Fudgies

I really wanted to bake something last night, but I only had a cake mix, and didn't want cake. Kevin's cousin, Megan once posted about Fudgies. http://sisterchefs.blogspot.com/2009/08/fudgies.html and I so I figured I would make them.

Addictive.

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
some powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs in a medium bowl until all ingredients are combined. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 3-5 minutes while you get the powdered sugar out and pour it onto a plate or other flat surface.

Take the bowl of dough and roll 1 1/2 in. balls. Roll the balls in sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Be liberal with the sugar.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the center is just set.

Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

I made this up myself, and it turned out so delicious! :) Yummy. Kevin and Maci both enjoyed it too!

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
Sour Cream-8-16 ounces
Shredded Cheese-1-2 cups
Butter-a few tablespoons
Broccoli-1 bag frozen florets or similar amount
Crispy Bacon pieces (I had cooked the night before)-5-10 pieces
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Bake Potatoes. I cheated and used a bag that you put them in, in the microwave. While potatoes are baking, saute broccoli in butter on the stove until soft. Cut the potatoes in half, making sure to they stay in-tact. Scoop the potato out with a spoon but make sure to leave a nice shell that will hold up to stuff! I transferred the potatoes to a baking sheet covered in foil.

Put together this mixture: Potato that you scooped, sour cream, bacon, broccoli, bacon, cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix it well. Stuff that mixture onto potato shells, and top with a bit more cheese-bake for 15 minutes or so at 400 degrees until warmed through and a bit crispy on top.

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

I loved these potatoes, they were just delicious. I was in a hurry, so I cut them a bit smaller, and roasted them at a bit higher temperature, and they still came out delicious! We had them with a pork loin and green beans.

Original Recipe: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/sidevegetabledishes/r/rosemarypotato.htm
Ingredients:

• 4-6 large potatoes, chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together until potatoes are lightly coated with olive oil.

Place potatoes on a baking pan, and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove potatoes from oven and gently toss, turning the potatoes over as needed. Bake for another 25 minutes or until potatoes are done roasting. Enjoy your rosemary potatoes!

Taco Chicken Bowls

Facebook is old news. Pinterest is the new internet addiction, it has everything! I found this http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/07/taco-chicken-bowls-1066-recipe-133.html gem of an it easy recipe recently, and it turned out great! I would add more spice though-it wasn't spicy enough for my liking:)

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lbs. chicken breasts

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) frozen corn

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 Tbsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt to taste cracked pepper

2 cups dry rice

8 oz. shredded cheddar

1/2 bunch cilantro

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1: Add everything except the rice, cheese, and cilantro to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water (for good measure). Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.

STEP 2: Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

STEP 3: Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions (Bring the rice and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot with a lid in place, as soon as it reaches a boil, reduced the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving).

STEP 4: After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro. (I forgot cilantro)

Crockpot Italian Chicken

Kevin really enjoyed this one! It was so-so for me:) I love crock pot recipes.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 packet dry Zesty Italian dressing (Regular is fine but I like zesty better. Sometimes I use a packet and a half.)

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (depending how cream cheesy you want it)

I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and some other random spices.

Directions:

Place the chicken in a crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing over it. Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in a small pot over low heat and pour over chicken. Cook on low for at least 4 hours. You can leave it in there all day. If you feel the sauce is too thick you can thin it to your preferred consistency with a little milk. Serve over pasta or rice. We served over bow ties.

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

My friend Jaime gave me this one:)

Ingredients

Brown Sugar, 4 tsp unpacked

Chicken Breast, no skin, 12 ounces

Garlic, 1 clove

Butter, salted, 2 tbsp

Salt, 1 tsp

Pepper, black, 1 dash

Directions

This makes four servings, 3 oz per person

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan

2. Brown the garlic in the butter

3. Add chicken breasts to garlic and butter and cook thoroughly, adding salt and pepper as you like it.

4. When chicken is fully cooked add brown sugar on top of each breast

5. Allow the brown sugar to melt into the chicken (about 5 minutes)

6. Serve with your favorite carb, and veggie or salad. We usually have rice or noodles and carrots or green beans.

No clue why this picture is mini-sized:)

Pizza Fondue

I stole this from a friend-but I didn't do it the same way because we don't have a fondue pot...it was so delicious though! I am not sure this is a real dinner item, but I have been craving pizza lately and Kevin is sick of it, so I decided to throw this in the mix for dinner, but truly its a great appetizer!

