Woo hoo the blog is back!

Long time no talk foodies! After a long hiatus from blogging, I have returned in full force *cough* more like baby steps *cough* but HERE I AM! I'M BACK!

As an FYI, all of the posts below this one were recovered from my first blog. As of yesterday, I have consolidated all of the old ones here and am now using Blogger as my super duper awesome (and free) platform. Free = win!

Ask anyone who knows me, and he or she will tell you that I really enjoy food. Like...I enjoy food. I love the preparation, the presentation, the texture, the smells and tastes, all of that good stuff that goes into a meal that you are proud (or maybe not so proud of). When I dine out, I try to decipher all of the different elements that went into making the dish so I can attempt to make it at home in my own kitchen. I can't say that I've ever recreated a dish perfectly, but I've definitely improved on a couple enough that I'll make it my way again!

My break from blogging was largely in part due to the fact that I live on my own. As much as I love being in my kitchen, it is so easy to to come home from work and choose to pop a frozen dinner in the microwave instead of tie my apron on and get to work. Living on my own, I don't have anyone other than myself to cook for and the cats could care less if I make anything or not. Cats are not good motivators people, not one bit.

If anything, Murphy and Jenny inspire me to be lazy and take naps:

Yesterday, I had a bit of a "come to Jesus" talk with myself about getting back into the kitchen. I was trying to remember the last time I had prepared something....ANYTHING for myself and nothing came to mind. I made my grocery list, went to the store on my way home, and tied the apron around my waist and it felt great!

This chili casserole is incredibly fast and easy to make -- perfect for a weeknight when you're home and tired from work. I tweaked a few things to try and make it healthier. "Healthy" and "casserole" are not two words that you typically see in the same sentence but I did my best and I didn't feel like the dish lacked flavor or mouthfeel.

Texas Two-Step Chili Casserole

• 2 Lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 Jar (34oz.) Cookwell Texas Two-Step Chili Mix (I purchased this at H-E-B)
• 1 Bag (16oz.) frozen tater tots
• 2 Cups (8oz.) 2% Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

1.) Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Place tater tots over bottom of baking dish; when oven is hot, place dish in oven until "taters" are slightly crisp.

2.) Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chili mix; bring to a boil and simmer 5-10 minutes.

3.) Pour chili mixture over tater tots and top with shredded cheese.

4.) Bake 10-15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

* I chopped up green onion to put on top of mine. Other topping ideas include: sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo.

 

Besides being incredibly easy to make (and to clean up!), this was flavorful and something to consider serving to picky eaters. Seriously...who doesn't like cheesy-chili and tater tots?!

Happy eating! :) 

P.S. I'm still using the camera on my iphone...bear with me!