Taco Stuffed Shells

Terrible picture, sorry, but these were SO tasty! I ate these for lunch for two days after we had them for dinner and didn't get sick of them. I was sick of having turkey tacos every week and wanted something different and this was perfect. They were easy to make too.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef ( I used turkey!)
1 package taco seasoning
1 4 once package cream cheese
12 large pasta shells
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 ½ cups tortilla chips (crushed)
3 green onions (chopped)
1 cup sour cream
Step 1: In a fry pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool. While burger is cooking cook the pasta shells, drain and toss well with butter.
Step 2:  Pour salsa in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Step 3: Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with taco sauce.
Step 4: Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Step 5: After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top.  Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream, additional salsa, black olives or whatever you think goes good with tacos!

Pepperoni/Veggie Pizza Rolls

Found this recipe on pinterest and thought it would be perfect for a Packer game meal. Kathryn and Nikki came over to watch the Packer game on Sunday, so I took out some frozen bread and used whatever toppings we had on hand to make these yummy pizza rolls. They were super easy to make and very tasty. The perfect meal for a night when you have other things going on and need a quick, yummy meal.

Ingredients:
Rhodes frozen bread loaves (2)
Dried basil leaves
Garlic Salt
Mozzarella cheese
**Whatever toppings you'd like, I made 2. One peppeoni and one veggie (spinach, black olives, artichokes)

Let the bread loaves thaw out by putting them on a baking sheet spray with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap. Once they have thawed out and started to rise a little, roll them out into a rectangle. Sprinkle with basil leaves and garlic salt, layer on toppings (NO SAUCE) and then roll. Place on a cookie sheet with the seam side down. Bake at 375 for 15 to 25 minutes. Serve with a side of pizza sauce to dip them in.

Spinach and Artichoke wontons

Who needs a chip when you have this chip and dip in one combo. These were the perfect appetizer to bring to my husband's work party. 

Spinach and Artichoke Bites

• 30 wonton wrappers
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 4 ounces marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• dash of salt
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.

Mix cream cheese, spinach, artichokes, shredded cheese, mayo, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.

Line prepared mini-muffin pan with wonton wrappers, lightly pressing into place to form a cup. Using a small spoon, fill each cup with mixture almost to the top.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are browned and crisp and the filling is hot and melty. Top with Parmesan cheese and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Source: As seen on Cooking This and That and Daily Deliciousness.

Mango Quinoa

This was so tasty! This is very refreshing and easy to make. It was my first time making quinoa and I, must say it was pretty easy and tasty. This would be a great summer salad or paired with chicken. I will be making this again for sure.

Mango Quinoa Salad Recipe adapted from Ali Vincent

2 cups cooked quinoa* at room temperature, or chilled 1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 medium mango, peeled and diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 6 green onions, thinly sliced 1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup) 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice kosher salt freshly cracked black pepper

*Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth. I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor, but plain water works great too.

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Chicken potpie

This recipe was very simple and extremely fresh and tasty! I am looking forward to having it again for lunch tomorrow. I added some thyme leaves, which gave it a nice flavor

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup frozen green peas 1/2 cup sliced celery 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1 3/4 cups chicken broth 2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.) 2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside. 3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside. 4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. 5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Granola Bars

Yummy! I never knew how easy it was to make homemade granola bars. It is also much cheaper than buying a six pack of premade granola bars. These pumpkin chocolate chip granola bars have amazing flavor!


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Yield: 10-12 granola barsCook Time: 30-35 minutes
ingredients:
3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don't want them to be under baked. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Chex mix

I have never made my own Chex mix before, but it was really easy. I did it all in the microwave, but think next time I will use the oven to make it easier to coat the pieces with the seasoning. Very easy to do and much cheaper!

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder


1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
2. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.
Oven Directions Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

Crockpot Mac And cheese

Yummy crockpot Mac and cheese. I found this on pinterest. It isn't a true crockpot set it and forget it receipe. You have to keep an eye on it for curdling. It was tasty nonetheless.

