Bacon, Ranch and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Here is another recipe from pinterest. Suprised? This is a version of mac and cheese that my husband might actually like. He has never been a fan of homeade mac and cheese (probably because there is no meat). This really doesn't taste much like mac and cheese, but it has more of an alfredo taste to it, and it has chicken and bacon. I really, really liked it and will definitely make it again.

 

I actually forgot to take a picture until we had already dished up. (I am still getting used to this food blog). It looked a lot prettier when I took it out of the oven. Also, I only had a few shell noodles and so I used half small shell and half mini penne. I also just put the Italian blend cheese on the top instead of colby-jack. The colby jack would give it a different taste and a little yellow color. I will have to try it next time. (Brian and Loni if you are reading this, Garrett ate this at my house and had about 3 servings of it!!!)

Bacon, Ranch and Chicken Mac and Cheese
Source: First Look, Then Cook

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1 slice applewood-smoked bacon
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend (such as Sargento)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded colby-Jack cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

Preheat broiler.

Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

 I love rhubarb season, and there is always so much of it. The only problem is, is that mostly all rhubarb recipes are desserts because you have to add so much sugar to make it good. I found this one on pinterest and it is really good. I like the combination of strawberry and rhubarb because I think it makes it a little less sour.

My awesome little helper mixing up the cookie dough!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

 Source: Table For Two

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, cut into 7 or 8 chunks

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling**(See Below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan. Set aside. In a mixer, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, baking soda, salt, and vanilla until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Set aside about 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture. Pour remaining crumb mixture in bottom of prepared pan and spread evenly. Press crumb mixture down.

Using a spatula, spread the fruit filling in an even coat on top of the crumb crust. Then with the reserved crumb mixture, crumble it on top of the fruit filling.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.

**Strawberry Rhubarb Filling

The recipe I used just used store bought filling, but I decided to make my own. The whole purpose is to use an over abundance of rhubarb, right? I got my recipe for the strawberry rhubarb sauce from Allrecipes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

5 tsp. cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups. sliced fresh strawberries (I used frozen)

1 cup slice rhubarb

Combine sugar, orange juice, cornstarch, and vanilla in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add strawberries and rhubarb; reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove from heat and mash the cooked berries with a fork, or in a blender for a smoother filling.

*You can use this sauce for many things: over cake, ice cream, cheesecake

Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts

Here is another beef recipe. I am working on using up all the beef in my freezer. I especially like the flatbread in this one, and it is so easy and yummy!!

Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts
Source: Life as a Lofthouse

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. water
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1/2 c. ketchup
1 T. mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (11 oz) can refrigerated pizza dough
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
chopped tomatoes
chopped lettuce

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Add water, vinegar, onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard, and garlic. Stir to combine and simmer over low heat.

Meanwhile, heat another large skillet over medium-heat. Divide the pizza dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each piece out.

Place one piece of dough onto the warm skillet. Cook on each side for 40-60 seconds or until puffed and golden. Place each flatbread onto a cookie sheet in a 200 degree warm oven to keep warm until all flatbreads are made.

Take one flatbread and fill with a little of the cheeseburger mixture and shredded cheese. Top with tomatoes and lettuce. Serves 4.

Raspberry Cheesecake Salad

90 % of my salad recipes could also be considered desserts. What can I say, I have a sweet tooth. This recipe as you can tell by it's name, is no different. But it is so good.


Raspberry Cheesecake Salad
Source: Life Should Be Delicious

3 boxes instant pudding Cheesecake flavor
3 c. milk
8-10 graham crackers
3 T. butter
2 T. sugar
Cool whip (about 12 oz)
1 container raspberries

Mix cheescake instant pudding with milk using wire whisk. Crumble the graham crackers in a separate bowl. Add sugar. Melt butter and pour over graham cracker and sugar mixture and mix. Pour mixture over cheesecake mixture. Mix in cool whip. Delicately fold in raspberries.

*This can be made with different fruit. It is good with blueberries and strawberries. I have also made it using banana cream pudding and bananas, and it is really good that way.

Butterfinger Caramel Cake

I love butterfingers. I love caramel. I love yellow cake. When I saw this recipe, I knew it was made for me. I wasn't disapointed!!

The cooked cake with the sweetened candensed milk, caramel yumminess!

The finished product

Butterfinger Caramel Cake
Source: Six Sisters Stuff

1 box yellow cake mix
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar Caramel ice cream topping
1 (8 oz) tub cool whip
4 regular sized Butterfingers, crushed

Place candy bars in freezer and bake cake according to package directions.

While cake is baking, mix sweetened condesnsed milk and caramel topping in a bowl. When the cake is done and while it is still hot, poke holes in it with a fork. It needs lots of holes so the caramel will seep through. Pour caramel, milk mixture over the cake. Let cool completely.

Pull candy bars out of freezer and smash with a hammer while they are still in their packages. Sprinkle two candy bars over cake. Spread cool whip over top, then sprinkle with the remaining two candy bars. Chill for at least an hour before serving and store leftovers in fridge.

