Crispy Baked Ravioli

When I used to work at Tunex we would order lunch from Bruno's occasionally and I always loved to order the deep-fried ravioli.  Now I know that deep-frying isn't the best for you and it isn't the easiest either so when I saw a recipe for baked ravioli I had to give it a try. 

1/4 cup Italian dry bread crumbs*
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
12 frozen cheese-filled ravioli
pasta sauce, warmed

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine bread crumbs and cheese in medium bowl.

Combine sour cream and milk in small bowl. Dip ravioli in sour cream mixture, then in bread crumb mixture to coat evenly.

Place ravioli on nonstick baking sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes or until ravioli are crisp and lightly browned. Serve immediately with pasta sauce.

To make ahead, prepare ravioli as directed except do not bake. Layer between sheets of waxed paper in a resealable plastic freezer containers. At serving time, remove from freezer. Heat oven to 375°F. Place desired number of ravioli onto nonstick baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes or until ravioli are crisp and lightly browned. Serve immediately with pasta sauce.

*Italian Bread Crumbs - I didn't have these in the house so I used my plain bread crumbs and add a pinch of the following spices.

Salt
Dried parsley flakes
Garlic powder
Onion power
Sugar
Dried oregano

Crockpot Ham and Beans

We had leftover ham from Christmas and Steve asked for ham and beans so I went searching for an easy recipe.  Just so you know he loved it!

1 lb dried great northern beans (mixed if desired) or 1 lb other dried beans ( mixed if desired)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 large sweet onions, chopped coarsely
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 lb smoked ham or 1 lb ham hocks
6 cups water or 6 cups broth

Sort beans and place in a saucepan with 2-inches of water to cover.  Bring them to a boil, boil for 3 minutes, then cover and remove from heat.  Allow to sit for one hour after boiling (don't lift the lid).  Rinse and drain the beans before placing them in the crock pot.

Put the rinsed beans, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, cloves, ham (chopped into large chunks) or ham hocks into the crock pot along with 6 cups water or broth.  Cover crock, and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until beans are tender and creamy.  Skim any excess fat, if necessary, before serving.

Ultimate Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

Out of all of the yumminess of the day this has to be our best find at Budget Savvy Diva.  Steve is my butter and sauce man, everything has to have something on it but not these, he ate them plain!  The other fantastic thing is that we made them in the crock pot which made them so easy.  If they are done early just leave your crockpot on warm and do a little relaxing.  You don't have to soak your potatoes but I read that it helps remove some of the starch.

5 Pounds Russet Potatoes - we used red
1 garlic clove minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes chunks
1 1/4 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup milk, warmed - we left this out, they just didn't need more liquid
2 ounces of light cream cheese

Peel potatoes, optional, and cube trying to get 12 cubes per potato.  This can be done up to 24 hours in advance and soaking them in water.  You can also cut up your potatoes and soak them for 30 minutes and then drain.



Place potatoes in crock pot along with chicken broth and butter.  We used the 8 hour setting but you could also use the high setting and they should be done in 4 1/2 hours.

Roughly mash potatoes – then add garlic, sour cream, salt, pepper, milk, and cream cheese and finish mashing.

Pecan Pie

I am not a pecan pie fan but my brother-in-law is so I found this recipe from Martha Stewart.  I have never made a pecan pie and of course I would want to try and alter it without ever trying it.  Our Thanksgiving party was a whooping 5 people so I opted for mini pies which worked out fantastic but that meant I needed to cut the recipe down.  The top recipe is for the full size pie and the smaller portion recipe is below.

1 pie crust
4 large eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups pecan halves
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. with rack set in lowest position.

Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. With floured fingers, fold overhang under itself to form a rim; pinch between thumb and forefinger to form a uniform edge around rim of pie plate. Crimp with fingertips. Transfer dough-lined pie plate to refrigerator.

Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, sugars, butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth; mix in pecans. Pour mixture into chilled pie crust; place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling jiggles slightly in the center when gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool pie completely in plate, 5 to 6 hours. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

2 mini pie crust
1 large eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3/4 cup pecan halves
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Bake 30 minutes

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake

This recipe comes from Glorious Treats and I got rave reviews so another keeper for Thanksgiving.  I don't own a fancy mini cheesecake pan (I would like to) so I used foil muffin liners.