Ingredients:
1 can/jar pizza sauce
1 bag (2 cups) Mozzarella cheese
1 bag (2 cups) Cheddar or other cheese
Pepperoni-cut up and whole
French Bread

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat sauce and cheese in saucepan until melted, then add cut up pepperoni, as little or much as you like-I like a lot.

When all melted together, transfer to casserole dish, top with whole pepperoni slices and bake 10-15 minutes or so until pepperoni is crisp (I broiled a bit at the very end) Serve with warm crispy french bread pieces!

Mmmmmmm! (ignore the grease, I might use turkey pepperoni next time)

Herbed Oven-Fried Chicken

I enjoyed this one, I just never usually have buttermilk sitting around-but I had made bran muffins, so I needed to use it up. I made them into chicken tenders instead of breasts and served with cheesy potatoes and green beans. I found this recipe in Midwest Living Magazine.

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 pounds total)
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon regular salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1-1/4 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or fine dry bread crumbs
• 3/4 tsp. ground sage
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. dried savory, crushed
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag set in a bowl.

2. For marinade: In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk and half of the salt. Pour over chicken. Seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, combine egg and the water. In a shallow dish, mix panko, sage, thyme, savory, pepper and the remaining salt. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture.

4. In prepared baking pan, arrange chicken so pieces are not touching. Sprinkle with any remaining crumb mixture.

5. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F). Do not turn pieces while baking. Makes 4 servings.

Baked Hungarian Goulash

My grandma gave me this recipe from one of her friends-it has sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese, whats not to like? Sorry this is from memory, so not a fabulous write up of a recipe;)

Ingredients:
8oz or so of pasta/noodles-we used mostacholi last night because it was on sale for 46 cents a box!
1 pound ground beef
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 can tomato sauce (15-16oz)\
8oz-1 block cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
(the original recipe called to add green onions to the sour cream mixture, but I forgot to buy them)
Shredded cheddar cheese to top casserole

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil water and cook pasta to al dente. Drain.

Chop Onion and saute in butter until transparent and soft. Add ground beef, and garlic, continue to cook until browned. Add tomato sauce, and simmer until it thickens a bit.

While that thickens, soften cream cheese and combine cream cheese and sour cream.

In a casserole dish, layer noodles, sour cream mixture, then a layer of sauce. Repeat one mote time. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 25 minutes or so until the cheese is nice and gooey.

Enjoy!

Mozzarella Mushroom Chicken

My mom gave me this recipe! One of my favorites and super simple.

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts-split into 6
1 egg
1 cup or so of seasoned bread crumbs
Mushrooms (usually fresh, sliced, but Kevin prefers the can)
Butter for browning chicken
6 or more slices mozzarella cheese
1 can chicken broth

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Coat in egg, then breadcrumbs. Brown chicken in butter in skillet.

Spray the bottom of your baking dish with pam. Put browned chicken in pan, cover with mushrooms, then place a piece of cheese(or one and a half pieces) on each chicken breast. Pour chicken broth over chicken.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden.

We served over brown rice:)

Chicken before serving:


Ready to eat!

APPLE CINNAMON BRAID

Ummmm YUM! Delicious!!

Ingredients:

1 tube (8 oz) crescent rolls refrigerated

2 TBSP plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped apples (also try almonds!)

1 TBSP butter, melted

1/4 tsp almond extract

ICING:

1/2 cup confectioners sugar, powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

about 3 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Sprinkle flour onto a baking sheet. Unroll crescent dough onto pan and seal the perforations.

Combine 2 TBSP of sugar and cinnamon. sprinkle over the dough. Combine the apples (or almonds), butter, extract and remaining sugar; spread this mix length wise down the dough. On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips into the center of the dough. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling. Pinch ends to seal up. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

For the icing, combine all ingredients and drizzle over braid. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon if desired. Serve warm.

Mini Meatloaves

Pretty tasty, we had these with Mac n Cheese:) They could use a bit more spice, I think!

Original Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mini-meatloaves/detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

Easy dinner!