Broccoli and Tortellini Salad

Most of the recipes I have posted are not really healthy.  This is a salad, so it should be healthy, right?  It may not be the most healthy salad I have ever had, but it has been my favorite since about a year and a half ago when I found the recipe.  Every time we make it for a party, someone asks for the recipe.  We made it today for my grandparents sixtieth wedding anniversary and my cousin's wife said they were watching to see who would claim the bowl so they could get the recipe.  So here it is, written down so I never will forget it, and a good excuse to refer people to Stephanie's blog.  The recipe makes a lot, so the only time I have ever made it is for parties.

Broccoli and Tortellini Salad

6 stalks of broccoli
8 slices of bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
1 cup craisins
1 cup roasted cashews
20 oz refrigerated tortellini

Cut up the broccoli into small pieces.  I usually end up with anywhere from 6 to 10 cups, just add more for larger groups.  Cook the tortellini according to the directions on the package.  Drain and cool.  Mix the broccoli, bacon, craisins, cashews, and tortellini in a large bowl.

Dressing

2/3 cup white sugar
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Mix and let sit for half an hour.  Then mix well again.  About an hour before serving pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.  Mix well again right before serving.  Enjoy.  And be prepared to give out the recipe to someone else.

Queso Taco Pasta Bake

I like to try new recipes because I get tired of my same ol. I like to find new beef recipes because we have a lot of beef that I need to use up. I found this one at Picky Palate, one of my favorite food blogs I look at. We thought it was pretty good. Rex thought it would be good with some tortilla chips or fritos.

The queso cheese sauce

The Hamburger

The finished product

Queso Taco Pasta Bake

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup prepared mild salsa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes, mild
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 pound small pasta of your choice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

 Place butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to melt. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper for about 30 seconds until bubbly. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Increase heat to high while whisking until thickened. Takes 3-5 minutes. Stir in cheese and salsa, turn off heat and set aside.

Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add ground beef, salt and pepper, cooking until browned. Drain fat if necessary. Add tomatoes, cumin and lime juice, stir to combine.

 Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water.

Transfer beef, noodles and queso to a large pot or dutch oven over medium low heat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to your liking. Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Tiny Spicy Chicken

This is one of my wife's favorite recipes.  We got it from a ward cookbook when we lived in Logan and have made it often since then.  It is one of our most requested recipes, and one of the few we didn't get from Stephanie.

3 lbs boneless chicken, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
Garlic salt
3 beaten eggs
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup flour

Mix garlic salt with the beaten eggs.  Mix the flour and cornstarch together in a large bowl or plastic bag.  Dip the chicken in the eggs, then into flour, coating well.  Fry in oil until light brown.  Drain on paper towels, then place chicken into a 9x13 pan.

Sauce
2 tsp sambal chili paste
2 cups sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 cup chicken broth
4 tsp soy sauce
1 cup white vinegar
dash salt
1/2 cup brown sugar


Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until boiling.  Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  The sauce will thicken as it cooks.  Serve over rice.

Monkey Bread

We have a similar recipe we have used for a couple of years, but in the last year we started making it this way so the kids can help.  We usually make it for breakfast so we have to do it on a day when we have plenty of time.  It usually takes close to one and a half hours for the kids to put it together and finish cooking.

3 oz package of vanilla pudding, cook and serve style
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter melted
4 small packages refrigerator biscuits

Mix the sugars, cinnamon, and half the package of pudding.  Cut the biscuits in half, dip in the butter, then in the sugar mixture.  Place in greased bundt pan.  After about 2/3 of the biscuits are in the pan, sprinkle the remaining pudding mix, two big spoonfuls of the sugar mixture, and 1/4 cup of butter over what is in the pan.  Top with the remaining biscuits.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until done.

Rhubarb Muffins

When I was about 11, I had migrains a lot. I went to the doctor and they thought I might have a food allergy, so they wanted me to try a no milk diet for a few weeks. The next night, I had a sleep over at my friends house. They were so nice and made me some muffins the next morning that didn't have any milk in them. They did have rhubarb in them though. Rhubarb is one of those foods that a lot of people don't like. Luckily for me, we grew up eating rhubarb because my dad likes it, and I have always liked it. These muffins have been made a lot since then. Some people in my family don't really care for these but I think they are so yummy and look forward to making them every summer!

Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl. The nuts are optional, but I think they make these muffins great!

Chop your rhubarb. Mix the wet ingredients together with the rhubarb in a separate bowl.

When you get to mixing the two bowls together, it is important to not over mix. The recipe says 6 times only. While I find that a little hard to do, I am very careful to not mix too much. It is okay to not have it mixed perfectly. I usually have a little flour not completely mixed in.

Drop the mix into muffin tins. The dough is kind of thick.

Rhubarb Pecan Muffins

2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. chopped pecans
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.