Crust-
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling-
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F

Prepare crust by combining crust ingredients in a small bowl. Mix to combine with a fork. Add one rounded tablespoon of moist crust crumbs into each mini cheesecake space. Use a small bottle (such as a spice bottle, or a shot glass) to press down the crumbs, to form a crust.

Prepare the filling-
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, sour cream, sugar and spices. Blend until combined. Add flour and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Pour filling into prepared crusts. Divide batter amoung the 12 spaces.

Bake mini cheesecakes in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours minimum.

Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter

Found this recipe on Pinterest but the link doesn't go anywhere so I can give credit to it's creator.  Served it up with our Thanksgiving dinner.  It may just have to be a new tradition.  I never have unsalted butter in the house so I just used what I had.

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Whip the room temperature butter with whisk attachment for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, honey and cinnamon and beat until completely combined and very smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl and turn up speed and whip for a minute or two or until really light and fluffy. Makes about 3/4 cup

Candy Corn Cupcakes

This is such a fun and easy cupcake to make.  The original idea came from Our Best Bites but I used the recipe from Recipe Girl and added my own twist.   I have also made these with red and blue cake and white frosting for election day but the possibilities are endless.  If you haven't noticed the cake mixes are staying the same price but the cake mix is getting smaller.  Using the smaller cake mix and adding in the extra ingredients I can get 36 cupcakes that are moist and tasty.  I have also substituted the white cake mix for chocolate and use chocolate pudding.

1 box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites or 3 large eggs - depends on the color you are making
1 large box vanilla pudding

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll need approx. 36).

In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 15 - 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Royal Icing

I saw these cute pumpkins on The Sweet Adventures of SugarBelle and wanted to give them a go.  They were super easy and I learned a new trick which only helps to spark my imagination.  Since I am new at this I would highly recommend going to her website for excellent tips and tutorials.  Meringue powder can be purchased at Joanne's and Wal-Mart as well as other places but these two are my only options where I live.

4lbs {two bags} confectioner’s sugar
3/4 c. meringue powder
1 1/3-1 1/2 c. warm water
2-4 tbsp. oil-free extract or flavoring

Add the dry ingredients first. Use your mixer’s whisk attachment to incorporate the sugar and meringue powder.

Add the extract to the water and slowly add it to the dry ingredients while mixing. At first the icing will be very liquid-like.

Continue to mix it at medium-high speed until it is fluffy and stiff peaks form, about 7-10 minutes. Mixing times are approximate, keep your eye it icing and stop mixing as soon as it becomes stiff. Over mixing and oil-containing extracts can keep the icing from setting up, so keep this in mind as you work.

Notes

Royal icing will keep at least a month. I prefer refrigerating it, but it can also be left at room temperature.

Tomato Soup

This recipe came from our good friend, Ronda Bodily. We love this recipe. I use this  recipe when I make porcupine meat balls, sloppy joes, or stuffed green bell peppers

14 qts. tomatoes
14 stalks celery
14 sprigs parsley
4 Bay leaves
21 cloves
8 med. onions-cut fine
Boil and strain

1 lb. butter
1/2c. salt
1 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. paprika

Mix with a little juice. Then pour into hot juice and cook til thick.

Pressure cook 20 minutes.

Makes 14 qts.

Thin Buns

I have loved the thin buns ever since they came out.  When you use them with a hamburger you can actually taste the good stuff between the bun.  I found a recipe for these on Pinterest from Food that I had to try.  Mine are not as pretty but they taste good and they are only 114 calories per bun.  A muffin top pan is supposed to work wonderfully for these, something new to add to my wish list.

1 1/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 eggs
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat fiber
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl sprinkle the sugar over the warm water, then do the same with the yeast. Add the egg and oil and combine. In a separate container, use a fork or a whisk to stir together the flour, oat fiber, wheat gluten, and salt. Add 1/2 of this mixture to the wet ingredients and blend. This is the sponge.
Let rise 30 - 45 minutes.

Add rest of flour mixture and knead for about 5 minutes. I use my stand mixer with the dough attachment. This dough will be sticky.

Spray 3 cookie sheets or muffin top pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Divide dough into 16 equal portions. This is a wet dough so instead of adding any additional flour, weigh the dough on a food scale and divide it by 16. Then weigh out each portion and place on cookie sheet. Don't worry about how it looks now.

Take a 4" biscuit cutter and place it over one of the dough portions. If you wet the inside of the cutter as well as your fingers you can spread the dough into a perfect circle by using your fingers to flatten it to the inside edge of the biscuit cutter. (These will be very thin but they will rise). Remove the cutter, re-wet the inside and use it to do the same thing to the remaining 15 buns.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let the buns rise for 30 minutes. After this time you can choose to "dock" the buns.  This means poking small holes into the dough.  A fork works well.  Docking prevents air bubbles from forming, keeping them nice and thin.  Let them rest another 10 to 15 minutes.  Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Don't overbake. Cool the buns and then cut them in half for sandwich buns.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I never have those little packets of seasoning in the house when I need them.  I found this recipe on Whole New Mom and we tried it last night when we had taco salad.  Steve asked about the seasoning on the turkey burger and said that he really liked it, so it is a keeper.

2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp cumin
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix well. Store in a tightly closed container.

Use approximately 2 tablespoons per 1 pound ground meat.  Adjust per your taste buds.  I did not add water but you can if you want it a little saucy.

Crustless Zucchini Pie

I keep reading about people that say they wake up in the morning with a load of zucchini on their porch.  That has never happened to me but my two zucchini plants keep me hopping.  I keep trying to find new recipes and here is the latest. I found this recipe on Skinnytaste and Gentry and I both liked it.  Steve ate it but he wasn't a huge fan.  He isn't a fan of quiche either, go figure.  The few changes I made were green onions for shallots, no chives and regular whole wheat flour.  1/6th of pie is 125 calories if fat free milk is used, I had 2% in the house so the calories increased to 129 for 1/6 of pie.

10 oz shredded zucchini, all liquid squeezed out
1/2 cup green onions, chopped - click on link for green onion tip
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp olive oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a pie dish with cooking spray. Combine zucchini, onions, and mozzarella cheese in a bowl.
 
Mix flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except Parmesan cheese, to the bowl and blend well. Combine with zucchini mixture and pour it into the pie dish.
 
Top with Parmesan cheese and bake 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Let it stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Cupcake Tips

Jamie wrote this email to me:

 

I am watching the Rachael Ray show and learned something new today :) You might already know this but if you're using a cake mix but want to bake cupcakes instead of a cake this is how you bake them...

 

350 degrees makes a flat cupcake

375 degrees makes a round top

 

then you bake it for 15 mins until golden brown

chocolate zucchini cake

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. flour
4 Tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. soda
2 c, grated zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c, oil
1/2 c. buttermilk or sour milk w/ vinegar

Mix sugar, eggs and oil. Stir dry ingredients and add alternately with buttermilk. Pour into a 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle with 2/3 c. chocolate chips and 1/2 c. chopped nuts. Bake at 325 for 35 to 40 minutes.   ( Do not ice)

Peach-Nectarine Fruit Roll-Ups

Steve just bought me a dehydrator and I have been drying all different kinds of fruit but when I looked at the peaches and nectarines on the counter they were too ripe.  I have wanted to try fruit leather and this was the perfect opportunity.  I did a Google search and came up this recipe from Blissfully Content.  It worked out perfect.  I have apricots in the fridge that may end up as roll-ups as well.

About 3 pounds nectarines and peaches {combined}. You can use ANY combination of fruits.
1 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup honey {this really gives it a great texture and flavor}

Wash your peaches and nectarines really well. Cut into quarters, pit, and put into a pot on low. Use a potato masher to cook down. Add lemon juice and honey.

When fruit is heated through and it looks fairly mashed, put into a blender. Blend until smooth.

I have non-stick sheets for my dehydrator and I was able to spread one cup of puree per tray.  I tried to leave the edges a little thicker, about 1/4 inch, and the inside, about 1/8 inch.  Smooth out as evenly as possible with a spoon

Dry at 135 degrees until leathery and pliable...about 4-7 hours. Make sure there are no sticky spots in the center. 

While fruit leather is still warm, cut and roll in parchment paper.  I used scissors to cut even pieces. Store in glass jars.

Sweet and Sour Jam

Steve's Mom has a cherry, apricot and two apple trees.  We were able to get cherries and apricots and have to see what comes of the apples.  I was looking for different ways to use apricots and stumbled upon this recipe.  I love sweet and sour chicken!  I keep saying that I love this or I love that but I really should say I love food!!!  I did make a couple of changes by not using habaneros, shallots, cherry tomatoes and cilantro.  I didn't have any of those so I used jalapenos, green onions and a tomato minus the seeds.  There wasn't any heat when I used the jam on the chicken so next time I think I will leave a few jalapeno seeds in.

