Baked Potato Chicken Casserole

This week I was determined to cook every night. No more eating out for this family! I went directly to my Recipe Pinterest board and started meal planning again. This is one of the first recipes I added to my list.  It looked like one that would please the entire family. 

Results:  I made a few minor changes to lighten up the recipe from the original. I also omitted the green onions because hubs doesn't like them. Other than that, I followed the directions and this meal was a hit. Hubs said I could make it every week and he wouldn't complain. From him, that is a big compliment and an even bigger thumbs up! Enjoy.

Baked Potato Chicken Casserole

Adapted from First Yum

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1/3 cup bacon bits (or cooked diced bacon)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste 
• serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired 

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 9" casserole dish
2. Spread half of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Top with all of the chicken. Season it with salt and pepper. 
3. On top of the chicken, sprinkle with half the bacon bits and 1/2 cup of the cheese. 
4. On top of the cheese, spread the remainder of the potatoes followed by the bacon bits and another 1/2 cup of cheese.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
5. Pour the chicken stock over the casserole. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. After the hour us up, uncover it and bake for another 30 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of backing, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake until the cheese is completely melted.  

Chicken Noodle Casserole

If you love chicken noodle soup, you will definitely enjoy this recipe.  Of course, like most recipes I find it's easy to make, has very few ingredients and takes little time.  With a newborn at home, I'm really glad I've focused on simple recipes over the years.  I rarely have more than a half hour of hands free time in the evenings to make a meal.  I pinned this recipe a few months ago and recently went to my Pinterest board when planning my weekly meals.  

This is hands down one of the best casseroles I've made. Ever.  I ate two servings for dinner and had it for lunch for the next two days.  I couldn't get enough.  This would be a fabulous meal to make for a friend in need.  Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Casserole 

Courtesy of BookCooking.net

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 ounces egg noodles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers1/2 cup butter

Directions
Poach chicken in a large pot of simmering water. Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it. Drain. Cut chicken into small pieces, and mix with noodles.
In a separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir together cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture. Place in a 2 quart baking dish.
Melt butter in a small saucepan, and remove from heat. Stir in crumbled crackers. Top casserole with the buttery crackers.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.

Chicken and Green Bean Casserole

I'd give this recipe an 8 out of 10.  It took a little more prep time than I prefer but it was worth it.  I like how the recipe uses fresh mushrooms and green beans.  I followed some of the reviews and instead of using cream cheese I used the original Philadelphia cooking creme. This would be a great meal to take a new mom or make for friends coming over for dinner.  Enjoy! 

Chicken and Green Bean Casserole

Courtesy of Kraft Food

What You Need
1 pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 Tbsp.  butter
6 small  boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
1/2 tsp.  black pepper
1/2 lb.  fresh green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 pkg.  (8 oz.) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large  onion, chopped
1/4 cup  flour
1-3/4 cups  fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz.  (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

Make It

PREPARE stuffing as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, melt butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with pepper. Cook 5 min. on each side or until chicken is done (165ºF); transfer to 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

COOK and stir beans, mushrooms and onions in same skillet 6 to 8 min. or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 1 min. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently. Add cream cheese; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until melted. Spoon over chicken; top with stuffing. Cover. Refrigerate up to 24 hours.

HEAT oven to 400ºF. Bake casserole, uncovered, 30 min. or until heated through.

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Are you a fan of buffalo chicken dip?  I will never forget the first time I had it.  It was at a bachelorette party over 3 years ago!  I came home from that party and made it for my then boyfriend and it instantly became a hit in our household.  We always make it when we're having friends over or for football parties.  A month or so ago, I was looking for a chicken casserole recipe to make.  I went to one of my go to sites, Pillsbury to search for recipes.  This one caught my eye and the reviews seemed promising.  The entire meal took less than an hour to make and was scrumptious.  It definitely had a little kick to it but it's definitely a step up from a plain cream of somthing added chicken casserole. I made a few changes below and noted them in blue.  Add this guy to your upcoming menu, it won't disappoint!

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Courtesy of Pillsbury

1/2

cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1

cup water

1

tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1

lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

2

medium stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)

1

can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained

1/2

cup buffalo wing sauce

1/4

cup blue cheese dressing

1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese

1. Cook rice in water 20 minutes as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and celery; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from heat. Open can of tomatoes; cut up tomatoes in can. Stir tomatoes and wing sauce into chicken mixture. We did not cook the celery.  I like a bit of crunch and didn't feel it was necessary.  I'm glad we didn't because it came out just fine.  I also recommend using rotisserie chicken, it will save time. If you do that, all you have to do is cook the rice, then pull the chicken and mix in celery, wing sauce and tomatoes for this step.  
2. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon cooked rice into dish. Spread chicken mixture over rice (do not stir). I added the dressing to this step.  I poured it over the chicken mixture, topped it with a 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese and sent it to the oven.  
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until hot in center (or cheese is bubbling). Drizzle dressing over top.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

A+ dinner.  

Quick (20 minutes). 

 Lots of leftovers. 

 Filling.  

My kind of meal. 

