Sweet Potato Burritos

This sounds weird, but these are great! My sister-in-law told us about this recipe, so tonight we gave it a try. She found this recipe in an old Texas ward recipe book. It's very cheap (approx $5 for 2.5 meals) and healthy! I liked it a lot, but my husband thought there wasn't enough spice. Next time I might add a little more spice for him.

Sweet Potato Burritos
1 T Vegetable oil                                                                             
1 onion chopped                                                                           
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed (4 cans)
3 T chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp prepared mustard
3 T soy sauce
4 C sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (3-4 microwaved for 7+ minutes, take the skins off, and mashed)
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed (We used the smaller ones)
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (We used mozzarella. Delicious.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in beans and heat until warm.  Remove from heat and stir in chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce.  Add just enough water so that sauces dissolve.
Divide bean mixture and mash sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas.  Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style and bake or freeze.  Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven and serve.

Heather

Morning Muffins

I got this muffin recipe from one of my cooking classes. The best part is it can be mixed and then left in the fridge for a couple of weeks. My husband and I love putting a little bit of batter in a mug, microwaving it, and then eating it with a spoon. It's a great warm breakfast for fall and winter. 

I've tweaked it since getting it, so I'll post the original recipe and my version.

Buttermilk Bran Muffins (Original)

Makes 1 ½ dozen

½ C. 100% Bran Flake cereal 

1 C. All Bran cereal 

½ C. boiling water 

¼ C. shortening 

1 egg 

1 C. raisins

1 ¼ C. flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp. baking soda

1 C. buttermilk (1 C plain yogurt)

½ C. sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin tins.

2. Combine cereals and hot water. Let stand.

3. Beat shortening, egg, buttermilk and sugar in a separate bowl.

4. Add softened cereal to the egg mixture and beat to combine.

5. Combine dry ingredients and raisins in the food processor and process until raisins are chopped. Stir with wet mixture ingredients until just mixed.

6. Bake mini muffins 10 to 12 minutes. If making regular sized muffins, bake 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on rack.

7. The batter can be put in the refrigerator and used for several weeks.

Breakfast Muffin in a Mug

1 ½ C. 100% Bran Flake cereal 

½ C. boiling water 

¼ C. butter or margarine

1 egg 

1 C. raisins (I've never put raisins in; I always forget, but I want to try it with raisins.)

1 ¼ C. flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp. baking soda

1 C plain yogurt (vanilla is great too!)

½ C. sugar

1. Combine cereal and hot water. Crush cereal a little so it will all get soggy in the water. Let stand.

2. Beat butter, egg, buttermilk and sugar in a separate bowl.

3. Add softened cereal to the egg mixture and beat to combine.

4. If using raisins, chop them up with a food processor.

5. Combine dry ingredients and raisins and stir with wet mixture ingredients until just mixed.

6. Fill a mug 1/2 to 3/4 full with batter. Put in microwave for 1-2 minutes until done.

7. The batter can be put in the refrigerator and used for several weeks.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken and Rotini Primavera

I just made this great recipe that my cousin showed me. It's easy, cheap, and delicious! My husband is a big fan, so I'm a big fan. The original recipe is found here.

Creamy Chicken & Rotini Primavera

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound dry rotini
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast - cubed (I use less)
1 pound frozen vegetable mix - thawed
4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup lite Italian dressing
1/2 cup 2% fat milk

Directions

1. Cook rotini per package directions to desired doneness. Drain well and keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and cook until no longer pink.
3. Combine cream cheese, dressing and milk and whisk until smooth.
4. Add thawed frozen vegetables to chicken along with sauce mixture. Stir well and heat through - about 5 minutes. Serve. 

Tasty Breadsticks

I've been using a really simple, no-rise breadstick recipe since I've gotten married. I liked it because it was easy and quick, and I didn't have to remember to start making it a long time before dinner. Well I tried a new recipe that my sister-in-law loves, and I'm definitely switching over. These breadsticks were AMAZING! And they're quite easy even though they do rise for 45 minutes. The dough was a lot easier to work with, softer without being sticky, and they are so yummy with the topping. Here's the original link.


