Chicken Alfredo Pizza

I used to make this every now and then when we lived in MI, but this is the first time I've made it in a while. This is a super easy, yummy meal!

Ingredients

* 2 small or 1 large chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite size pieces

* 1 container Pillsbury pizza dough

* Appx 1 cup jarred alfredo sauce

* Minced garlic to taste (or just use garlic flavor alfredo sauce)

* Bacon bits

* Shredded parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven according to pizza dough directions. Put plain pizza dough on pan and put in oven for appx 5 minutes, and take out.

2. Mix alfredo sauce w/ minced garlic (if desired) and then pour onto pizza dough and spread evenly.

3. Arrange chicken pieces over dough.

4. Sprinkle bacon bits over pizza.

5. Sprinkle cheese(s) on top.

6. Bake in oven according to pizza dough directions or until crust looks done.

7. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Tonight my husband is gone, so I decided to get in the holiday spirit. I turned on some Christmas music and started baking! These cookies are GREAT! Recipe from MyRecipes.com. Enjoy!

(Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. I halved the recipe. We are cookie monsters, but don't need THAT many cookies for just the two of us!)

Ingredients

* 1 cup butter, softened

* 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

* 1/2 cup granulated sugar

* 2 large eggs

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 3 cups uncooked regular oats

* Appx 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate mega morsels (we used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

* 1 cup chopped toasted pecans (omitted)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well. Add oats; stir well. Add to butter mixture; stir until well blended.

4. Gently stir in chocolate morsels and pecans.

5. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until brown around edges. Cool on pan 2-3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.

Crockpot Chicken Parmigiana

This was SUPER easy and really yummy! We served it over spaghetti. mmm. (We halved the recipe and just used one large breast cut in half for the two of us. Serves 6 normally.) Recipe from CDKitchen.

Ingredients

* 3 whole chicken breasts

* 1 egg

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 teaspoon pepper

* 1 cup dry bread crumbs (we used italian)

* 1 1/4 cup butter

* 10 1/2 ounces can pizza sauce (we used garlic parmesan spaghetti sauce)

* 6 slices mozzarella cheese

* Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cut chicken breasts into halves.

2. In a bowl, beat egg, salt, and pepper; dip chicken into egg, then coat with breadcrumbs.

3. In large skillet, saute chicken in butter.

4. Arrange chicken in crockpot; pour pizza/spaghetti sauce over chicken.

5. Cover and cook in crockpot on low 6 to 8 hours.

6. Add mozzarella cheese, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Grown Up Hamburger Helper

This is another great recipe from Shelly! (Adapted from Rachel Ray). This was DELICIOUS and is also great as leftovers! Shelly halved the recipe, but I will post the full recipe below. This easily makes enough for 4-6 people.

Ingredients

* Appx 4 cups pasta (elbow/cavatappi/penne/etc. are fine)
* 1 lb ground beef (we used ground turkey)

* 4 tbsp grated onion (we omitted)

* 4 tsp worcesteshire sauce (we used soy sauce)

* 4 tbsp butter

* 3 tbsp flour

* 1 cup chicken stock (we used Campbell's chicken broth)

* 2 cups half and half

* 1 tbsp dijon mustard (we used spicy brown mustard)

* 2 1/2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

* Garnish: chopped dill pickles, diced tomatoes, or salsa (we omitted)

Directions

1. Boil a pot of water and add the pasta, cook per the box. Don't drain until the rest is ready.

2. In a large skillet brown the meat. Add the onion and worcestershire then some salt and pepper. When fully cooked, remove to a paper plate and get rid of the grease.

3. In the same skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in the half and half and the chicken stock. Bring to a bubble and cook for a few minutes until it thickens up. Stir in the dijon. Add the cheese and keep stirring until all melted into gooey goodness. Add more salt and pepper.

4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce skillet along with the meat. Serve with the dill pickles and tomatoes/salsa if you wish.

According to Shelly's hubby, one should also add the special ingredient: Little Caesar's spice pack! We used Pizza Hut red pepper flakes. mmm.

Pesto Chicken LC Cheese Pizza

I just kind of made up this recipe with the help of Shelly. I knew I wanted some sort of pesto chicken pizza, but the Laughing Cow cheese was a great add-on!

