Shrimp Casserole

By now, you can tell that I am a lover of casseroles.  Anything you can throw in a pan, put in the oven and call it dinner, works for me.

Nothing makes me happier than using shrimp in a recipe.  I absolutely love shrimp...and casseroles.  The number of casseroles or recipes for that matter, that contain seafood are lacking.  Maybe I'm not looking for them or the ones that I do find, don't seem appeasing to the taste buds.  When I found this recipe, it looked too good to pass up. 

It made so much in leftovers that I had something everyday for lunch the following week.  Let me tell you it got better with every passing day.  For those of you who do not enjoy seafood, I'm sure chicken would make a good substitute.

Shrimpy Casserole

Source: pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. shrimp, cleaned, peeled, & deveined
• 16 oz. jar of salsa
• 9 oz. angel hair pasta
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 cup half & half
• 2 eggs
• 1 to 1 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (or Colby Jack mixture).

Directions:

1. Cook pasta and drain.
2. In seperate bowl combine eggs, half & half, yogurt, feta cheese, 1/2 cup Mont. Jack cheese, parsley, basil and oregano.  Mix until well blended.  Set aside.
3. Start layering:  cover the bottom of the pan with pasta (about 1/2), add salsa layer, put half the shrimp over the salsa and top with moneterrey jack cheese.  Then add rest of pasta and the remainder of shrimp. 
4. Cover this with the egg mixture. 
5. Add a final layer of Monterrey Jack cheese.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. 
7. Enjoy!

***Note:  The original recipe called for 1/3 c. fresh parsely.  I never have fresh any spice/herb around, so I guesstimated and came up with about 1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons.  Of course, you can add to taste.  I also didn't have any half and half on hand, so I substituted melted butter mixed with whole milk (4 - 1/2 tsp plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup...of course, I had to do this 1.5 times to get to 1 1/2 C. as the recipe calls for.  I actually think I did 4 tbsp instead of 4 - 1/2 tsp...oops!).  I also didn't have Swiss cheese on hand so I just added more Monterrey Jack cheese and I used shredded cheese not grated.  Use what you have.


Also, if you like spice, you can always add a little red pepper to taste.

Tater Tot Casserole

You would never have caught me making, let alone actually eating this dish a couple of years ago.  I would have claimed it was too busy and I don't eat busy food.  I still don't to some extent.  I also had a big aversion to ground meat unless it was covered in taco seasoning.  Slowly, I've overcome this dislike and will now eat most anything that contains ground beef.  However, I thought I would give this recipe a chance, knowing my husband would love it.  Anything with a meat, a potato or a combination of the two is a-okay in his book. 

This meal is pretty heavy so it didn't take much for me to be full.  My husband also says that it must be served with applesauce (like every other dinner in our house is served with). 

Seriously, my husband won't stop talking about this.  He says it's way better than his mom's tater tot casserole...score one for Rach!

Source: thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Tater Tot Casserole

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, thawed

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons sour cream

1 bag (30 oz.) frozen tater tots (crispy crowns)

1.  In large skillet, cook onion until soft and translucent.  (I actually let mine get a little brown).  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.  Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.  Remove from heat and drain.  Set aside.

2.  In small bowl, combine soup, milk and sour cream.  Whisk until smooth.  Add to meat mixture.

3.  Add corn and 1 cup of shredded cheese to meat and soup mixture.

4.  Grease 9x13 casserole dish and layer bottom with 1/2 of the tater tots.  Cover with meat/soup/cheese/corn mixture above.  Layer the rest of the tater tots (other half of the bag) on top of mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.

**Note: you could make a healthier version by using light or fat free ingredients and also using ground turkey.  I choose to use ground beef because I can't justify buying ground turkey when I have a freezer full of ground beef and other random cow parts in my basement.

Enjoy!