Breadsticks


Ingredients
Dough:
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 t.)
4 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 T unsalted butter, softened
2 T sugar
1 T fine salt


Topping:
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of dried oregano

Directions

Make the dough:

Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer; sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, fine salt and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water; mix with the paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms, 5 minutes.

Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until very smooth and soft, 3 minutes. Roll into a 2-foot-long log; cut into 16 1 1/2-inch-long pieces. Knead each piece slightly and shape into a 7-inch-long breadstick; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Make the topping: 

Brush the breadsticks with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the warm breadsticks with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the flavored salt.

Cinnamon Rolls...or white bread

I use it to make cinnamon rolls, bread and cinnamon swirl bread.  It does make a lot (hard to halve with just one egg) but we just freeze the loaves or invite people over. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c powdered milk
4 cups boiling water
1/2 c sugar
2 T salt
1/2 c oil
2 packets yeast
12 cups flour
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Scald dry milk with boiling water, add sugar, salt, oil and let cool.
2. While cooling, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and add 1tsp sugar.
3. Put cooled milk mixture in mixing bowl, add 4 cups flour gradually and mix to develop gluten.
4. Add beaten egg and yeast mixture and blend throughly
5. Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating after each cup.  Knead when dough is too stiff to beat.  (Add flour until dough is the right consistency, not sticky but not too dry. Should be near 12cups flour total in recipe)  Knead 8-10 minutes.
6. Spread dough with light coat of oil and let rise twice. First time: 2 hours.  Second time: 40 minutes
7. For bread, divide into loaf size portions, back about 12 minutes at 400F (204c) degrees until brown and then turn down heat to 350F (176c) and back 25 minutes.

*For cinnamon rolls, after the dough has risen a second time, roll the dough into a rectangle.  Spread entire surface with a generous amount of butter (just softened, not completely melted butter or you'll get soggy rolls).  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon sugar (1/2c sugar to 1T cinnamon).  Roll up, pinch the edge and cut about 1 in slices with string, dental floss or softly with a knife.

Put in pans and let rise again, about 1 hour. I like to put them in the fridge overnight.  When they rise overnight they can be placed in the oven first thin in the morning. Bake at 325F (160c) until lightly golden (about 20 minutes). Frost when warm if desired.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Over the weekend I went to a party and tasted sopapilla cheesecakes. They were fantastic! Like so amazing. You need to try them. Found here. 

Sopapilla Cheesecake

3 cans Pillsbury butter crescent rolls
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon & sugar
(this recipe has so many possibilities, you could add raisins or nuts or whatever you want inside with the filling. I think these would even taste good with some syrup and make it like a pancake! be creative!)

Instructions:

Unrolled and spread 1 & 1/2 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased pan. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. 

Cream of Broccoli Soup

My sister-in-law made this soup for us last summer, and we loved it. Yummy! I love it with breadsticks.
Some great tips from my sister-in-law for this soup are: "We LOVE this soup and make it whenever broccoli is on sale. It's easy to half, and the proportions don't have to be exact. Often we do it without celery, and I always saute chopped up broccoli stems with the onions. And red onions are the best for this soup. The cream mixture always takes longer than you think it should, but it usually comes 'round. Here's the original link."

Cream of Broccoli SoupIngredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
8 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1.Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
2.Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
3.In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

Heavenly Eggs

I found this breakfast recipe online and tried it. It didn't make as much as I would've liked, but it was really good. It was great because I had some extra marinara sauce in the freezer that I needed to use. It's a good breakfast for dinner that isn't sweet. My husband isn't a fan of sweet dinners. Oh, and I've decided that Parmesan cheese makes everything better.


Heavenly Eggs

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 ounce pancetta, chopped (optional, I didn't use this; I couldn't find it.)
• 2 cups prepared marinara sauce
• 4 large eggs
• 6 large fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces (I just sprinkled dried basil on.)
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 slices whole-wheat country bread, toasted

Preparation

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and pancetta (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add marinara and adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Crack an egg into a small bowl, taking care not to break the yolk. Make a well in the sauce roughly large enough to hold the egg and slip it in so that the yolk and most of the white is contained (some white may spread out). Repeat with the remaining eggs, evenly spacing them around the pan. Sprinkle the sauce with basil; cover and cook until the eggs are the desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-set. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with Parmesan and pepper.
3. To serve, top each slice of toasted bread with an egg and sauce. Serve immediately.

