Tater Tot Casserole

2 pounds ground beef
1 packet meatloaf seasoning
1 can cream of celery soup
1 pound Velveeta
1 bag tater tots

Brown beef and stir in meatloaf seasoning mix. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Spread soup over meat. Slice Velveeta and arrange over soup. Top with tater tots. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350.

**This is an old stand-by from back in the day when Joy and I were dating. It is easy to prepare several of these in advance and keep them in the freezer. I actually split the recipe in half when I make it just for us. Great to keep on hand in case someone gets sick or has a baby, etc. You can use any kind of "cream of" soup and it's no big deal if you don't have the meatloaf seasoning either. You can use taco seasoning, or even just plain salt and pepper.

Creamy Chicken & Tortillas by Michelle Duggar

4 c. cooked chicken, diced
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. jar salsa
1 c. sour cream
1 c. cheddar cheese

Combine the soups, salsa and sour cream in a bowl and blend well. Grease the crockpot and make 2-3 layers of chicken, tortillas and sauce. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours. Add the cheese 15 min. before eating.

**This one was fantastic. We like flour tortillas better and will make it with those next time.

Taquito-Enchilada Bake

20 oz. can red enchilada sauce
20 oz. box shredded beef or chicken taquitos
16 oz. can refried beans, heated
1/3 cup diced onion, red or green bell peppers
1 1/2 cup Mexican-blend cheese
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 375. Pour 1/3 of enchilada sauce into 9x13 baking dish. Spread half taquitos over enchilada sauce. Evenly sperad heated refried beans over taquitos. Use 1/3 more enchilada sauce, half onion mixture and half shredded cheese. Top with remaining taquitos and enchilada sauce. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes or until heated through. The last 5 minutes, uncover and top with remaining cheese. Garnish with remaining onion mixture and sour cream.

**Again, I left out the onion and bell peppers. Joy LOVED this one!

Cheeseburger Sandwiches by Ginia Oehlschlager

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 tsp. garlic pepper
8 oz. Velveeta, diced
2 Tbsp. milk
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
Sandwich buns

Cook beef and garlic until brown. Drain. Mix in remaining ingredients and cook on low heat in crock pot until ready. Fill buns.

**I left out the bell pepper and onion. This one was excellent!

Chicken Macaroni Casserole

3 cups chicken, cooked & cubed
2 cups elbow maracroni, uncooked
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 1/2 cups water with 3 tsp. chicken bouillon granules dissolved
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
8 oz. jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
2 oz. jar sliced pimentos, drained
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 cups herb-flavored stuffing mix
1/2 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except stuffing and butter. Transfer to greased 13x9 dish. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Toss stuffing mix with butter and sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 50-55 minutes.

**We are having this one tonight. I left out the water chestnuts, green pepper and pimentos because we don't like them. It only took a few minutes to throw this one together.

A college graduate in the family

My oldest niece, Jessica Kathryn Clifton, has received her Bachelor's Degree from Tulsa University. We celebrated with her as she received her diploma on December. She begins her Master's Degree in January so it is right back to the books!

Christmas Recap

What a whirlwind was this holiday season! Parties galore, time spent with family and friends. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and it always goes by too fast. Here are a few snapshots to commemorate the fun that was had by all!