Taco Twist Soup

Bring It ON!  This stuff is awesome.  I have made it religiously since my friend, Candy, gave it to me last year.  It's super easy, and like most of the recipes I post, they're versatile.  You can truly add whatever YOU think will add some extra pizazz or cool it down for your families taste.

The original recipe can be found here.  It's pretty mild, so I usually throw in some green chilies and jalepeno's, and other times, I make it just as it calls.

If you enjoy additional spice, add some cayenne along with the chilies and peppers to kick it up a notch.

Like Candy, I too add one pound of ground beef (and sometimes turkey), but this would probably be pretty amazing with shredded chicken or sausage too.  Yes - I just had that "light bulb" moment! ;)

Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as we do! xo

Queso Smothered Chicken!

Found this recipe for Queso Smothered Chicken on ziplist.  Ever heard of it?
Neither had I, but hoping to find some more tried & true recipes from this site!

While I pretty much made everything to a "T"...I dismissed the oil and used some of the leftover marinade to cook the chicken.  Worked great.
I was also unable to find the marinade this recipe called for, so used a bottle of Santa Fe Chili Lime, which was really great too.

My Ingredients:
1 bottle Lawry's Santa Fe Chili Lime 30 minute marinade
6 chicken tenders

1 cup orzo
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp chili powder
8 oz Velveeta, diced
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies

Directions are from Plain Chicken:

Pour Baja Chipotle Marinade over chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. When ready, grill chicken until done (165 degrees).

While the chicken is grilling prepare the orzo.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add orzo. Cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned.  Stir in Southwestern Seasoning or chili powder, tomato paste and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine Ro-tel and Velveeta in a medium bowl.  Heat on HIGH in the microwave in 30 second intervals until cheese is melted.

To assemble the Queso Smothered Chicken - place 1/4 of the orzo on a plate, top with grilled chicken. Pour 3-4 Tbsp cheese dip over chicken and orzo. 

Muy Delicioso

Christmas Eve Fettuccine Alfredo

This isn't your typical Christmas Eve dinner, but that's one thing I love about it.  If you're looking for a dinner to impress, but don't want to spend a lot of time, this here is your golden ticket!  If you'd like the full tutorial on how to create such a feast, come and visit me today over at Holiday's Homemade.  I'm hosting, and this one is sure to be a winner.  My entire family says so! :)

Merry Christmas All!

Peperoncini Roast

I received this recipe from one of my Facebook friendlies, Jennifer, last week.

After she posted this,  I still can't help but laugh when I think about her post.  She wrote that her husband thought she had ruined a perfectly good roast with those peppers, and now it is one of his favorite meals.  I laugh and laugh at this, because this fits my husband to a "T"! "Those peppers..." hehe

Surprisingly after some hoaxing, my husband did finally try the peppers with the roast, and he has given it his stamp of approval.

I HIGHLY recommend you load the pepper up when you build your sammy.  They give the roast a special zip.  My mouth is watering just thinking about what's about to be my lunch!

You'll Need:
2.5-3# chuck roast - I recommend bnls.
1 package of italian dressing mix
1 jar of peperoncini pepper slices (juice and all)
slices - juice and all
2 Tbsp.  Worcestershire Sauce
enough garlic powder to cover the entire roast
Sliced Provolone Cheese
Hearty Buns
Your favorite condiment(s), optional


To begin, line your crock pot with your crock pot liner.  Add roast (can be frozen).  Top with Italian dressing mix, worshey sauce, garlic powder, and lastly your peppers (juice & all).

Cook on low for 5-6hrs or until your thermometer reads 145 degrees.

Take the roast out of the crock and place on a platter.  Slice or shred.

To serve.  Prepare your bun the way you like.  Add provolone cheese, then top with meat and peppers.  The peppers are what really sell this dish so pile 'em on.  It's gooood!

Thanks for the great recipe Jen!

Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

If you're like me the title is somewhat intriguing...Lasagna Soup??  

I'll tell you, after mere curiosity, we gave this recipe a try last year, and I am so glad we did!

