Chicken Taco Pasta

Go to the grocery store and buy these ingredients...today.  You'll thank me later :) This was an easy weeknight meal that turned out so much better than I even thought it would.

1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 of a medium red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. of your favorite taco seasoning
14.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. can diced green chiles
11 oz. can sweet corn
1 roma tomato, diced
2 cups pasta shells (can use whole wheat)
4 oz. light cream cheese
3 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Brown ground chicken in a skillet.  Once browned, add the onion, garlic, and taco seasoning.  Saute about 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the beans, corn, and chiles, and toss to combine.  Cook another 5 minutes, then add the roma tomato.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.  Drain, reserving about 1/3 cup pasta water.  Add the shells, cream cheese, yogurt.  Mix well to combine.  Add some pasta water to thin out sauce or add more greek yogurt for a creamier texture, if necessary.  Taste and add more salt, pepper, or taco seasoning if necessary.  Serve topped with fresh cilantro.

Adapted from:  Bev Cooks

Sautéed Pears

I had some pears I needed to use up before they got over-ripe, so I threw them in a skillet with some butter and cinnamon, and out came this deliciousness!  These are perfect with grilled pork chops or chicken.  Give it a try!

Frozen Fruit Salad

Now that the weather is warming up, I thought I'd share this delicious recipe for frozen fruit salad.  When I was younger, there was a restaurant near my mom's work that served frozen fruit salad, and I've never been able to find it ever since.  So when I saw this recipe online, I knew I had to make it.  It was VERY close to what I used to have as a kid.  And it was very tasty and refreshing.

1 can cherry pie filling
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz.) fat free Cool Whip
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and scoop mixture into each tin.  Place in freezer to freeze through before serving.  When ready to serve, allow to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes, or zap in microwave for about 10 seconds to thaw slightly.

Source:  Add A Pinch

Sausage Balls

 

These are a great little appetizer that would also be awesome for football tailgating.  The recipe comes from one of my favorite food bloggers, Plain Chicken, who is also an Auburn grad.  Here are the ingredients:

 

1 lb. hot sausage, uncooked (I like to find the lean Jimmy Dean sausage)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups Bisquick (I get the heart-healthy Bisquick)

4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

 

Combine all ingredients well.  Roll into 1" balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until brown.

 

Source:  Plain Chicken

Skillet Lasagna

This is a good, easy weeknight meal.  I will definitely keep this in my rotation for nights when I get home and want an easy meal to whip up.

8 oz. bowtie pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup lowfat cottage cheese
Black pepper, to taste

Cook noodles according to package directions and set aside.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef and drain.  Add minced garlic and cook about 1 minute.  Then add spaghetti sauce, dried basil, onion powder, black pepper, mozzarella, and cottage cheese.  Stir to combine, then add noodles and stir to coat.  Simmer about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve topped with more cheese, if desired.

Modified from:  Plain Chicken

Ranch Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Life lately has been so wonderful yet so busy.  My residency has really been demanding the past month, but I realize I have the greatest job in the world.  I truly love it.  

The recipe I'm sharing today is soooo good.  Low in calories?  Nope.  Delicious in every way?  Yes.

1 (16 oz.) container light sour cream
2 cups (8 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 (2.8 oz.) container Hormel Real Bacon Pieces (reserving 1 Tbsp. for garnish)
1/2 packet ranch dressing mix
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
Additional cheese, onions for garnish
Ruffles or Wavy potato chips, for serving

In a large bowl, stir together sour cream, cheese, bacon pieces, ranch mix, green onions, and cayenne.  Store in an airtight container for at least one hour or overnight.  Before serving, garnish with additional bacon, onions, and cheese.  Serve with potato chips.  Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Source:  Macaroni and Cheesecake

Deviled Eggs

Our small group had an Easter dinner potluck, so I made some deviled eggs.  I used my mom's recipe, so the amounts aren't exact, because she just adds "a little of this, and a little of that."  Adjust the recipe to your taste, but this is how I did it:

