Pizza Tot Casserole ***

The second I saw this, I knew we needed to try it.  I don't know what it is, but I am absolutely in love with tater tots.  There.  I've said it.  The first step is admitting it, right?  So you throw tater tots in a recipe, and chances are pretty good that I'm going to like it.  I'm like an overgrown kid in that respect.  Except for the regular tater tot casserole with the cream of ___ soups.  Never been a fan of that one.  I'd gladly pick the tots off the top of it, though.  :-)
I really thought I had mushrooms when I bought the ingredients, but I was wrong, unfortunately.  We had just the basic recipe, as is, but it was still great.  The kids and dh all enjoyed it as well.  Next time, I want to use the little mini pepperonis, just to save a little time (like a whole 5 seconds, lol), and I'll make sure to do the mushrooms and add a little more cheese.  Other than that, this one is a winner with us just as it's written.  Thank you, Rachel, for another awesome recipe.  :-)

PIZZA TOT CASSEROLE
(4kowboys ~ Rachel)

1lb. ground beef
1 jar pizza sauce
10-15 slices pepperoni, chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 bag frozen tater tots
*additional toppings optional

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Crumble and brown the ground meat until done, add sauce, pepperoni and heat through. Pour into 13x9 casserole dish. Cover with Mozzarella cheese *(add any other additional toppings you would like such as mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, ham, whatever you like on your pizza!). Top with tator tots covering top. Bake in oven uncovered for 30 minutes or until tots are crispy brown.

Chili Dog Spaghetti ***

I thought this was pretty good.  Nothing fabulous, by any means, but a good, easy weeknight meal.  Oldest ds loved it.  Youngest ds said there was "too much ketchup sauce." lol.  Dh and I both liked it.  I used angel hair pasta and turkey hot dogs, but other than that, I pretty much stuck to the recipe.

CHILI DOG SPAGHETTI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Taste of Home)

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 package (1 pound) hot dogs, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the hot dogs, onion and celery in oil until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Drain spaghetti; toss with hot dog mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Salmon Patties ****

This was the third time I've made this recipe, and just like the other times, we loved it!  I got requests for thirds from my youngest, who is an extremely picky eater, so that's pretty amazing.  I made a few changes this time, though.  This time, I cut back to a sleeve and a half of crackers (I originally used 2 sleeves).  I did cut back the salt to about 1/4 tsp this time.  With the salted crackers, it's really not that necessary.  I also used fat free Saltines instead of regular.  They don't mush up as well as the others, but the flavor stayed the same.   I did have to add back a little of the salmon juice this time, to make them stick better.  They were so yummy, though.  My mom always served salmon patties with fried potatoes growing up, so that's what we have with them too.  It's kind of a comfort factor for me.  :)

SALMON PATTIES
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

2 (15 ½ ounce) cans salmon
1 ½ sleeves saltine crackers
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4-6 tablespoons onions, chopped
oil, for frying

Drain liquid from salmon.
Remove large bones, skin, and dark brown spots from salmon.
Gently break up salmon and set aside.
Crush sleeves of crackers into crumbs, and add to salmon.
Stir in egg, onions, salt, and pepper.
Roll salmon into balls and squash into patties.
Brown in hot oil a few minutes on each side until golden.

* Reserve some liquid from the salmon if the patties are too dry to hold together, add 1-2 teaspoons.

Crockpot Overnight Oatmeal with Maple and Brown Sugar ****

Oh. My. Word.  I am absolutely in love with steel-cut oatmeal!  I tried overnight oats with the old-fashioned oats once, and I ended up with a horrid, clumpy mess.  I was slow to try it again, but I decided to give it one more chance.  I am so very glad I did.  This is delicious!  The texture is a little different than regular, obviously, but it's just wonderful.  I will experiment with other flavors later, but for now, this is my craving.  The best part is that I could just put the leftovers in a tupperware bowl in the fridge.  Three different mornings this week, I took it back out, scooped some in a bowl, microwaved it, added a little milk, and had a hot breakfast with hardly any effort.  So yummy!  I never did get a pic, but I'll try to get one when I make it again next time (probably next week, lol).

CROCKPOT OVERNIGHT OATMEAL WITH MAPLE AND BROWN SUGAR
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

8 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oatmeal (ONLY USE STEEL-CUT)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup

Add all ingredients to 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6-7 hours.  Drizzle each serving with maple syrup if desired.