Breaded Ranch Chicken

At my wedding shower I asked everyone to bring their favorite recipe so that I could start my own collection of family recipes. A good friend of our family gave us this breaded ranch chicken recipe and it was the first recipe from my new collection that I tried. My husband normally only likes chicken on the grill but this recipe changed his mind. The chicken is so moist and the flavor is awesome especially if you are a big fan of ranch dressing like myself. I served the chicken with brussel sprouts and mushroom risotto from Trader Joes (if you haven't tried this risotto I highly suggest it).

Ingredients:

3/4 cup crushed cornflakes
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
6 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup butter - melted

Directions:

In a shallow bowl combine cornflakes, parmesan cheese, and ranch packet.

Dip chicken in melted butter then roll in cornflake mixture to coat.

Place chicken in a greased 9x13 pan, uncovered.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Pulled Chicken Suiza Sammies

I found this recipe and had to make it that night because these sounded so delicious. These were so easy to make and full of flavor. For the chicken I just picked up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to make this an even quicker meal to make. I served these with one of my favorite sandwich sides, Alexia's frozen onion rings mmmmm.The chicken mixture tastes a lot like the filling to an enchilada so the next day I used the left overs to make nachos and they were fantastic.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped (all I had was half an onion)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups salsa verde
1/2 cup sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 sandwich rolls, split
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:

Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Add sauce a little at a time to your bowl of shredded chicken. YOU MAY NOT NEED ALL THE SAUCE depending on how much shredded chicken you have. Stir in the sauce to coat.

Pile the chicken mixture on the roll bottoms. Top with the cheese and broil to melt. Set the roll tops in place and serve with your favorite side.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Tater-Topped Casserole

Who doesn't love tater tots? When I told my husband a few years back that I was going to make a recipe with tater tots he thought I was crazy and warned me that he wasn't going to like it. Well this is now one of his most requested dinners. The recipe calls for shredded cheddar cheese but I have always used shredded mexican shredded cheese because its what I usually have on hand. I also add minced onion and garlic to the meat when browning it. This is one of those dishes that you can't knock it till you try it. I always top my serving with a little bit of ketchup too :)

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

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

1/4 cup  milk

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)

1 cup Mexican Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or any cheese blend that you prefer)

1 lb. (1/2 of 32-oz. pkg.) frozen tater tots ( I usually use the Ore Ida Onion Tots)

 

Directions:

 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Brown meat in large skillet and spoon into 2 quart casserole dish.

 

Mix soup and milk in a bowl and poor over meat. Top with frozen veggies, cheese, and tater tots.

 

Bake for 45 minutes or until tots are golden brown and casserole is heated through. 

 

Source: Kraft Foods

Frito Skillet

I love Mexican food! This is one of my favorites because it is a mix between nachos and taco salad. We have always used ground turkey breast but I'm sure this would be great with ground beef.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean  ground beef or ground turkey breast

3/4 cup water

1 pkg.Taco Seasoning

2 cups Frito corn chip

Mexican shredded cheese

2 cups shredded lettuce

Directions:

Brow meat in large skillet. Add water and seasoning mix; cook as directed on package.
   
Cover meat mixture with chips and then top with shredded cheese; cover. Cook on low heat 5 min. or until cheese is melted.
 
Top with salsa, sour cream, and sliced olives.  

White Trash Dip

The best part about football season is getting together with friends and of course eating a lot of food. The reason this is called white trash dip is because it is super cheap to make and quite frankly doesn't look all that pretty. Despite the name the look of this dip it is a crowd pleaser and seriously addicting.

Ingredients:

2 8oz packages of cream cheese

1 can of hormel chili with no beans

8 oz of shredded mexican cheese blend

Directions:

Soften cream cheese and spread into pie dish

Pour can of chili on top of cream cheese

Place shredded cheese on top and heat either in the oven or microwave until melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Easy Crockpot Potato Soup

All I can say is mmmmm heaven! Thank god for pinterest otherwise I may have never discovered this recipe. This recipe couldn't get any easier it literally took me 5 minutes to throw everything in the crockpot and dinner was ready when I got home from work. Make sure that you use regular cream cheese because the non-fat won't melt. I didn't have an onion so I substituted the chopped onion with 3 tbsp minced onion. After serving I topped the soup with chives, bacon bacon (tastefully simple), shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Ingredients:

1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns {I used Ore Ida}

3 14oz. cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese 

Directions:

In a crockpot combine everything except cream cheese. Cook for 6-8 hours on low.

