Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

I made these as an appetizer on Thanksgiving and they were a big hit! These are a nice twist to your typical deviled eggs... plus obviously bacon makes everything just a little bit better! From allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS

* 12 eggs
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 4 slices bacon (I just used real bacon pieces from the bag... much easier!)
* 2 tablespoons finely shredded cheddar cheese
* 1 tablespoon mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. (Ummm please heat for longer than 12 minutes... I did my first batch for like 15 minutes and when I peeled my first egg, it was still runny! So I started over and let them sit in the hot water for about 22 minutes instead. Much better. Nobody likes runny hard boiled eggs.)

2. Remove from hot water, and cool. To cool more quickly, rinse eggs under cold running water.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Alternatively, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute per slice. Crumble and set aside.
4. Peel the hard-cooked eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir in mustard. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving.

Grandma's Green Bean Casserole

I wish this was my grandma's green bean casserole, but sadly, it's not. This was pretty darn good. I've never been a huge fan of GBC but this was really yummy with the sour cream in it and everyone at our Turkey Day dinner seemed to enjoy it. From allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS (serves 8-10)

* 2 tbsp butter
* 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp white sugar
* 1/4 cup onion, diced (omitted)
* 1 cup sour cream
* 3 (14.5 oz) cans French style green beans, drained
* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers (I substituted french fried onions)
* 1 tbsp butter, melted (omitted since I omitted the crackers)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.
3. Transfer the mixture to a 2.5 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Three Cheese Manicotti

MMMMMMMMMM cheesy baked pasta. Seriously SO yummy! From allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)

* 8 oz package manicotti shells
* 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1 egg
* 2 tbsp dried basil
* 26 oz pasta sauce (I used ricotta parmesan flavored sauce)

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix 3 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, and basil. Stuff cooked manicotti with the mixture.
Spread about 2 cups pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti in the dish, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and continue baking 10 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

Baked Pumpkin Pasta

I debated whether to post this recipe or not... because I honestly didn't really like how it tasted. But this is the first time I've ever had pumpkin in my pasta, so I figured it might just be me. Maybe someone else can make it and enjoy it! Recipe from here.

INGREDIENTS

* 12 oz uncooked penne pasta
* 2 tsp olive oil
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced (I omitted)
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1 tsp dried sage
* 1 15 oz can pure pumpkin
* 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
* 1/2 cup water reserved from pasta pot
* 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to directions on package, less 2 minutes, and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water when done.
3. Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet. Sauté onions and garlic for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in zucchini and herbs, and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir in canned pumpkin and ricotta cheese.
5. Empty drained pasta plus 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water into skillet and mix well.
6. Spoon pasta into a 11 x 7 baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Super Easy Stuffed Peppers

I've made stuffed peppers a few times but I've always cooked the meat beforehand. I wanted to try this recipe because the meat actually cooks inside the peppers in the oven. This was pretty good! From allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 medium green bell peppers
* 1/2 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
* 8 oz can tomato sauce, divided (I used spaghetti sauce instead)
* 1/4 cup uncooked instant rice
* 3 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I used mozzarella)
* 1 tbsp chopped onion
* 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp pepper
* 1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut tops off peppers and discard; remove seeds. Blanch peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine beef, 1/4 cup of tomato sauce, rice, 2 tablespoons of cheese, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and egg; mix well.

3. Stuff the peppers; place in an ungreased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and peppers are tender.

4. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; return to the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Can you tell fall is here by three soup posts in a row?? :)

This was sooooo yummy. I altered the recipe's cheeses a little bit and it ended up tasting a lot like Panera's, which I absolutely LOVE. And, bonus points that it was super easy to make! Recipe from allrecipes.com.

Full recipe is listed below but please do not make the full recipe unless you are feeding 10+ people. I cut it into a third and it still made enough for three meals for myself!

INGREDIENTS

* 3 (10 oz) packages frozen chopped broccoli
* 3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
* 6 tbsp margarine
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups milk (I used skim and it turned out fine)
* 1.5 lbs processed cheese food (i.e. Velveeta), cubed (I used about half shredded sharp cheddar, half shredded 5-cheese italian mix, and a few slices of swiss)
* 1 pinch ground white pepper (who has white pepper? I used regular!)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot over medium heat, simmer the broccoli in the broth for 15 minutes. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, or to desired tenderness.
2. Add the flour to the onions and stir well, forming a pasty substance. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick. Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well. Then add the cheese, stirring until melted. Finally, add the pepper. (Note: Be careful not to let the soup boil, or the cheese will break down.)

