Recipe: Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

Welcome to a nostalgic culinary delight that effortlessly combines comfort and nutrition – the Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole! This quick and healthy mid-week recipe is not just a family favorite but a perfect testament to the joy of wholesome, delicious meals. Packed with savory ingredients like succulent ground beef, crispy bacon, gooey cheese, golden tater tots, and a touch of nutrient-rich spinach, this casserole is a delightful symphony of flavors that will leave your taste buds singing.

But the magic doesn't stop there – we've elevated this classic dish by incorporating Greek yogurt for a creamy, tangy twist that adds a wholesome touch. This balanced blend of protein, veggies, and a hint of indulgence makes it an ideal choice for a family dinner that's both satisfying and nourishing. Say goodbye to mid-week meal dilemmas and hello to the joy of preparing a Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole that's bound to bring smiles to your dinner table!

Ingredients

1.5# 85/15 ground beef

3 oz cooked, chopped bacon (Hormel)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (full, reduced-fat, or fat-free)

1 (32 oz) package frozen tater tots

1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cheddar cheese soup

1 (16 oz) container no fat greek yogurt

1 cup frozen spinach

1/2 cup diced onion (frozen or fresh)

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

STEP 2: Cook ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain fat.

STEP 3: In a large bowl, combine cooked beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, tater tots, cheese soup, and sour cream. Mix until thoroughly combined.

STEP 4: Spread mixture into prepared pan.

STEP 5: Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bubbly.

8 servings

519 cal

37g protein

23g carb

24-31g fat (depending on fat content of cheese)

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie, for me, is something I've always wanted to like. It's great in theory: savory, filling, comfort food. Sadly, I've only ever experienced the salty, unsatisfying, terrible variations that are sold in the frozen food section.

Last night my 34-year wait ended.

Please do yourself a favor and make this recipe. It is one of the best things I've ever made or tasted. It was quick, easy, healthy, and all-round amazing.

THIS Paleo Chicken Pot Pie is unreal. The small dish in the background was after Duke looked under the crust and rejected it. So, I ate that one, too.

My only adjustments were that I used the entirety of a roasted chicken (not just chicken breasts) and it was most certainly NOT organic. I also subbed out the almond flour for coconut flour due to my almond allergy. ***If you use the recipe as written, you should get a crust that fully covers the dish.***

FREE TRAINING & delicious Cauli Couscous!

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Cauli Couscous Recipe; taken from Jen Comas-Keck from elitefts.com:

Ingredients: Head of cauliflower 2 - 4 cloves of garlic 1 TBSP olive oil Green onions Purple Onion Red pepper Green pepper Couple Tablespoons of low sodium organic stock - veggie, chicken or beef will work

Seasonings: Dash of sea salt Dash of pepper Dash of cumin Dash of chili pepper I threw in some shredded carrots and jalepenos, too because I'm a fan of the muy caliente.

First, cut the cauli florets off.  Then shove'um in the food processer, a couple quick pulses will do...you don't want to end-up with cauli-mash...

Next, heat up the tablespoon of olive oil and toss in your garlic and onions and get those warmed and carmelizing.  Next, add the other veggie accoutrment to soften them up.

Lastly, add your cauli, along with the stock and seasoning (season to preference).  Let simmer, flip your steaks, cut-up your avocado, a little red wine never did anybody no harm, and alotta made most pretty happy.  All aboard the flavor train. 

Enjoy,

Chef Boyaromo

Black Bean Poop…it’s delicious…

Not only is my wife drop-dead gorgeous (points), but she’s a terrific cook (double points…take notes boys).  One of her specialties, and a meal my taste buds and colon love dearly, is her version of “Black Bean Soup,” which I prefer to call Black Bean Poop…I’m sure you can deduce why.  It’s both nutritious and delicious…I mean it’s so good it almost tastes bad for you…plus it’s an extremely versatile meal, and it’ll last you a long time. The recipe: (serves a bunch, you’ll have leftovers which is awesome)

Food prep:

 -Open 3-4 cans of black beans; a standard can, not the Costco barrels

-A generous couple handfuls of chopped carrots

-1/2 of a white onion, chopped into fairly fine bits

 The cooking:

 In a deep soup pan, begin by sautéing your carrots and onions in olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of pan) until soft.  Once soft, add minced garlic (garlic lovers can be generous), and saute for a bit longer; careful not to burn the garlic.