Herb Roasted Beef with Potatoes and Carrots

A nice easy roast with veggies! Very tasty, we ate WAY too much:)

Original Recipe: http://www.doitdelicious.com/recipes/make_it/herb_roasted_beef

ingredients

1 lb (about 12) baby red potatoes, quartered

1 lb (about 5) carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds bottom round or rump roast

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning

directions

Heat the oven to 375°F. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss together the potatoes, carrots, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper (12 turns on pepper mill). Spread them in a single layer and nestle the roast (fat-side up) in the middle, pushing the vegetables aside as necessary.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, Italian Seasoning, and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (24 turns on pepper mill). Rub evenly over the roast. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reaches desired doneness, about 1 hour for medium-rare. Let rest about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the vegetables.

meat temperature chart:
Rare: 115° - 120°F
Medium-rare: 125° - 130°F
Medium: 135° - 140°F
Medium-well: 145° - 150°F
Well-done: 155° - 160°F

Delish!

White Chicken Chili

My friend Melissa gave me this great recipe:) It was great! Maci even enjoyed some beans and cheese!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 3 (15 ounce) cans white beans
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

*Sometimes I add a can of corn to this as well, and omit the jalepenos. I cut the spices in half from the original recipe, because this is pretty hot. I like to top it with sour cream, a little extra cheese, and crushed up tortilla chips. Yum!

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

These came out pretty tasty-sorry I forgot a pic:) Original Recipe: http://realmomkitchen.com/287/ranch-house-crock-pot-pork-chops-with-parmesan-mashed-potatoes/

Ingredients:

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (directions are below)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I used skim)
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stove top over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.
Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. I put a little parsley on top to serve.

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap lightly in tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from foil and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl and mash with a fork until completely mashed. Set aside. One garlic bulb will have around 12 cloves.

BBQ Chicken Burgers

Original Recipe: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/04/bbq-chicken-burgers/

BBQ Chicken Burgers

makes 4 burgers

1 pound ground chicken breast

1/4 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup BBQ sauce – use homemade or your favorite!

4 whole wheat buns

1 onion, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

BBQ sauce for topping

gouda cheese for topping

In a large bowl, combine chicken, BBQ sauce, paprika, onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Mix until just combined, then form 4 patties. Preheat the grill or a skillet and cook the burgers until fully cooked through. I used a skillet and cooked mine about 8 minutes per side – they were juicy and not dried out, but cooked thoroughly.

While burgers are cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and saute until caramelized, about 10 minutes.

When burgers are ready, top with gouda (or more cheddar), onions, BBQ sauce and fresh romaine. I also toast the buns!

Very tasty! Picture to follow-looks nothing like the picture in the link, but still, yummy!

Easiest, most yummy chocolate cupcakes!

Ready for this? SO EASY.

Ingredients:
1 box Devil's food cake mix
1 can pumpkin
powdered sugar for sprinkling with

Directions:
Mix cake mix with pumpkin-yes its really thick. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill cupcake papers with the mixture. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. (I made 18 cupcakes)

Sprinkle with powdered sugar. SO YUMMY! Yes I just ate 3.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Thanks again to Ashley for this idea, I LOVE buffalo chicken anything:) This is a nice unhealthy version!

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust
Cooked, cut up chicken (I used leftover from the night before!! Save $!)
Franks Red Hot or other hot sauce
Blue Cheese crumbles
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Cream Cheese

Directions:
Follow pizza crust instructions. (I used Pillsbury) Soften cream cheese. Mix chicken and hot sauce. Layer pizza with cream cheese, chicken mixture and top with some mozzarella and blue cheese.

Yum! :)

Turkey Feta Burgers

Thanks Ashley for the idea:) These were tasty and kinda healthy....until we added bacon, etc...:)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
Feta Cheese
Any seasonings you like...
Breadcrumbs
1 egg

Directions:
Mix turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, and seasonings (I used s&p, and italian seasoning). Score into 4 sections and make patties with a thumbprint hole in the center-fill with cheese and cover well so it doesn't leak out when melted! We used the grill pan inside because it was SO hot out! Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the patties, and grill! Serve on buttered, toasted buns.

We put bacon on them and served with green beans and pasta salad. Delicious!

New Potatoes

Mmmmm we went to the Farmer's Market today and got lots of delicious treats! For Maci, I made fresh beets, zucchini, yellow squash, and broccoli. For us....dinner consisted of steaks, the bacon wrapped green beans posted below, new potatoes from the market and some delicious asiago cheese bread we got there too! Yum. Cannot wait for Maci to try her new foods!

My grandma used to make new potatoes this way when we would freshly dig them from the garden.

Notice how many are already out of the bowl...I hardly had time to get out my camera!


Ingredients:
New potatoes-white
butter
salt
pepper

Directions:
Wash potatoes well, leave skins on. Boil them till you can prick easily with a fork. Melt butter in a skillet and brown potatoes until golden. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy. So delicious. I love summer.