7 large eggs
2-3 Tbsp. mayo
1 Tbsp. dill pickle relish
1 dash yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Paprika, for garnish

Boil eggs (for the perfect hard-boiled egg without the grayish-green that sometimes occurs in the yolk, see this link).  Cut 6 of the eggs in half, remove the yolk, and place the whites on a dish.  Finely chop the remaining whole egg and place into a bowl with the yolks.  Add the mayo, relish, mustard, and salt.  Mix well.  Spoon evenly into the 12 halves.  Sprinkle with paprika as garnish.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Breakfast Casserole

This recipe is brought to you from my momma.  Over my Spring Break, she and my sister came to visit.  We had a blast!  It was so wonderful to see them.  Here's a breakfast casserole mom made one morning that knocked my socks off:

16 oz. package ground breakfast sausage
12 eggs
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4 cup milk
32 oz. frozen hashbrowns
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Brown sausage in a skillet and drain.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.  In a large bowl, beat together milk, eggs, and cream of mushroom soup.  Stir in the sausage and pour into baking dish.  Mix in the hash browns.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, sprinkle with cheese, then bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Modified from:  All Recipes

Knock-off Jim-N-Nicks' Cheese Biscuits

There was this barbecue restaurant in Birmingham that had the BEST sweet cheddar biscuits that they would bring out in baskets before dinner.  People would literally fight over the things!  I found this "copycat" recipe, and it was pretty close to the real thing.  Delicious!

1 1/2 cups Bisquick
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix together all ingredients until just combined.  Scoop into mini-muffin tin coated with cooking spray and bake 12-15 minutes until golden.

Source:  Plain Chicken

Pot Roast

I grew up on Southern comfort food, and pot roast was one of those foods that was oh-so-good when cooked right, but could turn out terrible and tough if overcooked. I was watching the Today Show a couple of years ago, and this married couple named the Neelys from Food Network were cooking their pot roast. It looked great, so I gave it a try, and it is now my go-to recipe for roast.

Melt in your mouth!

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3-4 lb. boneless chuck roast, fat trimmed off
kosher salt
ground black pepper
12 oz. beer (not dark)
1 c. beef broth
1 (2 oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix
2 bay leaves
10-12 garlic cloves, smashed
2 onions, quartered

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat oil in large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season the roast generously with salt and pepper, then add it to the pot, and sear on all sides until nicely browned. Transfer the roast to a plate, then pour beer into the Dutch oven and whisk to scrape any browned bits; then whisk down the foam. Stir in the broth, Italian dressing mix, bay leaves, garlic, and onions. Put roast back in the Dutch oven and bake (covered) for 3 hours or until tender, turning once at midway point. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

Praline Cookies

Hello!  Life has been full of lots of excitement and fun around here.  Jonathan and I recently went on a trip to Vail, where I experienced my first snow skiing.  Let me say...it's a tough thing to do!  We had a blast though.  These are a treat I whipped up one Sunday when I was hankering for something sweet, and they were delicious.  They're really nothing like a praline, but they are an easy, tasty pecan treat. 

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Melt butter in microwave for about 45 seconds, or until melted.  Add sugars, egg, flour, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add pecans and mix well.  Using a small scoop, drop dough 2" apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool 2 minutes and remove to cooling rack.  Serve dusted with powdered sugar.

Source:  Plain Chicken

Mini Lemon Blackberry Cheesecakes

With the remaining lemons I had from my grandpa's trees (see post below), I decided to make this recipe from SkinnyTaste.  It turned out delicious!  These are definitely something I'll be making often.

24 Reduced-fat vanilla wafers
8 oz. light cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
6 oz. fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
2 large egg whites
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
24 blackberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line mini-muffin tin with mini-muffin liners and put one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each (randomly enough, some vanilla wafers in the box were too big to fit in the bottom, so I had to pick through to find the ones that would).  In a bowl, gently beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla until smooth.  Add in yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour and beat until smooth.  Pour into cupcake liners.