To this day, this recipe is in our winter menu rotation!
All I can say is give it a go.  You'll be glad you did!

By the way, if you've never heard of this before, the original recipe is from Paula Deen, but we used a revised version of Bobby's Lighter recipe, and truthfully didn't feel like we missed a thing.

You'll Need:
1# Ground Beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces broken lasagna noodles (about 5 noodles)
1 T. basil
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the beef is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in basil, and Parmesan.  Top with mozzarella. Mmm!!!

Now for those of you who depend on leftovers for lunch.  Pack a sandwich.
We didn't enjoy this nearly as much the 2nd day, but the day of - Oh my! It's yumilious!!

Spoons up!

Breakfast Pizza

I was a little leery of this recipe after our friend told us about it, but after he raved and raved about it, how could I not try it?!  Something about the sound of eggs and gravy didn't do much for me, but I'll tell you what...This stuff is GooooooD! 

Surprisingly, what we had leftovers we did have heated up rather well too.  Which I'll be honest...microwaved eggs and gravy didn't sound that appealing either...but just go with it.  This recipe is sure not to disappoint!

You'll Need:
1 pizza crust (we used the package add water and oil kind, my friend used the canned kind)
1 tube of sausage
4 eggs
2 cups White Gravy
About a cup of cheese
Shredded Cheese (We used mozzarella)
Salt/Pepper/Additonal Seasonings if desired

Preheat your oven to 400.
Prepare your pizza crust and place it on a greased cookie sheet or 13x9 pan.  You want the crust to be somewhat thin.  Cook the crust per the directions of your container.  Mine was a medium thick crust, so we cooked for 10 min's.

While your crust is cooking, prepare your meat topping.  Drain fat.

Take your pizza crust out of the oven.  Top with drained sausage and sit aside.

In a small bowl, whisk your 4 eggs with seasonings together, and pour over the sausage.

Top with warm gravy.  I had leftovers from our Biscuits and Gravy, so it was perfect!  I don't think there's a true measurement here.  Just enough to cover the entire surface evenly.  I'd say about 1.5 cups.

Same for cheese.  Top the gravy with shredded cheese. Approximately 1 cup.

Place pizza back into the oven to finish cooking.  Since we had a medium thick crust, ours took 15-18 minutes.  If you use thin crust, it will take 10-12 minutes.  All depends on what kind of crust you like.

Once the eggs are fully cooked through, remove your pizza, and sit for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Now that's good eats!

Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice

This recipe sort of just came together on it's own.  I was in a rush one morning, so threw all the ingredients in the pot, and was quite pleased with the outcome. Funny how one jar of "cheese" that has set in my pantry for the last 6 months turned something ordinary into extraordinary!


You'll Need:
2 Chicken Breasts
1.5c. rice (not minute)
1 jar of Ragu Cheese (over by the spaghetti sauce)
Water filled 3/4 full in Ragu Jar
Seasonings (We used garlic, salt, onion powder, paprika)

Liberally season your chicken breasts with all your seasonings (excluding paprika).  Place into your lined crock pot.  Top with rice.
Combine your cheese and water in a separate bowl.  Stir.  Pour over the top of chicken and sprinkle with paprika.
Cook on low 7 hrs or until the temperature of the chicken reaches 165.

A few minutes before serving, I placed on a bit of shredded cheese on the rice, and served with green beans.  Not bad for a dinner on the fly!

Enjoy!

Homemade Biscuits & Gravy

Did you just salivate? LOL! It's ok; We're all friends here. ;)

This is one of my all time asked for recipes from my friends and family alike.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Pay attention when you're in the kitchen! You never know when that "secret" family recipe is being passed down!

Now, I have known how to make biscuits and gravy for....well...a long time now.  Probably since I was 8 or 9, watching my Grandma in her kitchen.  Now...don't go get all crazy...  This is my own recipe from what I've learned from her over the years.  Which is a great thing!  It has at least half the fat, but still has all the delicious, creamy, taste bud pleasing, goodness you'd expect from Grandma's Gravy!