2 jalapenos, minus seeds unless you like heat
3 cups fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
1 cup green onions, sliced into thin slivers
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1/4 cup tomatoes, minus seeds, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
6 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon butter

9 sterilized half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

Wearing rubber gloves and avoiding touching your eyes or face, seed and mince the jalapeno peppers. Place the jalapenos, apricots, green onions, green and red bell pepper, pineapple, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice into a large pot over medium heat, and stir in the pectin until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, and mix in the white and brown sugars, stirring until completely dissolved. Return the jam to a full rolling boil, add the butter to reduce foaming, and boil hard for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Turn off heat, and skim and discard any foam that forms on the jam. Pack the jam into the sterilized jars up to 1/8 of the rim and top each with a sterilized lid and ring.
 
Simmer the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 25* minutes, then remove the jars and listen for the popping sound. Let jars cool completely.

*25 minutes is for my elevation 5800 ft.  I consulted the packaging with the pectin which told me how to adjust my time.

I opted out of breading my chicken, you could use pork, to cut down on the calories but you can bread if you like using this recipe.  I cut up my chicken into bite-size pieces and then spooned jam over chicken.  Toss chicken to coat and bake at 325 for 1 hour. 

Sweet Pork

I love Costa Vida Sweet Pork Burritos or Salad! I had made a pork loin the other day without anything on it because I wanted to try this apricot BBQ sauce which no one liked but I had to give it a whorl. Anyway I had left over pork and kept thinking about Costa Vida and that sweet pork salad. I knew where I could get a copycat recipe of Cafe Rio versions of sweet pork but when I looked at the ingredients I didn't have any Coke and I found out that there isn't any reason I need it.

1 can diced green chilies
1 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, mild spiciness but any will work)
3/4 c. brown sugar
Cooked, shredded pork

Place chilies and enchilada sauce in blender and give it a spin. Stir brown sugar, shredded pork and enchilada sauce together. Place in crock pot for two hours. Enjoy!

Cherry Almond Scones

These are the English type of scone not the yummy deep-fried kind you smear honey butter all over.  I am not saying that these aren't yummy as well, actually I really enjoy a good English scone.  Jamie has a recipe posted for Blueberry Scones and I love Great Harvests Raspberry White Chocolate Scones.  This recipe is from The Kitchen Sink Recipes which is one of the food blogs that I follow.  I have cherries from Steve's Moms tree and I keep trying to find other uses besides drying them.  Two substitutions that I made were using milk and vinegar instead of buttermilk and I used Demerara sugar instead of Turbinado because it is what I have on hand. 225 calories for 12 or 150 calories if you make 18.

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter, in 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup pitted and chopped cherries
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon almond extract
Turbinado or sanding sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place cubed butter in freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and baking soda.  Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter (or two knives or your finger tips) until the flour-butter mixture is the texture of coarse cornmeal.  Stir in the buttermilk and fruit.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple times. Roll dough out to approximately one-inch thickness and cut into squares. Sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional).

Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned.
 

Straws and Fruit

Strawberry - start at the bottom of the strawberry and push through to pop out the stem

Cherries - start at the stem and push the pit out.  The pits are hard on a straw but you do have two sides and it is a lot faster then the paper clip method.

I would recommend investing in a good box of straws for these procedures and save the dollar store straws for drinking.

2 Ingredient Lemon Bars

I think I would actually call this lemon cake and it couldn't be any easier!  The can of lemon pie filling I found at the store was actually larger then the recipe called for so I have a little left over in the fridge but I just read some of the comments and some used the whole can and just baked it a little longer.  I have read other places that you could use other pie fillings and do the same thing.  Raspberry or Becky's Razzleberry Pie Filling, I am definitely going to try.  I might even try my own homemade lemon pie filling since I don't keep pie filling in the house.  Very good and not too bad on the calorie count, 107 calories if you cut it to get 22 servings and it would be a little more if you used the whole can.  Recipe from Practically Living

1 box angel food cake
15 oz can lemon pie filling

Mix the two together by hand until moist. Be sure not to over stir. Bake in a 9x13 cake pan at 350 degrees until golden brown on the top (about 20 minutes). Cool completely before eating. As they are cooling, you can sprinkle with powder sugar if you wish (Which I guess technically makes this a 3-ingredient recipe). They have more of an angel food cake texture than a traditional lemon bar texture. 