Terrific Turkey Chili

With the fall weather approaching here in TN it only felt right to make a comforting dish of chili. This was my first time making any sort of chili and I think it turned out great - it was delicious! (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

* 3 tbsps vegetable oil, divided
* 1.5 lbs ground turkey
* 1 (1 oz) package taco seasoning mix
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 (14.5 oz) can beef broth
* 1 (7 oz) can salsa
* 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes, or coarsely chopped tomatoes packed in puree (I omitted completely)
* 1 (7 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, diced
* 3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (I omitted)
* 1 bunch green onions, chopped (I forgot to buy, oops)
* 1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
* 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

* ADDED: a little bit of chili powder and a little bit of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon to break apart as much as possible. Season with taco seasoning mix, coriander, oregano, chili flakes, and tomato paste, and mix until meat is evenly coated with seasonings. Continue cooking, reducing heat if necessary, until turkey is well browned.

2. Pour in beef broth, and simmer to reduce liquid slightly, about 5 minutes. Add salsa, tomatoes, and green chilies, and continue cooking at a moderate simmer for ten minutes. Adjust the thickness at any time you feel necessary by adding water.
3. While chili is still cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and green bell pepper, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and bell pepper is lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper to the chili, and continue cooking at a very low simmer.

4. In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, and cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the zucchini to the chili, reduce heat, and continue cooking 15 minutes more. Again, adjust the consistency with water as needed.
5. Ladle chili into serving bowls. Top with sour cream, green onion, and cheddar cheese, and serve.

PW's French Onion Soup

WOW is all I can say about this soup... this was seriously some of the best french onion soup I've had in my life... you may look at the recipe and think "wow, that's a lot of work for soup". But trust me. Make it. It's soooooooo worth it!! Thanks Pioneer Woman!

I fourthed the recipe below since I was just making this for myself (the hubby won't eat onions). It made a big bowl that I admittedly finished in one sitting. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 stick butter

* 4 large yellow onions (or 6 medium/small), halved root to tip and sliced thin

* 1 generous cup dry white wine

* 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used Emeril's chicken stock)

* 4 cups beef broth (again, I used Emeril's)

* 2 cloves minced garlic

* Worcestershire sauce

* Several thick slices french bread or baguette

* Appx 6 oz Gruyere cheese, grated (I subbed swiss, but asiago, mozzarella, or romano will work too)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.

3. Place soup pot into oven with the lid slightly ajar to ensure the onions will brown. (I covered with foil and just peeled back a little on one side.)

4. Allow onions to cook in oven for 1 hour, stirring at least once so onions don't stick and burn.

5. Remove pot from the oven and place over medium heat. Stir the onions, scraping up all the brown bits off the side.

6. Turn off the heat and pour in the wine. Turn heat back on to medium. Cook the onions and wine together for five minutes, allowing it to reduce.

7. Add both broths, minced garlic, and a couple of shakes of Worcestershire sauce and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

8. Butter one side of the bread slices and broil over low heat, allowing bread to brown and become crispy.

9. When the soup is ready, ladle into bowls or ramekins. Place crispy bread on top then sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Broil, watching closely, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

(Sorry for the especially crappy picture... camera is broken and I had to use my phone.)

White Chicken Lasagna

MMM lasagna... one of my favorite meals ever... this dish with the white sauce was a nice change from your typical lasagna. (Full recipe found here and posted below, although I cut in half and used an 8x8 dish).

INGREDIENTS

* 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
* 1 shallot, minced (I omitted)
* 3 tbsp butter
* 4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
* 2 cans cream of chicken soup
* 1- 8oz. package cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
* 2 cups sour cream (I used fat free)
* 2/3 cup milk (I used skim)
* 1 lb. lasagna noodles, cooked & rinse in cold water
* 1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, brown shallots & garlic in butter. Add cream cheese, cream soup, sour cream & milk. Stir until cream cheese is melted. Add chicken.
2. In a 9x13 glass baking dish layer noodles, white sauce with chicken, then cheese. Repeat steps, ending with mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Annie's Benchiladas

I've been a bad, bad blogger lately. No posts since July and it's already October? Eek! No worries though, I'm back!