About 1 hour before serving add the cream cheese. Cut the cream cheese into cubes for faster melting. Keep heated until thoroughly melted.

Source: Adapted from Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour

Cranberry Orange Spread

This is one of my favorite recipes to make during the holidays. When I first made it I was skeptical because the ingredients just didn't sound like they would go well together but I was SO wrong. Word of advice don't taste test before letting it refrigerate overnight because it has a totally different taste. I usually serve it with crackers but you could use pretzels or even graham crackers.

Ingredients:

1 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
1 tbsp frozen orange juice (melted)
1 tsp of sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Zest of one orange
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

Directions:

Let 1 tbsp of frozen orange juice melt in a medium size bowl.  While juice is melting let cream cheese softened and chop dried cranberries. (I used food processor to chop cranberries)

Blend all ingredients except cranberries with the melted orange juice with mixer. Then mix in cranberries by hand. Refrigerate overnight.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

I absolutely love anything with pumpkin in it and that is one of the reasons why I love this time of year. I have made dump cake before with apple and cherry pie filing but when my friend shared this recipe with me I knew I had to make this ASAP. My husband doesn't care for pumpkin pie and he loved this. I served mine warmed up with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, you could also top it with whipped cream. 

Ingredients:

1 20 oz can pure pumpkin

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

3 whole eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 box yellow cake mix

3/4 cups melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans (optional, I didn't use in mine)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until well blended. Spread pumpkin mixture in prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle cake mix evenly on top of the batter. If adding pecans, sprinkle them over the cake mix. Pour melted butter over the top of the cake mix. Bake 50 minutes.

Cool. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.  

Slightly adapted from Cookies and Cups

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is the ultimate comfort food for this time of year and this recipe is so simple it is impossible to mess it up. You can make your own homemade crust but I never do. Its just too easy to buy the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust and I actually think it tastes better than some homemade pie crusts I have had in the past.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup cut up cooked chicken breast

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1 box refrigerated pie crust

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400°F. In a bowl mix the soup and milk together. Then add chicken and vegetables to the soup mix.

Roll out one of the pie crust and press into 9 inch pie plate. Pour mixture from bowl over pie crust. Roll out the other pie crust and press on top of mixture. 

Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until crust golden brown.  

Skinny Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes are the perfect guiltless fall treat. The original recipe calls for a box of Golden Vanilla cake mix, I couldn't find it at my grocery store so I used Betty Crocker French Vanilla cake mix and they still turned out great! I still need to work on making the frosting look "pretty" which you can definitely do by piping the frosting and adding some fall colored sprinkles. Refrigerate any left over cupcakes if they are frosted.

Ingredients:

18.25 oz Betty Crocker French Vanilla Super Cake Mix
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup water

For the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz Philadelphia 1/3 fat cream cheese (do not use fat free)
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
5 tbsp packed brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake wrappers.

Combine cake mix and pumpkin spice in a large bowl. Add pumpkin puree and water, mix about 2 minutes 

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake about 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes and enjoy.
 

Source: Adapted from Skinnytaste

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

I love asparagus and after making it this way its the only way I make it now.This is a simple and delicious side dish and if you have never tried asparagus this is the way to introduce yourself to it.

Ingredients

1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees

Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil, add garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the spears. Arrange the asparagus onto a foil lined baking sheet in a single layer. Then sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

Greek Turkey Burgers

I love turkey burgers and tzatziki sauce so this was a match made in heaven for me. You can add more veggies such as lettuce, red onion, and tomato to this burger but it is delicious without all the fixins too. I have made these on the grill and on the George Foreman and both ways are great. I normally don't eat anything left over but these are really good re-heated the next day too.

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey breast
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Greek seasoning
Feta cheese as desired
Tzatziki sauce as desired
Whole wheat hamburger buns or onion rolls

Directions

In a large bowl, combine turkey, bread crumbs, egg, and Greek seasoning. Form mixture into 4 patties and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Spray grill rack with nonstick nonflammable cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Grill burgers, covered with grill lid for 5 to 8 minutes per side or until 165 degrees.

Serve on bun topped with feta cheese and tzatziki sauce.

