Cowboy Casserole

This is not one of those fancy dishes you bust out for entertaining guests. This is one of those yummy, homemade, pure comfort food casseroles. The kind that kids eat second helpings of. Yes, it does kind of resemble dog food (as noted in "The Cutting Edge of Ordinary"), but we never have leftovers.

COWBOY CASSEROLE
Serves: 6-8
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey (sometimes I substitute 1/2lb. of meat for ground sausage)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (13.5oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbsp. sour cream (I use light sour cream)
1 bag (approx. 30oz.) frozen tater tots

Directions
1 Brown meat, onion and garlic in skillet. Drain and set aside.
2 In a small bowl, combine soup, milk and sour cream. Add to hamburger mixture and stir until combined.
3 Stir in corn and 1 cup cheddar cheese.
4 Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Layer 1/2 of the the tater tots on the bottom, pour hamburger mixture on top, then the rest of the tater tots. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
5 Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown and crisp.

Healthy Cheesy Chicken Rice Bake

Casseroles are always comfort food- and this one is healthy for you! Chicken, Brown Rice, Black Beans, Corn... and NO sour cream, condensed soup or mayo! Put this one on your must try list. Both hubby and LC loved it. The original recipe can be found on Tasty Kitchen.

HEALTHY CHEESY CHICKEN RICE BAKE
Serves: 4-6
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 can (15 oz.) corn
1 can (15oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 can (4oz.) diced green chiles
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus extra for topping)


Directions
1  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Make sure the cheese and yogurt is mixed throughout.
2 Transfer to casserole dish and sprinkle with extra cheese.
3 Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until warmed throughout.

I used instant rice and chicken thighs and it turned out yummy! If you like your food spicy, you can use hot salsa and chiles. Enjoy!

Easy Taco Casserole

I'm a big fan of trying out new recipes on Pinterest. It's been a process of trial and error. I've found some recipes that I've fallen in love with and some ended up in the trashcan and we ate pizza that night. This is one of the good ones- and perfect for busy nights. It's quick, easy and delicious!

The original recipe can be found on Plain Chicken.

EASY TACO CASSEROLE
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 can Ranch Style Beans (undrained)
1 10-12 ounce bag tortilla chips, crushed ( I didn't use the entire bag)
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (undrained)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup
sour cream and salsa for serving

DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat oven to 325. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion and drain.
2 Stir in tomatoes, beans, soup and taco seasoning. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.
3 In a 9x13 casserole dish, put down a layer of crushed tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture and a layer of shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
4 Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and/or salsa, as desired.