Friday, June 5, 2009

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of celery soup
1 pkg frozen tater tots

Brown the ground beef and drain the fat. In a large bowl, combine beef and can of soup and fold until beef is covered in soup. Add enough frozen tater tots so that they are all incorporated in the meat/soup mixture. (I usually use a bit more than half the bag) Pour into a 9x13 pan and spread evenly. Cook at the temperature that the bag of tater tots states along with the time. You want the tater tots golden brown. Serve with ketchup on top.

* This was a family favorite growing up. Sometime we like to add cheese on top or mixed through the casserole but it's just as good without it.

From Mom

Sweet-n-Sour Pineapple Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or more tenders
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup oil

Sauce:
1 13.5 oz can pineapple chunks
1 cup sugar
1 TB soy sauce
1/4 tsp ginger
3/4 cup vinegar
1 chicken bouillon cube (I was all out so I used 2 leftover chicken Ramen seasoning packets)
2 TB cornstarch (I usually mix this with a little water to make a paste so it doesn't clump in the sauce.)

DIRECTIONS:
Chicken:
1. Dip chicken in milk and then coat with flour, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat oil and brown chicken on all sides.
3. Place chicken in crock pot or baking dish.

Sauce:
1. Drain pineapple, pour syrup into measuring cup and add water to make 1 1/4 cups.
2. In saucepan, combine all ingredients, cornstarch last (to thicken). Boil for two minutes.
3. Add pineapples.

Both:
1. Pour sauce over chicken.
2. Cook on high in crock pot for 1 hour or cook in oven at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

* I serve this with Teriyaki flavored rice or noddles. Browning the chicken is the most time consuming part of this recipe and other than that, it's super easy! Sometimes I add green and/or red pepper strips to the sauce at the end for some added color, flavor, and nutrients. This has the best sauce out of all the sweet and sour chicken recipes I have tried. I love that the ingredients for this recipe are ones that I usually always have on hand.

From Jill Parsons