Some New Favorite Recipes!

SOOOO whenever it starts cooling down I get in a cooking mood!  Lately I have been trying out some new recipes that I've found on Pinterest or in magazines!  I wanted to share some of the ones that I thought were really a success; things I will be cooking again!

Chicken and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

This was a surprising treat!  I didn't think that I would like it at much as I did!  And it's really pretty darn healthy!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
10 3/4 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup (reduced. fat, reduced sodium )
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon instant onion soup mix (about 1 envelope)
4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
3 cups hot cooked rice
5 or 6 large green or red sweet peppers 
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (5 ounces)


Directions:MELT margarine or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.Add celery and cook about 5 minutes or till tender.
STIR in condensed mushroom soup, water or broth, and onion soup mix. Heat till bubbly.
Stir in chicken; heat through.
Stir in rice; remove from heat.
TO ASSEMBLE, halve peppers length-wise; remove stems, seeds, and membranes.
Place pepper halves, cut sides up, in a large shallow baking or roasting pan.
Divide chicken mixture among the pepper halves.
Sprinkle with lemon-pepper seasoning.
Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
TO SERVE, bake peppers, loosely covered with foil, in a 350º oven about 55 minutes or till heated through.
Top with cheese and pimiento.
Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or till cheese is just melted.

Baked Ravioli

This was SUPER easy and SUPER good!  It makes a lot....so lots of leftovers to eat!  Kylie loved it and I love when Kylie likes the food that we are eating too!  

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1-½ Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Thyme
½ teaspoons Oregano
1 can Stewed Tomatoes (14.5 Oz)
1 can Diced Italian Flavored Tomatoes (14.5oz)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 pounds Frozen Ravioli
¼ cups Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella

Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
3. Add minced garlic and saute with salt and pepper for about 1 minute.
4. Add thyme, oregano and tomatoes.
5. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
6. Break up tomato chunks with a spoon as much as possible.
7. Scoop most of the bigger tomato chunks out and blend (I used a magic bullet, but a regular blender would work too) till chunks are gone. (There will still be some chunks, but small ones, you don’t want any full sized tomatoes in your sauce).
8. Return blended mixture to the sauce.
9. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling water, until they float to the top (pasta does not need to be completely cooked because it will continue to cook in the oven). You can use the package instructions for al dente.
11. When it’s done, drain water from pasta.
12. Toss pasta and sauce in a large bowl.
13. Pour pasta into a 9×13 pan.
14. Top pasta with Parmesan cheese, then mozzarella cheese.
15. Bake for 20 minutes, until pasta is golden.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This was a little more time consuming but it was for sure worth the work and I am sure you could throw it in the crock pot to make too for 3 or 4 hours!  The only thing I did different was to use Parmesan instead of cotija cheese...because I couldn't find Cotija cheese at the store.  When I got home and googled it I TOTALLY know where to find it for next time.

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock
2 skinless, chicken breasts (I used a cooked chicken)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
4-6 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup tomato paste
8 oz cotija cheese, crumbled
8 oz pepperjack cheese, divided
1 cup cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add chicken stock and heat over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pot. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered until tomatoes have begun to break down. Add black beans, corn, and tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add cotija cheese and half of the pepperjack cheese and stir to melt. Return chicken to soup and cook about 20 more minutes until desired consistency.

If soup isn't as thick as desired, you can add strips of flour tortillas. They will dissolve into the soup to thicken the broth. Add cilantro, reserving some to top individual bowls if desired. Ladle into serving bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, reserved pepperjack cheese and cilantro if desired.

Bacon Wrapped Weenies Appetizer

So when I saw this recipe there was no doubt in my mind that it was a winner!  I made this for Jake's work Bar-B-Q this weekend and it was gone so fast...might be my new go to appetizer for guests houses, though I can say we won't be making this for just us...a l i t t l e too unhealthy!

Hillshire Farm Smokies

Butter

Bacon

Brown Sugar

Cut each piece of bacon in to four long skinny pieces.  Wrap each weenie with the bacon.....when your 9 x 13 pan is full of weenies, pour melted butter over the weenies and then put a pound of brown sugar over them.  Cook in oven at 375 for 45 minutes.  Every 15 minutes try to baste the weenies with the bacon grease/butter/brown sugar mixture.     

Spinach Smoothie

I have to confess, I seriously thought that I was going to have to plug my nose and eat this.  It looks NASTY!  It is SO good!  Kylie Jo even asks for me to make it now!  