One-Ingredient Homemade Ice Cream

I heard about a one-ingredient ice cream from another blogger and was pretty skeptical. I looked it up and decided to try it; it's only one ingredient so I wouldn't be spending lots of time or money on it.
All you do is chop up four very ripe bananas and freeze them. Then blend them up in a blender, and you've got ice cream! It's pretty cool, and we really enjoyed it. We mixed in some Oreo crumbs, and it was delicious. It's an easy, healthy dessert!
Go to the recipe to see pictures and other mix in ideas.

Southwest Black Bean Burgers

Today I tried a vegetarian burger recipe. It's the first recipe in this post. It sounded like a good, cheap recipe.

Pros-

• cheap
• lots of flavor
• healthy
• makes lots! I split mine into 5 patties, but could've done 6

Cons-

• weird texture
• slight taste of beans
• I couldn't get my burgers to hold together that well

My husband and I concluded that we're going to keep this recipe, but add 1/2 lb. of hamburger meat. Then freeze half and use half. It'll stretch hamburger meat a lot farther, and you still get the flavor and healthy produce.

Southwest Black Bean Burger

1 can black beans

1/2 small red onion

1/2 medium red pepper

2-3 garlic cloves

1 large egg

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 soft wheat buns

1 avocado (I didn't use an avocado, we're not fans)

2 tomatoes

4 slices colby jack cheese (I used cheddar)

1 bunch fresh cilantro

 BBQ sauce

Rinse black beans in a colander under running water until water runs clear. Put into a bowl and smash with a fork. Blend onion, pepper, garlic and egg in a food processor or blender. Add to beans. (When I mixed mine, I put the onion, pepper, garlic, egg, and beans all in the blender together. I didn't think mashing beans with a fork would mix them up enough.) Mix crumbs with spices and add to the bowl. The mixture should be a little pasty. Divide into four sections and shape into patties. Grill about 3 minutes each side or until the patties hold together well. Add one slice of cheese to each before removing from grill, so the cheese will melt. Spread BBQ sauce onto one side of the bun, top patties with sliced avocado, tomato and cilantro. 

Angel Chicken

This is a great, easy dinner! Just throw it in the crockpot, smell it cooking all day, and then enjoy a delicious dinner. I think I found this recipe on the Kraft website somewhere.

Angel Chicken

Prep Time: 5 min

Total Time: 4 hr 5 min

Makes: 5 servings, 1 cup each

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened

1 can  (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade

1/4 cup  dry white wine (I use white grape juice)

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces (I use chicken breasts)

1/2 lb.  angel hair pasta, uncooked

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Beat cream cheese, soup, dressing and wine with whisk until blended; pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on LOW 4 to 5 hours (or on HIGH 2 to 3 hours).

2. Cook pasta as directed on package about 15 min. before chicken is done; drain. Serve topped with chicken mixture and parsley.

Enjoy!

Heather

Divine Fudge Cookie Rounds

Homemade Fudge Rounds

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs 

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda  

1. Heat oven to 350

2. In the a large bowl cream butter and sugar on medium until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

3. Mix in flour and baking soda, adding slowly to the mixture. Beat until combined.

4. Drop spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 7-9 minutes. 

5. Remove baking sheets to cooling racks and remove cookies after a few minutes to continue cooling.

...While cookies cool, make your filling.

Filling:

1/2 cup shortening 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons warm water

1. In a medium bowl, beat the shortening and butter on medium speed until smooth and combined. Beat in vanilla. 

2. Add cocoa powder and powdered sugar and beat on low until just combined. Add water and beat on medium high for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Once cookies have cooled, pipe or spread filling on the flat side of half of them. Gently press another cookie on top of the filling.
For the stripes, microwave 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 15 seconds until smooth. Drizzle or pipe on top of Fudge Rounds. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. *I used white chocolate chips to give it color.

