Chicken Broccoli Bacon Cheese Casserole

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken, cooked (rotisserie is a great option)

3 cups broccoli florets (can use frozen, thawed)

2 TBS butter

2 tsp. garlic minced

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated and divided

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/3 cup bacon pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prep chicken: if using raw chicken- cut into bite size pieces and cook with seasoning, if using rotisserie- shred/cut into bite size pieces

Prep broccoli: If using fresh broccoli- blanch broccoli in boiling water until it is just starting to become tender, if using frozen broccoli- run under warm water to start to thaw. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then add minced garlic sauté for 30 seconds.

Pour the heavy whipping cream into the pan along with 1 cup of cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. 

Once cheese is melted, add bacon pieces.

In a large mixing bowl mix broccoli, cooked chicken and cheese sauce with bacon. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. 

Sprinkle remaining one cup of cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes

Add additional bacon pieces of garnish if desired and serve. 

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 TBS garlic, minced
1 tsp. onion powder

1 can cream of mushroom
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

32 ounces tater tots

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Cook the beef: in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat, season with salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder. Once cooked through, add cream of mushroom soup, milk, sour cream, crumbled cooked bacon and cheese. 

3. Prepare the Casserole: Add beef mixture to the bottom of the dish, arrange tater tots on top, sprinkle with remaining cheese. 

4. Bake the Casserole: Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and golden brown, 40-45 min. 

Serve with a side of salad, green beans or veggie of your choosing. 

Note from Sarah - made 2/23/22, the kids really liked it - we polished off the whole 9x13 and the kids wanted more. Next time make a veggie side to go with it. 

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
5 medium red potatoes, diced

2 TBS butter

1/4 yellow onion. chopped
salt

pepper

1 TBS garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

3 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half

3/4 cup sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

6 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 green onions, chopped 

Directions:

Dice potatoes and put in a large pot. Boil Approximately 20 min. 

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large frying pan or pot and add chopped onion, salt, pepper and garlic. If adding meat (like ham or kielbasa add in with onions once partly softened) to heat through/sear. 

When onions are soft, add flour and cook for one minute.

Add chicken broth and half and half to the onion mixture. Stir to keep from burning while bringing to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat to let it simmer. 

Once potatoes are done, drain and use a hand mixer to blend the potatoes. Scoop creamy potatoes into soup.  (May need to use a new pot.) Mix in sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. Remove from heat, sprinkle bacon and green onions and serve. Note: soup will continue to thicken as it stands. 

Adapted from here

Bacon Mushroom Honey Dijon Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 tsp. oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 Tbs. oil

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash paprika

8 bacon strips, cut into pieces

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

2 green onions, sliced 

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey, 1-1/2 teaspoons oil and lemon juice. Pour  into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Drain and discard marinade from chicken. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in remaining oil on all sides. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Remove and set aside. 

In the same skillet, add bacon pieces, once slightly cooked, add mushrooms and onion. Cook until bacon is slightly crunchy and mushrooms and onions are tender. Remove and set aside. Add chicken breasts to skillet, top with mushroom and bacon, green onions and cheeses. Cook over low heat, covered for 15-20 minutes until juices run clear.

Serve with veggies and rice. 

Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients:
12 jalapenos
1 8 oz package cream cheese (softened)
2-3 green onions, chopped (just the green part)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (powder is just fine)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
12 slices thin-cut bacon
24 wooden toothpicks, soaked

Directions:
Soak Toothpicks
Add toothpicks to warm water for 20-30 minutes before baking or grilling. (This will prevent them from burning in the oven or on the grill).

Stuff Peppers
Slice each jalapeno in half, lengthwise. Then, using a small spoon, scrape out and discard all seeds and any white membrane. (Seeds and the white membrane is where most of the heat comes from. Be careful not to touch your eyes or face and wash hands thoroughly when done). 
Chop green onions (discard the white part). Then in a medium size mixing bowl put cream cheese, green onions, Parmesan cheese, pepper and garlic. Blend with a hand mixer. Then, use a spoon to fill each pepper-half.

Wrap Peppers

Slice each bacon slice in half then wrap one piece of bacon around each stuffed pepper-half. Slide a toothpick through the bacon and pepper so the bacon is secure.

Continue Here if Baking

To bake in the oven: Heat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Arrange stuffed and wrapped peppers, filling side facing up, onto the baking sheet. Bake until bacon is crispy and glistening and the peppers are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Continue Here if Grilling

To make on the grill: Heat grill to medium-high heat. Place a grill basket, slotted grilling pan or aluminum foil directly on the grill (this helps to prevent the poppers from falling through the grates).

Arrange stuffed and wrapped peppers onto the basket, pan or foil, filling side up and grill until bacon is crispy and glistening and the peppers are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. If, while grilling any poppers become overly charred, move them to a cooler section of the grill.

Notes

Make Ahead: You can assemble the jalapeno poppers up to a day ahead of time – just keep them covered in the fridge. Or, you can fully cook the poppers then place poppers, in one layer, onto a baking sheet and freeze until hard. When you want to serve them, just thaw and heat up in the oven or on the grill.

adapted from here

Peas and Bacon Salad

Ingredients:
1 package frozen peas
bacon
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
iceberg lettuce, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Cook bacon and crumble, set aside.
Mix sour cream and mayonnaise and set aside.
Chop lettuce.
Layer lettuce on bottom, then peas, then sour cream and mayonnaise mixture, then bacon and Parmesan sprinkled over top.
Chill in fridge over night.

delicious turkey, bacon sandwich

Ingredients:
Artesian bread from the bakery
turkey sliced from the deli
lettuce
tomato
bacon slices, cooked
avocado, sliced

Directions:
Layer ingredients inside two pieces of Artesian bread. Toasting bread is optional. Serve with chips, curly fries or soup.

Sausage, Hash brown Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1-2 cups grated cheese

1 ½ cups milk
Bacon, sausage or ham (cooked in frying pan) and cut into bite size pieces

Salt and pepper to taste
Ranch seasoning to taste

1 bag frozen shredded hash browns

Directions:

Make the night before and let sit in fridge over night (if using frozen hash browns). If making the morning of, cook the hash browns slightly before putting in casserole dish.

Spray 9 by 13 pan. In a large bowl mix eggs, most of cheese, cooked meat, milk and salt and pepper and ranch. Stir in hash browns.  Spread into 9 by 13. 

Bake 45 min at 375

The last five minutes of cooking add extra cheese on top, bake until melted.