The Odessa Record -

School starting, community fairs and festivals and a return to routine schedules call for easy to prepare meals, as well as specialty items for bake sales and festival events. Cucumbers, peaches and tomatoes beg for preserving via canning, freezing and drying. Summer temperatures make one hesitant to heat the kitchen for meal preparation in addition to canning and baking.

Odessa resident Merleen Smith experimented with a slow-cooker version of Tater Tot Casserole when family requested this main dish. She layered the browned hamburger, condensed soup and cheese in a slow-cooker. When the mix...