Cheesy Smoked Sausage Potato Casserole

The weather here has been very rainy and cold. The temperatures have finally dropped off and our highs have only been in the 50s the last few days. I am loving the fall weather, but wish I could stay at home, snuggled up with my cat and a good book. I was really craving comfort food. Comfort food, to me, is usually something warm, and with lots of melted cheese. Oh! Add some potatoes in there too! So, as I was browsing around Pinterest looking for some ideas, I came across a recipe that I knew I had everything to make. I took this recipe and adapted it some, to fit my comfort food craving, and voila! 

Enjoy!

Cheesy Smoked Sausage Potato Casserole

3 C. potatoes, boiled and cut into cubes, approx. 1 lb.
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour (I used gluten free flour)
2 C. milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, diced
1/2 C. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb. skinless smoked sausage
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350*. Cut skinless smoked sausage in half, lengthwise, and then slice into 1/2 inch "half moon" cuts. Cook in a frying pan for about 15 minutes, until slightly brown. While the sausage is browning up, put the cooked & diced potatoes in 2 quart casserole. Add the cooked sausage. Mix all remaining ingredients (except shredded cheddar cheese & paprika), with a whisk, in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, melted, and smooth. Stir constantly. Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and meat, stir to combine. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top, and then sprinkle paprika evenly over the top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

*You can substitute: 1/2 lb. hot dogs, sliced into 1/2-inch slices OR 1/2 lb. ham diced into 1/2-inch dices OR 12 oz. can of Spam diced into 1/2-inch dices, instead of the smoked sausage.

Original recipe: Jolean's Cheese Potato and Smoked Sausage Casserole

Amazing Cheesy Bacon Tater Tots

I was needing a cheese and bacon fix. But, I could not decide on what I wanted. Nothing really sounded good. The family was starting to get restless because it was almost supper time. So, I went to scrounging around for ideas. These are AMAZING! YUM!

Cheesy Bacon Tater Tots1 bag frozen tater tots
1 cup sour cream
½ cup ranch dressing
¼ cup milk
1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup real bacon bits or 4-6 slices bacon fried and crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

Bake the tater tots according to the package instructions. While tater tots are baking, mix the sour cream, ranch dressing, and milk until well blended. Once tater tots are done, drizzle the sour cream ranch mixture over the cooked tater tots. Sprinkle the cheese and bacon bits all over the top of the tater tots. Place the tater tots back into the oven until the cheese melts. ENJOY!

Chicken and Green Chili Pasta- Something Comforting For a Rainy Day!

It started raining mid-day today and I was very happy to see it raining and to hear the thunder. I love it when it rains. The only thing that I would have changed, would have been for me to be at home, curled up with my kitty, Oscar, and reading a good book. 

I saw this recipe floating around Pinterest... Isn't that where EVERYONE finds their recipes? It had my attention from the first time I read the name of it and saw a picture. It looked so creamy, and cheesy, and yummy. Tonight when I bought groceries, I decided to get the stuff to try it out. I did modify it so that it would be gluten free. Enjoy!

Chicken and Green Chili Pasta

1 lb. penne pasta
2 chicken thighs, cooked and shredded (2 cups)
1/2 C. chopped onion
2 C. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour (I used gluten free AP flour)
2 C. chicken broth
1 C. sour cream
4 oz. diced green chilies
1 tsp. cumin 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta acoording to package, drain and set aside. Spray 9X13 baking pan or casserole dish. In a mixing bowl, stir together chicken and cheese. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour to make a roux and let bubble for 1 minute. Slowly add in chicken broth and stir constantly. Let bubble and thicken for 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in sour cream, green chilies, and cumin. This does not have a strong cumin flavor. If you like cumin, you could easily add another 1/2 tsp. and if you are really brave, a full teaspoon more. Stir until well combined. In 9×13 baking dish, layer pasta, chicken and cheese mixture, two times. Then pour sauce over top. Do not stir. Bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
Original recipe from: JoyfulMommasKitchen