Baked Potato Chicken Casserole

This week I was determined to cook every night. No more eating out for this family! I went directly to my Recipe Pinterest board and started meal planning again. This is one of the first recipes I added to my list.  It looked like one that would please the entire family. 

Results:  I made a few minor changes to lighten up the recipe from the original. I also omitted the green onions because hubs doesn't like them. Other than that, I followed the directions and this meal was a hit. Hubs said I could make it every week and he wouldn't complain. From him, that is a big compliment and an even bigger thumbs up! Enjoy.

Baked Potato Chicken Casserole

Adapted from First Yum

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1/3 cup bacon bits (or cooked diced bacon)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste 
• serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired 

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 9" casserole dish
2. Spread half of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Top with all of the chicken. Season it with salt and pepper. 
3. On top of the chicken, sprinkle with half the bacon bits and 1/2 cup of the cheese. 
4. On top of the cheese, spread the remainder of the potatoes followed by the bacon bits and another 1/2 cup of cheese.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
5. Pour the chicken stock over the casserole. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. After the hour us up, uncover it and bake for another 30 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of backing, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake until the cheese is completely melted.  

{Crock Pot} Sticky Chicken

Be ready to see lots and lots of slow cooker/ crock pot meals over the next few months.  They are a life saver right now. Not a lot of time required to prep, hands free cooking time and minimal clean up.  Perfection.  

I've been trying to find some new crock pot recipes, for the sake of my husband. 

I'm sure he's already tired of our favorites.  

Results: We were all a fan of this recipe.  I am a big dry/ cooked onion fan so the onion soup mix in it was perfect.  Hubs was a fan of the BBQ & Apricot sauce.  All in all, a hit with the family.  Even the mini.  This would also be delicious in a wrap or on a bun the next day.  Enjoy! 

Sticky Chicken

Courtesy of Six Sisters' Stuff 

Ingredients:
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup apricot jam or preserves
1 (1 oz) packet dry onion soup mix
2 tablespoons water

Directions:
Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts inside and pour barbecue sauce and preserves on top. Sprinkle the dry soup mix over the top, add the water and cover with the lid. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (a little less if your chicken is not frozen). You can serve this over rice if you would like to.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Mini Meatball Sliders

If you have been following this blog for a while, you'll notice that I've been quite absent for the past few months.  That usually means one thing around here….we're having a baby!  Cooking while pregnant for me is difficult. I usually want nothing to do with food.  This time around the sickness is much worse than with my daughter. Another difference is that I have a toddler to feed (along with my husband.) I don't want to spend the money eating out all the time but I especially want my daughter to continue eating healthy, even though I don't want to cook.  So, I started searching for quick and easy meals.  This one was found on The Pioneer Woman's site under 16 minute meals.  

The recipe was as easy as it looks.  Took no time to make. We all gave it two thumbs up.  These would also be great to make for spaghetti and meatballs one night and use the following night for sliders.  Two meals done!  

Enjoy!

Mini Meatball Sandwiches 

Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman 

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Chuck Or Ground Beef
• 1/2 cup Panko Or Other Bread Crumbs
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 jar (large) Marinara Sauce
• 12 whole Dinner Rolls (or Slider Rolls)
• 4 slices Provolone Cheese, Cut Into Four Wedges Each

Directions

Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. Knead together with hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized rolls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for one minute. Add meatballs between the onions and brown for one minute. (You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.)

Pour in jar of marinara; shake pan gently to mix. Put on lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut each dinner roll in half. Place a wedge of Provolone on the top and bottom of each roll. Spoon a meatball with the sauce onto the bottom bun; top with the top bun.

Serve immediately!

{crock pot recipe} Sweet Glazed Pork

This recipe reminds me of the sweet and sour meatballs my mom makes every year for our Christmas Eve party. They cook all day in the crock pot and are always a hit at the party.  When I came across the same ingredients with pork chops for dinner, I knew they would be good. The only change I made to the recipe was adding a few teaspoons of minced garlic.  I served the pork chops with jasmine rice and broccoli. I'll definitely make this recipe again, next time putting a twist on it using jellied cranberry sauce instead of grape jelly. 

