Copycat Hashbrown Casserole - The Remix

Okay so the first time I made these they were all kinds of jacked up. I did a little research and think that we've come up with the perfect version. I've made this version 3 or 4 times now and it's just fabulous.

Copycat Hashbrown Casserole - The Remix

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

2 lb bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1/4 cup diced onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded colby cheese

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix together the soup, butter, onion, pepper and cheese. Stir in the potatoes until well mixed.

Put the potato mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes and broil before removing to get a nice, golden top. 

Enjoy!

Copycat Hashbrown Casserole

At first, I thought that it wasn't right. That there was something missing, but I went to Cracker Barrel over the weekend and compared notes. I actually think this is pretty close to being the real thing. The only difference is that I think they add butter to their casserole. At least that is what I think I tasted. I would also try turning on the broiler at the end to make the top just a little crispy. I will definitely be making this again and this time adding a little butter!

Copycat Hashbrown Casserole

adapted from Copycat Recipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 45-60 minutes

Servings: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

2 lb bag of frozen shredded hash browns

1/4 cup diced onion

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded colby cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. 

In a stand mixer, put all of the ingredients to the bowl. Mix together using the paddle attachment. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can just do this by hand.

Put the potato mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes and broil before removing to get a nice, golden top. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

I just love casseroles like this. They are so warm and filling on a cold night. It got two thumbs up from everyone - hubby, sister-in-law and my 3 year old (almost 4!) niece. It's pretty easy and quick so it's great for weeknights.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

adapted from multiple recipes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

14 oz package Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing

14 oz can of chicken broth

1 medium onion, diced

celery, optional

Butter

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can reduced fat and/or reduced sodium cream of chicken soup

8 oz container of low fat sour cream

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400.

Prepare the stuffing according to the package for a medium sized turkey (I think this was the middle column using 4 cups of stuffing). The only changes I made was I cut down the amount of onion by half and I didn't use celery since I didn't have any. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into cubes. In a medium bowl, mix together the soup, sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Add a splash of chicken broth. Stir in the chicken. 

Spread the chicken mixture in a 9x13 pan that has been well-coated with cooking spray. Top with the stuffing. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Hash Brown Casserole

This is definitely a family favorite. Every get together, holiday, birthday, etc., I've been asked to make this casserole. I will say that it is also pretty tried and true. I have tried making multiple changes, but it always tastes the best as written.

Photo from MyRecipes

Hash Brown Casserole

adapted from Cooking Light

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 8-12

Ingredients

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

32 oz package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes (little cubes - I think Publix brand tends to work best if you have them)

2 TBS butter

1 can reduced fat and/or reduced sodium cream of chicken soup

8 oz block of Velveeta Light

8 oz carton of reduced fat sour cream

2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine soup, 1 TBS butter and Velveeta in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 6 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring every 2 minutes.

Stir in the sour cream. Stir in the onions, paprika and black pepper. Pour hash browns into cheese mixture and stir well. Spread into a 9x13 dish that has been coated with cooking spray. 

Melt remaining TBS of butter and toss with cornflakes. Sprinkle over the top of the potatoes. Bake for one hour. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Tortellini Bake

Let's just say that my 3 year old niece threw down on this and said "Mommy I really like this!" It's so yummy and cheesy and delicious. Hubby went back for seconds and we almost ate an entire 9x13 pan of this! I had made this recipe once before, but wanted it to be a little saucier than the original. So this version was born.

Chicken Tortellini Bake

adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 45-50 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

19 oz package frozen cheese tortellini

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup

8 oz container of reduced fat sour cream

1 cup chicken stock

3 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

3 green onions finely chopped, white and green parts

2 TBS flour

1 TBS canola oil

2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Toss in the chicken and green onions. Saute until chicken is almost done, 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle on flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, garlic powder, black pepper and 1 cup of cheese. Put the chicken mixture in the bowl and stir to combine. Add the tortellini, toss until well coated. Pour into the prepped 9x13. Top with the remaining cup of cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese beings to get golden brown. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

One of our favorites. I often make this in the fall or winter on a Sunday. Not sure why it's always Sunday, maybe because it's a comfort meal. To me Sunday = comfort meals. It's so warming and filling. Hubby loves this meal! 

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb package rotini pasta

2 cans (6 oz) chunk light tuna in water, drained

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Boil the pasta according to package directions, but take 2 minutes off the cooking time. 

In a large bowl mix together the soups, tuna, cheese, milk, garlic and pepper. Once the pasta is done incorporate it into the soup mixture and coat well. Put the pasta mix in the 9x13 pan and top with breadcrumbs. I usually use enough just to lightly cover the top of the dish. 

Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Turkey Noodle Bake

Okay this was good, but it could definitely be great. Next time I will omit the green peppers because we did not like them in this at all. I added them (they were in the original) because I thought it might be too bland. It was a last minute decision and I should have stuck with my gut which told me to omit them. I also doubled the original recipe so that we could have leftovers. I do need to tinker with it as it has potential, but was a little runny and could be slightly creamier. 

Turkey Noodle Bake

adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

4 cups uncooked egg noodles (I used wide)

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup diced onions

2 TBS chopped green pepper

15 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup 4% small curd cottage cheese

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 TBS sour cream

grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. 

Cook the noodles according to the package directions.