These enchiladas were sooooo yummy! Thanks Annie!! We cut the recipe in half, but the full recipe is below. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

* 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

* 8 oz. reduced fat sour cream (we used fat free)

* 8 oz. ranch dressing (we used light)

* Flour tortillas (10-15)

* Jar of salsa (we used red enchilada sauce instead)

* Shredded mexican cheese - as much as you want!

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook chicken breasts by preferred cooking method until cooked through. Set aside to cool a bit.
2. While chicken is cooling, mix up the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the sour cream and half of the ranch dressing. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the sour cream and Ranch dressing. Stir both until well combined. Shred or chop the cooked chicken and add to the large mixing bowl. Mix well with sauce.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan (and possibly another, smaller pan if needed). Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 tbsp. of the sauce from the small bowl. Spread over the tortilla in an even layer. Add some of the chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa to taste. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, to taste. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients (usually makes 10-15 enchiladas).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (30 for a crispier tortilla). Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

Horseradish Potato Salad

I've been loving horseradish on everything lately, so when I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I couldn't wait to try it out! This was pretty good and great to make when you don't want your grandma's regular tater salad!

Ingredients (I halved, but full recipe is below)

* 3 pounds small (2-inch) potatoes, your choice of variety

* 1/4 cup red onion, chopped (I omitted)

* 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

* 1 cup sour cream (or 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup yogurt)

* 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

* 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (I used dried)

* 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I omitted)

* 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Boil the potatoes until fork tender, cool them to room temperature and quarter them.

2. In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and fold over the potatoes.

3. Adjust seasoning to taste and either serve immediately or refrigerate.

Buffalo Potato Wedges

Taters are one of the only veggies that my husband will eat, so when I found this recipe, I knew I had to make it for my buffalo sauce loving man! Recipe from here.

Ingredients (for 2)

* Appx 2-3 medium size potatoes

* 1 tbsp olive oil

* Salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste

* 1/8 cup butter

* 1/8 cup hot pepper sauce (less if you can't stand the heat)

* Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for dipping

Directions

1. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange potato wedges on sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until tender.
4. Remove pan from oven. Combine the hot sauce and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir to combine. Drizzle mixture over potato wedges and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.
5. Serve with salad dressing for dipping.

A Million Jello Shots...

(Actually it was exactly 100!)

I made these little gems for the houseboat trip we went on last weekend on Norris Lake here in TN. These were a HUGE hit among our 10 friends that joined us! They were so perfect and refreshing for just chilling on the lake :)

No real recipe here... just make jello as normal except when you're adding the cold water, substitute about 1/2 of the cold water for vodka. Pour into shot glasses or little plastic containers before refrigerating. (Make sure boiled water w/ gelatin mix is at room temp before adding the alcohol!)

I made 3 different flavors, all made with Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka:

1. Orange (tasted like a creamsicle)

2. Pina Colada (definitely the crowd favorite)

3. Raspberry (just as delicious as the other two)

4th of July Funfetti Cupcakes

No real recipe here, but these are just too cute not to post!! Just make funfetti cupcakes according to box like usual, frost with cream cheese frosting, and top with blueberries and strawberries in any design you'd like. (Raspberries would also be good to use!)

I hope everyone has a great 4oJ weekend!!!

Lemon Chicken with Oregano and Feta

I had an idea in my head of what I wanted to make, and luckily Le Petit Pierogi had this recipe in her blog that matched exactly what I was thinking! This was super good and healthy for you! (Recipe originally adapted from here).

Ingredients

* 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

* Juice of 1/2 lemon

* 1 garlic clove, minced (I omitted)

* Oregano to taste (I used a BUNCH... mmm oregano)

* Salt

* Pepper

* Feta cheese, crumbled (I used sundried tomato and basil flavor)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray a small baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Place chicken breasts in dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. Squeeze lemon liberally over chicken.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on size of chicken breasts (mine only took about 22 minutes). Add feta cheese on top of the chicken for the last few minutes of baking.

