Southwest Egg Rolls and Avocado Dip

Filling:

2 ½ c. shredded cooked chicken

1 ½ c. shredded Mexican cheese blend

2/3 c. frozen corn, thawed

2/3 c. black beans rinsed and drained

5 green onions, chopped

¼ c. mined fresh cilantro

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. grated lime peel

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 pgk (16 oz) egg roll wrappers (in produce section)

Oil for deep frying

Dip:

1 cup ranch salad dressing

1 medium ripe avocado mashed

1 Tb. Minced fresh cilantro

1 tsp. grated lime peel

Combine filling ingredients. Place ¼ c. mixture in center of egg roll. Fold corners over and moisten to get egg roll to stick together sealed. Roll up tightly, repeat. Heat oil to 375 and fry egg rolls for 2 minutes on each side till golden brown. Be patient so they don't burn and stay doughy inside. Combine dip ingredients and serve with hot egg rolls. Can be frozen and reheated.

These can also be rolled in fajita tortillas and baked. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Photo & recipe Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese (low fat is fine, avoid fat free)
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoon sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack or plain jack cheese
small flour or corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray or olive oil

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.   You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

If using corn tortillas, work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If using flour tortillas straight from the fridge, it helps to warm them in the microwave so they’re easier to roll.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges.

Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another.  Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.  Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Freezer Instructions: Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Yields 12-16, when using 6″ tortillas, depending on how full you make them.

Tortilla Soup

Photo & recipe from Thriving Home Blog

Makes at least 8 servings

Ingredients

    1 - 32 oz box organic chicken or vegetable stock
    1 - 15 oz can refried beans (check ingredients carefully; organic is preferable)
    1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
    1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes (juice and all)
    1 small can diced green chiles
    8 oz of organic frozen corn or 1 can organic corn (liquid drained)
    1-2 cup cooked brown rice
    1/2-1 cup of your favorite salsa
    2 tablespoons, or to taste, all-natural taco seasoning mix
    Optional Toppings: sour cream or Greek yogurt, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together (except toppings) and let simmer over low heat for at least 10 minutes but longer is fine. Serve with whatever toppings you like. Done!

Freezer Meal Directions: Freeze in a BPA-free freezer bag or air-tight container for up to 3 months. Thaw for 24 hours in fridge then cook in crock pot for 4 hours.

Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni 1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
2.	In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, jalapenos, andsalt and pepper.
3.	Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden. (I usually broil the top at the end until it is golden.) - Tricia

Garlic Cheese Biscuts

·         2 cups Bisquick

·         ½ cup cold water

·         ¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese.

·         2 Tbs. Butter

·         1 tsp. parsley

·        1/2 tsp. garlic salt or power

Preheat oven to 450°.  Mix Bisquick, water and cheese.  Drop by large spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet.  Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.  After baking, (while hot) brush on melted butter mixed with garlic power, parsley flakes.   - Tricia

White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Blondies

Ingredients:

BLONDIES

·         2 and 1/3 cups flour

·         1 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature

·         3/4 cup granulated sugar

·         3/4 cup brown sugar

·         2 large eggs

·         2 teaspoons vanilla

·         1 cup white chocolate chips

CINNAMON-SUGAR FILLING

·         1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·         1/4 + cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough overhang on the sides to easily pull the blondies out of the pan and cut. In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Using mixer beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl. Beat for at least 1 minute until creamy. Add sugars and beat for 2 full minutes on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients until just combined. With a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the white chocolate chips.

Spoon half the batter into pan and spread it across the pan evenly (easier to do if you use your hands). Combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of them bottom layer, reserving 1 Tablespoon for the top. Spread the remaining batter over top. Some of the cinnamon-sugar will mix into the top layer as you spread it, which is fine. Sprinkle the top with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 - Tricia

Jalapeno Popper Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Photo and Recipe adapted from Lauren's Latest

Ingredients: 

2 cups chicken, shredded
12+ slices of bacon (1 package)
2 tablespoons bacon grease (reserved from bacon)
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
3 jalapenos, sliced (ribs and seeds removed)
1 pound elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper, to taste
1 pinch nutmeg
2 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot sauce
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated provolone
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

for the topping-
1 cup corn flakes, crushed
1/8 cup blue cheese crumbles
cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions:

Cook and shred chicken

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and crumble. Pour off excess bacon drippings, keeping 2 tablespoons in the pan. Place skillet back on heat and saute onion and jalapenos until soft, about 6 minutes over medium heat. Set aside.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Salt water generously and cook pasta 2 minutes short of package directions. You want the macaroni to be very al dente, but not still crunchy. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Increase heat to medium high and continue mixing until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese and hot sauce until melted smoothly into the sauce. 

Pour cooked pasta and sauteed onions and jalapenos into the sauce. Stir to coat. Stir in cheeses, most of the bacon (save a little to sprinkle on top) and chicken. 

Pour into a buttered 9x13 baking dish and spread out evenly. Top with 1/8 cup blue cheese, corn flakes and crumbled bacon. 

Bake 20-30 minutes until top of macaroni has browned. Remove from oven, serve hot.

Manicotti

1 package manicotti noodles
1 (16 oz.) cottage cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teasspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons parsley flakes or fresh basil torn
1 can or bottle spaghetti sauce

Optional:
Red pepper flakes and Johnny's Italian Seasoning to taste

Cook noodles according to package directions. Mix together remaining ingredients, except sauce. Fill noodles with cheese mixture. Spread 1/2 spaghetti sauce in 9x13 pan. Place filled noodles in pan and cover with remaining sauce. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 350.

