‘Casserole’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Sweet Potato Egg Casserole

October 13, 2019 · Narrative

Super simple and crazy delicious, this Sweet Potato Egg Casserole is a great way to start your day.

For the past few months, I have been trying to do some big batch cooking on the weekends to set our household up for a slightly easier week. I have been sort of successful. I say “sort of,” because no matter how much prep I do on the weekends, one or both of my children will undoubtedly throw open the refrigerator that is seriously packed to the gills and ask, “do we have anything to eat?” Followed by them closing it, grabbing pretzels, and declaring that we have “NOTHING to eat.”

#reallife

You can make this in about half an hour, including baking time, and you’re rewarded with something that tastes like it’s good for you … because it is. As I described it in a recent Instastory (are you following me?), when you take a bite, you just know you’re doing something good for you body.

Whether you’re following a Paleo lifestyle, doing a round of Whole30, or just want a guilt-free breakfast that is hearty enough to keep you going until lunch time, this is it.

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Recipe: Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole {#NationalTaterTotDay}

February 2, 2019 · Narrative

Tater tots scream old school comfort food to me, and there’s nothing like a Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole to celebrate National Tater Tot Day!

There is a restaurant in town that has an entire section of their menu devoted to Tater Tots. It’s like a little secret peek back into the 70s, and I love everything about it. I don’t go that often, maybe a few times a year, but every time I do, I get a different tater tot selection … slowly working my way through the many different varieties.

I mean, TATER TOTS! What’s not to love? A crispy exterior giving way to a softer potato center, and a reminder of everything that was good about your childhood.

And oddly enough, my kids really don’t like them.

If it wasn’t for the 39 hours of combined labor to deliver both of them, I’d wonder how we could possibly be related.

So … today happens to be National Tater Tot Day! Don’t you just love random, nonsensical holidays that you instantly feel the need to celebrate?

ME TOO.

And so here we are … I made a Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole for dinner tonight to celebrate Nick’s half birthday (16 AND A HALF!), and perhaps I got the best present of all because my kiddos actually ate a dinner I made, which doesn’t happen a lot lately!

The recipe couldn’t be simpler to make, and is delicious tummy-warming food. Is it the healthiest thing in the world? Nope, not a chance. Especially when it was chased by an ice cream cake. But this is one of those once-in-a-blue-moon recipes that you just give yourself permission to enjoy.

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Recipe: One Pan Quinoa Bake

September 28, 2017 · Narrative

Are you on the fence about quinoa? This recipe for a One Pan Quinoa Bake just might change your mind. It worked for my kids.

I probably discovered, and fell in love with, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) some seven or eight years ago. I kind of use it the same way I use cous cous … as an add-in to a stir fry, casserole, salad, or something else along those lines that needs an ingredient to bulk it up a bit. Quinoa doesn’t have a ton of flavor on its own, but it soaks up the flavors of whatever it’s added to really nicely.

My kids, on the other hand, are not exactly fans, so I usually don’t mention it’s in a dish. It’s not like I’m trying to hide it or sneak it in … I just don’t call attention to it, and everyone is happy.

Because, to be honest, quinoa is one of those quiet super foods that is really good for you, so I want my family to be eating it more often, so if I have to add it into a delicious casserole bake with cheese … well, so be it. You can check out some of quinoa’s health benefits right here, but in a nut shell, it’s a grain that is high in protein, has been eaten for thousands of years (starting in South America), has been studied by NASA as a “suitable crop to be grown in outer space,” and 2013 was designated as the “International Year of Quinoa.” I mean, how do you ignore that type of pedigree?

A few months back, the folks at Pereg reached out and offered to send me samples of their quinoa line, so of course I said yes. Their product line has several different flavors, and are all super quick to prepare, and low-maintenance, and I used the roasted garlic version for this dish.

I am a huge fan of one pan meals because between a reasonably busy life and my cooking workshops, the less dishes I have to deal with, the better. I found this recipe from Veggie Balance, and it was on the table in under thirty minutes. Hello weeknight savior! I’m not gonna lie, my kids totally picked out the sweet potatoes and left them on the side of their plate but … hey! They ate quinoa! Small victories! And really with Mexican flavors and melted cheese, I knew it was going to be a winner from the start.

Hungry for more quinoa dishes?
This Asian Quinoa Salad makes for a healthy, delicious lunch.
These granola bars are a unique way to use quinoa and kept me snacking happily for a good week.
And if you’re sad to see summer go, you can hang on just a wee bit longer with this recipe.

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Recipe: Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti

September 15, 2014 · Narrative

A one dish pasta chicken casserole that will warm you up from the inside out. Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti was on the menu last week and was a hit all around.

This recipe made exactly six adults and ten kids happy. And if you’re at all familiar with cooking for anyone other than yourself and their assorted taste buds.

And allergies.

And diets.

And general all ‘round food pickiness.

You know what an amazing feat this is.

That and although we followed the recipe, we snuck in zucchini too.

So, vegetables.

Winning.

I made this last weekend, when a friend and I got together to make a weeks’ worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. This was one of the dinners.

Natch.

We doubled it, put it into disposable tins (all the better for empty sinks), and did everything up to the “bake for twenty minutes” step. So it was the perfect, all-in-one meal to throw into the oven on a busy weeknight.

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Let’s Talk Casseroles {and Country Crock}

April 30, 2013 · Ad-Free

When it comes to casseroles, I love them, but rarely make them. I can’t even put my finger on why. I mean, casseroles are totally one of the top ten comfort foods of childhood, right up there with grilled cheese, tomato soup, and mac and cheese. My mom used to make quite a lot of them when we were kids.

I need to get on that.

It’s kind of a perfect food really. A one-pot dish that you can make ahead. Freeze. Gift to neighbors in need. It’s like a hole-in-one for those that meal plan.

My favorite type of casserole? Ok, well, two favorites. One, any that has tons of cheese. That’s a given. Because cheese is another great comfort food. And my second favorite type of casserole? The breakfast kind. It’s the perfect thing to prep the night before, after you’ve dealt with all the dinner dishes, and a delicious way to wake up on a weekend morning, holiday, special occasion, or just because. I’ve made quite a few breakfast casseroles for brunches, and they make menu planning a breeze.

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