1 1/2 cups milk
One 12 oz can evaporated milk (I used skim, evaporated milk keeps the egg and milk from curdling)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled to room temp
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend, recipe calls for Italian fontina cheese)
1/2 pound elbow macaroni or mini penne tubes, par cooked and drained (this means cook them for about five minutes until tender but not completely cooked)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Spray the inside of your slow-cooker with cooking spray or grease it with olive oil. Combine milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt in slow-cooker and whisk until until smooth (or you can use an immersion blender to do the whisking for you).

Add the shredded cheese (not the Parmesan) and macaroni, sprinkle with black pepper (and whatever other spices you want to use). Stir gently with a spatula to coat evenly.


Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to LOW and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until custard is set in the center and the pasta is tender. The macaroni and cheese may sit in the cooker on the KEEP WARM setting for 30 minutes before serving. Before dishing it up, I sautéed some bread crumbs with olive oil and sprinkled them over the top to make it a little fancier.

Crescent roll calzone

These were fast and easy. They were pretty tasty too. You can't fit much in them, so I don't know that you could put much more than sauce, pepperoni, and cheese. Basic, easy meal.

1 Can refrigerated crescent rolls
Pepperoni
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 C jarred pizza sauce, plus more for dipping
Garlic Powder
Dried Oregano
Dried Basil
Heat oven to 375°F. Grease or spray cookie sheet.
On cookie sheet, unroll dough and separate into 4 rectangles; press each into 7×4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce on. Place four slices of pepperoni on top of sauce. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over sauce and pepperoni. Fold dough over filling; firmly press edges with fork to seal. Sprinkle the top of each calzone with garlic powder, dried oregano, and dried basil.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

I have been cooking, I swear, I just haven't had time to blog about it and/or take pictures. I have been making a lot of homemade baby food, which I am sure nobody wants to try and make on their own, plus it just requires steaming the food and pureeing it. We had this soup tonight for dinner and it was very tasty. It was the perfect weeknight dinner because it didn't require a lot of prep. We put the chicken in the crockpot the night before so we didn't have to wait four hours for it to cook. Can't wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half (I used fat-free half and half)
1 cup grated carrots (I diced mine)
1 cup diced celery

Directions:

Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken and rice (along with seasoning packet) in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Take out chicken and shred with two forks and then add back into slow cooker. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and flour. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir cream mixture into slow cooker and then let cook on low for 15 more minutes.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I love the weekends! I am so much more productive and have way more time to cook. We used the last of the tomatoes from our garden to make this soup. I can't wait to eat it tomorrow for dinner. We were able to freeze a bunch too!

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients:
3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, halved with seeds scooped out
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1½ tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. butter
2 cups chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes
2 cups fresh basil leaves, torn
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Combine the tomato halves, ¼ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss well to combine. Spread the tomato halves out on a large baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes.
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the butter and heat until the butter is melted. Add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly soften, about 7-10 minutes. Add in the canned tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, 40 minutes.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, you can use a blender or food processor. If you do, be sure to vent the steam and be very careful not to spill the hot liquid!)
Printed from Annie’s Eats
Published by Google Docs–Report Abuse–Updated automatically every 5 minutes

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Carmel buttercream frosting

We have cooking club tonight and our theme is Fall. I was in charge of a dessert. I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it! Delicious! I also got to try out my new cupcake tips for the frosting, although I need some more practice. :)

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add dry ingredients, and mix on low until smooth. Fold in pumpkin puree.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Makes ~ 18 cupcakes.

Source: Adapted from MarthaStewart.com.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups powdered sugar
In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel. Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes). Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration. If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny. If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Pat made this for dinner last night and I must say, it was delicious! It was very cheesy, but I love me some cheese, so I had no complaints.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Skinnytaste.com

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 lasagna • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts

Calories: 291.0 • Fat: 13.7 g • Protein: 19.6 g • Carb: 21.0 g • Fiber: 2.7 g

Sodium: 358.3 mg  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups marinara sauce (We made our own from our garden tomatoes)
• 3 cups cooked roasted spaghetti squash
• 1 cup part skim ricotta
• 8 tsp parmesan cheese
• 6 oz part skim shredded mozzarella 

Directions:

See instructions on how to roasted spaghetti squash here.

Preheat oven to 375°.

In four individual 5 x 7-inch oven safe baking dishes, ladle 1/4 cup quick marinara sauce on the bottom of each dish. Top each with 3/4 cup of cooked spaghetti squash and spread evenly. Top each with 1/4 cup ricotta.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese and .75 oz mozzarella on each.  Add the remaining sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese.  

