Comforting Chicken Casserole

Tags

casserole, cheesy, chicken, comfort, creamy, crunchy, Dinner, fall, Supper

It is cool outside today. All I want to do is snuggle up with a good book and smell the scents of some comfort food baking in the oven. This chicken casserole is just the recipe for such a day. Originally from my Aunt Gloria, this recipe is special because of its cheesy, crunchy, creamy aspects.

Cheesy from the cup of cheddar cheese.

Crunchy from the celery, water chestnuts, and almonds.

Creamy from the mayo, sour cream, and cream of mushroom soup.

Crunchy ingredients below…

Who can resist these traits? Not me! This is my go to recipe when I have no idea what to fix. I always have these ingredients because they are staples in many recipes. If you dont have the time to cook chicken, just pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery.

Comforting Chicken Casserole

• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese (sometimes I like to use more)
• 1 can water chestnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup almonds, sliced or chopped
• Ritz crackers for topping, crushed

Mix together everything but the crackers.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbly. Top with cracker crumbs and bake until the crumbs are browned.

Finished product…

On my plate….

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Ultimate Nachos

Tags

appetizer, beans, cheesy, Mexican, nachos, salsa

For some reason I have had a craving for nachos the past couple of days. No idea why but I had to indulge. Plus it was a good way to use up some of the ingredients just sitting in the fridge. The trick to keeping the chips crunchy is melting the cheese in the oven. The microwave just turns nachos into a gooey mess… I am glad I indulged my craving!

NACHOS!

• Tortilla chips
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1 can green chilies or jalapenos
• 1 can chili beans
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 6 to 8 ounches of cheddar cheese, shredded
• Sour cream and tomatilla salsa, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef until cooked. Drain and add taco seasoning with the amount of water recommended on the package. Heat through until the water is cooked out. On a cookie sheet spead out a thin layer of tortilla chips. Top with meat, beans, tomato, onion, peppers, and cheese. Bake in oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. Any typical Mexican ingredients can be added, including avocado, olives, or cilantro. I just used what I had on hand.