Roasted Baby Carrots

A quick and easy favorite vegetable side at our house. So good!

Roasted Baby Carrots

2 lbs. baby carrots
2-4 TBSP. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400* F. In a large bowl, combine the carrots and enough olive oil to coat them. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over top and toss to evenly distribute. Place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes, turning the carrots once while cooking about halfway through.

Tater Tot Casserole

It has taken me this long to realize I just don't like vegetables baked into my tater tot casserole, but I do like them plentiful, just on the side. So this recipe is my go-to for a quick, easy and delicious Tater Tot casserole. We especially love it served with Roasted Baby Carrots.

Tater Tot Casserole

4 cups cooked ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 - 2 1/2 lbs. frozen tater tots

Preheat oven 400* F. Place the cooked beef in the bottom of a greased 11x15-inch baking dish. Sprinkle salt & pepper over top as desired. In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream and soup. Spread evenly over top of the seasoned beef. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over top. Place the tater tots evenly over top of the cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of the tater tots. Bake for another 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese. Serves 8-10.

Ham Salad Sandwich Spread

After much searching and several failed recipe attempts, I have finally found the best Ham Salad recipe! The original recipe is here, but I made a few adjustments to suit our taste and what I had on hand in my pantry. This is just so good on bread as a sandwich, on split rolls, or on crackers. My kids are wild for it and so am I.

Ham Salad Sandwich Spread

1 lb. good quality ham, trimmed of fat and diced
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dill pickle relish
2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
1 TBSP. brown sugar
ground black pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine the ham, onion and celery. In short bursts, pulse 25 time or so, stopping to push the sides down once or twice, making sure to mince everything. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, mustard, and brown sugar. Mix well. Add the minced ham mixture and pepper to taste and mix well. Cover and chill until serving.