Ingredients:

1 frozen sliced banana
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt (I just used regular vanilla)
1 cup Unsweetened(I used sweetened and it is the best thing I have ever tasted) Vanilla Almond Breeze (or other kind of milk...)
4 cups baby spinach (or more, or less)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

http://www.homebeccanomics.com/2011/09/14/make-ahead-and-freeze-breakfast-sandwiches/ 

My sister in law made these for us soon after Lila was born!  We ate them so fast that I had to make some more of them!  They taste a lot better then the pre-made sandwiches that you can buy.  They really don't take that long to make either.  A lot of mornings I just don't have time for breakfast so this is nice because I can grab and go!


Ingredients:Makes 12

12 whole wheat English muffins (2 bags) (or W.W bagels, bread, sandwich thins)
12 slices cheese (American, cheddar, Swiss, Provolone)
12 eggs (or 3 c. egg substitute)
1/4 c. milk, half and half, or cream
Salt
black pepper
2 tbsp. butter
12 slices meat (bacon, turkey bacon, ham, turkey, pork roll)

Directions:
1. Toast English muffins by broiling. To broil, set oven to broil and make sure your oven rack is set to the top. Lay out muffins face up on a cookie sheet. Set on top rack and leave door slightly open. Keep an eye so they don’t burn.

2. Once muffins are toasted, lay them out in a line. Put cheese on the top slices of the muffins.

3. Cook bacon in the microwave (if you know what’s good for you). To do this, lay a paper towel or two on a plate. Lay out bacon on top (touching but not overlapping). Top bacon with paper towel. Microwave 1 minute per slice of bacon. Let cool slightly. (Cook 4 at a time)

4. Split bacon in half and put both pieces on the bottom half of each muffin.

5. Beat eggs and milk with fork. Add salt and pepper.

6. Bring a large nonstick skillet to medium heat and add 1 tbsp. butter.

7. Pour about half of egg mixture into pan. Let it cook, swirling slightly with spatula until it begins to set.

8. Divide eggs into six sections and flip each section. Once eggs are cooked, put on top of the bacon and close the sandwich.

9. Continue with the second half of the egg mixture and the second tbsp. butter.

10. Once sandwiches are complete, put on a cookie sheet and freeze at least 20 minutes.

11. Wrap each sandwich in a sheet of paper towel and place in a zippered bag. Store bags in the freezer.

12. When ready to eat, remove sandwich from freezer and microwave in paper towel for 1 minute or until heated through.

Sausage, Gravey, Biscuit Casserole

When I saw this recipe http://rochelle-learning-to-trust.blogspot.com/2011/05/sausage-biscuit-gravy-casserole-recipe.html my heart JUMPED with joy....my favorite things all in one, but a different spin on it!  Then I read the recipe and decided to change a few things.....Instead of cream cheese I bought a pack of gravy and cooked it following the directions. And instead of spreading in a 9 x 13 pan with 2 packs of crescent rolls I just used a 9 x 9 pan and one package of crescent rolls.  It was so good and SO much easier to make then biscuits and gravy when we have company because I can brown the meat and make the gravy the night before!  

Ingredients:
1 lb pork sausage (Take some out otherwise there is a little too much sausage...I just used what I took out and put it in my eggs)
1 onion {size to your preference}
1 8 oz pkg softened plain cream cheese OR 1 white gravy envelope
1 pkgs crescent rolls

Directions:
Saute the onions in a skillet for a minute or two just to get them to start softening.  Add the pork sausage and brown. Preheat oven to 350 degrees while sausage is browning. Do not drain sausage [*depending on the type of sausage - if it's really greasy you will want to drain it].

Add cream cheese (cooked gravy in my case) and stir.

Spray a square pan and put half of the crescent rolls on the bottom of the pan.  Pinch all of the pieces so there aren't any separations, flattening along the pan as you go.

Spread the sausage mixture in the pan next.

Put the other half of the crescent rolls on the top again trying to make sure you seal the cracks.

Cook in a 350 degree preheated oven for 22-28 minutes, depending on your oven and how dark you like it.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

We are pretty much always eating off a loaf of banana bread at our house.  We just love it!  So when I came across this recipe I was excited to try the new spin.  Really you are just substituting a 1/2 cup of flour for cocoa and adding some chocolate chips.  We all love it though it is more dessert bread instead of breakfast bread now OBVIOUSLY haha!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 8×4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3 Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

Ummmm words just don't describe how amazing this tasted.  It was really good hot with ice cream...but it was just as good cold a day later.  Just thinking about this recipe is making me want to make it again right now! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter 

1 egg, lightly beaten 

1 cup milk 

1 cup flour 

1 cup sugar 

2 tsp baking pwdr 

1/2 tsp salt •

2 quarts strawberries, washed & capped 

4 oz. cream cheese, cut in small pieces (I would use a little more next time)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt butter & pour into a 9x13 baking dish. In a small bowl, mix egg, milk, flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Pour over the butter, but do not stir. Add the strawberries & cream cheese pieces. Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden.