grandma's cookbook - Broiled, Herbed Chicken Breasts & Tater-Tot Casserole

With Christmas just around the corner, I have been in the mood for meals which are warm, comforting, and full of healthy ingredients! So, I have been working on preparing meals which are healthy and home-made; not from a box or can and using fresh ingredients. Now, when you think of Tater Tot Casserole, you may not think of healthy or fresh since it tends to be smothered in canned mushroom soup - but not my tater tot casserole! Today I's sharing my recipe with you.

First you need cooked chicken - if you have left overs use this, otherwise place boneless, skinless, thighs or breasts on the broiler pan, add garlic, pink Himalayan salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram and rosemary, then broil them. The end result will be a moist, tasty, flavorful chicken which you will need to cut into bite-size portions.

Next, take fresh or frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots (if frozen, zap in your microwave for a few minutes) and put in a pan you sprayed with olive oil.

Add the chicken.

Top with shredded cheddar, salt and pepper.

Take your tater tots or veggie tots and pre-bake in the oven for 20 minutes. When they are lightly crisp, put on top of your veggies, chicken, and cheese then return to the oven for ten to fifteen more minutes. 

While it bakes, make a salad and get ready for a tasty and healthy tater tot casserole! Enjoy!

If you have any leftover chicken, you could use some of the chicken in a chicken tater-tot casserole - I know, you are thinking, "Wait a minute! I thought you were using fresh foods!!!"

I know most tater-tot recipes use caned cream of mushroom soup and processed cheese, but not me. I used frozen mixed veggies, cut pieces of the broiled, herbed chicken, tater tots and sharp shredded cheddar cheese and bake it for 25 minutes. The result is a tasty, lean veggie and chicken dinner and this is a meal which is so simple to prepare you could have your grandchildren help you assemble it and then serve it to their parents!

So, what about you? How do you prepare boneless, skinless chicken breasts?