Ingredients

* 1 pkg Pillsbury pizza dough

* 1 large breast chicken, cooked, cut into pieces

* 2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese (we used french onion flavor)

* Pesto sauce to taste

* Minced garlic

* EVOO

Directions

1. Spread the pizza dough onto a 9x13 pan and pop in the oven for about 5 minutes.

2. Take dough out and spread Laughing Cow cheese over crust.

3. Spread pesto sauce on top of cheese.

4. Sprinkle minced garlic on top of that.

5. Add pieces of chicken on top of pizza.

6. Pop in oven for another 10 minutes or so, or until pizza looks done.

7. If pizza looks a little dry, drizzle on some EVOO. Enjoy!

Kitties Love Apple Pie Too!

No recipe here, but just wanted to share Mini enjoying some of Grandma's apple pie for dessert!! So cute!!

Awesome Broccoli Cheese Casserole

I knew I wanted to serve broccoli as a side for Thanksgiving, but I wanted something a little interesting. After finding this recipe on AllRecipes, I knew I had to try it!

PS - Sorry for the not-so-pretty picture! :(

Ingredients

* 1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of onion)

* 1 cup mayonaisse

* 1 egg, beaten

* 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

* 3 ten-ounce packages frozen chopped broccoli

* 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

* Salt and pepper to taste

* 2 pinches paprika (I omitted)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, mayo, egg, and onion.

3. Place frozen broccoli in a very large mixing bowl. Break up the frozen broccoli.

4. Using a rubber spatula, scrape soup/mayo mixture on top of broccoli and mix well.

5. Sprinkle cheese in and mix well.

6. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish and smooth top of casserole. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.

7. Bake for 45-60 minutes.

Mom's Cheesy Potatoes

My mom has been making this since I was little. It's one of my favorite dishes ever!! We served it as a side for Thanksgiving. Yum!

Ingredients

* 1.5 lbs Ore Ida frozen has browns (thawed)

* 1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup (I use cream of onion b/c I hate mushrooms)

* 3/4 lb sour cream (I use about 1 lb... mmm)

* 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

* 1 stick melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl, but only half of the cheese. (I forgot to leave half the cheese out and mixed it all in. Oops.)

3. Mix in melted butter.

4. (Add in bacon bits if you want. I didn't this time.)

5. Scoop mixture into 9x13 pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

6. Bake for one hour.

Crack Dip (Buffalo Chicken Dip)

This dip is sooooooo sooooooo good. We made it as an app for Thanksgiving. The recipe makes A TON, so we took the leftovers to my husband's family's house and we ended up re-heating it for a late snack while playing poker. Everyone loved it!

Ingredients

* 16 oz cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)

* 12 oz Frank's buffalo sauce

* 8 oz Ranch dressing

* 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken

* 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (we used Mexican blend)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, dressing, and buffalo sauce until well blended. Add shredded chicken and mix well.

3. Spread into a glass baking dish. Top with cheese.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes. (After baking, I transferred the dip into a small crockpot to keep it warm.)

5. Serve warm with tortilla chips (scoops!) and celery.

6. Devour! Remember to breathe!!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

I made these as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and they were soooooo freaking good!! Thanks to Pioneer Woman for the recipe!!

Ingredients

* Fresh jalapenos 2-3 inches in size

* Cream cheese (softened)

* Thin, regular bacon, sliced into thirds

Directions

1. Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise.

2. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT.)

3. Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half.

4. Wrap jalapenos with bacon piece.

5. Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle.

6. Bake on pan with a rack at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes (mine took almost 30 min). You don't want the bacon to shrink so much that it starts to squeeze the jalapeno. If after 20 minutes the bacon doesn't look brown enough, turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of a bite to it.

7. Serve immediately, or they're great at room temperature too.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!! The hubby and I are getting ready to make the drive up to Michigan to see our families. I'll try to remember to take pics of all the delicious food tomorrow!! xo

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Since we are going out of town for 5 days for Thanksgiving, I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while. So tonight we used up some chicken and potatoes we had. Yum!

Ingredients

* 2 chicken breasts, cut up into "tender" size (for 2 people)
* Frank's buffalo sauce
* Seasoned breadcrumbs
* Any extra seasonings you like

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Marinate chicken in buffalo sauce for a couple hours. The longer, the better!
3. Put bread crumbs into bowl and mix in seasonings to your preference. We mixed in some cayenne pepper and some Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning.
4. Dip each chicken tender into bread crumb mixture, coating all sides evenly.
5. Bake in oven on pan or wire rack for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

We served these with Garlic Fries and dipped them in blue cheese dressing. So good!

