Cheeseburger Casserole and more

I always said I wouldn't do it, but I did.

This morning we adopted a dog. Her name is Zoey and she is a Puggle (part Put, part Beagle). She is about 10-12 months old and an absolute sweetheart! Right now, she is snoozing on the floor, completely worn out after a day of exploring her new house, meeting her human grandparents, brother, and sisters, as well as 2 fur-brothers (2 cats). I think she is going to fit right in!

Anyway, since we were busy with our new fur-baby, I needed an easy dinner. I decided on a new recipe for Cheeseburger Casserole. According to the blog where I found it, the recipe is originally from Bobby Dean's cookbook. Bobby is Paula Dean's son.

The only change I made was that I used a whole 16oz box of rotini. It worked out pretty well. If you don't care for dijon mustard, regular should work just fine. It was quite delicious and earned a 4 out of 5 thumbs up!

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Cheeseburger Casserole

Servings: 9 • Size: about 1 cup • Old Points: 6 • Weight Watchers Points+: 7
Calories: 261 • Fat: 9 g • Protein: 21.5 g • Carb: 21.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 468.5 mg

Ingredients

• 2 cups (6 oz) uncooked rotini pasta (use brown rice pasta for GF)
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 lb lean ground beef (95% lean)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 cups reduced fat grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the beef and cook until browned; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes and mustard. Let the mixture bubble gently until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared dish. Top with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve. Makes about 9 cups.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

I came across this through one of my favorite cooking blogs, Mommy Hates Cooking. It looked like good comfort food. Something simple and a little more bland than I usually make, which after the stomach issues this past weekend would probably be a good thing. Unfortunately, this just didn't work for my family. It was ok, but my kids didn't really like it. I think it was the peas and carrots they didn't like. I probably won't make it again.

Some tips (in case I ever do make it again): season the chicken well or marinate it. I would also add less water, it was a bit wet for me. Maybe a different cream of something soup to add flavor.

Anyway. Here is the original recipe:

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

4 Medium Sized Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

2 Cups Minute Rice (White or Brown)

1 Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies

1 14.5oz Can of Chicken Broth

1 10.5oz Can of Cream of Chicken (or Gluten Free Cream of Chicken)

2 Cups of Water

1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non stick spray. Place chicken on bottom of dish then cover with remaining ingredients, except the cheese, evenly over the chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered. Remove from oven and add cheese then finish baking for 10-15 minutes. If the rice appears to be too dry, add additional water.