Tasty Tuesday! #QuickFixCasserole {Perfect for Back-to-School}

First of all--I have to give a shout out to my dad today!!

HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY DAD!! LOVE YOU!

Okay, now onto the today's Tasty Tuesday! Kids are back to school, after school activities are in full swing, so how in the world do we get dinner on the table? After working all day, the last thing I want to do is spend a long time in the kitchen! I've got a few quick tips that make dinner time a snap!

1. Plan ahead. I make a menu up for the week when I go grocery shopping. This helps our family tremendously. And it saves us lots of time and money, too. Too often we wouldn't take something out of the freezer to thaw which meant we'd hit the take-out menu folder!
2. Prepare in advance. If I am grilling chicken for dinner, I usually throw on a few extras for another meal later in the week or for lunches. Why cook twice? Same thing goes for ground beef--if I'm browning it for one meal, why not for another. It freezes up nicely and is a breeze to thaw and toss into a casserole or for something quick like tacos.
3. Rotisserie chicken is a mom's best friend. You can do so much with these bad boys! I'll share a recipe with you today. Not only can it be dinner the day you pick it up, but you can shred it for later in the week, cube it up and freeze it. The options are endless.
4. There are a ton of recipes that can be put together in 30 minutes or less. I've got Back to School board on Pinterest with a few ideas. You can also check out Country Crock's Pinterest Boards or their website for tasty solutions, too. I'm sharing another one with you today.

Here's a casserole that will get to your table speedy quick thanks to rotisserie chicken!


Chicken & Rice Casserole
(adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2013 issue)

Ingredients
2 Tbls. Country Crock Butter
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
4 Green Onions, sliced
2 cups broccoli, chopped (fresh)
2 cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken (skin removed)
1 cup brown rice (fast-cooking)
1 small tomato, chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream
4 oz dill havarti cheese, diced
1 oz parmesan cheese, shredded
salt & pepper as desired



Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and most of the green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the broccoli, chicken, rice, tomato, salt & pepper to taste; stir to combine.
Whisk the broth and sour cream together and pour into skillet and bring to a simmer. Stir in half of both cheeses. Cover skillet tightly with lid or foil and transfer to oven. Bake until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Turn on the broiler. Uncover the skillet and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses, broil until golden (about 2 minutes). Sprinkle with the reserved green onions. Serve.

Here are a few reasons I enjoy using Country Crock Spread:

• It has 0g trans fat per serving
• It contains no partially hydrogenated oils
• Is has no cholesterol
• It has 70% less fat than butter per serving
• And it has 30% fewer calories than butter per serving

Check out Country Crock's Facebook page for some great recipe ideas and product updates and information.

Do you have any other suggestions on how to get dinner to the table on hectic school nights? If so, please share!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Tasty Tuesday--Easy Breakfast Casserole

It's that time of the week--Tasty Tuesday! I'm sorry if I haven't posted since last Tuesday, but my week was horrible and I decided to spend my free time with my kiddos. Hope you understand. Today, I'm bringing you a recipe I found years ago (with no credit resources anywhere, sorry) but I recently started to make it for my family. It's a winner. And funny that I call it Breakfast Casserole, because as my daughter pointed out the last time we had this, we've never actually had this at breakfast time. This is my standby for Breakfast for Dinner nights (do you have those?--I love them!). What's great about this recipe is that you can really change it up to suit your family, your mood or what you have in the frig--most things work! Serve it along side some fruit and you've got a delicious meal!

{EASY} Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients
1 pkg. refrigerated croissant rolls (I used reduced fat)
1-2 cups shredded cheese (I use about 1 cup, usually a mix of mozzarella or reduced fat co-jack)
1/2 lb. crumbled, cooked bulk sausage
4 eggs
3/4 c. milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare pan (I use a round stone casserole, but I'd suggest an 8x8 or 9x9 dish if you don't have one like mine) with cooking spray (not if you are using stone!).  Combine eggs and milk and whisk together. Set aside. Take croissant rolls out of the package and lay them in the pan, creating a small edge up the sides of the dish. Pinch seals together. Sprinkle sausage over rolls. Sprinkle cheese over sausage. Pour egg mixture evenly over dish. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and eggs are set. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
You could add peppers, onions, bacon, etc. according to the likes of your family.

This would be great for Easter morning because it takes little time to put together--just cook the sausage the night before and then assemble and bake in the morning. Maybe I will serve it for the first time at breakfast on Easter morning!

I'm excited to be going to the Taste of Home Cooking School tonight with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I've been twice in the past and usually pick up a good tip or two as well as some tasty recipes! Have you ever been? Maybe I'll be able to whip something up and share it with you next week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cindy