Some new penny pincher Dinner recipes

Aren't we all looking for ways to keep our grocery bill low and still feed our family hearty meals. Well I have a couple great casserole recipes to share today that will do just that. And are delicious as well. The first one I kind of concocted from a few recipes based on what I happen to have on hand that night. I called it Tater Tot Frittata and if I do say so myself it turned out really good. The second is Cheddar Cheese and chicken casserole, and is a great way to use up leftover chicken and rice.

Tater Tot Frittata

1/2 a bag of Frozen Tater Tots
6 eggs
2 Tbs milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/2 c chopped onions (other veggies would be good too, like chopped peppers, spinach, broccoli)
1/2 c cheddar cheese

Preheat oven according to Tater Tot directions (I think mine said 425). Spray a 9x13 pan w/ oil and place tater tots in a single layer. Bake tater tots until done (about 15 min) following package directions (don't forget to gently turn them so they don't stick).
While tater tots bake, saute the veggies to soften.
In a med. size bowl whisk eggs, milk and seasoning together. Stir in cottage cheese and cooked veggies.
When tater tots are cooked pour egg mixture over tots and then top w/ cheddar cheese. Reduce heat to 375 and bake until eggs are completely set, about 20-30 min.

** I will say that you might beable to make this w/o baking the tots first, but I personally like them browned up a bit first. You could also panfry or deep fry them if you prefer, but I don't like to fry them (less fat that way).

Cheddar Cheese and Chicken Casserole

2 c cut up cooked chicken
2 c cooked rice
1/3 c chopped red bell pepper (any color would be ok, red for interest)
1-4oz can of chopped green chilies (optional)
1/2 c sour cream
1 8 oz pkg of Finely shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350

Combine Chicken, rice, pepper, chilies, sour cream and 1/2 of the cheddar cheese. Place in 1-1/2 qt casserole dish.

Bake uncovered 25-30 min. Top w/ remaining cheese before serving.

**this recipe comes from the back of a package of Borden brand cheddar cheese, go to www.elsie.com for more recipes.