Sweet Glazed Pork

Courtesy of Six Sisters' Stuff 

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless pork chops
1 (12 oz) bottle chili sauce
1 cup grape jelly

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place pork chops at the bottom. In a bowl, mix together the chili sauce and the jelly; pour on top of pork chops. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (do 8 hours if your pork chops are frozen) or HIGH for 3-4 hours (I prefer the low and slow method for these).

Easy Baked Ravioli

I made this dinner last week and couldn't wait to share it with you.  The ingredients are inexpensive and it took me 10 minutes to prepare. That was it.  Ten minutes in the kitchen, a few items in the trash and dinner went into the oven. My kind of meal.  The fabulous thing was how delicious it was. Not only for dinner but leftover for lunch the next day. This would also be a perfect meal to freeze or make for friends who could use a home cooked meal. Save this recipe, you'll thank me later! 

Easy Baked Ravioli

Courtesy of Betty Crocker

          Ingredients

1 jar (26 to 28 ounces) pasta sauce (I used tomato basil)

1 package (25 to 27 1/2 ounces) frozen cheese-filled ravioli

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp italian seasoning 

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of rectangular baking dish 13x9x2-inches, with cooking spray.

2. Spread 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce in baking dish. Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in single layer over sauce; top with half of the remaining pasta sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and italian seasoning.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in center

Sausage & Cheese Muffins

This year we decided to have a last minute get together for the Super Bowl.  Usually I spend a good amount of time planning our get togethers or parties.  In this case, I had about 48 hours. I immediately headed to Pinterest to look for some quick and easy recipes that wouldn't have me spending a fortune. 

I chose these sausage & cheese muffins because they would be a great compliment to the rest of the menu I had planned.  We were also having chicken wings, chips and queso, seven layer dip and buffalo chicken dip.  I also knew the boys would eat these up.  

Results: A hit of the party, not only with the men but with the ladies as well.  I loved that they were bite sized and full of flavor.  I had a few left over and enjoyed them for breakfast reheated the next morning.  Enjoy! 

Sausage & Cheese Muffins

Courtesy of Plain Chicken 

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. hot ground pork sausage
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3 cups all-purpose baking mix
• 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (water or milk will work too)

Directions: 
Cook sausage and onion powder in a large skillet over medium to med-high heat, stirring until it crumbles and no longer pink. Drain and cool. 

Preheat oven to 375. Combine sausage, baking mix, and shredded cheese in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together the soup and buttermilk; add to sausage mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon until lightly greased mini muffin tins, filling to tops of cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Turtle Cheeseball

I'm way behind on posting the recipes I've been making these past few months.  Life around here seems to get busier and busier…this blog always seems to fall on the back burner.  

Anyhow, we traveled home to FL for the holidays this past year.  Every year my parents host a Christmas Eve open house.  They've been doing it since we moved to FL over 20 years ago.  Neighbors and friends stop by throughout the night, enjoying food, friends and some delicious drinks.  It's a night I look forward to all year long.  

One of the recipes I added to the sweets menu for the party was a turtle cheese ball.  I found it while going through my appetizer board on Pinterest.  It looked easy enough to prepare ahead of time, wouldn't take up too much space in the already full fridge and how could you go wrong with caramel, chocolate and cream cheese? 

This sweet treat was a hit of the party.  Many guests asked for the recipe.  It was very rich, so you didn't need a lot to satisfy your sweet tooth.  And it was just as good the left over.  My mom has requested this be added to menu again for next year.  Will do, mom! Enjoy. 

Turtle Cheeseball

Courtesy of Shurgary Sweets 

Prep Time: 1 hour

Yield: serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp caramel sauce (found with ice cream toppings)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup Kraft caramel bits 


Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with butter until fully blended. Add caramel sauce and sugar and beat until combined. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.
2. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on counter. Drop cheeseball onto plastic wrap and cover cheeseball completely. Once covered, shape into a ball. Refrigerate for one hour.
3. In a bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips, pecans and caramel bits. Unwrap cheeseball and roll into bowl of chocolate chip mixture. Press toppings gently into the cheeseball. Rewrap in plastic wrap (a new piece) and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Once it's on the serving plate, drizzle some additional caramel syrup over it.
   
   
   ENJOY.

