Jacked Up Baked Beans

Looking for a big dish to take to a party??  This is one of my favorite dishes!  It is oh so easy and frankly there is no other way to eat baked beans after you try this! 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 large cans of baked beans
1 small onion
1 bell pepper
1/2 bag of brown sugar
Small bottle of ketchup
4 TBS Worcestershire
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon


Brown meat with onion and bell pepper.  Drain.  Add all other ingredients and mix well till cheese and sugar are melted.  Pour into a large baking dish and top with bacon.   Cook on 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  Enjoy the yumminess!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

Fall is by far my favorite time of the year!  My crock-pot becomes a permanent fixture on my counter top.  I can already smell all the soups and comfort meals that will be created over the next few months.  I came across this crock-pot meal the other day and had to try it out.  It was actually really good and will now be put into my Fall crock-pot meal rotation.  The kids loved it too!  I hope you enjoy it as well!!

Ingredients:

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
• 1 Can of Mixed Veggies ( drained)
• 1 tsp of Cumin
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• Sprinkle of Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tsp of Onion Powder
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• Salt to taste

Add all ingredients except for biscuit dough to the crock-pot.  Cook on Low for 6-10 hours.  Tear up biscuit dough and throw into crock-pot about 2 hours before serving.  Chicken breasts should fall apart but you can also break them up a bit with a spoon.  

Shrimp Pasta

• 1 pound Penne Pasta
• 1 pound Shrimp
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Onion (small)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ½ cups White Wine, Or To Taste
• 1 can Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Fresh Parsley, to taste
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.
Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.
Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).
Now add an 14-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.
Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil.
Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir. 

Strawberry-Orange Salad

School has started back and summer seems to be coming to an end.  Boo!!  I absolutely love salads in the summer and this one is probably my favorite summer salad. I could seriously eat it every day!!

Ingredients: 
Spinach
Strawberries
Mandarin Oranges
Pine nuts or Almonds or any other nut of choice :)
Monterrey Jack Cheese

Dressing: 

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup canola oil

 Mix up dressing and pour on top of salad right before you are ready to serve.  Enjoy!

White Bean Dip

1 Can of Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed, 3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped, 2 1/2 TBSP lemon juice, 1/3 cup oregano oil, Salt to taste. Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Serve with pita chips or bread.

Crockpot Pesto Ranch Chicken

What in the world did I do before Pinterest???  I have no clue!  Well, we are in a little bit of a transition phase.  We are moving into our new house when it closes in a few weeks but until then, we are bunking with some friends in their basement.  My cooking is quite limited because of this so I am relying on lots of crockpot meals.  We have a kitchen in the basement but no stove so the crockpot is coming in handy.  I found this yummy dish the other day and decided to give it a whirl.  I changed what I found up a little bit and here is the recipe:

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

6 ounce jar of pesto

1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup chicken broth

Mozzarella Slices

Directions:

Turn crock pot to high setting. Place chicken thighs in crockpot.  Mix pesto, ranch mix and chicken broth together and pour onto chicken.  Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.  About 10 minutes before you are ready to eat, place cheese slices onto the thighs.  Enjoy!

Easy Crockpot Roast Beef

I love anything easy to fix.  I throw everything into my crock pot first thing in the morning and by dinnertime VOILA..I have a oh so yummy dinner!!

Ingredients:

Chuck Roast

1 packet brown gravy mix

1 packet zesty italian dressing mix

1 packet ranch dressing mix

Put desired vegetables on bottom of crock pot.  I use potatoes and carrots. Place roast on top of vegetables.  Mix all 3 packets with 1 cup of water and pour on top of roast.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

Blueberry Basil Balsamic Mozzarella Crisps

I came across these beauties when I was browsing through Pinterest.  We had just picked a ton of blueberries and I was looking for anything to make with them.  OMG these are AHHHHmazing!!  I think I ate every last one of them.  Trust me....if you like blueberries you will LOVE this dish!! 

Ingredients

1 pint blueberries

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoon fresh basil chopped

5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, diced

1 1/2 tablespoon canned coconut milk or heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing

1/2 of a whole grain baguette, sliced into 12 half inch thick slices

salt and pepper, for sprinkling

fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1.Preheat your grill to high heat or preheat your oven to 400° degrees F.

2.In a medium saucepan, cook the blueberries, honey, balsamic vinegar and the lemon juice over high heat, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the blueberries burst, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3.While the blueberries cook mix together the mozzarella cheese, coconut milk or heavy cream and the 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or toast the baguette slices in the oven on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes flip and top with a dollop of the cheese/milk/olive oil mixture and grill or bake until the cheese melts, about three minutes.

4.Immediately top with the blueberries and a sprinkle of fresh basil and a grate of lemon zest if desired.

Holy Yum Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest and OMG it is Holy Yum just like it's title!  My family couldn't get enough of it!!  I will be making this dish over and over again!!!

