Delicious Reading: Casserole season and 'Plain Chicken'

The last weeks of the fall and spring semester are always crazy. I can remember as a college student that the fun sort of increases exponentially as one final after another is crossed off the to-do list. But the weeks leading up to it were full of late nights and early mornings as I tried to complete projects, write papers and study for tests. It’s not that much different as a college instructor, except that instead of completing one 10-page paper, I have to grade 30 of them, along with 100 outlines from my other classes. Oh, and get grades turned in on time! So, I get up early and stay up late. As laundry and dust bunnies accumulate, I look for something easy to make for supper that isn’t frozen pizza, but that all my children will eat.

Prepping casseroles is a huge time saver during these busy weeks. I can put it together the night before or early in the morning, stow it in the fridge, and then ask my oldest daughter to put it in the oven when I am on my way home from work. These aren’t necessarily healthy, but if you pair them with a side salad, they get the job done.

Our family’s latest favorite came from a blog called “Plain Chicken.” The author sounds a lot like my younger sister, who used to order her cheeseburgers “plain.” Steph, the author of plainchicken.com says she was not an adventurous eater as a child, and is still pretty picky. But, she wanted to keep track of her recipes and share them with friends, so she started a blog that doesn’t have fancy food, but “it is all good.”

Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

• 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 (1-ounce) package Ranch dressing mix
• 1 (3-ounce) bag real bacon pieces (Oscar Meyer)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 pound bag frozen tater tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In a (very) large bowl, mix together chicken, sour cream, soup, Ranch mix, bacon and cheese. Fold in frozen tater tots. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bubbly.