Plum Muffins

The original recipe was to make a loaf of bread but it is all about portion control for me.  The original recipe served 8 (338 calories) while mine serves 12 (211 calories) saving over a 100 calories per serving.  I substituted some of the flour for whole wheat and used half the brown sugar it called for.  I have a cookie scoop that is 2 tablespoons that works fantastic for muffins as well as cupcakes.


1 cup pitted, chopped plums
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons brown sugar


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Sprinkle chopped plums with 1 tablespoon of flour in a bowl and toss to coat.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the butter, white sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs.  In another bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups of flours with salt and baking soda.  Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, alternating with yogurt until the mixture forms a smooth batter.  Lightly stir in the flour-coated plums and pour the batter into the greased or paper-lined muffin pan.  Sprinkle the top or the batter with brown sugar.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Zucchini Tots

It's that time of year when zucchini starts multiplying like rabbits and we need 501,432 ways to use it.  This recipe The Curious Country Cook was quick and easy and low in calories, just 23 per tot.  I used Panko bread crumbs because they half the calories of regular bread crumbs. I used my cookie scoop which holds 1 tablespoon and they fit exactly into the mini muffin cups.


2 cups zucchini, grated
2 egg
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray, set aside.

Grate the zucchini and then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess water- you will be surprised how much liquid comes out but if you skip this part the middle of the zucchini tots will be really soggy.

In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, salt and pepper.

Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is browned and set.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

When you read the ingredients in this recipe that my friend pinned on Pinterest you are going to wonder, "What is Cheryl thinking?", but these are awesome.  Steve loves them as well!  Steve says they taste just like my peanut butter bars.  The recipe made 12 cookie dough balls and 151 calories a piece.  I can only eat one because they are so filling.  After baking I placed them in the freezer and nuke them for 30 seconds to have a nice warm healthier treat.

1 can garbanzo (chickpeas) well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they're combined. Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. With wet hands, form into 1 1/2" balls. Place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don't do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Notes: I used chunky peanut butter because that is what I had open in the house.  I am sure that smooth would work as well.  I don't own a food processor so I had to mash the beans with a fork and maybe the chunks of peanuts hide the chunks of beans that didn't get completely smooth.  I can't tell you because you CAN NOT taste the beans.

Raspberry Buckle

I was lucky enough to be in SLC when Becky was coming through and she gave me a bucket of fresh raspberries.  I made a batch of jam but wanted something else tasty to enjoy this great harvest.  Yes I did another Pinterest search and came up with this recipe from Martha Stewart.  I bet you could use any fresh fruit that you have handy.  It was sweet enough that we didn't serve with whipping cream or ice cream.  It makes 8 servings and 300 calories per serving.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 containers (1/2 pint each) raspberries (2 3/4 cups)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart oval or square baking dish. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder; with mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.

 

Spread batter in baking dish. Scatter raspberries on top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean and top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I am not a lover of ranch dressing but I don't mind using it as a dip for vegetables.  I know that I am in the minority but that doesn't mean that I won't try and search out something tasty for the rest of the family.  I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest (what a surprise, right?).  The calories in a whole batch is roughly 255 calories depending on the brand of yogurt and type of milk used.  When you add the milk you may think that the dressing is a little runny but after it has chilled for an hour it thickens right up.

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Packet (NOT DIP!)
1/2 cup milk

Whisk together and chill for one hour.

Great Harvest Dakota Bread

I love bread!  One thing I learned from the HCG diet is that I don't like empty calories.  I used to pop a donut in my mouth and it was so tasty but now I have noticed I enjoy the taste but I don't feel like I have eaten anything so I want another to help satisfy my hunger.  I need that full feeling to help stop the eating and I found Great Harvest's Dakota Bread to help do the trick.  It is a little pricey so I decided to try and duplicate the recipe to help save a few bucks.  I did a search on Pinterest and here is the recipe that I found to which I have made a few small alterations.

Update: You can change up the bread by adding 3/4 cup of Oat Fiber and reduce the whole wheat flour to 2 1/4 cups.  It reduces the calories and ups the fiber but you will notice that the bread doesn't raise as high with the oat fiber.