Pizza on the Grill

I've heard so many great things about making pizza on the grill that I decided to finally make it! This was super easy to make and SO good! (Inspiration from this recipe).

Ingredients

* 1 tube pre-made pizza crust (we used Pillsbury)

* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (we used a combo of italian cheese and parmesan cheese)

* 1 cup pizza sauce

* Meat and veggie toppings of your choice (Keith had turkey pepperoni and I had hot turkey sausage)

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for low heat and spray grate with cooking spray
2. Roll out prepared pizza dough to a size that will fit your grill (we used 1 tube of dough, cut in half, for 2 individual pizzas).

3. Place on grill for 5 minutes, or to desired doneness, and flip over. Now add the sauce, cheese, and other toppings.
4. Cover the grill and allow to cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Jalapeno Chicken

A huge thanks to Molly for introducing me to this recipe!! This is soo soo soo good, I've already made it twice in the past week and a half!! Yummmmmm.

(I opted to bake these instead of grilling and I also substituted a few things to make it simple. My changes are noted below.)

Ingredients (for 2)

* 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
* Appx 5 oz Italian dressing (I used balsamic vinaigrette)
* 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded (I used sliced from the jar)
* Appx 3 oz cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
* 2 slices bacon (I used bacon crumbles)
* Toothpicks

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts in a dish with the dressing. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Stuff each jalapeno half with cream cheese. Roll chicken breasts around jalapeno peppers. Wrap each chicken breast with a slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks.

(If using sliced jalapenos and bacon crumbles like I did, just spread the cream cheese inside each chicken breast and add in jalapenos and bacon bits.)
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange wrapped chicken breasts on the prepared grill. Cook for 20 minutes, turning frequently, or until bacon is browned and the chicken juices run clear.

(I baked in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.)

Jalapeno Popper Dip

This dip was great and tasted JUST like jalapeno poppers! Be sure to make a lot because it will likely get devoured! Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients (serves 32)

* 16 oz cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
* 1 cup mayonnaise (I used light)
* 4 oz can chopped green chilies, drained
* 2 oz canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
* 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (I used italian mix)

Directions

1. Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth.

2. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers.

3. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Microwave on high until hot, about 3 minutes.

5. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Note: If you would like to brown the cheese, bake at 375 degrees for ~30 minutes.

Honey Grilled Shrimp

Before I even start, I need to tell you something... this was the best shrimp I think I've ever had in my life. Not joking. The flavors were SO great, I could have eaten 50 of these things. So if you like shrimp, you absolutely need to make these. YUM! (Found on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients (makes 3 servings)

FOR MARINADE

* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tbsp ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce (I didn't have any so I used soy sauce.. delicious!)
* 2 tbsp dry white wine
* 2 tbsp Italian-style salad dressing

FOR BASTING SAUCE

* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I omitted from basting sauce)

* 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached (I took tails off)
* Skewers

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together garlic powder, black pepper, 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce, wine, and salad dressing; add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill for high heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
3. In a small bowl, stir together honey, melted butter, and remaining 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Set aside for basting.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Grill shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque. Baste occasionally with the honey-butter sauce while grilling.

Balsamic Potatoes

I originally intended to make this recipe from Messily Ever After, but I decided to simplify a little bit and only use the ingredients I happened to have in the house. This was really easy to make and pretty good! Plus the light balsamic vinaigrette with the fat-free feta cheese made it pretty healthy!

Ingredients (for one serving)

* 2-3 medium size red potatoes, cut into wedges

* 1 tbsp water

* 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (my fresh basil had gone bad, so I used dried)

* 1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

* Fat-free feta cheese crumbles (I used basil tomato flavor)

Directions

1. Place potato wedges in a large microwave-safe bowl; add 1 tablespoon water.

2. Cover with plastic wrap, vent (do not allow plastic wrap to touch food). Microwave on high 5-6 minutes, or until tender; drain.

3. Stir in vinaigrette and basil. Top each serving with cheese.

Delicious Chicken Enchiladas

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! This was my first time making enchiladas and they were sooo sooo good! (Recipe from Food Network... my altered recipe for 2 people is below.)

