The 12 Pots of Christmas, Day 9: A Welcome Home Casserole

Inside: Mom has long known the value of clipping recipes from magazines and actually making them! I’ve dubbed this “a welcome home casserole” because of the history of this hearty dish and my youngest brother and his family’s annual trek home.

Background

Before I even get started, let me say this is not my recipe. It is one of those glorious recipes that grace the pages of women’s magazines and newspapers. For those of us of a certain age, we know the value of such recipes. These food companies have teams of cooks and creators and home economists who know how to take their company’s products and make amazing recipes. And because they want to actually sell their products, they give you their very best recipes. Case in point, this wonderful dish called “Velveeta Nacho Bake” from the folks at Kraft.

A Welcome Home Casserole

So it’s not a complicated story, but Mom spotted this recipe in Women’s Day magazine fourteen years ago. (December 5, 2005, to be exact!) She decided to try it out on my brother Jeremy, his wife Ricci, and their kids Olivia and Silas. The Velveeta Nacho Bake was a hit with them, so much so that when they rolled into town, they made the request that Mom make this easy and tasty recipe for them. Since that debut of the Velveeta Nacho Bake, Jeremy and Ricci have had a few more debuts of their own–namely Cora, Victoria, and Asa! And this wonderful recipe has been a part of their Missouri visit every time they come to town.

I have had my own tradition. I often find myself “dropping by” to see them when they first arrive, and, inevitably, my sister-in-law Ricci will smile and say, “Have you eaten?” That’s how I discovered for myself this amazing dish! And though I have followed a low carb diet in the past, I have gone ahead and given myself permission of have “maybe just a little bit.”

All I can say is “YUM!” Try this dish yourself.

Link to Velveeta Nacho Bake.