Ultimate Chewy & Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since my husband's last failed attempt of cookies in the kitchen... I decided to help him out tonight w/ some real CC cookies. I got this recipe from Beantown Baker.

Ingredients

* 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

* 1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar

* 1/2 cup granulated sugar

* 2 large eggs

* 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extra

* 3 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

* 1 tsp. baking soda

* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 16 oz. bitter or semi-sweetchocolate (we used chocolate chips)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter, and set aside.

3. Mix by hand/electric mixer the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

5. Beat in the vanilla.

6. Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.

7. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix until just combined.

8. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

7. Shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

8. Bake 12-15 minutes for smaller cookies; 14-17 minutes for large ones, or until tops are a light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm not dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft.

9. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Salami Pesto Paninis

So there's this sandwich shop here in Knoxville called Pimento's... they are similar to Panera but they serve an AMAZING salami panini that my husband is OBSESSED with. I tried to make something similar tonight. The result: SUPER YUMMY!!!!!

Ingredients:

* 4 slices ciabatta bread for two people (we used asiago garlic ciabatta)

* 6-8 slices salami

* 4 slices pre-cooked bacon (we used turkey bacon)

* 2 triangles Garlic & Herb Laughing Cow Cheese

* Pesto sauce to taste

Directions

1. For each sandwich, spread Laughing Cow cheese on piece of bread and pesto sauce on other piece.

2. Add salami and bacon on top and put together into sandwich form.

3. Heat on griddle or panini press until done.

4. Enjoy!

Starbucks = Love ♥♥♥

I just had to share with everyone the greatest (hot) drink ever invented. A Starbucks venti non-fat 8-pump chai latte, no water. This baby always gets me through the day! mmm

PS ~ Aren't their holiday cups the best? Love them!

Friggin Amazing Taco Stuffed Shells

I found this recipe on BlogChef.net and was super excited to make it. How could anyone not love Italian + Mexican together??? mmm this was seriously one of the best meals I've ever had!

Ingredients

* 1 lb. ground beef (we used ground turkey)

* 1 package taco seasoning

* 4 oz. cream cheese (we used non-fat)

* 12 jumbo pasta shells (we used 16)

* 1 cup salsa (we used a little more)

* 1 cup taco sauce

* 1 cup cheddar cheese

* 1 cup monterey jack cheese

(we used 2 cups Sargento mexican blend)

* 1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips (we omitted)

* 3 green onions (chopped)

* Sour cream

Directions

1. In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.

2. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.

3. 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.

4. Pour salsa on bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

5. Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9x13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.

6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

7. After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes.

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

What Happens When Men Bake (Butterscotch Cookies)

:: Five minutes before ANTM is starting ::

Keith: Honey, I really really want some cookies, like some Chips Ahoy, but don't feel like going to the store.

Me: We have stuff to make them but my show is about to start.

Keith: I'll make them myself.

Lindsay: OK, here's the recipe.

:: I take out all the ingredients, including 2 sticks of butter ::

Keith: Oh my god, TWO sticks of butter?! That's so bad for you!!

Me: They're cookies..... they're not good for you.

Keith: Isn't there some way we can only use one stick?

Me: No.

:: A few minutes later ::

Keith: We only have a little bit of brown sugar left, so I'll just substitute the rest for plain sugar.

Me: OK, if you say so.

:: I go into the kitchen and see Keith dumping flour/sugar/etc. in the bowl without measuring ::

Me: Sweetheart, why aren't you measuring anything?

Keith: Oh whatever, it's close enough.

:: I hear the microwave turn on from the couch ::

Keith: The butter isn't soft enough.
Me: Too late, you already started mixing it with everything else.
Keith: That's okay, I just put the whole bowl in the microwave.

And now you see why the wife should always be around to facilitate baking! I have to admit that the cookies taste pretty good, although very sugary. But they look horrible, like pancakes that are falling apart!! Men......

PS ~ Keith "followed" the recipe from Venice's blog, and butterscotch chips were used instead of chocolate b/c we were out of chocolate.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Chicken & Garlic Fries

Since I loooooooved the Laughing Cow Chicken recipe so much, I decided to try a buffalo version tonight. This was really tasty and nice and spicy, just how we like it! :) We made garlic fries from Venice's blog to go with it - those were delicious as well!