Microwave Sloppy Joes

12 minutes = sloppy joes.  And no cooking other than in the microwave.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef                                     1/2 cup ketchup

2/3 cup onions, chopped                               1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup celery, diced                                      1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup green pepper, diced                           1 tsp. pepper

1. In a microwave-safe dish, crumble raw beef, onion, celery and green pepper.  Cover and microwave for 6 minutes, stirring after three minutes.

2. Drain grease.  Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and microwave for 6 minutes, stirring after three minutes.

3. Serve on hamburger buns, or toasted bread.

*I didn't have celery so I just omitted that from the recipe and it was still great.  We also added a bit of cheese on our sloppy joes.  

Easy Fried Rice

This is one of my easy go-to recipes when I need something quick. I have it memorized because I'm made it about twice a month since we've gotten married. I just love how easy it is, and I've added things like an egg or one time I added sesame seeds. It's a fun recipe to play around with. I actually found it on the Disney website here.

Fried Rice

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 10
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cups cold cooked rice (I add lots to make up for less chicken)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced (optional, I always use this)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken (optional, I do this much or less)
2 cups cooked veggies (optional, I always do 3-4 cups)
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola (I haven't used any oil since I first made it because I have a Teflon wok. We think it tastes better without the oil)

Directions

1. Heat a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat.
2. When oil starts to "shimmer", turn the heat to medium-high.
3. If using garlic and/or green onions add to oil now and stir.
4. Add chicken and vegetables if using and mix well.
5. Quickly add rice and continue to stir until rice is separated and coated with oil or mixed evenly with chicken and veggies.
6. Sprinkle soy sauce over rice and stir until distributed well throughout rice.

*Ingredient Tips
Almost any veggie can be used -- we like frozen green peas or snow peas and julienned carrots. Beef, pork or shrimp are all good protein ideas. Make sure they are bite sized pieces and are cooked well before adding. Garlic is optional because it is not the norm for fried rice. I find it lends a delicious depth to the finished dish. Freshly grated ginger and a bit of sesame oil added with the neutral oil are nice additions. 

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Rainy,overcast days like today make me crave soup! And this one is just so good! And I loved loaded baked potatoes....what better than a combination!?!

2/3 C butter
2/3 C flour
6    C milk
4    C baked potato cubes
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1  C  sour cream
1 12oz can evaporated milk
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter, add floud, and slowly stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened. After mixture thickens, add remaining ingredients. Serve and enjoy.

Yield: about 4

Xoxo

Jamie

Cornflake Chicken

This is the chicken our family loves. Any special occasion, conference weekend, birthdays, Sunday dinner, etc, this is what we have. I want this every birthday. We always called it cornflake chicken, and I didn't know it had an actual name until my mom gave me the recipe when I got married.

Cornflake Chicken or Boneless Baked Parmesan
Chicken tenders or breasts
¼ cup margarine, melted
½ cup corn flake crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (or less)
½ tsp. salt

1. Place corn flakes in doubled plastic bag. Crush corn flakes with rolling pin. Add cheese, cayenne, and salt to plastic bag. Shake well.
2. Dip chicken in margarine. Then dip in corn flake mixture until evenly coated.
3. Arrange chicken in single layer in shallow baking pan.
4. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

One-Dish Lasagne

When I made this lasagne after we got married, my husband walked into the kitchen while I was making it. He watched me and with a surprised look on his face asked, "Don't you have to cook the noodles first?" I looked at him and said, "You cook lasagne noodles?" In my defense my mom had always made this lasagne which doesn't require cooked noodles, so I didn't know there was another way. My husband had grown up eating the cooked lasagne noodles by themselves and thought that was the best part.
I don't think I could ever make lasagne where I have to cook the noodles before because I'm so used to this easy recipe.