Ingredients

* 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

* 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (we used mexican blend)

* 3/4 cup sour cream

* 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas

* Chicken seasoning to taste (we use Kroger Grilltime)

* 1 cup salsa, whatever kind you like (taco sauce may be substituted)

* Green onions for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place the shredded chicken in a large bowl. Add half of the grated cheese, sour cream, and onion; sprinkle in chicken seasoning. Mix well to combine.
3. Place the tortillas on your work surface. Spoon 1/4 of the chicken mixture across the center of each tortilla. Roll them up to close and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.

4. Pour the salsa over the tortillas. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.
5. Remove the foil and sprinkle the enchiladas with the remaining grated cheese. Return the baking dish to the oven until the cheese is melted and edges of the tortillas are just beginning to get crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.

6. Top with green onions or anything else you like. Serve hot.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Pasta Salad

I love love love pasta, and pasta salad is no exception. This was VERY good. One of the best pasta salads I've ever had. So light and perfect for summer!

Ingredients (no measurements... use what you like!)

* Elbow macaroni pasta (or whatever small shape you want)

* Fresh basil

* Roasted red peppers

* Minced garlic

* Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

* Black pepper

* Feta cheese crumbles (I used fat free basil and tomato flavor)

Directions

1. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

2. Add pasta to bowl and combine basil, red peppers, garlic, dressing, and pepper.

3. Refrigerate overnight. Add feta crumbles before serving.

Oven Fried Honey Chicken Nuggets

Keith LOVES honey so I knew he would enjoy these chicken nuggets. These were super easy to make and SOOOOO good!! You should go make these now :) I found this recipe up Macaroni and Cheesecake, who got it from Sweet Tea in Texas. Thanks girls!

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup honey
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I only had white vinegar and it turned out fine)
* 1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs (I used Panko)
* Appx 1 lb fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray foil-lined baking pan large enough to hold all chicken pieces in one layer.

2. In shallow bowl, whisk together honey and vinegar. Set aside.

3. Place bread crumbs in a small saute pan and toast lightly over low heat for about 3-4 minutes until lightly golden brown. (I skipped the step and just baked in oven a little longer.)

4. Pour bread crumbs a little at a time into separated bowl. Roll chicken pieces in honey mixture, then in bread crumbs; place in pan.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.

We tried dipping the nuggets in both ranch and sweet chili sauce. Both were good!

Garlic Pesto Pasta

We had some jarred pesto to use up - I think I am done buying the jarred kind for a while. It just isn't very flavorful and made this dish a little bland. BUT, if you used fresh pesto, I'm sure it would be delish!

Ingredients

* Pasta of your choice

* Chicken breast, cooked, cut into pieces (I marinated in garlic herb marinade first)

* Pesto sauce

* Minced garlic

* EVOO

* Shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Boil pasta until al dente. A few minutes before pasta is done, add minced garlic and EVOO in a pan and saute.

2. Drain pasta. Add pesto sauce, garlic, chicken to pasta and combine all together. Add a little EVOO if needed. Serve immediately with parmesan cheese on top.

The Ultimate Double Decker Grilled Cheese

We wanted something light-ish for dinner tonight and this was the perfect solution. Yum!

Ingredients (for 2 sandwiches)

* 6 slices whole wheat bread

* Lunchmeat of your choice (we used buffalo chicken lunchmeat)

* 4 slices cooked turkey bacon

* 2 slices pepperjack cheese

* 2 wedges garlic & herb Laughing Cow cheese

* Butter for grilling in pan

Directions

1. Layer lunchmeat and sliced cheese on a sandwich and make a grilled cheese on the stove like you normally would (using 2 slices per sandwich).

2. While the second side is grilling, spread Laughing Cow cheese on top of outside piece of grilled bread. Then add 2 slices turkey bacon on top. Set the third slice of bread on top (buttered side up).

3. Flip a third time to grill the final slice of bread.

We dipped in a little bit of ranch dressing. Delicious and easy!

Texas Chicken Quesadillas

I have seen variations of these recipe floating around online, so I decided to just wing it and use what we like. These are SO good! The honey/bbq/carmelized onion taste is just heaven.

mmm.

