Beef Noodle Casserole

This casserole is very simple and packed with flavor! I've made it twice now and Dave and I both enjoyed it very much! I found the recipe on a blog called Dining Alone. I've tried a number of recipes from this blog and they never disappoint. Since the recipe is only meant to serve 3 I would probably double it next time to have leftovers for lunch. There wasn't a need to make any modifications, but if I'm being honest...I used quite a bit more than 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese:)


Beef Noodle Casserole

2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 can (8-ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup canned chopped green chilies
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (I used more like 3/4 cup)

Directions
Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, onions, chilies, garlic and salt. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and cream cheese. Drain noodles.

Place 1/2 cup beef mixture in a 1-qt baking dish coated with cooking spray (I used a 1 and 1/2 qt dish and it worked just fine). Layer with half of the noodles, cream cheese mixture and cheese. Spread 1/2 cup beef mixture over cheese; repeat layers. Spoon remaining beef mixture over top. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover for the last 5 minutes to brown cheese on tip. Yield: 3 servings

Yummy Pot Roast in the Crock-Pot

A few nights ago I made a great Pot Roast Recipe in the Crock-Pot. Dave kind of grumbled when he heard that was what we were having for dinner because he said he normally associates pot roast with being dry and bland. One bite of this meal changed his mind very quickly! He loved it and said it was a keeper recipe (I have to agree!). So I'll let his comments vouch for this rather than a picture...pot roast really the most photogenic meal and I don't want to discourage anyone from making this by posting ugly pictures;)

Crock-Pot Pot Roast
2 to 3 lb roast
1 small onion sliced (I used vidalia)
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms w/ juice
1/2 a pack of Lipton dried onion soup mix
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Once meat is done remove from crock-pot. Add cornstarch to a 1/2 cup of water and mix to dissolve. Pour water and cornstarch mixture into the sauce in crock-pot and mix to combine. Turn heat up to high until sauce has thickened. Slice meat and top with sauce.

I made it with mashed potatoes and topped them with sauce too...YUM! We also had a mixture of spinach and broccoli on the side. It was a super easy and tasty weeknight meal!

Tater Tot Casserole

I found this recipe on Cooking Claire's blog a few weeks ago and starred it in my googl reader to make at some point down the line. Well last night was the night! I never had or even heard of Tater Tot Casserole, but having a fond memory of Tater Tots from those wonderful public school lunches growing up, I knew it had to be good!

I was unsure (again) whether or not I was supposed to brown the ground beef first, but after googling other Tater Tot Casserole recipes I noticed that many of them don't brown the beef first--so I didn't either. I also used deli sliced cheddar cheese (as suggested) rather than shredded. All in all it turned out pretty yummy and was very simple to make. Dave said he liked it too even though he had to take it to go since I got a late start cooking (I got sucked into updating my blog:)) and he had to be at work on the film set by 10pm.

Even though this version was good, next time I would brown the beef in a skillet first, just to make it more crumbly and also to drain off the fat (it was a little greasy). I also think I would layer it in the order of beef, soup, cheese, taters rather than what this recipe calls for which is beef, cheese, soup, taters. The beef really didn't get to meld with the mushroom soup because the cheese was reating a barier and I think the flavor would have been better if the soup and the beef had cooked together. But that's just me...and what do I know?:)

Here is the recipe from last night:


Tater Tot Casserole

• 1 lb groung beef
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
• Cheddar cheese--sliced or shredded
• I can cream of mushroom soup
• Frozen Tater Tots

Directions

In an 11x7 pan, crumble or spread ground beef. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder on top of beef. Cover with sliced or shredded cheddar cheese (NOT American cheese...real cheddar). Spread can of cream of mushroom soup over the cheese layer (this can be tricky business if you've used shredded cheese). Top wtih tater tots. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, uncovering for last 30 minutes. Or bake at 375 for one hour, uncovering for last 30 minutes.