Bake 20-22 minutes or until centers are almost set.  Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled (a few hours).  Top each with a blackberry and serve.

Taco Dip

Oh man, is this recipe amazing!  I threw this together the night of the National Championship because some of my classmates were coming over to watch the game.   It was so easy to assemble, and the flavors were dynamite together.  Make this soon!  It would be great for a Super Bowl party.

1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 packet taco seasoning
8 oz. light sour cream
1.5-2 cups sharp cheddar
Fritos, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain.  Mix in beans and taco seasoning.  Spread into the bottom of a pie plate or appropriately-sized dish, and top with sour cream.  Then top with cheddar.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.  Serve immediately with Fritos.

Slightly modified from:  Plain Chicken

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

Leave it to me to make lemonade in the middle of winter.  I had some lemons my grandpa grew, and I needed to use them up before they went bad.  So I found this recipe online for homemade lemonade, and I gave it a try.  It was great!  

1 1/2 cups lemon juice (for me, this was about 5 lemons)
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar (plus more to taste)

My tips for juicing a lemon:  Roll lemon firmly between your palm and countertop before slicing.  Use a citrus reamer to squeeze out all juice and pulp from the lemon.  Then use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the lemon juice, catching the seeds and pulp in the strainer.

In a small saucepan, make a simple syrup by combining sugar and 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil to melt sugar.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then cool in refrigerator until chilled.  In the pitcher, stir together the simple syrup, and 7 other cups of water.  Adjust water/sugar to taste.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Cups

Happy New Year!  Our small group had a New Years' Eve party, and I was asked to bring an appetizer.  I always use parties as excuses to try new recipes, so I made these little beauties.  Everyone loved them, and they were pretty easy to make.

24 wonton wrappers
10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach (thawed and all excess moisture squeezed out)
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz. light cream cheese
3 Tbsp. light mayo
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese
1/2 tsp. black pepper
A couple dashes salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray mini-muffin pan with Pam and then place 1 wonton in each muffin cup, pressing the wonton firmly against the sides to prevent it collapsing into the middle.  Bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine spinach, artichoke hearts, sour cream, cream cheese, light mayo, garlic, parmesan,  cheese, pepper, and salt in a bowl.  Distribute mixture into wontons, pressing firmly down into the wonton.  Bake an additional 10 minutes or until wontons are nicely browned and crisp.  Remove from muffin tin and serve immediately.

Adapted from:  Gimme Some Oven

Oreo Truffles

Merry Christmas!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  If you're going to a New Year's Party, think about making these treats.  One of my dental school friends made these delicious for a wedding shower once, and I knew I had to have the recipe.  It is so amazingly simple yet amazingly tasty...no one will ever know it only took you a few minutes to make!

1 package Oreo cookies
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened (I used light)
Milk or white chocolate bark

Put 6 Oreos in a food processor and crush until fine (if you don't have a food processor, you can crush them by hand in a bag).  Reserve for later.

Put the remaining Oreos in the food processor and crush until fine.  Stir in softened cream cheese; mix well.  Roll into 1" balls and place on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet.  Put the freezer for 15 minutes or so to firm up.

Melt chocolate according to package and covered balls with chocolate.  Set on wax paper to dry.  Sprinkle the tops with the 6 crushed oreos before chocolate sets.

Christmas Party

Jonathan and I had some friends over to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (our Christmas movie tradition), and I served up some easy snacks.  Since it was on a Friday night, I only had an hour or so to get things ready after school, so I chose easy things to throw together.  Here's two of the items, followed by their recipes.  They were both a big hit!

Rolo Turtle Pretzels

Rolo Turtle Pretzels

32 waffle pretzels

4 packages Rolos

Pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place pretzels on a cookie sheet.  Place one Rolo on top of each pretzels.  Stick in oven for 4 minutes, then press one pecan onto each Rolo.  Cool and enjoy!'