Ingredients (for two quesadilla halves)

* 2 10-inch flour tortillas

* 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken tenders (or chicken breast cut into little strips)

* 1/2 cup shredded cheese (we used a monterey jack blend)

* BBQ marinade (we used BWW's Honey BBQ sauce)

* White onion, sliced into rings

* EVOO

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in BBQ sauce for a couple hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Bake chicken tenders in oven until cooked through, about 20 min.
4. While the chicken is cooking, heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Slowly cook and stir until onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

5. Put cheese, chicken, and onions into each of the tortillas, only using one half of the tortilla.

6. Fold over and place tortillas in quesadilla maker. Cook until golden brown.

7. Cut into triangles and serve with sour cream or ranch.

CousCous Stuffed Peppers

I had some leftover couscous to use up last night and decided to make these stuffed peppers. These were really good!

Ingredients

* 1 orange bell pepper, cut in half with core and seeds removed

* Appx 3/4 cup cooked couscous (I used parmesan flavor)

* Chopped onions

* Minced garlic

* Parsley (I used dried)

* EVOO

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. Place the pepper halves cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast ~15 minutes in the oven, or until tender and skin starts to brown on edges.

3. While the peppers are roasting, heat EVOO in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions, garlic, and parsley in oil for 2-3 minutes.

4. Spoon in the cooked couscous and stir until heated through. Remove from heat.

5. Remove peppers from oven and spoon in the couscous mixture into pepper halves.

6. Stick back in oven for ~5 minutes. Serve immediately (with side of sour cream if desired).

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

We bought a bunch of ground turkey while our families were in town for Easter and totally forgot to eat it. So, we decided to use some of it up this weekend and make turkey burgers on the grill. These were delicious! (Recipe makes 4 burgers.)

Ingredients

* 1 lb lean ground turkey

* Blue cheese crumbles (I used gorgonzola)

* Frank's Buffalo Sauce (I tried their new kind - Sweet Heat BBQ. mmm it's really good, you should try it)

* Breadcrumbs (I used seasoned)

* Cayenne pepper

* Hamburger buns

Directions

1. Mix ground turkey, blue cheese to taste, buffalo sauce to taste, a little bit of breadcrumbs, and some cayenne pepper in a medium size bowl.

2. Form mixture into four burgers.

3. Put on the grill and leave on until cooked through.

4. Add hamburger buns onto top rack of grill at the end to toast them just a little bit.

We dipped in ranch dressing. Yum!

Seasoned Feta Asapragus

After looking online at a bunch of different recipes using asparagus, I decided to just combine a bunch and make something up on my own. I had a bunch of leftover asparagus after making these roll-ups for Easter, so I needed a new way to try it. This was really good!

Ingredients

* Bunch or partial bunch asparagus

* Extra virgin olive oil

* Salt and pepper

* Kroger Grill-Time Seasoning (or whatever seasoning you'd like)

* 1 pinch red pepper flakes

* Crumbled feta cheese (I used reduced fat)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Trim asparagus and then lay flat in baking pan (I used an 8x8 pan). Drizzle olive oil and then shake pan to move oil around so that it covers most of the asparagus.

3. Sprinkle the last 4 ingredients over asparagus, as much as you'd like.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for appx 12-15 minutes.

I cut them up and mixed in with some brown rice. Yum!

Cinnamon & Sugar French Toast Bake

My mom gave me this recipe and helped me make it for Easter morning. This was really easy and was delicious! We served it with turkey sausage and turkey bacon. A big bonus to this recipe is that you can prepare it the night before and then pop it in the oven in the morning. Yum!

Ingredients

* 1 stick butter, melted
* 2 cups dark brown sugar
* 1 large loaf french bread
* 10 eggs
* 3 cups milk
* 3 tbsp sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Spray Pam on 9x13x2 pan.
2. Mix butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl. Spread mixture evenly across bottom of pan.
3. Cut bread into appx 1 inch thick slices. Place non-crust side down, completely covering brown sugar mixture so that it fits tightly into pan.
4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk together. Pour over bread and let soak in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
5. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture on top, then bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until puffed and golden.

Cheez-It Encrusted/Asiago Stuffed Chicken

Umm chicken and cheez-its??? Yum!! I knew Keith would LOVE this recipe b/c those are 2 of his favorite things. I thought it was really good as well. I found this on the What We're Eating website and then added the cheese stuffed inside. You should really make this! (Recipe serves 2.)

Ingredients

* Appx 2 cups cracker crumbs made from Cheez-Its

* 1 tbsp minced fresh dill (I used dry)

* 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley (I used dry)

* 1/2 tbsp minced fresh oregano (I used dry)

* 1/2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary (I used dry)

* 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme (I used dry)

* 1 clove minced garlic (I used 2 cloves.. mmm.. garlic)

* 2 tbsp hot sauce (I used a little more)

* 1 egg

* 1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese

* 1/2 cup flour, for dusting

* Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

* 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry, cut in half horizontally 3/4 of the way through (so you can stuff the inside)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On large plate add the first 7 ingredients. Stir to combine thoroughly.

2. Place the flour in a second plate. Season w/ kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, stir to combine.

3. To a wide bowl add the egg and 2 tbsp hot sauce. Whisk until the egg is frothy.

4. Open each chicken breast up and sprinkle asiago cheese inside the middle. Fold chicken back over to original shape.

5. Season all sides of the chicken breast with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

6. Dredge the breasts in the flour, shaking off all excess. Dip the lightly floured breasts, on at a time, into the hot sauce and egg mixture, coating both sides.

7. Next, press each of the breasts into the Cheez-It herb mixture, making sure all sides are thoroughly coated.

8. Place the Cheez-It encrusted breasts onto a sheet pan. If there the crust isn’t sticking, press a little bit of the Cheez-It mixture onto the top of the breast once it has been placed on the sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until just cooked through.

Shish Kabobs

The weather here was beautiful yesterday (75 and sunny!) so we decided to grill out. These were REALLY good! Even Keith loved the chicken even though he claims he doesn't like BBQ sauce. I couldn't get him to try the veggies though ;)

Ingredients

* Uncooked chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

* Red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

* Green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

* Sweet onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

* BBQ sauce marinade (I used Buffalo Wild Wings' Honey BBQ)

* Chicken seasoning to taste

Directions

1. Put chicken breast pieces into ziploc baggy, pour some bbq sauce in, zip and mix around. Let sit in fridge for a couple hours. Put all veggies into a different baggy and do the same thing. Sprinkle some seasoning into the baggy as well if you'd like.

2. Thread chicken on one skewer and veggies onto another.

3. Place skewers on the grill and cook for 10-15 min depending on how hot your grill is and until chicken is cooked through. The chicken will probably take a little longer than the veggies, so we put those on first.

4. Enjoy!

Shrimp Alfredo

Yep, another pasta recipe! This was really tasty :)

Ingredients

* Large shrimp, as many as you'd like (I used about 10 for myself because Keith doesn't really like shrimp. Mine were pre-cooked.)

* Appx 8 oz uncooked pasta (I used a tri-color "Creste di Gallo")

* Fresh basil, chopped

* Appx 6 cloves garlic, minced

* Bacon crumbles

* Red pepper flakes, to taste

* Appx 8 oz jarred alfredo sauce

* EVOO

Directions

1. Begin boiling pasta and cook until al dente.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat some EVOO in a large frying pan. Add your garlic and then basil to saute, then the shrimp for a few minutes until just heated through (since mine was pre-cooked).

3. When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Keep stove on low. Add your shrimp/garlic/basil mixture to pasta. Add alfredo sauce, bacon crumbles, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together. Enjoy. (I chose to leave my tails on my shrimp and then just cut them off as I ate, but it's probably better to cut them off to begin with if your shrimp aren't already de-tailed.)

Simple Antipasto Salad

No real recipe here, but this salad was too good not to blog. It consisted of iceberg lettuce, pepperoni pieces, hard salami pieces, feta cheese, chopped onion, and house italian dressing. I should have added some hard boiled eggs but forgot... Yum!

Oven Roasted Potatoes

A big thanks to Molly for posting this recipe she found on allrecipes.com! These were so simple and tasty. I only used 2 taters and just eyeballed the measurements below - turned out great!

Ingredients

* 1/8 cup olive oil

* 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 4 cloves)

* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I used fresh b/c I had it on hand)

* 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

* 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

* 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (I left peels on)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.

3. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Asiago Stuffed Chicken Breast

Another delicious chicken recipe :) I served it with the oven roasted potatoes in the above post.