Cover with foil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges begin to bubble; uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies YUM!

As soon as I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats, I knew I had to try it. I saw it on Friday and got the ingredients on Saturday and finally got around to making them today. Let's just say that these won't last long in our house. They are SO GOOD!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

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Yield: about 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

3¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

¾ cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

Dash of allspice

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the pumpkin puree.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend.  Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball.  Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart.  Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly.  Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through.  Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Store in an airtight container.

BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

What to do with leftover rotesserie chicken from the Taquitos? How about making some enchiladas, not just any enchiladas, BBQ chicken enchiladas. These were very, very tasty. The picture is blurry, so I left it out. Give these a try, they are very good!

BBQ Chicken Enchiladas
makes 8 enchiladas
8 large whole wheat tortillas (my favorite are La Tortilla Factory!)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
28 ounce can red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (or more depending on your tastebuds)
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1 tablespoon BBQ seasoning
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
Preheat oven to 375.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on low-medium. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt, and let caramelize until soft and golden – about 10 minutes. While onions are cooking, dump enchilada sauce into a bowl and whisk in your favorite BBQ sauce until combined.
Add shredded chicken to onions with BBQ seasoning and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Pour in about a half of a cup of enchilada/BBQ sauce mixture, and add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup colby cheese. Stir until mixture comes together and turn off heat.
Pour a drizzle of enchilada/BBQ sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Take each tortilla and fill it with 1/2 + of chicken mixture. Roll each up and set it in the baking dish. Dump remaining enchilada/BBQ sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Roasted Tomato PIzza

Once again, I have no picture, sorry! We have a ton of cherry tomatoes popping up in our garden and we keep coming up with recipes to use them in. We had a flatbread pizza crust, added some roasted cherry tomatoes, cheese, basil, artichokes and we were set. It was delicious!

Ingredients- Food Network

• 4 pints cherry tomatoes
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 20 fresh basil leaves, chopped or julienned
• Sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the tomatoes lightly with olive oil on a sheet pan. Spread them out into one layer and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Transfer the tomatoes to a serving platter and sprinkle with basil leaves and sea salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Grilled Smore Bananas...Yum!

Who needs graham crackers when you can have bananas? Who needs a campfire when you can use your grill? Pat made these delicious grilled smores bananas and I think I might be a convert from the traditional smores now.

Grilled Banana Smores
Banana sliced open on the top only (not peeled)
      Take the banana out of the peel and cut it into half inch chunks and put it back into the peel.Put the following on top of the banana in the peel:
small marshmallows
chocolate chips
peanut butter chips

Grill for about ten minutes or until everything is melted, pull the peel back, and ENJOY!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These were very tasty! Paired with some homemade guacamole and salsa and you are set. I think the tortillas I used were a little large, but they were delicious, so delicious in fact, that I forgot to take a photo of them, oops! 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Our Best Bites
1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.


Then roll it up as tight as you can.


Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.


Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Cooking Club: BBQ Night

My friends and I started a cooking club to help us all get together, despite our crazy schedules, once a month and enjoy some good food.  We are always trying to get together and it seems so hard, so we figured this would be a great way for use to get together and help build our recipe boxes. We decided we'd meet once a month and have a theme. Our first theme was BBQ Grill out, things you'd bring to a BBQ. We had some delicious food and a yummy drink. The pictures and recipes are below. Next month we are meeting at a park and having a Picnic Theme!

 

Grapefruit Sparklers

Food Network

Directions

For each drink, stir 3 ounces grapefruit juice, 2 ounces each cranberry juice and gin, and a splash each of Campari and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Strain into an ice-filled glass rimmed with salt. Top with seltzer; garnish with lime.

 

Cowboy Caviar

All Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup Italian salad dressing
• 3/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Mix beans, peas, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers in a large bowl. Season with garlic salt. Add dressing and cilantro; toss to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until ready to serve.