In a large skillet, cook onion until it is slightly translucent and add the turkey and green peppers. Cook until the turkey is no longer pink. Stir in the garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Add the tomato sauce and sugar. Cook on medium-low heat for a few more minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese and sour cream. Add this into the turkey mixture and remove skillet from heat. Add in drained noodles. Mix together.

Put noodle mixture in a 9x13 pan, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cover with foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

I know. It sounds totally bizarre. I saw it in my Food Network magazine back in April and was just as skeptical. Last weekend we spent time with my parents and my mom raved about it! I figured I would add it to the weekly menu and see what all the fuss was about. We are big fans of buffalo chicken and mac & cheese. It was good, but I have to admit that I thought the "buffalo" was a little overwhelming. I think part of the problem might have been that 1. I didn't use pepper jack cheese, just regular monterey jack, since I belated found out that mine was out of date and 2. I didn't use bleu cheese on top as we are not fans. We will definitely be eating it again as hubby gave it two-thumbs up. I'll just remember to use pepper jack next time! 

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

1/2 of a small onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup plus 2 TBS hot sauce (preferably Frank's)

1 TBS all-purpose flour

1 tsp dry mustard

1 1/4 cups fat-free half-and-half

1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese 

1/3 cup light sour cream

1 cup ranch croutons, crushed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 casserole dish.

Melt 2 TBS butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/4 cup hot sauce and simmer until well mixed.

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and spray with cool water. 

In a large bowl, put the cooked macaroni and chicken mixture. Set aside.

Melt 1 TBS butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 2 TBS hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.   

Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and chicken mixture. Stir until it is well mixed and put it in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with crushed croutons.

Bake for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Taco Casserole

This is slightly reminiscent of Mexican Lasagna, but with a twist. For more of a taco taste and less Mexican, try cutting back (or out) the cumin. We both really enjoyed this and I will be making it again! Very easy to put together at the end of a long day.

Taco Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1 package of taco seasoning

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

8 oz can tomato sauce

10 oz can mild Rotel

10 oz can mild enchiladas sauce

Package of par-boiled rice (like Uncle Ben's) or 2 cups cooked rice

6-8 small corn tortillas

Mexican cheese blend

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small skillet, heat the enchiladas sauce over medium-low heat.

Cook turkey until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning, cumin, garlic and onion powders. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, Rotel and rice. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Spray an 8x8 casserole dish. Dip 3 tortillas, one by one, in the enchiladas sauce and place in the bottom of the casserole dish. I actually like to cut mine in half so that they don't overlap. Put about 1 1/2 cups of the meat mixture on the tortillas and top with 1/2 a cup of cheese. Repeat these steps again ending with the meat mixture and cheese. 

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Stuffing

So this is a combination of a couple of recipes and my own culinary genius. Just kidding - I think it's mostly pure luck. It was very yummy and perfect for our rainy night. Next time I will probably go with the low-sodium Stove Top or a different stuffing all together. The regular stuff was kind of salty in my personal opinion. As usual my SIL and hubby loved it! I served this with mashed potatoes, green beans and rolls. 

Slow Cooker Chicken & Stuffing

adapted from multiple recipes

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 sticks of butter 

2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used the 98% fat-free)

1 cup sour cream (I use Daisy Light)

2 boxes of low-sodium Stove Top Chicken stuffing

1 cup water

Directions

Cut up the chicken into large chunks. Put it into the slow cooker with 1/2 stick of butter and salt, paprika, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. 

30-45 minutes before you are ready to eat, add in the cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Prepare the stuffing with a stick of melted butter and 1 cup of water. You want it to be moist, but not soggy or mushy. Put it in on top of the chicken mixture. Cook on high for 30-45 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

As you all know, I ♥ PW (also known as Pioneer Woman). She always has the yummiest recipes that are easy and hubby-friendly. I made a few changes to the original recipe to make it a little more hubby-friendly.

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups dry spaghetti, broken into two inch pieces

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 TBS finely diced green pepper

2 TBS finely diced onion

1 cup chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics)

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook spaghetti in chicken broth and water until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in 8x8 casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly. If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil.

You can also double this for leftovers and put it in a 9x13 casserole pan.

Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

This is a family favorite in our house and I make it monthly. It is so delicious and easy! I have made quite a few changes to the original to fit our preferences, since hubby doesn't eat vegetables. I also use ground turkey since I'm not a big red meat eater. It also cuts back the fat content - not that we are real concerned about that here in the South.

Mexican Lasagna
adapted from MyRecipes.com

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt-free chipotle seasoning blend (I use Mrs. Dash's)
1 (24-oz.) jar mild salsa
1 (15-oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 (10-oz.) can enchilada sauce
5-12 (6-inch) fajita-size flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican four-cheese blend

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350.

Cook ground turkey over medium-high heat until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Toward the end of cooking the turkey add in the garlic, chili powder and Mrs. Dash's. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add in the salsa, kidney beans and enchilada sauce. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

You can use an 8x8 or 9x13 depending on how much "filling" you want between the layers and/or how many you are feeding. I often squeeze all of this into an 8x8 to have less leftovers, but if you want to feed a crowd a 9x13 works too!

Grab your preferred pan and put about a cup of the turkey mixture on the bottom, add about 1/2 a cup of cheese and top with a layer of tortillas. I do not overlap mine and usually cut them in half to cover the cheese. Repeat this process 2-3 more times ending with cheese.

Cover the pan with foil and pop in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 minutes more or until bubbly.