1 1/4 cups warm water, 120 - 130 degrees
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant)
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons rapid or instant yeast

Add-ins
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Mix add-ins together in a bowl and reserve one tablespoon for top of loaf.  Place add-ins, flour, oats, vital wheat gluten and yeast in mixing bowl.  In a measuring cup stir together water, honey, butter and salt.  Pour into mixing bowl and mix until you have a soft ball of dough.  Place in a greased bowl and cover with cloth.  Let rise until double, about 45 - 60 minutes.
Punch down dough and form into a loaf.  Place in a greased loaf pan and allow the dough to rise about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle topping over the loaf pressing seeds lightly into the dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.  Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Kitchen Sink Frittata

I have made these frittatas a couple times now and Beau and I love them! I am not a big egg person so I put tons of stuff in them so they're not "eggy." They're perfect when you have a veggie tray that you need to use before it goes bad :)

In this specific frittata this is what I used:

Frozen Hashbrowns

Precooked Turkey Sausage

Cooked Quinoa

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Tomato

Red Onion

Red Pepper

Celery

Eggs/Egg Whites

Cheese

- Heat oven to 375 degrees.

- In a frying pan, spray with pam. Heat hashbrowns and sausage. Evenly spread across the bottom of the pan. Add quinoa and veggies. You don't stir so evenly sprinkle each item on top.

- Pour eggs on top. I used 5 eggs and some carton egg whites so all the ingredients are in the egg mixture. I used a spatula and poked all around so the egg would get down to the bottom.

- Top with cheese.

(this is what it looks like when it's ready to go in the oven)

- Bake for 15-20 minutes. Until all eggs are cooked. You can check with a toothpick.

It is good to eat with ketchup, hot sauce and salsa.

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

We were celebrating a birthday today at work.  I said that I would bring the dessert which gave me an opportunity to try something new from Pinterest.  This recipe comes from Sprinkle Charms and they were simple and tasty.  She baked her cheesecakes in a special cheesecake pan but I used my muffin pan and used the foil liners.  Mine took a little bit longer to cook but the spring back let me know when they were done.  I really liked the Whipping Cream Topping and I am thinking of other ways to utilize that nifty recipe.

16 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 package regular size Oreo cookies
1 package mini Oreo cookies (chop about 1 cup to use in batter, the rest are garnish on top)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place one full size Oreo cookie in the bottom of every mini cheesecake cup or muffin pan. This will serve as the "crust" of the cookie.

Beat the cream cheese for several minutes until it is smooth and creamy.

Add the sugar and salt. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Fold in the sour cream and chopped Oreo cookies and mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cups and bake for 22-25 minutes (the tops should spring back slightly when touched).

WHIPPING CREAM TOPPING
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. instant vanilla pudding mix

Combine all ingredients and beat for several minutes until the cream thickens and soft peaks form. Pipe onto tops of cheesecakes and garnish with a mini Oreo.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

My Tortilla and Black Bean Pie isn't as pretty as Martha's but I am sure that it tasted just as good, my springform pan was larger then the tortillas I had in the house.  Basically this is a large bean and cheese burrito not rolled up.  

4 flour tortillas (10 inches)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add beans and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove side of pan; sprinkle pie with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

I found this recipe by Chef John on Pinterest and I love it because it is so simple.  I cut my chicken into smaller pieces and pounded them out so that the meat was about the same thickness.  I used basil from a bottle because I didn't have fresh.  For leftovers the croutons were not crunchy but I would think you could zap in microwave and put under the broiler for a minute and they would crisp back up but I didn't mind that they were soft.

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

hot red pepper flakes, to taste

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups marinara sauce

1/4 cup chopped basil

8 oz mozzarella, shredded

4 oz Parmesan, grated

1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Heat oven to 350.  Spread olive oil in the bottom of 9x13 casserole dish.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Add chicken.  Spread marinara sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle with basil.  Use 1/2 of the mozzarella and Parmesan to cover marinara sauce.  Place croutons on top of cheese.  Place the remainder of the cheese on top of the croutons.  Cook for 35 - 60 minutes depending on the size of chicken breasts or until chicken is 155 degrees.

How To Fix Dough That Won't Rise

My yeast must be dead because I couldn't get my hamburger buns to raise but Jamie had given me another jar when she left last summer so I was able to add more to my dough.  I found these helpful tips here.

• Create a warmer place for the dough: Fill a large pan with boiling water and place it in the oven on the lowest rack, or heat a mug of water for 2 minutes in a microwave.