 

Feta-Watermelon Tabbouleh

Rachel Ray

65 65

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick-cooking (fine) bulgur wheat
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 7 tbsp. EVOO
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 8 oz. peeled watermelon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 5 oz. english cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Place the bulgur in a medium bowl. Add enough very hot water to cover. Let soak, covered, for 30 minutes; drain. Repeat. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the EVOO. Toss the dressing with the bulgur. Add the parsley, watermelon, feta, cucumber, onion and dill; season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

For crust:

2 cups flour

2/3 cup shortening

5-7 Table Spoons of cold water

Mix flour and shortening together. Add cold water. This is my Grandmother's recipe so the mesurements are a rough guess. You will need to add flour, water or shortening as necessary. Split the ball in half. Roll out one half for the pie crust. The second half is for the top.

Pie filling:

4 Cups rhubarb cut into small pieces

1 cup strawberries

1 2/3 Cup sugar

1/3 cup flour + dash of salt

Mix Rhubarb and sugar. Blend well. Add Flour and salt. Blend well. Let set for 15 mins. Add strawberries. Add two pats of butter on top of filling and below the crust.

400 degress for 50 mins. Prior to putting in the oven, sprinkle water on top of the crust. Can srpinkle some sugar

Black Bean Burger with Cilantro Lime Corn

I like black bean burgers, but usually just eat the frozen patties; however, when I saw this recipe, I had to give it a try. I am so happy I did, you wouldn't even know it was a black bean burger, it had SO much flavor! It was delicious, especially topped with Costco's Mango Salsa. I also made cilantro lime corn, yummy! I found the black bean burger recipe on Annie's Eats site and the Cilantro Lime Corn recipe from the Food Network. We plan to use the leftovers tonight to make a yummy burrito bowl, stay tuned! :)

 

Black Bean Burgers
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Yield: 6 burgers
Ingredients:
¾ cup panko
3 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 large eggs
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 shallot, minced

Directions:
Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Combine the panko with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and mix with a fork to blend.  Add the mixture to the skillet and toast the panko, stirring frequently, until light golden brown.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place 2½ cups of the beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until mostly smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, 1 tablespoon of the oil, cumin, salt and cayenne.  Whisk to blend.  Add the egg mixture, toasted panko, the remaining ½ cup beans, bell pepper, cilantro and shallot to the bowl with the mashed beans.  Stir together until evenly combined.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, about ½ cup each.  Lightly pack into 1-inch thick patties.  (At this point the patties can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.)  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Carefully lay half of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, about 8-10 minutes total.  Transfer the cooked burgers to a plate, tent with foil, and repeat with the remaining oil and bean patties.  Serve warm.

Source: slightly adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

 Cilantro Lime Corn

Ingredients

• 6 ears corn, shucked
• Cilantro Lime Butter, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat each ear of corn in 2 tablespoons of the cilantro lime butter and wrap individually in foil. Roast until hot and steaming, about 25 minutes. Serve with extra butter on the side.

Cilantro Lime Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put the butter in a mixing bowl and, using a rubber spatula, mix in the cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, salt and cayenne. Use immediately or refrigerate.

Yield: 3/4 cup

Pineapple Chicken Salad

I made this yummy pineapple chicken salad for lunch today, it was very tasty. I look forward to lunch tomorrow now! I also added crasins and extra pineapples.

Pineapple Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups cooked chicken breast
½ cup matchstick cut carrots
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup finely chopped green onions
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 8-oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Serve on rolls or in pita pockets with romaine lettuce.
Source: adapted from Good Eats ‘n Sweet Treats, originally from Cooking Light

S'mores on a stick

My coworker was telling me how her friend made these and she was making them for the fourth of July. I thought it was a cute idea and couldn't wait to make them. Our friend invited us over for a BBQ for the fourth and I decided to make them with a twist. In my family, our s'mores consist of Graham crackers, marshmallow, and a Reese peanut butter cup, so I had to bring peanut butter into the mix.

S'mores on a Stick with a twist of peanut butter or mint
1 bag of large marshmallows
1 bag of chocolate chips
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 pack of graham crackers
1 cup peanut butter chips (or Andes mint chips)
1pkg. Lollipop sticks

Directions:
Put the marshmallows on a stick to start. Then, crush the Graham crackers. I put mine in our mini food processor to make it easier and faster. Then, I put the crushed Graham crackers in two different bowls. I put the peanut butter chips into the food processor and finely chopped them. I did the same with the Andes mint chips. I added the chopped peanut butter chips into one of the Graham crackers bowl and the Ande mint chips into the other. I them used a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips with the vegetable oil (to help thin the chocolate out) and dipped the marshmallows in the chocolate until covered, then rolled them into one of the Graham cracker crumbs. Let harden and cool before serving.