Holy Yum Chicken

SaveYield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (most of the fat cut and discarded)



1/2 cup Dijon mustard (must be Dijon mustard, no substitutes)



1/4 cup pure maple syrup (again, no substitutes. No fake Aunt Jemima stuff)



1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar



1/4 tsp. salt



1/4 tsp. ground black pepper



1 tbsp. cornstarch



2 tsp. fresh rosemary for garnish



Instructions:

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a 8×8″ oven-proof pan with 2 layers of tin foil.

2.In small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

3.Place the chicken thighs in the foil layered pan then pour the mixture on top of it. Turn the chicken around in the sauce to make sure it gets all coated.

4.Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

5.Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate. Do NOT discard the liquid.

6.Immediately after plating chicken, whisk in the 1 tbsp. of cornstarch into the liquid in the pan. You’ll create a nice, thick sauce to drizzle over your chicken. You need to do cornstarch mixing immediately because the liquid needs to be hot in order for it to thicken properly. If it’s still not thickening after 1 tbsp., you can add a little more.

7.Sprinkle rosemary on top before serving.

8.Serve with rice or potatoes or vegetables.

Note: If you like things more tangy, I would add 2 tbsp. of rice wine vinegar instead of 1 tbsp. I did this the second time I made this and it was a nice tangy kick with the sweetness that subdued it. If you like things on the sweeter side, keep it to 1 tbsp. of rice wine vinegar. Regardless, taste the sauce after mixing it together and adjust to taste

Chicken Pot Pie

This is without a doubt one of my comfort foods!!  I have a couple of ways I prepare it but if you have the time, this is my favorite!!  It's from Pioneer Woman and it's delicous!!!  My kids love it too!  It takes a little bit to prepare but trust me it's worth it!  Enjoy!


Chicken Pot Pie



1 pie crust (1/2 of Perfect Pie Crust recipe)

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1/2 cup finely diced carrot

1/2 cup finely diced celery

2 cups diced or shredded chicken breasts cooked
1/4 cup flour

2 to 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (more if needed!)

splash of white wine (optional)

3/4 cup heavy cream

Frozen peas (optional)

Fresh thyme, chopped

salt and pepper to taste



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.



Melt butter in a skillet or dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until translucent (a couple of minutes.)

Add chicken and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly. Splash in wine (you can leave this out if you’d like.) Pour in cream. (May add frozen peas at this point if you’d like.)

Bring to a slow boil and allow mixture to cook and thicken for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not underseason), and fresh or dried thyme to taste. Do one final taste at the end and add what it needs.

Pour mixture into a casserole dish or deep pie pan.

Roll out crust so that it’s about 1 inch larger than the pan you’re using.

Place the crust on top of the pot pie mixture, and press crust into the sides of the dish. Cut vents in the top of the crust.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until very golden and bubbly and the crust is done.

Allow to cool for a little bit before serving.  You can also subsitute leftover turkey instead of chicken breasts!


Delicious!


Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients


■1-1/2 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)

■3 cups All-purpose Flour

■1 whole Egg

■5 Tablespoons Cold Water

■1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

■1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.



Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)



When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.



With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Pasta is my comfort food.  My kids love it as much as I do so needless to say I fix it quite often.  This dish is so easy and you can add whatever strikes your fancy to the pasta.  You can choose to do seafood or a different vegetable.  Here is just one of the ways I make this oh so easy dish!

1 Lb cooked Pasta (I use Penne)
2-3 garlic cloves pressed
1 small onion finely chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup of broccoli florets
2 TBS butter or margerine
2 chicken breasts cooked and cubed

Melt butter in skillet.  Add garlic and onion until onion is translucent.  Pour wine in and let it evaporate (about 45 seconds) Next pour in the heavy cream.  When it heats up, add parmesan cheese and let it melt.  Then pour in your chicken and broccoli and mix all together.  Pour into pasta and toss together.  Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Garlic Chicken

Chicken is my go to meal if I am in need of something to cook.  I keep tons of chicken recipes on hand for nights when I am racking my brain over what to cook.  I found this recipe on pinterest and it is great!  It is so simple and easy and made with ingredients I always keep in my kitchen.  Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F Line a baking dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil.

In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.

Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Add additional herbs and spices as desired.

Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes, or until juices run clear. Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken.

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

Ingredients:

1 pound Bacon, Cut Into Thirds

1 pound Smokies

1 stick Butter

2 cups Brown Sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the bacon into thirds and wrap each smokie. Place all the wrapped smokies in a single layer in a baking dish. Then melt the stick of butter and then 1 cup of brown sugar and stir until mixed well. Pour the butter and brown sugar mixture on the smokies and bacon. Then take the other cup of brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the smokies. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes and then turn the heat up to 400F for about 5 minutes or longer until the bacon becomes crispy.