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Ro*tel Tomatoes - Chicken Spaghetti and Ro*tel Dip

My sweet and hilariously funny blogging buddy, Mub, asked about Ro*tel tomatoes in the comment section under Cornbread Tomatoes. I thought I'd answer her question in a post, since some others might not be familiar with Ro*tel Tomatoes.

Hey, Mub!

Ro*tel Tomates are just canned stewed tomatoes that have been kicked-up with some green chillies. If you can't get Ro*tel tomatoes in the Netherlands, just throw in some canned green chillies or chopped jalapeno peppers with a can of stewed tomatoes.
I'm not sure about the rest of the country (USA), but in the South, we do love us some Ro*tel tomatoes. We actually just call it Ro*tel. As in - "I added a can of Ro*tel, and it was just what that recipe needed!" I doubt there's hardly a pantry in my town without at least one can of Ro*tel. Most of us don't like to cut it that close though, so we keep several cans on hand. We put it in dips, stews, casseroles - whatever we're cookin' that we think needs a little kick! We particularly love to pair Ro*tel tomatoes with Kraft's Velveeta cheese product. Note the word -
product. I honestly don't know all the ingredients in a loaf (yes, loaf!) of Velveeta, I just know it melts like a dream! Two universal (well, at least below the Mason-Dixon Line), all-time favorite uses for Ro*tel tomatoes and Velveeta are Chicken Spaghetti and Ro*tel Dip.
Chicken Spaghetti is one of those dishes that folks will almost argue over. We all have our favorite version, and no one's is as good as our own momma's. So, here is the basic version of Chicken Spaghetti. It's the one most new cooks start out with. Over the years, as our cooking skills increase, we start to fool around with the recipe and really make the dish ours. I have my own version that I just may have to make really soon, since writing this has done thrown a hankerin' on me!

Basic Chicken Spaghetti

Recipes like this account for most of those extra pounds we carry around in our beloved South!

2 pounds chicken breasts
1 large package spaghetti noodles
1 can Ro*tel tomatoes with chilies
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small loaf (1-pound) Velveeta cheese, diced
1 small onion and 1 green pepper, chopped and sautéed with a stick of butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Boil chicken and de-bone.
In the same water, boil spaghetti and drain.
Mix all ingredients together, except cheddar cheese.
Bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Garnish with cheddar cheese and serve.

Ro*tel Dip

Here’s the bona fide recipe for what we simply call - Ro*tel, the official dip of the South. I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked - “Hon, why don’t cha make us a little bowl of Ro*tel?” Any cook down here who can’t pull this dish together on a moment’s notice isn’t considered to be worth their salt! Kids of all ages love this stuff! It’s gotten many a mom through many a teenage party! As long as you can keep the Ro*tel comin’, you’re in good shape!
If you want to “get fancy with it,” throw in a pound of browned, drained hamburger meat or pork sausage.
And please don't limit this dish to dip status alone. It makes a wonderful sauce! Pour this stuff over some baked potatoes or French fries, and your family and friends will love you forever!
For those of you who live locally, Oby's has the best waffle fries with Ro*tel! Dude, my father-in-law, loves these! There's an Oby's in Oxford and Starkville, the two closest college towns. It's my theory that it's the waffle fries with Ro*tel that keeps the college kids rollin' in Oby's doors!

Ro*tel® Famous Queso Dip

(NOTE: I’ve never seen this served with vegetables! I honestly think you'd get laughed out of town!)

Prep Time: 5 min.
Total Time: 10 min.

1 lb. (16 oz.) Velveeta Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into ½” cubes
1 can (10oz.) of RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained

MIX a 10oz. can of RO*TEL with a 16oz. package of Velveeta Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product cut into ½” cubes.

HEAT Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Stir after 3 minutes.

EAT Stir and serve with tortilla chips or assorted cut-up vegetables.

Makes 3 cups or 24 servings, 2 Tbsp. each

More great recipes at Tuesdays at the Table!

Comments

  1. Oh excellent! Thanks =D I think I'm going to stock up on green chilies when I'm in the US this summer. I can't find them here either! I can do the stewed tomatoes with jalepenos though. I bet my husband will like it quite a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Pioneer Woman has a terrific restaurant-style salsa recipe with Rotel, among other ingredients. It makes a lot but none goes to waste in my small household :-)
    http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/01/restaurant-style-salsa/

    ReplyDelete

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