Mexican Stuffed Shells

This was a hit with Kevin and I, but less so with the kids. I do think that most kids would enjoy them, I just happened to give birth to two very picky eaters!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Source: http://thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/mexican-stuffed-shells/

Mexican Stuffed ShellsPrinter Friendly Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning (or better yet use this Taco Seasoning!)
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce (This is a smooth, tomato based sauce found in the Mexican section)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.

Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.

While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.

Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up.

Cover shells with taco sauce.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed. Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

*One major change that I made was with the cream cheese. I despise cream cheese so I used a can of cream of chicken soup in place of it and it turned out fabulous! I also used all cheddar cheese in the recipe.

Oven Fried Chicken

Like most recipes I have been trying lately, I cam across this one in Pinterest. The claim is that it tastes like KFC, but Kevin and I didn't really think it did. It was, however, quite tasty and the boys both loved the homemade chicken tenders!

Oven Fried Chicken

Source: http://thewondertwins.blogspot.com/2011/10/mondays-menu-baked-fried-chicken.html

1. Place thawed chicken breast tenderloin strips in a bowl of milk. Let soak for 20-30 min.

2. Mix in a Gallon Size Ziploc or Large Bowl: 1/2 tsp. Salt1 T Season All3/4 tsp Pepper1 c. Flour2 tsp. Paprika

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. Cut 1/2 stick of butter into a few pieces and place in a 9x13 pan. Melt butter in pre-heated oven.

5. Spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the pan, if needed, to make sure that there are no dry spots.

6. Shake excess milk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix. You can either shake the chicken in the bag, until coated, or dip each piece in the bowl until coated.
Place each piece of chicken in the pan.

7. Cook for 20 min. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 20 more minutes, or until cooked through.

*When I made these I happened to have some buttermilk on hand so I used that instead of regular milk and I think it was a really good modification!

Slacker

With all the illness that has been working its way through our house I have been a slacker about posting new recipes. I am going to try and get several of them up today a we have had some pretty yummy things recently!

Carnita Enchiladas

This yummy Mexican casserole has been a favorite of ours since well before Ben was born. Ben complains every time I make it but then eats it after I force him to and admits that he likes it. Why does he have to make a big deal every time?? Will likes it too, even though it is a tad spicy. When he feels like eating, he is totally unfazed by spiciness!

Carnita Enchiladas

Source: I tore it out of Family Circle magazine years ago.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1 medium-size potato, peeled and chopped

1 medium-size tomato, diced

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cans (10 ounces each) enchilada sauce

16 corn tortillas

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 375.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add potato and tomato and cook, covered, about 5 to 7 minutes, or until potato softens.

3. Add beans, chili powder, salt and garlic powder. Mix until well combined and set aside.

4. Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on bottom of baking dish. Tear up 8 of the corn tortillas and layer over the sauce. spoon on meat and bean mixture. Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce evenly over meat layer.

5. Tear up remaining 8 tortillas and layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with cheese.

6. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Spicy Mexican Meatballs

With the Super Bowl happening in a few days I thought it would be a good time to share some of our favorite appetizers/snacks that we like to serve on Super Bowl Sunday.

Spicy Mexican Meatballs

Source: I tore this recipe out of the Kansas City Star a long time ago.

Makes 30 meatballs.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound 93% lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground turkey breast

2 egg whites

3/4 cup finely crushed tortilla chips

1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos, drained

1 cup canned red enchilada sauce, divided

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Spray an 18x13 inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray coating.

3. Mix together beef, turkey, egg whites, crushed chips, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, jalapenos, and 1/3 cup enchilada sauce in a large mixing bowl. Blend well and shape into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Place meatballs on prepared jelly roll pan and bake 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Carefully remove meatballs and place in a decorative heat-proof serving dish. Drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until meatballs are done and cooked to 165 degrees.

5. Enjoy!

These are too spicy for my boys, but for adults who like spicy foods they are a hit!

BBQ Chicken Calzones

dBBQ chicken calzones was a hit with my family. Kevin and I enjoyed them and Ben even ate all of his! Will threw his on the floor, but that means pretty much nothing since he is a terrible eater (his epilepsy meds affect his appetite). Aside from shredding the chicken (which I made Kevin do) it was quick and easy!

Source :http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bbq-chicken-calzones/detail.aspx

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon

1/2 small onion, chopped

3 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast meat

2/3 cup barbeque sauce

1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from the pan to drain on paper towels; crumble.

3. Add the onion and shredded chicken to the hot bacon grease in the pan. Fry over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in 1/3 cup of barbeque sauce, and remove from the heat. Mix in the cooked bacon.

4. Roll the pizza crust dough out onto a greased cookie sheet. Press out to an even thickness, and then cut in half. Divide the chicken mixture between the two pieces of dough, spreading on only half of each piece to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the filling. Sprinkle the cheese and cilantro over the top. Fold the uncovered portion of dough over the filling, and press the edges together with a fork to seal.

5. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until browned to your liking. These can be served with additional barbeque sauce if you like.

I made several modifications to this recipe. First, I used pie crust rather than pizza crust. I like the flaky texture of pie crust and it was super-easy to make this substitution using a package of store-bought pie crusts. I also decided to omit the cilantro as I was not sure if Ben would care for it. Finally, I made one calzone with mozzarella cheese and the other with cheddar cheese. Kevin ate both versions and liked them equally well.

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Cherry Chocolate Kisses

This recipe has been all over Pinterest and with delicious ingredients like cherry and chocolate how could I resist trying them for myself? They were actually quite easy and because they do not have eggs in them I could eat all the cookie dough I wanted without worrying about food poisoning---not that the food poisoning worry ever stops me from eating cookie dough, but I do think about it!