•  Place the dough (in its bowl) in the oven or microwave along with the hot water. Leave it to rise.

• If the dough still doesn't rise, add more yeast. Mix yeast from a new package with 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) warm water and 1/2 tsp. sugar. Let it sit for 10 minutes until foam forms, to be sure the yeast is active. Knead the yeast mixture into the dough. Leave the dough in a warm place to rise. 

• If  you have no more yeast, turn the dough into tasty crackers or breadsticks: Knead with grated cheese, roll thin, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, cut into squares or thin strips, then bake at 325 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

The grocery store is now 10 miles away so driving to town to buy a package of hamburger buns is not the most efficient use of time or money.  I have had my eye on this recipe for a while and finally gave it a try.

3 tablespoons warm whole milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cups white all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Sesame seeds (optional)

Stir together 1 cup warm water, milk, yeast and honey in a measuring cup. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat one egg in a small bowl.

Whisk flours and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast mixture, butter and beaten egg and stir until dough comes together. Transfer dough to the bowl of a standing mixer with the dough hook attached. Knead dough on low-speed for 5 minutes. (If you do not have a standing mixer, then knead by hand for 8 minutes on a floured surface.) The dough will be a bit sticky. Cover the bowl and let dough rise for about 2 hours until doubled.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each piece into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging dough 3-inches apart. Cover dough with a dish towel and let rise for 1-2 hours.

Set a large shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 400ºF and adjust second rack to middle position. Beat remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush egg wash on top of each bun using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 14 minutes turning pan halfway through baking, until golden brown.

Cool Whip as Ice Cream Substitute

I just recently learned that you can refreeze your unused Cool Whip.  This bit of information was useful to me because I wanted ice cream for a dessert that I was making for Sunday dinner but the freezer was bare in that aspect so I thought to myself what if I let the Cool Whip sit on the counter for a few minutes maybe I could scoop it out like ice cream.  It actually worked great.  Later I thawed a whole container, using my cookie dough scoop I placed the scoops on a cookie sheet and refroze.  After they were frozen I placed them in a plastic container with plastic wrap between the layers so when I make Two Minute Mug Brownie or other recipes I can just plop a scoop of Cool Whip on top.  If you wanted to get really fancy you could place the Cool Whip in a pastry bag and pipe it onto the cookie sheet for freezing.

Two Minute Mug Brownie

In a pinch for dessert? This recipe that I found on Pinterest will take you back to memories of our cruise.

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 Tbsp canola or other mild vegetable oil
2 Tbsp milk or water

In a heatproof mug or ramekin, stir together the dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Stir in the oil and milk until you have a thick paste. Microwave on high for a minute, checking it after 30 seconds (microwaves vary) – it will be done when it’s springy on top but still a bit gooey – like the very best brownie. Eat warm.

Classic Waffles

I am not a Bisquick girl.  I used to be but I think it is too expensive and I have everything that I need in the house to make pancakes and waffles so why buy something special?  


I wanted waffles but I had already packed my cookbooks for the big move.  After a Google search I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It intrigued me because it called for ingredients that I have never used in waffles before.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

No Sugar Oat Drops

This recipe is inspired by Blueberry Girl that I found on Pinterest.  NO sugar, butter, eggs or anything that can be considered unhealthy, can these even taste good?  They do!  I was able to make 15 cookies out of this recipe and each cookie is 136 calories

2 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
2 tablespoons flax seed - run these through your blender
1/4 cup of almond meal - just run whole almonds through your blender
1/2 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped - I used almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup dried fruit - I used craisins

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, flax seeds, almond meal and nuts. Stir in allspice and cinnamon. Add dried fruit and stir until evenly mixed.


In another bowl, combine canola oil, mashed banana and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Take a large cookie cutter and press spoonfuls of the batter into it. Remove cookie cutter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

Hate to say it again but these were inspired by a recipe I found on Pinterest.  I modified the recipe and mine is even easier then the original.  These would be an easy after school snack but they worked well for dinner served with a salad.

3 - 4 tortillas, any flavor, it's your choice
Pizza sauce, I had 9 oz. and they were pretty saucy
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni, she used mini but I only had pepperonis that were so large I had to cut them into 1/8s

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12 count muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Start by laying each tortilla out individually on a flat surface, and use an empty can, cup, or cookie cutter to cut 3-4 medium circles out of each tortilla. Press firmly enough, using a rocking motion, until it cuts through the tortilla.

