Cooking with Erik

Good morning, everybody. It's Erik! Surprise!

I know I haven't posted here before, but my mom says most people in their right minds would think a toddler with his own regular guest segment on a blog is plain creepy. However, she's sleeping in today, and I thought I would take this opportunity to hurdle the baby gate and log on this morning to share a couple of my favorite recipes.

Mom found this recipe in Woman's Day and modified it to my tastes. She uses the tiny noodles, too, which are my favorite. She likes this one because it makes the house smell nice when it's baking. I think it's pretty awesome.

Pizza Casserole

2 cups tiny mac salad noodles
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (can be omitted for picky eaters)
1-2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup
1/2 c shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and reserve.

Meanwhile, heat oil on medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Drain off excess liquid. Stir in Italian seasoning, soup, 1/3 c water, and noodles.

Take off the heat and add half of the cheese. Spoon into 11 x 7-in baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.

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Mom bought me a package of tater tots because I ate lots of them at Dominick's house one night. She was pretty surprised when I told her how yukky they are when she served them at home. She said something about it taking 10 years for her and dad to eat a bag of tots that big. She went on line and found this recipe for me, and I actually liked it. Oh, sure, it's no pizza casserole, but it's better than the crappy, dry tots by themselves.

Beefy Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can tomato soup (I used Campbell's tomato bisque)
1 (4-1/2 oz) jar mushrooms, sliced and drained
2 c (8 oz) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (32 oz) pkg frozen tater tots

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet, cook the beef, peppers, and onions until no pink remains. Drain the fat. Add the tomato soup and mushrooms; heat. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-in baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese and potatoes over the top and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

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Bon appetit!

All my love,

Erik