Cherry Chocolate Kisses

Source: http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/03/04/cherry-chocolate-kisses/

Servings: approximately 36 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened, but still cool

1 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons maraschino cherry “juice”

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped

Granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies

36 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

3. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.

4. Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined.

5. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

6. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries.

7. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.

8. Using your thumb, gently press each cookie in its center until the cookie is about 1/2-inch thick.

9. Sprinkle each cookie with a little granulated sugar.

10. Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes.

11. Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center.

12. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

I followed these instructions exactly. The worst part of making them was unwrapping all the chocolate kisses! They taste best warm, so the ones that did not get eaten right out of the oven tasted better microwaved for a few seconds. I adore warm cookies!

Chocolate Chip Scones

For a long time now I thought I disliked scones. I had this idea in my head that they were just like biscotti, which I really don't care for due to the dry, hard texture. In a Christmas gift basket from my dear friend Gayla, she put some cranberry scones and after feeling them I discovered that they were actually quite moist. I tried one and was instantly smitten! I went in search of scone recipes and first tried one for blueberry scones, which were yummy and I'll post the recipe later. Kevin suggested I make chocolate chip scones and I landed on the recipe below. It makes the most delicious treats and Kevin has requested them several times since the first batch.

Source: http://beautifulnest.blogspot.com/2010/07/chocolate-chip-scones.html

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 & 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl. Add chocolate chips. Blend in whipping cream with a fork or spatula, adding 1-2 Tbsp. extra whipping cream, if necessary. When mixed, turn out onto a floured surface and knead several times. Pat into a 10 inch diameter, and cut into triangles. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 11-13 minutes. Eat and enjoy! :)

After multiple batches of these I recommend that you use a pizza stone for baking them. They seem to cook more evenly and there is little to no risk of the bottoms burning. I also suggest you warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds if you're not eating them right out of the oven. They are so much tastier warm!

Simple Beef Empanadas

This is a tried and true recipe in our house. Kevin, Ben and I always enjoy these. Will, however, tried them for the first time tonight and threw it on the floor. They were obviously not to his liking!

Source: Pillsbury Spring Celebrations (one of those little cookbooks that you find near the checkout).

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chiles, well drained

1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on the box

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In 12 inch skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in chili powder, salt and tomatoes. Remove from heat.

2. Remove both pie crusts from pouches; unroll crusts on ungreased large cookie sheet. Spoon about 2 cups of the beef mixture onto half of each crust, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese.

3. Brush edge of each crust with beaten egg. Fold untopped half of each crust over filling; press edge with fork to seal. Cut slits in several places in top of each; brush with beaten egg.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into wedges to serve.

I will confess that I always forget to brush the tops with the beaten egg. I don't think it affects the taste, mine just don't have a shiny top! I also use a little more cheese than the recipes suggests.

Chicken and Bacon Wild Rice Soup

What's better on a cold winter night than a steaming bowl of soup? I found the link to this most delicious recipe on Pinterest and made it for my family last night. It was quite simple yet very tasty. Kevin declared that he could eat it once a week and the boys didn't complain (which is a compliment in and of itself).

Chicken & Bacon Wild Rice Soup

Source: http://pinchofyum.com/chicken-bacon-wild-rice-soup

Ingredients:

3 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

1/2 cup margarine or butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped pimiento

2-3 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth and water. Add wild rice and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes (or until rice is tender).

Once the rice is cooked, there will be some additional broth – do not drain.

In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, stir in flour, salt, seasoning, and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly.Gradually stir in half and half with the butter/flour mixture and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add this creamy mixture back into the saucepan with the rice/broth. Add remaining ingredients (chicken, bacon, pimiento, and sherry). Heat on low, stirring every once in a while, for at least a half an hour. Do not boil.

The mixture will look thin, but the longer you heat the soup, the more the flavors merry and the more it will thicken. This soup is best served after gently heating for an extended period of time (even a few hours) or the next day!

For extra flavor, add more poultry seasoning and/or bacon.

I followed these directions exactly, although I did omit the sherry, and it turned out quite good. To cook the chicken I boiled it and then cut it into cubes. Boiling chicken breasts is my default method when they are going to be put into a dish and presentation is unimportant. For the bacon, I covered a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and baked it at 375 for 20 minutes. Baking bacon, as I have recently discovered, is so much easier than frying it!

New Year, New Blog

One of my New Year's resolutions is to try new recipes for my family. I seem to get in a rut of cooking the same meals over and over and over. No more! This year I am resolving to get out of that cooking rut and experiment with new foods and meals. Of course I will still make our old favorites such as tacos, spaghetti, pizza, etc.... But I will cook at least two new recipes a week. My desire to do this stems dually from my love of cooking and Kevin's new work schedule. Prior to starting his new job in November, Kevin worked a minimum of two evenings a week. On those evenings the meals that I prepared for the boys were very unimpressive, kid-friendly fare such as chicken nuggets, mac and cheese and fish sticks. I know, blah! Now Kevin is home for dinner every evening so I need to step up my game! In addition, I often have people ask me for the recipes that I try so this is an easy way to share them with friends and keep myself from falling back into the recipe rut.

Please know that I do not come up with these recipes on my own. I find the recipes on places such as Pinterest, allrecipes.com and other foodie blogs. When possible I will give credit to the source of the recipe and provide a link. I will also mention any changes I make to a recipe or shortcuts I take.

I'm looking forward to this culinary adventure! Happy New Year!

*I want to thank my good friend Laney for helping me name the blog. She cleverly suggested I use a Beatles song as inspiration so I changed their song "Happiness is a Warm Gun" into Happiness is a Warm Meal! Thanks!