Press each wrap circle into muffin tin using your fingers. Note: it doesn’t have to cover the entire side of the tin, it should just fit snuggly!

Pour pizza sauce into a bowl, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Drop about 1-2 tbs of sauce in each tortilla, this really varies according to how much sauce you like! Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over each mini pizza. Place pepperoni on top of each pizza.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Wait for pizzas to cool, and remove from muffin tin using a fork or knife. Pizza’s should pop out with ease!

Pink Lemonade Pie

Another Pintrest recipe and if you want to make it exact you are going to have to go to the link.  It looked so yummy I just had to try it.  I cheated and bought a graham cracker crust and used cool whip instead of whipping cream.  Opted out of the pink coconut but used pink sugar sprinkles.  This is a freezer pie and it would be very refreshing for the summer.  I was also thinking of adding raspberries.  You could also it switch up and use Limeade.

Graham cracker pie crust

1 8-ounce packet of cream cheese, softened

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate (not mixed with water)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

Red food coloring
Cool Whip

Using the whip attachment and your stand-type mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together on medium high speed until the mixture is smooth.  (If you place the sweetened condensed milk in the bowl first, the cream cheese will not stick to the bowl and you will have little need to scrape the sides.)

Add the lemonade concentrate and lemon juice and continue beating.  Color with red food coloring as desired.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell and place it in the freezer.  After frozen spread on thawed Cool Whip and return to freezer.  Remove from freezer a few minutes before cutting.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Jamie received Brussels Sprouts in her Bountiful Basket and gave them to me.  I had heard about them being roasted and I did a Google search.  I found this recipe on the Food Network by The Barefoot Contessa with 5 stars with 229 reviews, I figured it had to be good.  It was very simple and they tasted great!  Steve did have seconds but thought they would taste even better with cheese sauce.  He thinks everything tastes better with cheese sauce:)

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons good olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt, and serve immediately.

Chewy Brownie Cookies

2/3 c. Shortening
1-1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. Cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375. In a large bowl, beat shortening, brown sugar, water and vanilla on medium speed or electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. bake 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are set. cookies will appear soft and moist. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie set. Cool completely. About 3 dozen cookies

Pork Fried Rice

My neighbor gave me this recipe.

Boil
2 C. Rice
4 C. Water.
Best when rice is cool.

In the frying pan
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8 eggs- scramble
Remove eggs

Put
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp onion
Heat onions and cook until starting to become translucent.
Add
2 C. Ham
Rice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. sugar
Stir
Add eggs
1 C. Peas

Heat

*Can add frozen shrimp on top while rice is warming.

Pork Barbacoa

I got this recipe from Maceys weekly ad. Our family loves this recipe.

4 lbs. Boneless Pork Roast
5 8oz. Tomato Sauce
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
4 c. Dr. Pepper
3 tsp. Garlic Powder
4 tsp. Cumin

• Mix 3 tsp. garlic powder, 4 tsp. cumin, 3 tsp. molasses, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 5 cans tomato sauce and 4 c. Dr. Pepper.
• Pour mixture over pork roast and cook in crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.
• Shred meat, return to crock pot and cook 1 hour in the sauce on low.
• Keep warm until ready serve. serve in tortillas
• Garnish with shredded cheese, lettuce and sour cream. Serves 6
  

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

This recipe makes A LOT of food! I didn't see that it makes for 6-8 people until after...but it's DELISH! so I didn't mind the left overs :)



Serves 6-8

*Plan Ahead: the recipe calls for cooked chicken so use leftovers or plan enough time to cook the chicken beforehand.

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how “saucy” you want the pasta)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don’t boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.
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Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

I got this recipe from http://life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com/

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

Marinade -

6 tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)

1 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded

8-10 flour tortillas (I used whole wheat tortillas)

1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded

16 ounces green enchilada sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Whisk the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a Zip-loc bag.

2. Let it marinate for at least a 1/2 hour, but preferably a half day or so.

3. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.

4. Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade, and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

5. Put tortillas in 9x13 pan as you go.

6. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade (if there is any).

7. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.

8. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

This recipe was found at dinner on a dime.
This is also a great recipe to make as a freezer meal- put into 2 8x8" pans. Bake 1 pan for dinner now, put the other pan into the freezer. Pull it out and bake it when you need it!