Banana Pancakes {Toddler Approved}

I'm constantly on the search for toddler approved recipes.  As soon as my little one turned 15 months she became super picky with her food.  One day she LOVES something, the next she wants no part of it.  It's frustrating considering I usually spend a lot of time preparing food for her.  

Lately, I've been looking for recipes I can freeze.  That way if she likes it one day, it will be there.  If she decides she doesn't the next, I can freeze it until she likes it again.  Pancakes are so easy to make and freeze well, so I've been trying lots of different variations.  This is the most recent.  The little one liked them for two days.  Hubs and I enjoyed them for dinner one night (yes dinner.)  They are fill of flavor and actually taste just like banana bread! 

Ingredients: 
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tbs sugar 
1/8 tsp salt 
1 1/4 cup milk (I used almond) *If the batter is too thick for you, you can add more milk*
1 egg 
3 tbsp melted butter (cooled) 
2 ripe bananas 
2 tsp cinnamon (more or less if preferred) 

Directions: 
1. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a  small bowl.  Mix well.  
2.  In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk and cooled butter.  Mix until the batter is free of  lumps.  Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes.  
3. After 10 minutes, mix in the bananas.  It's easiest to mash them with a fork in a bow and mix them in.  
4.  Heat your cooking surface for the pancakes and spray with cooking spray.  I use a griddle for all of my pancakes.  
5.  Scoop batter onto heated surface.  I use a large cookie scoop to make the perfect toddler size pancakes.  
6.  Flip the pancake when one side is cooked. The key to well cooked pancakes is to flip them when you see little bubbles appearing on the surface.  You want a golden brown look on both sides.  
7.  Serve slightly warm with syrup if you choose.  If you're going to freeze them, make sure they are completely cooled before going in the freezer in a sealed freezer bag.  

10 Game Day Snacks

The Super Bowl is just a few days away. 

Hubs and I decided to throw a last minute Super Bowl get together.  

Since we only have a few more days to plan, I started looking for things to make immediately.  

I put together a list of things that are either tried and true or looked perfect for the big game.  

Buffalo Chicken Kabobs from A Night Owl Blog

Nieman Marcus Dip from Simply Made with Love

Crock Pot Bourban Little Smokies from Tammilee Tips

Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Puffs from Plain Chicken

Artichoke Dip from Simply Made with Love

Buffalo Wing  Hummus from Skinny Mom

Twisted Pretzel Bites from Six Sisters Stuff

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip from Simply Made with Love

Buffalo Chicken Nachos from The Girl Who Ate Everything 

Sweet Potato Pulled Pork Sliders from Lauren's Latest

What is on your menu for the big game?  

Nieman Marcus Dip

While planning our super bowl menu I realized I never posted this dip I made back in September.  When we first moved we had my parents in town along with friends visiting for the weekend.  It was also one of the first weekends of football season. This dip had rave reviews all over the WWW.  

It was easy to make and a big hit with our family and friends. It was VERY rich, I could only have a little bit at a time.  Nonetheless, it was full of flavor.  Definitely worth making, especially for a game day party. Enjoy! 

Courtesy of Just a Spoonful of…

Ingredients: 

5 - 6 green onions

 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits 

1 pkg. slivered almonds

Directions: 

Chop the green onions.

Shred the cheddar cheese.

Mix the onions, cheese, mayo, bacon bits,

 and slivered almonds together.

Chill for a couple hours.

Serve with Ritz crackers.

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

A friend posted this recipe on her blog this week, I knew I had to make it.  I already had leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge, so it was a quick trip to the grocery store for the remainder of the ingredients. The original recipe was stove top, but looked easy enough to be done in the crock pot. The dish turned out more like a soup but it was delicious.  I knew it would be a repeat winter meal when hubs finished his bowl in no time.  We had it the next night for leftovers, I looked forward to it all day.  It was still just as good! Enjoy!

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 2 (15-oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained
• 2  7 oz cans of salsa verde 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 avocado (sliced)
• 1 cup mexican cheese mixture 
• chopped cilantro (about 1 TBS)
• tortilla strips (I used Archer Farms southwest tortilla strips (salad toppers) 

Directions

Place chicken broth, chicken, beans and salsa verde in the crock pot, stir to combine.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  When it's time to serve top with cheese, avocado, cilantro and tortilla strips.  

