Cheesy Chicken, Bacon and Tater Tot Bake

I made this for dinner. There wasn't any left. I was a lot disappointed as I wanted to plunder some for lunch the next day. :( On the bright side - the family loved it. So that's all that matters! My teammate was Chef Buggsy Mate from the deep woods of northern Wisconsin. She was one of my teammates for the Oct 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. The original recipe calls for making this in a crockpot. I decided to change it to do in the oven. I really love how it turned out. It was perfect!

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon and Tater Tot Bake
1 (32 oz) bag tater tots (I added some extra cuz we like our tots!)
1 (3 0z) jar bacon bits (or use real bacon)
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 1/2 cups combined monterey jack AND colby AND cheddar cheese - any combination will work
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 9x13 pan with vegetable spray. Layer 1/2 tater tots on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the jar of bacon bits. Sprinkle 1/3 of the combined cheeses over the bacon and tots. Add all the chicken as the next layer. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Top chicken with another 1/3 of cheese. Sprinkle with another 1/4 of the jar of bacon bits. Top with remainder of tater tots. Top with final 1/3 of cheese. Pour milk over the top. Bake uncovered, for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

BBQ Zucchini

Oh man! Were these ever easy to make! This comes from Peter J in Tasmania, Australia. He was my teammate for the Oct 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. Russell and I loved these. I love my zucchini and like all the different ways it can be cooked.

BBQ Zucchini
1 medium zucchini
1/8 tsp dried dill
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp olive or vegetable oil

Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and then cut into serving pieces around 2 inches. Lightly sprinkle with herbs and pepper. Drizzle oil over top. BBQ in oiled hot skillet over medium temperature for around 4 minutes skin down, 3 minutes face down and a final 3 minutes skin down.
I would expect this would work wonderfully on a real BBQ outside as well.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I made this recipe while we had extended family in town for Nephi's baptism last month. It was part of the Aussie/NZ recipe swap and my teammate was Peter J from Tasmania, Australia. This is one of his creations. I really like how thick the sauce is. I used my fake pineapple in place of the real deal and you really couldn't tell.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
2 chicken breasts, diced
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
pepper and salt

Sauce: Part 1
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup pineapple pieces
1/4 - 1/2 cup bell peppers, finely diced

Sauce: Part 2
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white OR cider vinegar ( I used rice vinegar)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch

In a small saucepan saute onion from Sauce: Part 1 in oil over medium-low heat until soft but not brown. Mix in pineapple and bell peppers and set aside. Rinse the saucepan, add Sauce: Part 2 ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bring to a gentle boil stirring constantly until sauce thickens slightly, remove from heat and stir in Sauce: Part 1 ingredients. This can be done in advance and refrigerated to allow flavors to "marry."
Season chicken with salt/pepper to taste. Cook chicken in oil over medium-high heat until cooked through. Meanwhile, gently warm up the sauce. Mix the chicken in thoroughly. Serve over hot cooked rice.