Beets, Chicken Sausage, with Beet Greens

We had a delicious lunch today! We went to the Golden Valley Farmer's Market and picked up some fresh beets. Yum! We made a yummy beet chicken dish. Healthy, tasty, and light! We even cooked the greens from the beets, they were actually pretty tasty, earthy, but good and good for you.
We sauted the beet greens in a pan with a little olive oil, garlic, and onions until wilted. While the greens were cooking, we baked the sliced beets in the oven for about 30 minutes. We cooked the chicken sausage (stuffed with artichoke, mozzarella cheese, and basil) and cut it up. Tossed it all together and YUM!

Sparkling Cranberry Punch

We made this punch for the baptism and it was REALLY good! It didn't seem as sugary as normal punch, even though I am sure it had plenty of sugar in it. It would even be good with a little alcohol added to it. :) Even the adults were drinking this, not just the kids. Once again, I forgot to take a picture of the punch in the cute punch stand that my mom let me borrow. Next time! :)

SPARKLING CRANBERRY PUNCH 

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,183,157163-248193,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

2 qt. cranberry juice cocktail (cran-apple, cran-raspberry, whichever)
1 (12 oz.) frozen orange juice, thawed
1 (12 oz.) frozen pink lemonade, thawed
1 qt. ginger ale or sparkling water

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a bowl; stir in ginger ale or sparkling water when ready to serve. Pour over ice.

Makes 25 servings.

Baptism Egg Bake

Isabelle's baptism went really well and the food turned out perfectly! My coworker gave me her recipe for an egg bake, which was great, but I of course, wanted to try to add my own personal touch on it and added some more spices, it was very tasty! There is only one piece left and I made a large pan, so I'll see if I remember to take a picture and add it to this post before I eat it!

Julie's Egg Bake with Tiffany's Twist

~serves 8-10

Ingredients:

    -8 slices of bread, diced

    -1 pound Jimmy Dean sausage, brown and broken up

    -2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I used sharp cheddar)

    -1 small can slice mushrooms, drained (I diced them up)

    -1 dozen eggs

    *-1 can cream of mushroom soup

    *-1 cup milk

    *-1 tsp. yellow mustard

Spices I added:

1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

(you could use garlic salt and skip the kosher salt and garlic powder if you'd like too, it tastes just as good)

Beat eggs until foamy, add soup mixture (*) and mushrooms.  Layer bread, sausage and cheese in 9x13 pan. Pour egg mixture over. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake @350 for 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 min.

Mint Oreo Ice Cream

Amazing homemade ice cream!! The picture looks terrible, but the taste is to die for. Isabelle and I made this for daddy for Father's Day. His favorite blizzard at DQ is mint oreo, so we tried to recreate it for him. I think we have to go get more ingredients today, so I think he enjoyed it! :)

 

Mint Oreo Ice Cream

From food.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarsely chopped Oreo cookies
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream or 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Directions

1. Place cookies in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
2. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes; whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 more minute.
3. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.
4. Add the peppermint extract and blend again.
5. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.
6. While the ice cream is somewhat loose but on it's way to being frozen, add the chopped cookies and continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.
7. At this point, I transfer the ice cream to a plastic container and put it in the freezer to harden (ripen) completely.

Peanut Butter Cup and Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

This was tasty, but OH SO SWEET! I have a major sweet tooth and still thought this was maybe a little too sweet and rich for my liking. We'll be trying a new recipe for homemade ice cream soon, Mint Oreo, stay tuned!

peanut butter cup and fudge swirl ice cream

Makes about 1.5 quarts

1 ¼ cups whole milk

1 ¼ cups heavy cream
1.5 cups creamy peanut butter, jif works great
3/4 cup sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla
jar of your favorite hot fudge, I love whole foods dark chocolate sauce

as many chopped peanut butter cups as you can handle, we used 10 double cup packages

In a saucepan simmer milk, cream, peanut butter, and 3/4 cup sugar over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and cool mixture to room temperature. Freeze mixture in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

As soon as ice cream is finished in machine and at soft serve stage stir in peanut butter cups then fudge.we used a whole small jar. Just dump a bunch onto top of ice cream and then slowly stir in. if you stir too much it won’t swirl. If ice cream gets too soft to do this, just freeze for a while before you stir it in.

