Mealtime Monday ~ Hashbrown Casserole

My family loves this yummy dish! We make this instead of the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy at the holidays. This is also a great dish to take to potlucks. It is very quick and easy and so yummy!

Hashbrown Casserole

1 package (24 ounce) frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed (I use the OreIda frozen hashbrown patties)
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup diced onion (optional)
1 container (16 ounce) sour cream
2 packages (8 ounces each) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Thaw shredded potatoes in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Once thawed, add onion, sour cream and one package of shredded cheese. Mix well.
Spread second package of shredded cheese on top of mixture.

Bake for 1 hour at 350° for one hour.


**I've added this recipe to Jen's Tasty Tuesday at Beauty and Bedlam. Check out all the great recipes**

Turkey Time

It's time to start thinking about thawing out the turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner. Here is some info from the USDA Food Safety website...

Refrigerator Thawing

When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator:
Plan ahead: allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below.

Place the turkey in a container to prevent the juices from dripping on other foods.

Refrigerator Thawing TimesWhole turkey:
4 to 12 pounds …… 1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds …… 3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds …… 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds …… 5 to 6 days

A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking. Foods thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking but there may be some loss of quality.

Tuesday's Treat ~ Polka Dots

Polka Dots

1 package fudge brownie mix (21 ounce pkg)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup white chocolate morsels

Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes; remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Yield: 4 dozen

***I linked my recipe to Tasty Tuesday at Beauty & Bedlam...Check out the yummy recipes everyone has sent in and Jen's cute idea for Grateful Rolls for Thanksgiving***

Mealtime Monday ~ Creamy Chicken Casserole

Creamy Chicken Casserole

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10-3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers (or similar)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Combine first 4 ingredients; spoon into a lightly greased 11 x 7 x 1.5 inch baking dish. Combine crushed crackers and butter and sprinkle over chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with a salad or veggies. Yield: 4 servings

Thoughtful Thursday

The Starfish

Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his journal writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up, and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."

Mealtime Monday ~ Dorito Chicken

Dorito Chicken

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup crushed Nacho Cheese Dorito chips
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Combine first 3 ingredients; spread on both sides of chicken. Dredge chicken in crushed chips. Place chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Drizzle with melted butter.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.
Yield: 2 servings
**can easily be increased to make more servings**

This recipe is a favorite at my house ~ very kid-friendly, quick and easy! When Doritos go on BOGO there is a good chance this recipe will be on the menu that week.

Enjoy!

Mealtime Monday ~ Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes

2 pounds ground beef

1 bottle ketchup

1 onion, chopped (omit these if your kids don't like them)

2 tbs mustard

1 tbs vinegar

1 tsp sugar

dash salt & pepper

Cook and drain ground beef. Return meat to skillet and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for approx. 15-20 minutes. Serve on buns with fries and slaw on the side.

I grew up with this recipe and my family loves it...very kid-friendly. Also, it is easy to cut the recipe in half if you do not want to make quite so much or freeze the leftovers for a second meal.

Hope you enjoy it!