**I added my cheese to the bottom of my bowl and poured the soup/chili over the top.  It melted and mixed in perfectly that way**

{Toddler Approved} Fruit & Pancake Bites

Last week I hosted a coffee playdate. My moms group started doing one a week this year.  It's a chance for the moms to catch up, enjoy some coffee and let the kids run wild.  I wanted to have a bunch of bite sized snacks for the kids. Since it was a 10am playdate, I decided to make these pancake and fruit bites. 

I used an entire box of pancake mix to make about 60 mini pancake bites.  I put half out for the playdate and froze the other half.  They were a hit with the kiddos, definitely a recipes I'll be making for years to come.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

A box of your favorite pancake mix.  

Fruit of your choice

 *I used an 8oz bag of mixed frozen fruit, which included peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries*  

Directions: 

1.  Preheat oven to 350. 

2. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray. 

3.  Prepare pancakes according to the directions on the box.  I used the entire box and made about 60 muffins. 

4. Use a small cookie scoop, fill with a scoop of the pancake batter. 

4. Top with fruit, pressing the fruit down just a bit. 

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

6. Remove to a cooling rack after a few minutes & let them cool. 

***You can also top with bananas, chocolate chips, bacon, nuts…the possibilities are endless***

Red Velvet Donuts

Looking for the perfect Valentine's Day breakfast? 

You've come to the right place.  

These cake mix donuts are a family favorite and oh so easy to make.  

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Donuts

Ingredients:

1 box of red velvet cake mix

1 cup of milk  (I used almond milk)

2 large eggs

1 stick of butter (melted) 

Icing: 

Confectioners sugar mixed with milk.  I started out with a 1/2 cup of sugar and a tsp of milk.  I added and mixed until I had the consistency I was looking for.  

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease donut pan.  

Mix eggs, butter, milk and cake mix.  

Stir until smooth. 

Pour batter into donut pan (1/3 filled). 

Bake 11-13 minutes.  

Let them cool completely.  

Prepare the icing.  

I dipped some of the donuts and drizzled frosting over the others. 

 After I was done with the frosting, I let them set out for a bit to let it harden.  

Store in an air tight container for 3 days.  I also froze the leftover donuts in a freezer bag.  

Valentine's Sweet Treats

Now that Christmas has come and gone (and my decorations are FINALLY put up), it's time to think about Valentine's Day.  I'm not sure about you, but the one thing that comes to mind when I hear Valentine's Day is CHOCOLATE (and sweets). 

This year I'm hosting a Valentine's play date, will be sending in sweets to hubs' work and will be planning a dessert for Valentine's dinner.  That is a lot of sweets to make.  To get a head start I started browsing Pinterest for recipes.  I decided to share some that looked amazing with you.   Here are 20 sweet treats that caught my eye.  I can't wait to try some out for Valentine's Day.  

Now I need to start thinking about what I'm going to do for hubs this year.  It's going to be hard to beat my Date Night In Jar and Basket full of Love from last year! If you have any ideas, I'm all ears! 

 Red Velvet Brownie Truffles from Cookin' Cowgirl

 Be Mine Cherry Brownies from Gooseberry Patch

Red Velvet Puppy Chow from Your Cup of Cake

 Valentine Dipped Wafer Cookies from Craft-O-Maniac

 Cupid Crunch from Plain Chicken

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from Simply Made with Love 

 Sweetheart Cupcakes from Echoes of Laughter 

Chocolate Cherry Bark from Confession of a Cookbook Queen

 Rice Krispy Valentine's Treats from Chef It Up

 Chocolate Cherry Valentine's Scones from Betty Crocker 

 Marshmallow Cherry Kisses from Kraft

Valentine Oreo Truffles from Mom Endeavors 

Chocolate Cherry Glazed Cookie Bites from Simply Made with Love 

 Sweetheart Cupcakes from Posh Pink Giraffe

 Valentine Petite Fours from Echoes of Laughter

 Valentine Cheesecake Nibbles from Very Best Baking

 Valentine's Day Brownies from Ingredients, Inc

 Brown Sugar Blondies from The Recipe Critic 

 Chocolate Cherry Chip Cupcakes from Bird on a Cake

Fudge Cake Truffles from Koot Hoot