BLUE CHEESE STUFFED BUFFALO CHICKEN

Ingredients

* 2 chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally 3/4 of the way through (so you can stuff the inside)
* Appx 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
* Seasoning to taste (we used "Extra Spicy" Mrs. Dash seasoning)
* 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
* Frank's Red Hot sauce to marinate

Directions

1. Marinate chicken breasts in hot sauce for at least a couple hours - we did ours for about 4 hours.

2. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Open each chicken breast up and sprinkle blue cheese crumbles and seasoning inside the middle. Fold chicken back over to original shape.
4. Dip chicken in bread crumbs to coat. Place on baking sheet.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

*** The bottoms of the chicken did get a little soggy, so I guess the solution would be to bake the chicken on some sort of rack or maybe try turning them over halfway through.

GARLIC FRIES

Ingredients

* 2-3 potatoes for two people

* Garlic powder

* Salt and pepper (we used seasoned salt)

* EVOO

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut potatoes into french fry strips. Toss with EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic (and any other seasonings you like!)

3. Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes or until crispy.

Chicken Stuffed Shells

I'm sure you've realized by now that my hubby and I love pretty much any kind of pasta dish, especially if it includes chicken! And this recipe was no different. Thanks to Annie's Eats for this yummy recipe! (I halved the recipe for the two of us and we still have enough for 2 nights worth. The full recipe is posted below.)

Ingredients

* 1 box uncooked jumbo pasta shells

* 6 cloves garlic

* 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

* 30 oz. part skim ricotta cheese

* 1/3 cup italian bread crumbs

* 1 1/2 tsp. salt

* 1/2 tsp. black pepper

* 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

* 6 large basil leaves, torn (I used dried)

* 1/3 cup half and half

* ~28 oz. spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Roasted Garlic)

* 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cook pasta shells according to package directions and drain. Lay shells out on cutting board/cookie sheet to prevent from sticking together.

3. Add ingredients garlic through half and half to food processor and process until just combined. (I just mixed by hand.)

4. Spoon enough spaghetti sauce into 9x13 pan to cover bottom.

5. Fill the cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place open side up in pan.

6. Spoon as much of the remaining spaghetti sauce over shells as you'd like.

7. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

8. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

This was DELICIOUS!!!! My hubby said he wouldn't change a thing about this recipe, and I agree. Yum!

Frappe Vino

My dad and I went to the Sugar Loaf Art Fair in Novi, MI a few weeks ago and I ended up finding this hidden gem: frozen wine! It's a powdery mix that you add wine and water to, stick in the freezer for a few hours, and viola, you have a delicious frozen, slushy wine. The art fair was giving out free samples and they had me at my first sip :) Check them out: D'Marie Frappe Vino

Shelly's (White) ChocoChip Cookies!

These are soooooooooooo YUMMY!!! Thanks Shelly!!! :)

Ingredients

* 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

* 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

* 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
* 3/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* ~9 oz. chocolate chips (I used white chocolate b/c that's what I had)

Directions

1. Set out stick of unsalted butter ahead of time, or heat in microwave just until soft. (Do not melt.)

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the first five ingredients with a hand/stand mixer.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the next four ingredients.

5. Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet.

6. Stir in ~9 oz. chocolate chips.

7. Scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Leave about 2 inches between cookies.

8. Bake for 9+ minutes depending on how soft you like your cookies and how big you made them. I made mine really big, so mine took almost 15 minutes. Plus my oven kinda sucks.

9. Let cool for a few minutes before setting on cooling rack/wax paper/etc.

10. ENJOY!!! nom nom nom

We ♥ Wusthof

We've been eyeing these Wusthof knives ever since we registered for our wedding back in January. We didn't end up getting them as a gift, so we finally went ahead and bought the 17-piece set today. Can't wait to use them!!

Cheesy Salami Crescent Pockets

Very similar to my Buffalo Chicken Crescent Pockets, these pockets were a perfect invention for our lunch today. Yum!

Ingredients

* 1 package Pillsbury crescents (I used the new blank sheet where you cut your own shape out)

* 6 slices of hard salami

* Appx 2 oz fat free cream cheese (or any version cream cheese you'd like)

* 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or to taste)

Directions

1. Roll out crescents flat on baking sheet. Spread a little cream cheese in the middle of each triangle/square. Then sprinkle on some mozzarella cheese and add small pieces of salami to each triangle/square.