Mexican Chicken

Adapted from Paula Deen 

Ingredients 

1 10 3/4 -ounce can cream of chicken soup 

2 10 3/4 -ounce cans cheddar cheese soup 

1 10-ounce can rotel with green chilies 

1 whole rotisserie chicken shredded 

11 1/2-ounce package flour tortillas 

2 cup shredded mexican cheese blend

1 package of taco seasoning 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the three kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken and the taco seasoning. 

In a greased 13 x 9- inch pan, layer the tortillas and the chicken mixture, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

Tater- Tot Casserole

Recipe Courtesy Craving Comfort 

One thing I've loved since being pregnant is tater tots.  They are one of the many carbs that got me through the first trimester.  As soon as I came across this recipe (on Pinterest), I knew it would be one hubs and I would both enjoy.  The only thing I didn't love about it was there wasn't any veggies.  So I decided to add some corn and peas to it.  Adding the veggies ended up giving it a great texture.  I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much without them. This recipe earned two thumbs up and the great thing is, I have half of all the ingredients left over to make it again next week.  Enjoy!

Tater-Tot Casserole
SERVES 4

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
• 1 16oz package frozen tater tots
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 can of corn
• 1/3 cup of frozen peas 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef. season with salt & pepper.
3. Add chopped onion, cook until tender.
4. In a casserole dish, combine ground beef mixture & cream soup along with frozen peas and canned corn.
5. Top mixture with tater tots and additional salt and pepper. 
6. Bake , uncovered, for 30-40 minutes till bubbly and Tots are golden brown.
7. remove from oven & top with cheese, return to oven until melted.
8. Enjoy!

French Toast Casserole

Recipe from Pillsbury

This casserole is our new Christmas morning tradition. 

 Ah-mazing!

INGREDIENTS

French Toast Bake

1/4

cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted

2

cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

6

LAND O LAKES® Eggs

1/2

cup heavy whipping cream

2

teaspoons ground cinnamon

2

teaspoons vanilla

1

cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Chopped Pecans

1

cup maple syrup

Garnish

Icing from cinnamon rolls

Powdered sugar

1/2

cup maple syrup, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1Heat oven to 375°F. Pour melted butter into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Separate both cans of dough into 16 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into 8 pieces; place pieces over butter in dish.2In medium bowl, beat eggs. Beat in cream, cinnamon and vanilla until well blended; gently pour over roll pieces. Sprinkle with pecans; drizzle with 1 cup syrup.3Bake 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove covers from icing; microwave on Medium (50%) 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle.4Drizzle icing over top; sprinkle with powdered sugar. If desired, spoon syrup from dish over individual servings. Serve with the additional 1/2 cup maple syrup.

Pampered Chef- Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole

If you're still in search of the perfect sweet potato casserole, search no further.  This is one that I shared with all my Pampered Chef customers in my Thanksgiving recipe book. I love it because it takes less than 20 minutes to make and is a family favorite.  The only change I make is adding half of the pecan crumble in the middle of the sweet potato mixture. Just spread half of the sweet potato mixture onto the bottom of a casserole dish.  Then, pour half of the pecan crumble on top of the sweet potatoes.  Top with remaining sweet potato mixture and finish it off with the rest of the pecan crumble mixture (a layered effect).  Last, use the bottom of a glass to press the pecan crumble mixture down.  This will leave you less of a mess when serving.  Enjoy! 

Pecan Crumble Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
5	pounds (2.2 kg) sweet potatoes (4-5 large potatoes)
1/2	cup (125 mL) butter, divided
1	cup (250 mL) coarsely crushed graham crackers
1	cup (250 mL) pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1/2	cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
1	tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2	tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4	tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prick sweet potatoes with fork. Microwave on HIGH 18-20 minutes or until very soft. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, melt 5 tbsp (75 mL) of the butter. Combine melted butter, graham crackers, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; set aside.

Peel sweet potatoes and place in large bowl. Using Mix 'N Masher, mash sweet potatoes with remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) of the butter, salt and black pepper. Spoon sweet potato mixture into Oval Baker; top evenly with pecan mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Yield: 12 servings

Almond Chicken Casserole

Last weekend my mom was in town spending some quality time with me.  We had spend the day out and about on Sunday and I realized I had nothing planned for dinner.  Luckily, we were at Super Target and I have an All Recipes app on my phone.  It took me less than 5 minutes to find this recipe and all of the ingredients I needed for it.  Oh how I love technology! Since the recipe makes TONS, I cut it in half.  It still provided lots of food for hubs and I.  Next time I make it, it will probably be for a get together.  

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 3 cups water
• 5 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 cups cornflakes cereal
• 1 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Combine rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a large bowl stir together the cooked rice, diced chicken, mayonnaise, yogurt, cream of mushroom soup, and chicken broth. Mix in the lemon juice, onion, water chestnuts, 1 cup of sliced almonds, and celery. Season with white pepper and salt. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
4. In a bowl, toss the remaining 1/2 cup sliced almonds and cornflakes cereal with the melted butter. Spread evenly over the casserole.
5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned.