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.