2. Fold each corner into the middle to make into a "pocket" shape.

3. Bake according to directions on crescent package. Enjoy!

Laughing Cow Chicken

I recently tried Laughing Cow cheese for the first time and OMG it was so yummy! So when I saw this recipe on Macaroni and Cheesecake, I knew I had to try it. I just made it for me and my husband, so I cut the recipe down by 2/3. I also had to modify a bit since we didn't have any darn toothpicks!

Ingredients

* 2 chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally 3/4 of the way through (so you can stuff the inside)

* 2 wedges Laughing Cow light cheese (one per breast)

* Italian seasoning to taste

* 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (we used seasoned)

* Handful grated parmesan cheese

* Cooking spray

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Open each chicken breast up and spread one wedge of Laughing Cow inside the middle. Sprinkle italian seasoning inside to taste. Fold chicken back over to original shape.

3. Mix together bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Spray each chicken breast with cooking spray and then dip in bread crumb mixture to coat. Place on baking sheet.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

This was AMAZING and so simple. This will definitely become a regular on our menu. Enjoy!

Chicken Stir Fry

I didn't really follow a recipe for this.. just kind of threw some things together and put them in the pan. This was just for me and it made a lot! I only used about 1/4 of each veggie too. Enjoy!

Ingredients

* One chicken breast, cut into small strips

* Red onion, cut into bite-size pieces

* Red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces

* Green pepper, cut into bite-size pieces

* Vegetable oil

* Soy sauce

Directions

1. Heat a large pan and add a little vegetable oil. Add chicken and veggies and soy sauce; fry until chicken is cooked through and veggies are to your liking. You'll probably have to stagger the timing of each veggie, as some will be done quicker than others.

2. Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles.

Buffalo Chicken Calzone

Chicken + cheese + hot sauce = our favorite. I found this on the WC board on Ellen's Edibles Blog. It was super easy to make and especially DELICIOUS!!

Ingredients

* 1 lb ground chicken (we used ground turkey b/c the store was out of ground chicken)

* Chicken seasoning to taste (we used Weber's Kickin' Chicken)

* Ground pepper to taste

* 6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (we used fat free)

* 3/4 cup hot wing sauce (we used Frank's)

* Frozen onion/celery mix to taste (we omitted)

* 1 handful shredded mozzarella cheese or to taste

* 1 handful shredded cheddar cheese or to taste (we omitted)

* 1 refrigerated pizza dough

* Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put jelly roll pan or pizza stone in oven to warm.
2. Brown chicken and frozen onions/celery. Drain fat and add poultry seasoning, ground pepper and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese melts. Add wing sauce. Simmer until sauce is slightly reduced. Remove from heat.
3. On a piece of parchment paper, roll out pizza dough.
4. Sprinkle cheese over dough, then spread slightly cooled chicken mixture over half (long ways) of the dough. Roll the dough long ways and seal the dough at the seam. Helpful hint: rather than trying to pull the dough from the parchment as you roll it, lift the parchment long ways so that the entire piece of dough rolls at once without breaking.
5. Cut slices on top of the dough with a knife so steam can escape. Spray lightly with olive oil, or brush dough with an egg wash.
6. Put calzone with parchment on the hot jelly roll pan and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until brown.
7. Once out of the oven, let calzone rest for a few minutes and slice into generous diagonal pieces. Serve with dipping sauce.

Butterscotch Blondies

This recipe originally came from Martha's website, but I changed a couple things when I made them. These were freaking DELICIOUS!! Enjoy!!

Ingredients

* 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

* 1 2/3 cups flour

* 1 tsp baking powder

* 3/4 tsp coarse salt

* 1 cup packed light brown sugar

* 2 large eggs

* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

* 1/3 cup butterscotch chips (I used 1/2 cup butterscotch and 1/2 cup white chocolate and omitted the cashews and toffee)

* 1/2 cup unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped (omitted)

* 1/4 cup toffee bits (omitted)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining and set pan aside.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla; mix until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture. Mix, scraping sides of bowl, until well combined. Mix in butterscotch (and white chocolate), cashews, and toffee.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until golden brown (test with toothpick), about 42-45 minutes (I took mine out around 35 minutes). Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

I read in the reviews on Martha's site that these blondies have a more "cakey" texture than normal. I found this to be true, but they are still yummy anyway.

Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups

I had a craving for lasagna but didn't feel like doing all the work, so I found this recipe on CDKitchen's website.