Serve with salad and garlic bread

-Adrian

RANCH CHICKEN CASSEROLE

• 1 1/2 lb. of chicken, without skin and bones
• 4 tsp. of lime juice
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp. of butter
• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 poblano pepper, diced
• 1 10 oz. can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained (or you can use a can of regular diced tomatoes and a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles)
• 4 tsp. ancho chile powder (or chili powder)
• 1 tsp. of cumin
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. of flour
• 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper (opt.)
• 1/2 cup of half and half
• 1/3 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 3 cups of grated pepper jack and cheddar
• 10 corn tortillas
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Season the chicken with the lime juice, 2 tsp. chili powder and a dash of salt.
2. In a skillet heated on medium, cook the chicken in the olive oil on each side for about 10 minutes. When chicken is done (after about 20 minutes), shred it with two forks and set aside.
3. Taste and see if it needs more salt and pepper. Should yield about 3 cups.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium, and add the onions, red bell pepper and poblano pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper and 2 tsp. of chili powder, and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the chicken broth and cook on low until mixture is thickened, a few minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover the pot, and add the sour cream, 2 tsp. of lime juice and 1/4 cup of cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Turn off heat. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat up the tortillas (you can do this by adding a bit of oil on an iron skillet and then cooking the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side). Ladle 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking pan.
7. Layer half the tortillas along the bottom of the pan (on top of the sauce). To make sure entire pan is evenly covered, you can rip some of the tortillas into strips to fill any gaps. Add half the chicken, half the remaining sauce, half the remaining cilantro and 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese. Repeat the layering, leaving the cheese layer on top. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling.
8. Serve with additional sour cream.

                                                - Tricia

Knockoff Swig Sugar Cookies

Photo & recipe from here.

Cookies:

1 C Butter (room temperature)
3/4 C Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Powdered Sugar
2 T Water
2 Eggs
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Cream of Tarter
1 t Salt
5 1/2 C Flour

Cream together Butter, Vegetable Oil, Sugars, Water, and Eggs. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture. Mix until everything is combined.  Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all. Roll a golf ball sized ball of dough and place it on your cookie sheet. Now its time to give these babies their signature rough edge.  Put 1/4 c of sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above.)  Stick the bottom of a glass in it.  This is going to be your cookie press. Firmly press it into the center of your dough ball.  You want your dough to spill out over the sides of the glass.  If there is a lip its even better. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  They should just barely be browning on the bottom.    Move cookies to a cooling rack.  Once they are cool put them in the fridge.

Sour Cream Frosting:

1/2 cup room temperature butter
3/4 C Sour Cream
Approx 1 2lb Package of Powdered Sugar (I never use the whole thing but love having extra on hand just incase I add to much milk!)
1 t salt
1/4 C Milk

Start by creaming together butter and sour cream and salt.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  When it gets so thick its not frosting like add a splash of milk.  Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.  Add 1 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.

Keep cookies in a sealed container until they are ready to serve.  The magic of a Swig Sugar Cookie is that the cookies are cold and the frosting is room temperature.  Frost right before serving (if you make them in advance and need to refrigerate the frosting make sure you give it time to warm up before serving)

CHRISPY CHEDDAR CHICKEN

4 lg. chicken breasts
1 sleeve Ritz crackers - crushed
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 T. sour cream
2 T. melted butter
1/2 c. milk
2 c. cheddar cheese - shredded
1 t. dried or fresh parsley

Cut chicken breasts into 3 equal pieces, or you can use chicken tenders and just leave them.
Place milk, cheese, and crackers in separate bowls.
Dip chicken in milk, then roll in cheese, then crackers.  Repeat with all chicken pieces.
Line chicken in baking dish and cover with the remaining crackers and cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 min, or until done.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 min. to crisp the chicken.
In medium saucepan over med heat, combine soup, butter, and sour cream.  Whisk until smooth and heated through.
Serve chicken with sauce.                                      Tricia

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 - 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (clear is best for light frosting)
6 cups powdered sugar
6+ tablespoon milk

Whip whipping cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, salt, vanilla, powdered sugar and only 3 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it is thick enough to frost. Stir in whipped cream and frost immediately. Keep refrigerated when finished.

Recipe Via A Little Sussy

Sugar Cookies

Photo & recipe via Lauren's Latest

 Ingredients:

1 c sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixer, stir butter and sugar together until blended. Stir in egg and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again. Slowly stir in flour and baking powder until just incorporated. Dough will be crumbly so you'll have to work it together with your hands. Shouldn't take too much effort. Roll dough out to be 1/4-3/8 inch thick on well floured work surface. Cut into heart shapes and transfer to baking sheet. Stamp phrases onto cookies and freeze 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to oven and bake 8-10 minutes. The thicker the cookie, the longer the baking time. Cool 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Serve at room temperature. Store any extra cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Great with cream cheese frosting.

Granola

4 c. old fashioned oats
3 c. rolled wheat flakes
1/2 c. (heaping) wheat germ
1/2 c. flax seed
1 tsp. salt

Mix well

Add:
1 c. water, mix well
1/2 c. canola or coconut oil, mix well
1 c. honey, mix well

Bake 1 1/2 hours at 250, stirring every 1/2 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely, then stir in sliced almonds and Crasins.         Norma Haynie

Mississippi Roast

Chuck roast
Ranch dressing mix
Au Jus mix
1/2 cup butter

Put roast in crock pot and sprinkle other ingredients on top. DO NOT ADD WATER. Cook on low for 7-8 hrs.

Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

for the cookies:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup crisco
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon milk
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

for the frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 lb. powdered sugar

pinch of salt

fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, crisco, and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, egg, and lemon zest; mix. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to mixer and combine. Add milk and lemon juice, and stir until completely incorporated. Roll dough into Tablespoon-sized balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are just beginning to turn golden on the edges. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and well mixed. Add vanilla. Add powdered sugar and salt. Stir. Mix in fresh lemon juice until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.             - Tricia