Next, add 1 tbsp of cumin, a few generous shakes of cayenne (good cooks don’t measure, duh, and I like mine spicy), 3/4 tsp coriander, 32 oz. beef broth and the 3-4 cans of black beans (juice included).  Stir it all up and let simmer for 15-20min.

Stroll to television and witness the Sox continuing to choke away the wildcard…make a u-turn back into the kitchen.

We like to serve our black bean poop on a bed of quinoa.  See quinoa label for cooking instructions. 

After the soup has simmered for about 15-20min, take your hand blender and gently blend until you’ve reached your desired soupy consistency; I like mine chunky.  After blending, add ½ cup of dry sherry, and stir it up.

 Take your quinoa off the stove, mix the two together, and enjoy!

 What’s great is that later in the week your leftovers can be used to make bean burritos; add some fresh slices of avocado and a sprinkling of cheese…and now you’re eatin’ gooood.

The cure for the common case of constipation,

 Sous Chef Chris

An Oatmeal Recipe You'll Thank Me For

An oldie but a goodie. This is a recipe that nearly rivals my addiction to caffeine. It's awesome to make for breakfast or lunch, tastes a-m-a-z-i-n-g, is filling, and easy to take to work and/or on the road. I've been eating this on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis for the past two years. Many of my friends and family members are still making this after I showed it to them over a year ago. Let's get to it:

Crack Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 Cup Steel Cut Oats (preferred) or Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Adjust amount depending on current activity level.
• About 1 Cup Milk (amount depends on how many oats used). If milk isn't your thing, you could use water or *coconut milk.
• 1 scoop Whey Protein Powder
• 1-3 Tbsp Xylitol (a magical plant sugar)
• Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder, about 1-2 Tbsp (measure to consistency...Trader Joe's Dark and Hershey's 100% tastes pretty darn good)
• 1-3 Tbsp All-Natural Peanut Butter (adjust amount depending on activity level/goals)
• ½ Banana, sliced (optional...I don't always put this in).

Directions

Combine everything in a bowl, stirring as you add ingredients. Place in microwave for 2-4 minutes (depending on strength of microwave), stirring about halfway through to ensure thorough heating. You can add Splenda as the sweetener, but I don't think it tastes nearly as good as xylitol (even though it's must cheaper). You may also use Agave Nectar (a low-glycemic sweetener extracted from a plant...found in most grocery stores). If using Agave Nectar as the sweetener, I prefer to add it after nuking. It will take a couple attempts to figure out the proportions you personally like to add to make it taste just right, but once you get it, you'll never go back to pre-packed flavored oatmeal that's nutrient-poor and loaded with sugar.

Notes:

• You can also add some fruit on the side, such as some sliced strawberries or grapefruit
• I prefer to get my steel cut and/or rolled oats from a natural foods store, as you can by loads of em for very cheap. If you don't have access to such a market, then plain Quaker oats are a good second choice.
• If going for fat-loss, go light on the peanut butter (measure it, you'd be surprised at how much you use), and light on the sugar.
• If looking for weight gain/muscle building, you can increase the oats and peanut butter used.
• May also add some eggs on the side if you're really hungry or simply need a higher calorie/protein intake.

Note that it's not the most attractive-looking dish (due to the cocoa powder). Many of the athletes at SAPT have questioned my sanity when catching a glimpse of this on my lunch break. Not to fear, as it literally tastes like a peanut butter brownie! Their loss, not mine.

*A great tip I picked up is to boil the steel cut oats IN the coconut milk. Delicious!