Ingredients

* 6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

* 6-8 oz. chicken breast strips (cooked)

* 1 jar spaghetti sauce

* 1 cup ricotta cheese

* 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (we used a little more)

* 1 egg, lightly beaten

* 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (we used a little more)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook noodles as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain well.

2. Mix chicken, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg and seasoning; spread 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each noodles. Roll up tightly. Place seam sides down in a 9-inch baking dish.

3. Pour spaghetti sauce over roll-ups; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

These were delicious!! Our chicken was a little dry and I ended up picking most of it out - I think these would be just as yummy without the chicken. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Crescent Pockets

We had like zero groceries in the house, so we just kind of threw some things together and made these. They remind me of Shelly's yummy chicken crescent pockets!

Ingredients

* 1 medium size chicken breast

* Buffalo sauce (we used Frank's)

* Blue cheese crumbles

* Shredded cheddar cheese (we used colby jack but I think cheddar would be best)

* 1 container refrigerated crescent rolls (we used Pillsbury)

Directions

1. Marinate chicken breast in buffalo sauce.

2. Bake chicken in oven until fully cooked. Cut up into small pieces.

3. Roll out crescent rolls onto baking sheet so that they lay flat.

4. Add your blue cheese crumbles and your shredded cheddar cheese onto the centers of the crescent pockets. Add as much as you like. We love cheese, so we used A LOT!

5. Add pieces of chicken to each crescent.

6. Fold up crescents into little pockets. The easiest way is to fold up the 2 short ends and then fold the long end all the way over the top.

7. Bake according to directions on crescents.

8. Enjoy!!

Amazing Filet Mignon

I think my most favorite food in the world is filet mignon... it's so freaking good that I can't even iamgine anything better than this. With it being Labor Day weekend and all, we decided to grill some steaks along with Shelly's Famous Potatoes. Yum!

Ingredients

* Pieces filet mignon, appx 6-8 oz. each (one for each of us)

* Steak seasoning (We used Weber's Chicago Steak Seasoning)

* Blue cheese crumbles

Directions

* Add seasoning to taste to uncooked steaks.
* Grill steaks @ 450 degrees for approximately 15 minutes (flip over halfway through).
* Add blue cheese crumbles on top of steaks. The more, the better!

Don't forget to pair with a yummy Wildberry Grape martini!!

Peanut Butter Blondies

I got this recipe from a fellow WC Nestie, BakingBlonde. This was my first time making blondies and I think they turned out perfectly - they were sooo delicious!!

Ingredients

* 4-5 tbsp. butter
* 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used creamy)
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1 cup flour
* 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Nestle's combination bag of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8×8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.

3. In a medium microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter for 20-30 seconds until almost/all melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

4. Stir the peanut butter into the butter until creamy and smooth.

5. Add the brown sugar to the butter/peanut butter and stir until smooth.

6. Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine.

7. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the peanut butter mixture and stir just to combine.

8. Gently fold in chocolate chips and any other additions (chopped nuts, chopped Reese’s cups, Reese’s pieces, etc).
9. Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top.

10. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting.

Lemon Parmesan Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe on the SparkPeople website. It looked so light yet delicious, I just had to make it! I modified it a bit to suit our taste.

Ingredients

* 1/2 lb. angel hair pasta

* 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces (we just used one large chicken breast for the two of us)

* 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 tbsp butter

* 3 tbsp lemon juice (we used at least double this)

* 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (again, we doubled this)

* 1 cup reserved pasta water

Directions

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter in large skillet. Saute chicken and garlic until cooked through.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions.

4. Add lemon juice and parmesan to chicken shortly before pasta is done.

5. Toss the cooked pasta with the chicken mixture.

6. Ladle in 1 cup of pasta water to extend the sauce.

This was so yummy! Will definitely be making it again :)

Sweet Potato Fries

I saw this recipe online somewhere a few days ago and I knew that you were supposed to use sweet potatoes, salt/seasoning, and olive oil. So I browsed around a couple websites and pretty much figured out what to do and just kind of went with it. How hard could it be?

Ingredients

* 2 medium/large sweet potatoes (for 2 people)

* Garlic salt/sea salt/garlic steak seasoning (we used all three separately in different sections)

* Olive oil

Directions

1. Slice sweet potatoes into a fry shape. You can either make them the "string" shape of fry or the "steak fry" shape. We did a little of both.

2. Toss in olive oil and then lay flat on a baking sheet.

3. Sprinkle seasonings of your choice all over fries. I have also read that paprika would be good. We just used a little bit of everything that we had in the house.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, depending on how soft/crispy you like them and how thinly you sliced them. Flip them over halfway through.