One-Dish Lasagne
1 lb. ground beef (I use 1/2-3/4 lb.)
1 32 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce (I like to get one with veggies or add garden zucchini)
2 eggs
1 heaping T. parsley
16 oz. cottage chees
8 oz. regular lasagne noodles
1 C. water
grated mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, brown ground beef. Add the spaghetti sauce. Set aside.
2. Mix the eggs and parsley in the carton of cottage cheese.
3. In a 9x13 pan, layer the sauce and cottage cheese mixture over the noodles.
4. Add the water to this so it looks sloppy. (This is the key to making the noodles soft!) Cover with tin foil.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender. Sometimes I have to let it bake without the tin foil to let some of the water evaporate.
6. Grate cheese on top and place in oven until melted.
Enjoy!

Heather

Cinnamon Apple Crumble

This is probably my husband and my favorite dessert. At least it's our treat to ourselves every once in awhile. It's magnificent. After we have this for dessert, we'll also eat it for breakfast the next couple of days. We warm it up in the microwave; it's the perfect wake up.


Cinnamon Apple Crumble
1 package Rhodes Anytime!™ Cinnamon Rolls, thawed; it is easiest to work with slightly cool rolls. (I've also used two of the Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls in a can which are cheaper but not as soft.)
1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling 

Topping:
½ cup sugar
1 cup flour
½ cup butter, softened

1.      Remove thawed cinnamon rolls from package and place on a cutting board. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
2.      Cut apples in pie filling into smaller pieces. While it's still in the can I use a knife to slice up the big pieces.3.      Combine cut up rolls and apple pie filling.
4.      Place cut up rolls and pie filling in a greased 9x13 pan.

For topping:
1.      Combine sugar and flour.
2.      Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
3.      Sprinkle over rolls and apple pie filling.
4.      Bake at 350°F 40-45 minutes.
5.      Top with frosting packet from cinnamon rolls, if desired, before serving.

Enjoy!


Heather

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These are soooo good and so quick.  I was surprised at how easy they were and so tasty.

I got the recipe from a link my friend Katrina posted.

I made a few changes to fit what we had in the fridge, but they were still so good!

Yum!

Ingredients:

1/3 c (3 oz) cream cheese

1/4 c green salsa (I used normal salsa)

1T lime juice

1/2 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1/2 t onion powder (I used onion flakes)

1/4 t granulated garlic 

3T chopped cilantro (known as coriander in Australia)

2 T sliced green onions (I didn't have any so I omitted them and it still tasted great)

2 C shredded cooked chicken

1 c grated pepperjack cheese (I just used cheddar)

Flour tortillas

Salt 

Cooking Spray

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425 F (218 C)

2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir.

3. Add salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and granulated garlic to the cream cheese.

4. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions.

5. Add chicken and cheese and combing well.

(Hint: you can prepare all this ahead of time and just keep it in the fridge!)

6. Heat tortillas in the microwave until they are just soft enough to roll without cracking.  

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

8. Roll tightly and place on a baking sheet lined tray, seam side down. Don't let them touch each other.

9. When all taquitos are rolled, spray them with a bit of cooking spray and sprinkle some salt on top.

10. Cook for 15-20 mintues, until crisp and the edges start to turn golden brown.

They are yummy to dip in sour cream or guacamole!

Seriously so good and simple. Try it tonight. Do it.

xoxo

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is also from my brother-in-law, and we really enjoy it. The Italian dressing adds the perfect amount of flavor. And we always use less chicken and add more vegetables. Veggies are good for you! I have only made this with the biscuits, so I don't know how the pie crust version is. The biscuits are so delicious though that I will probably always make it with biscuits.

Chicken Pot Pie
1 lb. Chicken (I usually use 1/2-3/4 of a pound) cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup Italian dressing
4 oz. (1/2 a package) of cream cheese
2 T flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 10 oz. pkg. mixed vegetables thawed (I usually use 16 oz. or more to make up for less chicken)
1 pie crust (you can buy or make your own, or you can make these biscuits and put them on bottom and top.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook chicken in dressing in large skillet on medium heat 2 min.
3. Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
4. Add flour; mix well.
5. Add broth and vegetables; simmer 5 minutes. If it seems to thick add more chicken broth to make it creamier.
6. Pour mixture into pie plate if using pie crust or into a 9x9 pan if using biscuits. Put pie crust over filling or arrange biscuits; cut 4 slits in crust to allow steam to escape. (I don't cut slits in the biscuits.)
7. Bake 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Enjoy!