Adapted from:  The Hungry Housewife

Goat Cheese with Fresh Dill and Paprika

Goat Cheese with Fresh Dill and Paprika

2 packages (11 oz.) goat cheese

6 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped

6 Tbsp. paprika

Crackers, for serving

Place the goat cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.  Meanwhile, put your dill and paprika on two separate paper plate.  Remove goat cheese from package and roll one in the paprika and one into the dill, coating well.

Carefully roll each into plastic wrap if you're not serving right away.  Try not to prepare too far in advance of the one with paprika will get clumpy.  Serve with sturdy crackers or crostini.

Note:  I cut the recipe in half and only used one package goat cheese, cut in half, since we had a smaller crowd.

Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Kansas City Trip

This post is a couple weeks overdue, but better late than never!  Over Thanksgiving, we took a road trip to Kansas City.  It was a lovely place to visit.  The area where we stayed was an upscale shopping district that decorates the plaza with thousands of strings of Christmas lights every year...it was beautiful!  We also visited the World War I Museum (I highly recommend), went to a local farmer's market, and then went to a NFL game!  Jonathan has always wanted to see Peyton Manning in person, and Kansas City was playing the Broncos that weekend, so it worked out perfectly!  Here's a couple of pictures I have from the game:

Welcome to Arrowhead Stadium

If you look closely, the guy in the #18 jersey is Peyton Manning!  He was warming up right in front of us.

I forgot to get a picture of the stadium once it filled up (oh well).  But the Broncos won so we were happy!

God gave us a beautiful sunset to be in awe of him on the drive home

Crockpot Pulled Pork

It's been a lovely fall here in Iowa.  The colors of the changing leaves were fantastic, and it hasn't really been cold yet.  It's been cool to chilly at night, and I've never lived anywhere before where there is a true fall season, so it's been wonderful.  Lately, I've been trying to cook some meals in the crockpot while I'm at school to save me from having to cook when I get home (usually tired!).  I had tried this recipe when we lived in Alabama, and loved it, so I brought it out again.  It's so delicious and easy.  Jonathan is obsessed with it!  I served it on homemade rolls from the Amish community 15 minutes down the road.  It got gobbled up so quickly I forgot to take a picture, so here's a link to the original site I got it from.

1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (3-5 lb) pork shoulder or pork butt roast
3/4 cup cider vinegar
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Your favorite BBQ sauce

Rinse pork under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Trim away excess fat.  Place onions in the bottom of the crockpot.  In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt, and black pepper.  Rub mixture all over the roast, and set roast on top of the onions.

In a medium bowl, mix cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper.  Whisk well to combine, and drizzle 2/3 of the mixture over the roast.  Cover and refrigerate the rest of the mixture.

Cover crockpot and cook roast on low 10-12 hours.  Drizzle remaining vinegar mixture over roast when 30 minutes are left in cooking.  Once cooked, shred meat with two forks and serve with your favorite bbq sauce.

Modified from:  My Baking Addiction

Beef and Spinach Enchiladas

I haven't had much time lately to photograph many of my cooking concoctions (we tend to scarf them down, and then I remember that I wanted to take a picture!), so here's an oldie but a goodie.  This is a recipe that my good friend and dental school classmate, Laura, gave me. It is an easy meal to throw together, and it even tastes great as leftovers.

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef, cooked and drained

2.5 cups chunky salsa, divided

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and all excess moisture squeezed out

4 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed

12 flour tortillas

8 oz. 2% shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook meat in a saucepan, then drain.  heat in the same saucepan the ground beef, 1 cup salsa, spinach, cumin, salt, and cream cheese until melted.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla.  Roll them up and place seam down in a lightly greased 9x13" pan.  Spoon remanning salsa over the enchiladas and place in the oven, uncovered.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until hot.  Add cheese on top and return to oven, just to melt.