I read online that sweet potatoes will never actually get that crispy, but using the olive oil and baking at a higher temperature can help. We only baked for about 35 minutes @ 400 and they probably could have used another 10 minutes or so. Oh well, next time!

These were really yummy and we'll definitely be making them again. (We ate them with grilled chicken breast with feta cheese on top.)

Yummy Turkey Muenster Lasagna

I got this recipe from my mom who recently ate it at a friend's house. She gave me the approximate recipe over the phone. I always err on the side of more cheese and more garlic, so use whatever suits your taste. Also, sorry for the crappy pic. We were so hungry that we didn't want to let it cool... so the pieces kind of fell apart. Oh well!

Ingredients

* 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I used the small Barilla ones)

* 1 lb. lean ground turkey

* Appx. 26 oz. spaghetti sauce (I used Prego traditional)

* 3/4 lb. muenster cheese - slices or shredded

* 24 oz. small curd cottage cheese

* 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (I used more than that.. we love cheese)

* 1 tsp. garlic powder (I used fresh minced garlic and put way more than 1 tsp.)

* 2 tbsp. parsley

* 2 eggs

Directions

1. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Brown ground turkey; drain.

3. Combined second group of ingredients in bowl and mix (cottage cheese, parm cheese, garlic powder, parsley, eggs).

4. Spread one cup of spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan.

5. Layer 4 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 of browned ground turkey, and one cup of sauce.

6. Layer 4 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture, and 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce.

7. Layer 4 lasagna noodles, the remaining cottage cheese mixture, remaining ground turkey, and 1 cup of sauce.

8. Layer 4 lasagna noodles and remaining spaghetti sauce.

9. Add shredded/sliced muenster cheese on top.

10. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

This was really yummy! Next time I will definitely let it cool longer before we scarf it down. I might also try using a flavored spaghetti sauce, maybe garlic.

Red Lobster Biscuits

If you've never had the cheddar garlic biscuits from Red Lobster, you are missing out!! I was so excited when I came across this recipe on the WC board. (Originally from Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats.) I modified it a bit to make it easier (i.e. just spreading butter on top before eating instead of mixing and drizzling). Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups Bisquick mix

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar and would probably double it next time.. I love cheese!)

2/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients until moist.

3. Drop onto greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden.

5. Spread butter on top before eating.

My Famous TACO BAKE!!

I know, you can't believe that this amazing famous recipe came from MUAH! (well actually, my mom...) This has become a very popular dish on the knot/nest boards and I couldn't be happier! It was one of my fav meals growing up and I'm so glad people seem to love it as much as I do (Shelly - you don't count this time!) Enjoy!

* A pic of the original print-out recipe my mom gave me! *

Ingredients

* 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey, or ground chicken - I used turkey this time but have tried all three and all are great)
* 1 packet taco seasoning
* 15 oz. tomato sauce
* 8 oz. seashell pasta (I use medium shells but have tried large too)
* 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened in microwave (I used fat free)
* 1/2 cup sour cream (I usually use more like 1 cup of light sour cream)
* 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I was out of sharp cheddar tonight so I used finely shredded taco cheese - I would not recommend it b/c it made the cheese layer way more oily than usual. Plus the sharp tastes better, in my opinion.)

Directions

1. Brown ground beef, drain. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
3. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.
4. Spray bottom of 9x13 pan. Put pasta in bottom of pan.
5. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta.
6. Spoon ground meat mixture over this.
7. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
8. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Ta-da! Eat, put leftovers in fridge, warm up for dinner the next night, and repeat. This is almost even better as leftovers. DE-LISHHH-USSSS!!! :)

Simple Baked Mostaccioli

This is one of our favorite dishes and is so simple to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients

* Spaghetti sauce, almost a whole jar (any kind you'd like - this time I used Emeril's 3-cheese)

* Appx 12 ounces mostaccioli noodles, cooked

* Appx 8 ounces small curd cottage or ricotta cheese (I used cottage this time but both are good)

* Appx 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

* Optional: chicken breast, cooked, cut into small pieces (I didn't use this time but usually do)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients in a 9x13 casserole dish, cover with mozzarella (I usually mix some of the mozz in and then put the rest on top)

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until browned and bubbly and heated through (about 25 min)

And that's it! So easy and so yummy!