like it pretty well, so that right there is a keeper. This spaghetti recipe is spaghetti in a casserole form. I thought it was really good and pretty easy. My kids weren't entirely sold on it because "it has white stuff in it", but they did pretty good eating it.


Million Dollar Spaghetti
Source: Being Grown Up

1 lb. ground beef
1 can spaghetti sauce
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. sour cream
1 c. cottage cheese
1 stick of butter ( I didn't use this much, I used more like 1/2)
8 oz. noodles
shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Boil the noodles. While they are boiling mix up the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese. Make sure it is mixed very well. Brown your ground beef and drain. Then pour spaghetti sauce over it. Take a few slices of butter and place in bottom of a casserole dish. Then, layer half the noodles in the bottom of the dish. Pour the creamy mixture on top of the noodles and spread all over. Then add the rest of the noodles and put a few slices of butter on top. Pour the ground beef with sauce over top and spread. Place dish in over for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take dish out and put cheese on top and put back in oven for 15 minutes.