Ingredients (for 2 people)

* 2 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast

* Marinade of your choice (I used garlic and herb)

* 1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese (I originally planned to use feta cheese, which I think would be equally as good)

Directions

1. Marinate chicken breasts for a couple hours in your favorite sauce.

2. Create a slit "sandwich-wise" in the chicken breast about 3/4 of the way through so that you can open the chicken breast without it completely separating into 2 pieces.

3. Add asiago cheese inside each chicken breast; close and secure with toothpicks if needed.

4. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 min.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza (Take 2)

I made this recipe again tonight with a few additions - I didn't think this pizza could taste any better than last time, but it did! First, I used a lot more minced garlic than last time. I sauteed the garlic in EVOO and added some onions, fresh basil, and fresh parsley. I melted about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese into the sauce and then of course added mozz on top of the pizza. I also used pre-made round Boboli crust instead of the Pillsbury kind, which I've found to taste much better. Oh, and I took a better pic this time! :)

Simple Ranch Chicken Macaroni Salad

Now that the weather is warm here I've really been craving pasta/macaroni/potato salads. This was really good! (From allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

* 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 (2.25 oz) can chopped green olives (omitted)
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 2 tablespoons milk (omitted... didn't miss it)
* 1 (10 oz) can chicken chunks, drained (I used a baked chicken breast... canned chicken is gross) * 1 (1 oz) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
* 2 teaspoons paprika (omitted)

* Added: crumbled bacon

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, and pat dry.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the celery, olives, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, chicken and Ranch dressing mix. Stir in macaroni until well blended.

3. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Stir, and sprinkle paprika over the top before serving.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

I found this recipe on the What's Cooking board and altered it a little bit to my taste (my recipe below). I didn't realize until I tasted this that is very similar to my Simple Baked Mostaccioli. Either way, it was really good!

Ingredients

* 2 cups penne pasta, uncooked
* 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 tsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 jar (14.5 oz) spaghetti sauce
* 2 oz neufchatel cheese, cubed
* 1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
* 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. Cook and stir chicken, basil, and garlic in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 min. Add spaghetti sauce; bring to boil. Simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in neufchatel cheese.
3. Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish.
4. Bake 15-20 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min.

PW's Penne a la Betsy

After hearing so many great things about this dish, I decided that I needed to make it asap. OMG. Go make this now. Seriously. This is probably one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had in my life. And that's a HUGE compliment coming from me, the girl who could eat pasta for every meal. MMMMMMMM.

A HUGE thanks to Pioneer Woman for this recipe!

Ingredients

* 1 lb shrimp

* 3/4 lb penne pasta (I used Mezze Penne)

* Butter

* Olive oil

* 1 small onion

* 2 cloves garlic

* 1/2 cup white wine

* 8 oz tomato sauce

* 1 cup heavy cream

* Fresh parsley

* Fresh basil

* Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Cook the penne pasta until al dente.

2. Peel, devein, and rinse 1 lb of extra large shrimp (I used large). Heat about 1 tbsp butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook! Remove shrimp to a plate and let cool.

3. Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves garlic.

4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and saute, stirring occasionally. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board, pull off the tails, and chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

5. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit, add the white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add 8 oz plain tomato sauce and stir until well combined. Add 1 cup heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn the heat down to low and let simmer while you chop your herbs (about 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tbsp basil).

7. Add your the chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Stir and add salt/pepper. Add herbs and stir until well combined.

8. Add pasta and stir everything together.

9. DEVOUR!

Italian Pasta Salad

I decided to make pasta salad today so that I could take it to work for lunch this week. This is really tasty and is perfect for warm weather!

Ingredients

* Any kind of small pasta, cooked (I used a mix of small shells and rotini)

* Salami, sliced into small pieces

* Pepperoni, sliced into small pieces (I used turkey pepperoni)

* Orange pepper, sliced into small pieces

* Green onion, sliced into small pieces

* Pepperjack cheese, cubed

* Italian dressing (any kind you like)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!

Bonizio Sangiovese

If you like Sangiovese, you have to try this! We had it at an italian restaurant in our hometown and couldn't find it anywhere in the MI stores... but luckily the wine store by my work down here in TN carries it! Yum, this is one of our favorites.