Easy recipes for cooler temperatures

I think about food all the time, but with this rain and cooler weather the things I want to eat will change. Something tomato-y and cheesy sounds good to me right now and this casserole sounds exactly like what I am looking for.

Ground Beef Casserole

1 pound ground beef

1 (14-1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained

1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups uncooked medium egg noodles

5 green onions, chopped

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Place a large skillet over medium heat and add ground beef. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Add both cans of tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, sugar, Italian seasoning and pepper. Stir to mix and let simmer over low heat while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook egg noodles according to package directions and drain well. In a medium bowl, stir together noodles, green onions, sour cream, and cream cheese. Spoon noodle mixture into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and place cooking spray side down on top of baking dish to cover. Bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes.

This next one will make dinner easy since it’s cooked in a crockpot. I think it would freeze well too. It calls for brown sugar to balance out the heat, but I think I would use way less of it. Chipotle chili pepper is an optional ingredient to make it spicier if you wish. Or if your kids don’t like spicy then it’s easy to change to suit your tastes.

With this recipe you could make tacos, burritos, tostadas, nachos. Or just serve it with rice.

Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken

2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup your favorite salsa

3-4 tbsp brown sugar

14-oz. can diced green chilies

114.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained

1 tbsp chili powder

1-1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp each ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder

1/2 tsp each smoked paprika, dry oregano, pepper

1/2 tsp ground chipotle chili pepper (optional for more heat)

1 tsp liquid smoke Hot sauce to taste

Hot sauce to taste

Rub chicken breasts with oil and place in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the hot sauce. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is tender enough to shred.

Remove chicken to a cutting board, and let rest 5 minutes before shredding (there will be liquid remaining). Return shredded chicken and let cook on low for an additional 20 minutes to absorb some of the liquid/juices. Drain all excess liquid. Taste and add hot sauce to taste if desired.