Every Kid Loves #TaterTotCasserole and Campbell's Soup #EasyDinners

I've been blogging here for nearly 12 years, so it's important to me to go back and update old blog posts so you can see how the kids are changing and how my family is changing. This post was written originally on December 3, 2013, and was begging for an update! Enjoy!

I don't know why I thought that when I had kids they would all be the same, or at least very similar. Turns out all five are extremely different, and that goes for their taste in food as well. Here's how they shake out:

• Joel is 12 and will eat anything. His taste in food has changed a lot over the years, and he appreciates food with onions, tomatoes, and any veggie these days. He likes to try new things and likes it spicy quite often. (Now he's 18 and loves everything, but especially healthy things. He cooks for himself often.)
• Michael is 10, and we've always joked that he's our vegetarian. (Now he's 16 and cooks for himself and loves everything.)
• Callie is 8 and can be picky, but has always loved things like broccoli, asparagus and any green veggie! (Now she's 14 and still loves veggies and eats just about everything.)
• Eva is almost 6 and is super picky because she would eat sweets all day if she could. Isn't a cookie/fruit pizza a meal, after all? She will eat green beans all day long if you let her, though! (Now Eva is 12 and loves chocolate milk most of all.)
• Samuel is 4 and will shovel anything in simply because it's fuel for his energy streak that is nonstop. (Now Sam is 10 and still eats anything that isn't nailed down and still has that nonstop energy.)

Mealtime at my house this past summer of 2013. Party of 9 on this particular evening. Yes, we do eat in our swimsuits sometimes!

I like to use a lot of soups in my cooking because they are kid friendly. I use 'cream of' soups to make gravies and sauces. They go great in a slow cooker with some chicken and rice and veggies. And, of course, you have my famous Tater Tot Casserole, which I know how to make 35 ways! I love Campbell's soups because they have so many varieties of cream soups that really help me to make my cooking creative and varied. And the kids eat it, which is significant!

Check out some of these terrific recipes your kids won't be able to refuse ... I'll be trying them right along with you! And you can find fun, quick, and yummy meal ideas for kids at WisestKid.com. This site is a hoot and features The Wisest Kid in the Whole World! If you are cooking-challenged with kids like me, Campbell's Kitchen will inspire you as well!

And here's my basic Tater Tot casserole recipe, which sneaks in veggies if you make it with cream of mushroom soup, or you can make it with chicken instead of beef and try a cream of broccoli or asparagus soup!

P.S. When you're done with this recipe, check out my fun Fully Loaded Tater Tot Casserole recipe here!

TATER TOT CASSEROLE

1 ½ pounds ground beef 1 14.5-ounce can evaporated milk 2 tsp. onion powder 2 10.5-ounce cans cream of chicken soup (or check out other options below, although the cream of broccoli is better with chicken or turkey) 2 tsp. garlic salt 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese 2-pound bag frozen tater babies

1.                   Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

2.                  In a skillet, cook ground beef on medium heat until brown. Drain the fat and put meat back in skillet.

3.                  Mix in onion powder and garlic salt, then put mixture in the bottom of the 9 x 13 pan.

4.                  Dump out the bag of tater babies over the meat and arrange them so the meat is covered.

5.                  In a bowl, mix the evaporated milk and soups. Pour evenly over the top of the tater babies.

6.                  Top with cheese.

7.                  Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.

8.                 Take out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

You can grab The Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook here!

My family now!

January 2, 2020 at Tavernonna Italian Restaurant in the Power & Light District of Downtown
Kansas City