Freeze ice cream, covered with plastic wrap, until hard.

French Toast Strata

I have been slacking on my blogging duties, for good reason though, our little girl finally arrived! I have been cooking, but just haven't found the time to post and take pictures along the way. I'll post a few recipes this week, but they might not all have pictures, as we ate them before I could get a picture! I have been testing out recipes for Isabelle's baptism and found this delicious recipe for French Toast, yum! It was a hit and I will for surely be making it for her baptism next weekend!

 

French Toast Strata with Berry Sauce
1 1/2 Loaves French Bread
18 eggs
1 cup Milk (eyeball it)
1 cup Maple Syrup
A splash of Vanilla
A dash of Cinnamon or nutmeg. Whatever suits you.
1 pkg Cream Cheese
Fresh and/or thawed Frozen Berries of your choice

Mix together eggs, milk, syrup, vanilla & spices

Cut the French bread into medium sized cubes, use 1/2 of them to layer the bottom of a large casserole dish**. Slice the cream cheese into cubes and arrange on top of the layer of bread. Use the remaining bread to form another layer on top of the cream cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes until they are thoroughly covered. Use the back of a wooden spoon (or just go ahead and use your hands!) to gently press the bread down into the pan and egg mixture until it is all covered and gooey.

Cover and let it sit for a couple of hours, or even better, overnight.

Sprinkle your berries with a little sugar. If they are fresh, smash them up just a bit to release some juices. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve the strata.

Bake the strata at 350 for 45 minutes. Check center for doneness. It should be firm, like French Toast. Not runny.

Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding

This baby needs to get here already, I am finding myself nesting in the form of cooking and baking. The house isn't as clean or as organized as I would like it, but truthfully, I don't have the energy to clean it. As soon as I start cleaning, my back starts to hurt and I need a nap, I am truly a toddler! I have been nesting at school getting everything ready for my substitute and worrying about things like food at home. I have started to make meals and freeze them so in the midst of baby craziness and trying to catch up on sleep once she has come, we can still have a home cooked meal without the work of having to make it. However, today I ran into a problem. As I was handing out snack for my Kindergartners, I saw a recipe on the box of Nilla Wafers and couldn't stop thinking about it and had to have it TONIGHT! I am glad that I made it, it was delicious! It was actually super easy too!

 

What You Need

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/3 cup  flour

Dash salt

3   eggs, separated

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp.  vanilla

45 NILLA Wafers, divided

5   bananas, sliced

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.
MIX 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water 10 to 12 min. or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
RESERVE 12 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard onto bottom of 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Cover with layers of 1/3 each of the remaining wafers, bananas and remaining custard. Repeat layers 2 times.
BEAT egg whites on high speed of mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over custard, sealing well to edge of dish.
BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Top with reserved wafers just before serving.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

How to Prepare Without a Double Boiler

A double boiler helps to keep custards, such as the pudding filling for this recipe, smooth. If you don't have a double boiler, you can make your own by placing a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on top of the stove. Be sure to use a bowl that fits snugly over the pan. Most importantly, do not allow the simmering water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Use pot holders when removing the bowl of cooked custard from the saucepan as it will be very hot.

Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese

My husband found this recipe and we thought we'd give it a try. Lately, my cravings have led me to Noodles for their Mac and Cheese, so we thought we'd give this recipe a try at home and see if it would satisfy my craving. Sorry about the picture, it really doesn't look good, but I promise it was. We ate it on the deck and I took the picture with my phone, which is why it is so dark. We found this recipe on Kevin and Amanda's website.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

1 lb lean hamburger meat
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies (or petite diced tomatoes)
2 cups beef broth (or water)
1 cup elbow macaroni
Brown and drain hamburger meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef broth, and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 mins until macaroni is tender.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce….
2 Tablespoons butter
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes until fragrant and light brown in color. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce. Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture. Stir gently to combine.
Serves 4.

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/cheeseburger-macaroni.html#ixzz1J7j0EwKN