Quarantine Casserole a.k.a Creamy Hamburger & Noodle Bake

Shake up your Stay-At-Home/Safe-At-Home menu with Quarantine Casserole a.k.a. Creamy Noodle Bake! This hearty, cheesy casserole is a family favorite, AND it uses ingredients that are already in your pantry or refrigerator!

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WHY QUARANTINE CASSEROLE A.K.A. CREAMY NOODLE BAKE IS THE BEST FAMILY SUPPER!

• This recipe used ingredients you already have on hand. No special trip to the grocery store!
• We batch cook & freeze ground beef, and we package 1 pound of cooked ground beef in individual freezer bags. We do this each tailgate season for quick appetizers or family meals during the hectic fall season, but during the pandemic having extra preportioned meat ready to go has been important.
• Quarantine Casserole a.k.a. Creamy Noodle Bake makes a BIG casserole! It easily feeds 6-8. Perfect for large families stuck inside during the quarantine, or for a second meal for a family of 2-4.
• From our home to yours: We also like making appetizers like Bourbon Meatballs to snack on during Netflix binges!

THE PLAYERS ON THE FIELD

• 1 pound ground beef
• 45 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
• 1 package of egg noodles
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 16 ounce container of cottage cheese
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• A few shakes of dried, chopped parsely
• 1 tsp minced onion (optional)
• A large casserole dish. My dish below is a 6 quart baker this one – it is DEEP. Usually we use a rectangular casserole dish, but mine are in Quarantine Cooking Rotations right now. 🙂

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PRO TIPS FROM THE PLAYBOOK

• Out of spaghetti sauce? You can substitute a 32 ounce can of tomato sauce instead. In this case, I add the optional dried minced onions and toss in a few pinches of oregano and basil.
• Cheddar cheese is our favorite for this casserole, but mozzarella is a nice swap!

I hope you and your family stays well over the next few weeks!

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SHOP THE QUARANTINED TAILGATE!

Loaded Buffalo Chicken Tater Tots

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Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
• 1 12.5 ounce can coooked chicken
• 1 brick (8oz) cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup Frank’s hot sauce
• 1-2 tbs chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion
• 1/2 cup blue cheese optional for garnish
• Ranch or blue cheese dressing & Frank’s Wing Sauce for a garnish/drizzle
• 2 slices cooked bacon slices chopped

Instructions

 

• Prepare frozen tater tots according to package directions. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Drain chicken and place in a large bowl. Blend in cream cheese with a rubber spatula. Add chicken broth and Frank’s hot sauce.
• Transfer chicken mixture to a small pot, and heat on a medium setting until warmed and smooth. Make sure you stir this continuously so the cream cheese does not scald!
• Spray a pie plate or casserole dish with non-stick spray. Pour tater tots into prepared pan. Remove chicken mixture from the stove and pour equally over the tater tots.
• Sprinkle blue cheese (if desired) and and bacon on top of tater tot mixture. Drizzle ranch or blue cheese salad dressing and Frank’s Wing Sauce over the top of the Loaded Buffalo Chicken Tater Tots.
• Heat in oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with green onions. Serve warm.