Southern Chicken Salad

3-4 cups diced cooked chicken or leftover turkey
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

4 green onions, chopped well
2 stalks celery finely diced
1/2 tsp pepper (I add more to taste)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup red grapes, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup cashews (add just barely prior to serving because they absorb moisture and get chewy otherwise.)

Mix all together and let set for flavors to blend. Serve in rolls or croissants. 

SELF NOTES: This is what I made for Courtney's wedding shower delicious. No grapes and no nuts for Trent, but he loves it :)

Chicken Chili (Chicken Taco Soup)

Trent said I can't call this chili because it's not reddish, it's whitish, he said to call it chicken taco soup.  Okay. 
This is VERY good and best part was I threw it together when I was home for lunch yesterday, and the chicken came directly from the freezer so it was easy.  Adapted from a recipe in our local newspaper.  We really liked this.  As usual, it makes enough for dinner and lunch for a couple of days for us.

3-4 frozen chicken breasts (one quart freezer bag full)

3 cans chicken broth

3 cans diced green chiles

2 cans pinto beans or great northern beans

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Boil on high in crock pot all day.  Break chicken up, then stir in:

2 packages cream cheese 
1 cup of sour cream

Stir well to combine, serve with cheese and tortilla chips or crackers.

Tater Tot Casserole

Here's the problem with casseroles, they taste like...casseroles.  They need SEASONING.  My Trent loves casseroles so I doctor them up so I like them too. 

This is very, very good and you do really need the basil, poultry seasoning (you can substitute thyme) and the pepper.  Makes a full 13x9 pan, that's leftover worthy, great for lunches the next day.

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, very finely diced or shredded

1 can green beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 ½ cups milk

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp Cajun seasoning (if you have it, otherwise substitute ½ tsp salt)

1 tsp pepper

Tater tots or leftover cooked hash browns

2 cups shredded cheese, divided

Lightly grease a 13x9 pan.  In a skillet, brown hamburger and onion together until hamburger is done.  While it is browning, in a medium bowl combine 2 cans cream of chicken soup, milk, basil, poultry seasoning,  cajun seasoning, and pepper.  Stir well to combine.

Layer the hamburger/onion mixture into the bottom of the greased 13x9.  Drain the beans and corn and add those on top of the hamburger.  Add half of the cheese.  Pour the soup mixture over it all.  Layer on frozen tater tots or leftover cooked hash browns.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until bubbly and potatoes are nice and browned.  Remove from oven and sprinkle on the remaining cheese and bake just until cheese is melted, five minutes or so.

Breakfast Casserole (Make Ahead Christmas Morning Casserole)

1 lb breakfast link sausage (you can use more if you like)

6 cups cubed bread slices  (I use texas toast style, probably about ½ a loaf))

10 eggs

3 cups milk

¼ cup butter, melted

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 package shredded cheese, 8 oz.  (Cheddar or Colby jack)

Grease a 9x13 pan with butter or shortening.

Brown 1 package of breakfast link sausage, between 1 -2 pounds.  Slice sausage into slices, not too thin, you want about ¾” slices. 

Cut crust off of bread and cut into 1” cubes, you need 6 cups total.

Mix eggs, milk, melted butter (cooled off), dry mustard, salt and pepper together and beat well.  In the greased 9x13 pan, layer half of the bread cubes, then half of the sausage, then half of the cheese, then the remaining bread again, then the remaining sausage then cheese.

Pour egg mixture over the whole casserole, it should fill it.  If you have extra egg mixture, wait until the bread absorbs it and add the rest.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes prior to baking in the morning.  Preheat oven to 350.  Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it’s set.