Looks just like Grandma's.  Don't forget the extra pepper!

So let's get started!!!

You'll Need:
1# of your favorite sausage
4 cups of whole or 2% milk
3-4 Tbsp of Flour
Salt/Pepper
A whisk, skillet, patience, and a strong arm ;)

Brown your sausage like you normally would, chopping it into some crumbles as you go.
After it's cooked, drain the fat.
Add back to your skillet, and with a regular ol' tablespoon from your silverware drawer, measure out 3 heaping tablespoons of flour.
Adding one at a time, to your sausage, mixing well in between scoops.
With your skillet (now on medium-med high heat),  SLOWLY add in your milk. 
I season the gravy as I go.  It can lump quickly, so never ever walk away.
If you're baking biscuits, now is a good time to pop those in.  Then everything will all be ready and piping hot!
Continue to stir the gravy continuously until nice and thick.
FYI:  This make a ton of gravy, but it re-heats beautifully.  A nice tip for those leftovers - Add a splash of milk and stir before microwaving.  Continue to add milk (little by little) until its the consistency you like. 

Enjoy!

Cheese Ravioli Bake

Our family loves pasta!  When my daughter was younger, she was douse herself in the stuff! LOL

One of my favorite things about making pasta, is that it is always a cinch to whip up.  You do the short prep, throw it in the oven, go about your business, and in 30-45 min's minutes, you have a meal worth bragging about.

Today, I'm here to share one of these meals.  No Thank You Card, required ;)

You'll Need:
1# Ground Beef
handful of chopped onion (I used frozen)
handful of chopped bell pepper (again, I used frozen)
3 cloves of garlic
26oz. Jar of spaghetti sauce
1c. water
cheese filled ravioli (found mine in freezer section)
seasonings of your choice - I like salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and a smig of extra basil for this recipe.
Shredded Italian Cheese Blend (just enough to cover the top - About a cup)
Parmesan Cheese *Optional

Before starting, preheat your oven to 350.
In a skillet, brown burger, garlic, chopped veg, and add seasonings.

Once the mixture is cooked, drain fat, and return to stove.
Add spaghetti sauce and water.  Mix well.
While that sits (I leave the burner on low), grab an 8x8 baking dish, spray with non-stick spray, add cheese ravioli, enough to fully line the bottom (its ok is some overlap a bit),

then pour on your meat mixture, then cheese.

Cover and bake 35 min's. 
If you like parm cheese, add that after the 35 min's, and bake uncovered an additional 5-10, until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Upon removal, I recommend you let it sit for 10 min's.  It's piping hot and oozes all over the place otherwise.  Not ideal for a pretty presentation for company.  HOWEVER, with the way this smells, it's always too tempting for us to wait! ;)

Enjoy!

Breakfast Square Wrap

Mmm...There is a certain somewhere I get these things ALL the time.  They're additively yummy, and I can honestly say I have felt like I was going through withdraws if I wasn't able to get one!

You'll Need:
Tortilla Shell
Turkey sausage (shown) but pork is my favorite!
Scrambled Eggs
Slice of Cheese
Vegetables and picante sauce, if you like

To start lay your tortilla shell on a flat surface, and add your hot sausage patty:

Add a piece of sliced cheese on top:

Then your eggs:

Start wrapping it up.  I fold all 4 corners to center:

Throw the square wrap, back into your skillet, you used to cook the eggs to seal the seams, cut it up and dive in.

CAUTION:  You'll want to double, triple, or maybe even quadruple the recipe.  Everyone around you will want one!

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle

Holy Cow!  Not kidding, this reminded me of my Granny's Chicken and Noodle without all the hassle of messing with the dang whisking, pouring, and clumping of cornstarch. *Heaven, Earth, and the Angels Sing!*

 

If I may be so bold - You're flipping crazy, if you don't give this recipe a try!