7-Layer Mexican Dip

This is a great go to recipe when you are looking for something easy to make when getting together with friends or family. The sour cream mixture is even a great chip dip by itself. If you aren't a fan of guacamole you can always leave it out. Sliced olives are a great addition too. Enjoy!

Ingredients

8 oz refried beans
1 can frito bean dip
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
Guacamole
1 jar medium salsa
shredded mexican cheese blend
shredded lettuce

Directions

Mix 8oz of refried bean with can of frito bean dip for first layer. Mix taco seasoning with may and sour cream for second layer. Then layer guacamole, salsa, cheese, and shredded lettuce.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours then serve.

Super Moist Low Fat Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze

This one is for all you chocoholics out there. I was a little skeptical making these at first due to the ingredients but trust me they are so good. The fact that they don't taste low-fat makes them even better. With no oil, butter, or eggs I can't believe how moist they are. If you aren't a fan of pumpkin don't worry you can't taste that there is pumpkin in the batter. This is the perfect chocolate fix without the guilt.

Cupcake Ingredients

18.25 oz Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix
1.4 oz sugar free, fat free, instant chocolate pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/3 cups water

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2-1 tbsp 1% milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions Cupcakes

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with liners

Combine pumpkin and water in a large bowl; mix to combine. Add chocolate pudding mix and mix well.
Add chocolate cake mix and beat for 2 minutes

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake about 25 - 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.  

Directions for Chocolate Glaze 
 
For the glaze: combine all dry ingredients, add vanilla and 1/2 tbsp milk, adding more 1/4 tsp at a time if needed until smooth. 

Add to a piping bag or use a zip lock bag and cut the corner off, drizzle onto cooled cupcakes.

Source: Skinnytaste

Fried Rice

Chinese carry-out doesn't compare to my mother in-laws recipe for fried rice. I am so glad that she shared this recipe with me so I can enjoy it whenever I want. Plus it has bacon in it so you know it has to be good.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked white rice

1 package of bacon cooked (keep bacon grease off to the side)

Bunch of green onion

2 carrots, shaved

1/2 green pepper chopped

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 teaspoon  MSG (optional)

Directions

Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until cooked. Add green onions, green peppers, and shaved carrots. Add MSG. Push to the side of the frying pan.

Pour a little bacon grease in the pan. Crack 2 eggs in the bacon grease. Scramble and cook. Mix together the veggies, bacon, and eggs.

Add rice slowly and sprinkle soy sauce. Heat until warm.

Alternatives: you can add different veggies, ham, or shrimp to this.

Firecracker Chicken Stir-Fry

I am so glad I came across this recipe because I would have never thought to use salad dressing with chicken stir-fry. This recipe is ridiculously simple and so good I could eat it every week. Don't be afraid of the crushed red pepper flakes, it really isn't that spicy but if you are like my husband and hate any type of heat you could always use less. :)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables

1/2 cup Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups brown or white rice 

Directions

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic, cook and stir 4 minutes, or until chicken is evenly browned.

Add bag of frozen vegetables and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add dressing and crushed red pepper and cook for 3 minutes or until heated through.

Serve over rice. (I usually add a little extra of the dressing on top)

Source: Slightly Adapted from Kraft Foods

Garlic Grilled Shrimp

I am trying to put all of my favorite grilling recipes on the menu for the next few weeks before day light savings time arrives and its dark outside by 5:00 :(. This is a shrimp marinade that is a family recipe of a friend and it never disappoints.

Ingredients

1 pound of shrimp (I use shrimp that is already cooked because it is much easier to work with)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Directions

Whisk all ingredients together (besides the shrimp) in a bowl. Place shrimp in a zip lock bag and pour marinade over shrimp. Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Grill until heated through.

Amazing Taco Stuffed Shells

 

This is by far one of my favorite dishes I have EVER made and that is why it is the first recipe I am sharing. It is so delicious and a nice spin on the traditional stuffed shells. I used ground turkey and fat free cream cheese to make it "healthier" and it was just as tasty. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 package taco seasoning

4 oz. cream cheese (I used non-fat)

12 jumbo pasta shells
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 cup monterey jack cheese

(I used 2 cups Sargento mexican blend)

3 green onions (chopped)

Sour cream

Directions

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.

While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don't stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9x13 baking dish.Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9x13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes.

Add any condiments you'd like (onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa

Source: adapted from Love Delicousness, originally from Blog Chef