Nacho Bake & Giveaway

Fall is here which means school is in full swing, football season is revving up, and cooler weather is around the corner.

What that means for my cooking is more root vegetables, spicier flavors, heavier food, more soups and stews, and most definitely more slow-cooked meals

Thursdays are cooking/baking days here at Beloved Bayou.  I try to get a jump on breakfasts and suppers, especially during the school year, because it's inevitable that I will be running late, or there will be extra practices, or meetings that put the squeeze on our mealtimes.  But, if I have something ready to go in the freezer, then life is good.

Lentil Soup

Lately I have been preparing food like the Lentil Soup (pictured above) Rustic Italian Chicken, and Nacho Bake (recipe below.)  What do those dishes have in common you ask?  Well, aside from being rather tasty, they were all made with Red Gold tomatoes.

Tinned tomatoes are an absolute staple in our house.  Nearly every time I go to the grocery store, I pick up a couple more cans just so that I can stay ahead of demand,  And on Thursdays?  Fugheddabowdit...  I can go through half a dozen tins before noon.

I've written previously about using good tomatoes in your recipes.  It truly makes a big difference...which is why I may have a whole section of my pantry dedicated to Red Gold tomatoes.

Red Gold Tomatoes wants to help you make life a little easier by sharing slow-cooker recipes as well as giving you the opportunity to win one of two branded Crock-Pots with their "Red Gold 2-a-day Crock-Pot Give-a-way!"  Isn't that kind of them?

All you have to do to enter is go to the Red Gold Facebook page from September 17-October 8 and fill out the form.  That's it.

But wait - there's more!  The kind folks at Red Gold have also given my readers the opportunity to receive a fetching Red Gold apron by entering via the Rafflecopter below.  I will contact the winner via email so please make sure to use a current email address attached to the entry.  The winner will have three days to respond to the email before a new name is drawn.  Good luck!  *The winner has been contacted.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oh, and here's that recipe I promised for Nacho Bake.  It's a fantastically easy, hearty, and quick meal for a weeknight supper.  Aaaaaaaannnnd...it is a super way to use up the broken tortilla chips at the bottom of the bag.

Nacho Bake

1 can Black (or Kidney) Beans, rinsed & drained
1 can Chili
1/2c. Salsa (the chunkier, the better)
1 can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes w/Green Chilies
1-2 c. Tortilla Chips, crushed
1c. Cheese, shredded

Dump the first four ingredients into a casserole dish.
Mix until combined.
Sprinkle over crushed chips and bake uncovered at 350F for about 20 minutes.
Sprinkle cheese over the top and put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve with Mexican rice and a salad and dinner is served!

This is part of FPT & WFMW.

I was sent samples to facilitate my recipes and promotion.  All opinions and tinned tomato obsession are my own.