You'll Need:
(My half recipe - Feeds 4)

2 bnls chicken breasts
1 can of cream of chicken
3 Tbsp. butter/margarine
24 oz. chicken broth/stock
1 small bag of Frozen Egg Noodles
Salt/Pepper

Toss the gang into your crock pot (excluding the noodles) and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

After 7 hours, your mixture will look like this

Take your chicken out and shred it.  I used one fork.  Very tender.  Fell apart to the touch.

Add in your frozen noodles.  I used Reemes.  Give it a quick stir.  

Return the lid, flip the crock to high, and walk away for 30 min's to an hour, and BAM - Homemade Chicken Noodle.  Yum - O!

 

Can't wait to make this one again.  It will be in our monthly rotation!

Game Day Sliders

Good Mornin'.  The weather is awesome here today!

To start the mornin' off right, I wanted to share with you an awesome "Go To" Game Day recipe.  Game Day Sliders.  Oh.Yum...

My husband flips over these, and I'm willing to bet, your guys will too!!

You'll Need:
1# Ground Beef with all the fixin's
Sliced Cheese
Spoon/Mellon Baller

Combine your hamburger meat with all the fixin's you like in your typical hamburgers.  We throw in breadcrumbs, worshey sauce, green onions, sometimes liquid smoke, and Webster's "Gourmet Hamburger Seasoning".  It's Yummy!

Before you get too messy, go ahead and turn a large skillet to Medium Heat on your stove.

With your hands, combine all your ingredients.

 

Using a 1" melon baller, start dishing up your patties. (You can easily use your hands or a spoon here, if you don't have a melon baller.  Don't let the technicalities throw you off here.:)) Then put them in the hot pan.

After they're cooked on one side (about 3-5 min's depending on thickness) flip them over, and press down with your spatula to get more of the hamburger look.

Once they're finished on this side, add your cheese

Place on your skillet lid for quick melting

Remove after 20 seconds and witness some pretty miraculous cheesy sliders.

Add to a dinner roll for a bun (we used yeast rolls). 

Top with condiments and take a bite outta crime. I mean prime.  Hehe ;)

Honey Lime Shrimp

Here's to adding another recipe to my "Under the Sea" category...

Today's specialty?  Honey Lime Shrimp!  Mmm...This was quite tasty.  After making this recipe twice now, I highly recommend letting the shrimp marinade for 90 min's.  The 1st time, I let them chill for just over the 30 min's and that extra marinade time, really made all the difference.  It went from a "Meh...It's good" recipe, to a taste bud explosion!

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it comes to you from The Dough Will Rise Again.

Honey Lime Shrimp
(serves 2)
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T honey
juice of one small lime, or half a large lime (2-3 T)
zest of one small lime, or half a large lime
2 cloves garlic, smashed (I used minced)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I used about 1/2 that the 1st time, and the full amount the second time)

To start, grab a bowl, and combine all the marinade ingredients, and add shrimp.  With a spoon I tossed the shrimp to cover them completely.  As the original author mentioned, a Ziploc bag is also a great way to go, but I tend to skip that method unless I'm traveling...

My additional tip for you today is about using honey...Honey is such a simple ingredient to use, and many vere from it, because it can be such a mess to clean up.  Well I promise you, if you use this technique you'll never stray away anymore.  It's simple...just spray your measuring spoon with Pam before pouring.  This helps the honey not to stick. It's as simple as that!

Once everything is in the bowl and marinading, you can run off and watch a movie or better yet make a delicious dessert.

After about 90 min's, heat a skillet on Medium-High Heat. I used about a tsp of the marinade in the skillet, to have a base (so they wouldn't stick), but they really have plenty of oil already, so this is optional.

Once your skillet is hot, add the shrimp, and cook 1-3 min's per side, depending on the size of shrimp you have.  You'll know they're ready to flip when they start to look less translucent and turn pink in color.

They're ready to flip

What I love most about these?  The more batches you cook, the more caramelized the pan gets, and OH.MY.GOSH (!!!)  The sweetness from the honey and the acidity from the lime, was something to keep me daydreaming about!!

Thanks The Dough Will Rise Again, for sharing such a great recipe!