Heather

Rolo Cookies

Okay....I haven't yet posted a dessert and lets be honest- desserts is why I cook.

MMMMMMM! I love dessert!

These little cookies are just so easy! And delicious!

And yes....Rolos as in the candy!

1 cake mix- chocolate fudge

1 egg

1/4 c. water

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. oil

4 rolls of Rolos candy

Mix cake mix, egg, water, flour, and oil. Once batter is well blended, roll cookie dough around one rollo at a time. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes!

Mmmmmm...chocolate....carmel!!!!

~Jamie

Oatmeal Carmelitas

It may not be my turn to share, but I'm bored at work and remembered this recipe. I got it from a girl in my BYU cooking class. It is SO delicious. This is one of our favorite desserts, and it's sort of healthy, it has flour and oats. . . Just try it. You'll love it.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

Crust:
2 C flour
2 C quick-cooking oats
1 ½ C firmly packed brown sugar
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
1 ¼ C butter, softened

Filling:
2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar (12 oz) caramel ice cream topping
3 Tbsp flour

1. Heat oven 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 inch pan. Combine all crust ingredients until crumbly.
2. Press half of crumb mixture, about 3 cups, in prepared pan. Reserve remaining crumb mixture for topping. Bake for 10 min.
3. Sprinkle warm base with chocolate chips. Combine caramel topping and 3 tablespoons flour. Pour evenly over chocolate chips.
4. Return to oven and bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
5. Cut into bars.
Enjoy!

Heather

Ham and Pasta Bake

This recipe was so easy, cheap and YUMMY!  We had a good amount of leftovers for later on too.

14oz Penne pasta
1T Olive oil (or any oil)
1 Onion, chopped
100g Ham, chopped (I bought bacon rashers from the deli and they were perfect)
19oz any cheesy pasta sauce
1c Grated Cheese
1/4c dry bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 220
2. Cook pasta in a large saucepan. Drain and return to pan
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium (I use my electric fry pan).  Cook onion and ham for 5 minutes, until onion is soft.  Add in pasta and pasta back sauce.  Toss to combine.
4. Pour into a medium baking dish.  Top with grated cheese and dry breadcrumbs.
5.  Bake for 15 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Raspberry Salad

I actually don't know what this recipe is called, and it's so delicious it doesn't need a name. It's smooth and sweet but not too sweet. My sister makes it for her work parties, and the girls call it "Pink Fluff."

Ingredients
6 oz. frozen raspberries
3 oz. package Cook N Serve vanilla pudding
3 oz. package Cook N Serve tapioca pudding
3 oz. package raspberry jello
3 cups of water
18 oz. cool whip

Directions
1. Thaw raspberries and cool whip.
2. Mix the vanilla pudding, tapioca pudding, and raspberry jello in a medium saucepan. Add 3 cups of water.
3. Cook over high heat stirring constantly with a wire whip until you see a couple bubbles. (Do not let it get to a rolling boil.) Take off heat.
4. Put pan in fridge and chill for four hours.
5. Add cool whip and pudding mixture to bowl and mix with electric mixer until somewhat smooth. There is tapioca pudding, so it won't be completely smooth.
6. Fold in raspberries. Enjoy!

Heather

Taco Pie

Well I have really slacked on posting recipes lately. I hope none of you have been waiting for a recipe as long as my husband has been waiting for me to cook!! Haha....but seriously!

Here is a fast easy recipe with not too many ingredients! (those are my favorite recipes!)

1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
8 ounces shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
1 bag tortilla chips, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Lay crescent dough flat on the bottom of a square cake pan and bake according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the taco seasoning and stir together well. When dough is done, remove from oven and place meat mixture on top, then layer with sour cream and cheese, and then top off with the crushed nacho chips.
4. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Mmmmmm...so fast and who doesnt love easy!