In another bowl, mix:
1 egg
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. grated orange peel (opt)
3/4 c. orange juice
1 1/2 c. chopped rhubarb

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, mix liquid and rhubarb. Stir dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Mix 6 times only. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

BBQ Chicken Rice Wraps

I got this recipe off of an email recipe exchange. It is actually one of about 3 that I got. Not so great, out of the 50 I was supposed to get!! I do really like this one though and it is really easy to put together.

What You Do:

 Start some rice cooking (however much your family eats). I have a wonderful rice cooker that I love!

                                                                                                                  

Take 2-3 chicken breasts (however many your family can eat). Heat skillet over med-high heat with about 1 T. of oil, add chicken and season just a bit with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook until fully cooked. Add enough BBQ sauce to cover well; turn to simmer, cover and let sit while you finish cooking the rice, stiring occasionally.

Cook or warm up some flour tortillas. I love the uncoooked flour tortillas you can buy at the store. They are so easy but taste like homeade ones!

Grate some cheese and get some ranch. Layer the rice, chicken, cheese and ranch on the tortilla and roll up! YUM!

BBQ Chicken Rice Wraps

 2-3 chicken breasts (how ever much you need to feed your family)

cooked rice (again, however much you need to feed your family.)

tortillas

cheese (grated)

BBQ sauce (your favorite kind)

Ranch dressing

Cut up chicken into small bite size pieces. Heat skillet over med-high heat with about a T. of oil, add chicken and season just a bit with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook until fully cooked. Add enough BBQ sauce to cover well; turn to simmer, cover and let sit while you finish cooking the rice, stiring occasionally. Once rice is cooked, heat your tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave. To build your wrap: put a couple spoon fulls of rice in the warm tortilla then enough of the chicken to your liking. Top with a little grated cheese and a drizzle of ranch. Wrap up like a burrito and enjoy!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Brownie Trifle

Stephanie said I could contribute to this blog, so here is a recipe I got from a coworker that we ended up making twice this weekend.

Brownie Trifle

Brownie mix (Enough to fill a 13x9 pan)

12 oz package frozen raspberries

1 cup sugar

-Blend together.

2 cups heavy whipping cream

¼ cup sugar

-Whip until stiff.

Two 8 oz packages cream cheese

½ cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

-Mix together.  Add 2 cups of the whipped cream.

1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced

Small package of fresh raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries or combination

-Cut the brownies into small pieces.  Layer the brownies, raspberry syrup, fruit, and cream cheese.  Repeat 3 times, using the remaining whip cream to cover the last layer.  Garnish with extra fruit or shaved chocolate.

BBQ Chicken Calzones

I found this calzone recipe on pinterest and knew I had to try it. It came from Taste and See.

BBQ Chicken Calzones

1 recipe pizza dough

2 chicken breasts, chopped or shredded
½ small red onion, chopped
¼ c. barbeque sauce
¼ c. ranch dressing
Shredded cheddar cheese, to taste
½ pkg. bacon, cooked and diced
¼ c. fresh oregano, chopped
Olive oil or cooking spray
Preheat oven and pizza stone to 500 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the bbq sauce and ranch dressing. Add the chicken and stir to combine. Divide the pizza dough into 4 even pieces. Stretch each piece into a circle and place on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking.
Spread ¼ of the chicken mixture onto one half of each circle, leaving a 1-inch edge. Sprinkle with bacon, onion, cheese, and oregano. Fold into a half moon shape and crimp the edges with your fingers or with a fork. Spray the top of each calzone with cooking spray for even browning.
Place calzones onto the preheated pizza stone and bake for 10-12 minutes or until dough is golden brown. Serve warm with extra bbq-ranch sauce for dipping.

 

The pizza dough recipe I use for these calzones, I also found on pinterest. It comes from Lauren's Latest. I love this pizza dough recipe. It is so delicious and I always use it whenever I make pizza now.

Fail Proof Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water

2 ¼ tsp. active dry yeast

1 T. honey or sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 T. olive or canola oil

3 c. bread flour (usually about 2 ½)

In a large mixing bowl, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix.

Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the right consistency; slightly tacky, but when you touch it, it doesn’t stick to your hands. Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high for 6 minutes. Lightly grease the bowl, cover and let rise 1-2 hours.

Freezer Jam

I got a whole bunch of strawberries in my bountiful basket this week and our freezer jam stockpile is getting low, so Lily and I got to work making some more. I grew up on this freezer jam recipe and it is by far my favorite of all the jams and jellies I have ever had and it is so easy!

Freezer Jam
5 c. mashed fruit
1/2 c. light corn syrup
2 c. sugar
3 T. clear starch* (heaping Tablespoons)
Mash fruit. Mix clear starch and sugar really well. Pour into fruit. Add corn syrup and you are done. Mixture will thicken more as it sets and the cooler it gets.
*Clear starch is a little bit hard to find, but can be purchased at most kitchen stores or online

Trying It Out

I am really excited for this new experience. I love to cook and I love recipes. I really wanted a place to put all of my recipes together and share new recipes with friends. I think it will be fun!