Matt's Game Day Kielbasa

My husband whips up this recipe, typically as an appetizer, but he's been known to throw it together for a quick dinner with rice, or on a jack pot night, he'll serve it with the blue box mac and cheese on the side. Yep - He's awesome! :)

You'll Need:
Butter
Your favorite Kielbasa
Chopped Vegetables (Onion, Green Pepper, etc), optional

Cut your kielbasa into 2.5-3" pieces and cut them in half.

Heat a skillet, on the medium - medium high heat.  When your pan is hot, add 1/2tsp of butter, place kielbasa down into the pan, and turn heat down to medium.  *This cooks REALLY quickly.  About a minute or two, so don't walk away!

Place toothpicks into the sausage, and serve with BBQ or sweet & sour sauce.

Good eats...We Love Our Game Days!

Pan Sauteed Tilapia

Our family is starting to eat a lot more fish.  Why? Our daughter loves it!

This is a simple recipe that takes roughly 10 min's from start to finish, so it's perfect for those busy weeknight meals.

You'll Need:
4 Tilapia Fillets
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Herbs de Provence Seasoning

Warm your skillet on Medium - Medium High Heat.  Add your oil.

On a plate, season both sides of your fish.  Go easy on the Herbs de Provence.  I use about a pinch (how do you like those measuring skills ;)) for every 2 fillets.  So about 2 pinches total.

If you've never had Herbs de Provence, it is a powerful, but mouth pleasing seasoning.  It's essentially a mixture of different herbs from basil to lavender.  To read more on it, you can visit here.

After seasoning, add the fish to your hot pan, and cook approximately 4 min's per side, depending on the thickness of your filets.  Tip: The fish will turn a white-ish color around on the edges.  When you see that color, all around, it's time to flip.

We served this dish with rice and hefty salad.


Eat and be Merry!

Braciole alla Panna (Pork Chops in Cream Sauce)

This recipe is ridiculous!  I'm not even kidding you...

This is one of the best pork chop dishes I have EVER made!! 

 

I found the recipe here.  She is amazing!  

The only change we made to this recipe, was to omit the mushroom's. 

We're not a 'shroom loving fam, but other than that...don't change a thing! 

You'll Need:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless pork chops
salt/pepper
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
8 ounces button mushrooms – sliced

(Recipe is presented in her words)

What to do:
1. Into a saute pan add butter and oil and heat over medium heat until butter has melted. Add pork chops. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on both sides. Turning as necessary. Transfer pork chops to a plate and keep warm.
2. Into your hot pan add Marsala and deglaze pan. Cook until wine has reduced in half. Place flour into cream and mix together. Add cream mixture to pan and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms and continue cooking on LOW for approximately 5 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through and sauce has thickened. Then, return pork chops to pan. Turning to coat.
Buon Appetito!

This is an amazing "go to" recipe!  I have been making this dish over and over for the last 8-9 months, and it still knocks our socks off every.single.time!  ENJOY!!

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti?  Pie?  Yum!

This is a fun twist on a traditional recipe that we have made for years.

Enjoy!

You'll Need:
1lb. Ground Beef (GB)
16oz pkg spaghetti
32oz jar of spaghetti sauce
3 Tbsp. Butter/Marg.
2/3c. Parmesan Cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
2c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Seasonings to your liking

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook GB and drain.  In the same pan, cook bell pepper, garlic and onion.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add GB, seasonings (as you would regular spaghetti), stir.

Meanwhile, start cooking your spaghetti noodles.  Don't cook ahead.  Allowing the meat and veggies to mingle does wonders for this dish. (Same with most pasta dishes)  Cook noodles to the directions on the box.  Drain.

To the noodles, add butter, parm, and eggs.  Quickly stir to combine (you don't want to scramble the eggs).

In a sprayed 13x9 baking dish, add your noodle mixture and place it in the pan like you would a crust.

Top "crust" with meat mixture.

Bake for 20 min's.

Add your mozzerella cheese and bake for an additional 5-7 min's.

Enjoy!