Tater tot casserole

Ingredients

1 lb. hamburger

2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 small cans mushroom stems and pieces

1 T butter

2 cans green beans

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 bag of frozen tater tots

Directions

1. Ahead of time cook one cup raw brown rice in 2 to 2.5 cups water. (This takes almost an hour.)
2. Sauté in 1 T of butter finely chopped onion and mushrooms until onions are sweet. 
3. Brown hamburger.
4. In large bowl combine cooked brown rice, hamburger, onion and mushroom mix, and green beans. Mix in cream of mushroom soup until well combined.
5. Press into 3 qt. casserole dish and top with tater tots.
6. Bake at 350 degree F for 1 hour or until tater tots are crispy.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

Ingredients
16 oz. bag frozen broccoli
1 cup cooked, cubed chicken (or one large can cooked chicken)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup miracle whip
3/4 tsp. lemon juice
Heaping 1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 cup shredded cheese
Bread crumbs (about 2 slices worth)

Cook broccoli.

In bottom of 8x8 casserole dish, layer cooked broccoli then chicken.

Mix together cream of mushroom soup, miracle whip, lemon juice, and curry powder. Layer onto broccoli and chicken.

Top with shredded cheese then buttered bread crumbs.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 mins.

Angel Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 T butter
1 (.7 oz) package Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed golden mushroom soup
8 oz. cream cheese with chives
1 or 2 (6.5 oz.) cans sliced mushrooms
1 pound angel hair pasta or cooked brown rice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in packet of dressing mix. Blend in broth and golden mushroom soup. Mix in cream cheese and stir until smooth. (I use a fork to beat it to blend in the last little cream cheese balls.) Add canned mushrooms (or if cooking slow cooker add directly with cubed, raw chicken). Heat through but do not boil. Arrange chicken breasts in single layer in 9x13 baking dish. Pour sauce over.
3. Bake for 60 minutes in preheated oven. Twenty minutes before the chicken is done, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta. 

I also like to cube the chicken and cook in the slow cooker on high for about 4 hours. Then I freeze it in baggies for lunches and dinners later!

Uncle Larry's Meatloaf

(Yes, Kevin and I prefer totally different meatloaf recipes. I'm envisioning when we have older kids just mixing up half and half, putting them in muffin tins with color coordinated toothpicks and letting everyone pick their favorite version at the table.)

Ingredients:
Mix together:
1 ½ pounds lean hamburger
2 eggs
1 ½ cup crushed crackers (prefer Nabisco Vegetable Thins)
½ cup diced onion
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup milk
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, then add topping and bake another 15 minutes.

Topping:
1/2 cup catsup
2 Tbsp. mustard
2 tsp. honey

Fruity Curry Chicken Salad

Fruity Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 Golden Delicious apple - peeled, cored and diced
• 1/3 cup seedless red or black grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine the chicken, celery, onion, apple, raisins, grapes, pecans, pepper, curry powder and mayonnaise. Mix all together. Serve! Tastes even better the day after it's made.

Burrito Pie (or Mexican Lasagna)

Burrito Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced (or 1 can large olives chopped in food processor)
• 3 (4 ounce) cans diced green chili peppers
• 2 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 16 ounces shredded Colby cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef until done. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat, if desired. Mix in the olives, green chili peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, cooked brown rice, and taco sauce. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas. On second set of tortillas spread re-fried beans and place face down on first set of tortillas. This creates a double layer of tortillas with re-fried beans sandwiched in between. On top of tortilla layer, spread more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla (and re-fried bean), meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese. (In a 3 quart caserole dish I can only fit in two layers of double tortillas.)
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

This freezes really well!

Kevin's favorite meatloaf

Meatloaf with Fried Onions and Ranch Seasoning

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix
• 1/2 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
• 1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine meat, eggs, ketchup, stuffing mix, ranch dressing mix and fried onions.
3. Shape into loaf and place on broiler pan (so grease can drain).
4. Bake, covered loosely with foil, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until meat is thoroughly cooked.