Hot Artichoke Dip

Not too spicy, but a little bit of kick, this dip is delicious!  I got the recipe from a friend at our church recipe swap, and after I heard everyone RAVE about it I had to make it.  You can't go wrong with artichoke dip.

1 14oz can artichoke hearts drained
1 c Parmesan cheese
1/2 c Mozzarella cheese
8oz cream cheese softened (I used 1/3 reduced fat with excellent results)
1/2 c mayo
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
Garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Chop the artichoke hearts and then combine all ingredients.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve with chips or bread.  Mmmmmm!

Quick and Easy Chicken Salad

This recipe is especially great as a snack on wheat crackers, or if you are me you eat it with a piece of fruit and a cold glass of milk and call it lunch! (Although a glass of apple juice is REALLY good too if you are not a milk-aholic like I am.) Nothin' fancy about this one, just mix and go!

12.5 oz can of chicken
1/2 C. of mayo (I use the one with olive oil for less fat)
2 Tbs sweet relish

Drain the chicken then place in a bowl and shred with a fork. Mix in the mayo and sweet relish and enjoy! The sweet relish is not as strong the next day, so according to your taste you may want to add more. Please refrigerate leftovers!

Tater Tot Casserole

We've tried several, and here is my favorite tater tot casserole. I got the recipe from my friend's blog and added the ground beef. Simple. Easy. Tasty.

INGREDIENTS:
1lb ground beef
1 (32-ounce) package frozen tater tots
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (6-ounce) can french fried onions

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Cook, drain, and rinse the ground beef, set aside. Arrange tater tots in the prepared baking dish and spread ground beef over top. In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cheese, and mushroom soup. Pour this mixture over the tater tots. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Sprinkle onions over the top of the casserole and bake for an additional 15 min.

Chicken and Rice

This recipe is super easy, and contains ingredients I usually have on hand, so it's good for those "Wait, I was supposed to make dinner?" nights. And yes, you heard me right, I am posting a recipe with RICE in it, and I love it. My mom reminded me of this one, that I loved growing up, when she came to help out after my second was born.

I've included proportions that feed Curtis and myself, for a bigger family simply double the recipe and prepare in a 9x13 pan.

1 Large chicken breast, defrosted and cut in half
1 cup of rice
2 cups of warm water
1 can of cream of chicken soup
approx 2 teaspoons (or half of a season packet) Italian dressing mix

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix everything except the chicken in a 7x11 casserole pan.
3. Place chicken on top and cover with tinfoil.
4. Bake for 30-45 min, remove tinfoil and bake for an additional 15 min.
5. Let cool, and enjoy!

Pictures to follow