~Jamie

Baking Powder Biscuits

I got this recipe from my brother-in-law when I first got married and have used it many times since. The biscuits always turn out yummy!

Baking Powder Biscuits 

2 cups flour

1 T sugar

3 t baking powder

1 t salt

½ cup shortening

¾ cup milk 

1. Preheat oven to 450. Mix flour sugar, baking powder and salt. 

2. Cut in shortening, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. 

3. Stir in milk until dough leaves side of bowl, dough will be soft and sticky but not to sticky. 

4. Place dough on floured surface.  Knead 10 times.  Rollout until ½ inch thick.  Cut with floured round cutter (or the business end of a cup).  

5. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart for crusty sides, touching for soft sides. 

6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Eat.

Heather

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Ice Cream)

This recipe makes the dough the perfect consistency and yummy cookies, you just have to have ice cream on hand.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Ice Cream)

2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla

Heaping 1/2 Cup vanilla ice cream (frozen from container)

4 Cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 bag chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.  Add in ice cream until combined.

2.  Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix.  Add the chocolate chips; mix until just combined.  With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through.  Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. 

3-4 dozen cookies

Originally found at Picky-Palate

Glazed Pork Chops

I got this recipe from my BYU cooking class. I don't remember eating it in the class, but I remember the first time I made it for Kevin. We were both blown away at how yummy it was. I like to pair this with herbed mashed potatoes and a good salad.

Glazed Pork Chops

6 pork chops, boneless or bone-in (I don't specifically find pork chops, I just find inexpensive pork meat cut into dinner sizes)

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons sage

2 Tablespoons water

1. Place pork chops in 9x13 pan.

2. Mix remaining ingredients, adding more water if necessary to make a glaze that is thin enough to pour. Pour over pork chops.

3. Bake at 350º, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes, or until meat tests done. Check at 20 minutes to see if the meat is properly cooked. Check every 5 minutes thereafter. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the meat, the pan you are using, and how closely you place the pieces together in the pan. Use a meat thermometer to test internal temperature (160˚).

Enjoy!

Heather

Easy Mexican Pizza

Easy Mexican Pizza is here!

Ingredients:

4 (or so) flour tortillas

1 can refried beans

1 cup salsa

2 small tomatoes, diced

small can green chillis, diced**optional

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated**I just used cheddar.  No Monterey Jack down under!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place tortillas on ungreased cookie sheet.

Spread with beans

Layer with salsa, tomatoes, chillis, onion and cheeses

Bake for 10 minutes.

Well I guess most of the ingredients for this recipe are optional...minus the refried beans.  

We've done avocado, taco meat and sour cream-just to name a few.

Herbed Mashed Potatoes

I love these mashed potatoes. I never make gravy because they are so good by themselves.

Herbed Mashed Potatoes (Serves 8)

8 medium potatoes (about 3 lbs) peeled or unpeeled

½ to ¾ cup milk

5 Tablespoons margarine, softened

1 package Ranch Dressing Mix

1. Peel and cube potatoes.

2. Place in 2-qt saucepan and add enough water to just cover potatoes.

3. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat . Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

4. Drain. Shake pan with potatoes over low heat to dry potatoes. This helps potatoes be fluffier.

5. Mash potatoes in pan with potato masher or hand mixer.

6. Add milk in small amounts, mashing after each addition, until potatoes reach desired consistency. Add margarine and Ranch Dressing Mix.

7. Mash until fluffy.

This is just half. I made this a week ago, and we ate about half. I froze the leftovers, and we had the other half tonight.

-Heather

Corkscrew Lasagna

This lasagna is the greatest because you just throw it all together- there is no layering like most lasagna recipes. So it is a lot faster and I think the rotini pasta is more fun to eat!

1 30oz bottle of spaghetti sauce
1 12oz box of rotini pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 pound cottage cheese
1 egg slightly beaten
18 oz mozzarella & cheddar cheese mix

Cook pasta, drain and set aside. Cook ground beef in skillet and then mix with cottage cheese. Stir in the egg and 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce and mix well. Add pasta. Pour into 9x13 pan. Pour remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and dish up!

~Jamie