Loaded Baked Potato Dip with Kettle Brand Chips

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 16 ounces sour cream (or substitute 8 oz. low fat sour cream and 8 oz. Greek yogurt)
• 1/3 cup green onions, finely chopped
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Kettle Brand Potato Chips for serving

Instructions

Combine the bacon, sour cream, green onions, cheddar, and garlic powder together in a medium bowl and combine. Allow the mixture to chill for at least one hour before serving with Kettle Brand Potato Chips. Easy!

*www.blessthismessplease.com

Balsamic Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 24 ounces)
• sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Combine the first five dry spices in a small bowl and spread over chicken on both sides.
2. Set aside.
3. Pour olive oil and garlic on the bottom of the crock pot.
4. Place chicken on top.
5. Pour balsamic vinegar over the chicken.
6. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
7. Sprinkle with fresh parsley on top to serve.

*www.sugarfreemom.com

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

*www.candcmarriagefactory.com

Reese's Mini Blondies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (dark, light, or half of each)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 8-oz bag of Reese's Minis

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, mix brown sugar and melted butter until just combined. Stir in the 2 eggs and vanilla to the mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture until well combined. You can break up and stir in the Reese's Minis or you can gently fold them in leaving them whole. Scrape the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top using a knife or spatula.  

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the blondies comes out clean.

Let the blondies cool completely and then cut into large squares.  Serves 24.

*www.sixsistersstuff.com

Raspberry Crumble Bars

omgosh.  took two seconds.  so good.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 to 12 ounces good raspberry preserves
2/3 cup good granola without dried fruit
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed just until combined. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla.

Sift the flour and salt together and with the mixer on low, slowly add to the butter mixture, mixing until it almost comes together in a ball.  Turn the dough out on a board.  Lightly pat two-thirds of the dough evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and about 1/4-inch up the sides. Spread with the jam, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Mix the granola into the remaining dough with your hands. Break the dough into small bits and distribute it on top of the jam, covering most of the surface.  Sprinkle the almonds on top.  Bake the bars for 45 minutes until lightly browned.

Cool completely and cut into 9 or 12 bars. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.

*www.foodnetwork.com (Ina Garten)

Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup

yep, real glad I made this one.  

protein-packed meal!  super yummy.  super good for you.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage* (see note)
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion or leeks
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (14.5-ounce each) cans diced tomatoes (I used petite diced.)
• 1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern or Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked shell-shaped pasta
• 9 ounces spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (One bag of spinach is 5 oz. and that's all I used.  It was plenty.  I chopped it VERY finely with this awesome, handy-dandy tool because I didn't want big chunks.)
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, cook the sausage over medium heat (remove the sausage from the casings, if needed) until browned, 3-4 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. If your sausage is really lean, you may need to use a teaspoon or so of oil so it doesn't stick to the pan. 
2. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through, 5-10 minutes. At this point, if there is excess grease, drain it before proceeding.
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, basil, salt, and pepper.
4. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the shell pasta, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn't sticking.
5. Stir in the spinach and simmer for another minute until the spinach is wilted.  Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and some crusty bread, of course.

*I prefer chicken or turkey sausage because it is lean; however, you could easily sub Italian sausage of another variety like pork.  Just be sure to drain off the excess grease before adding the broth.  Also, if you are not using low-sodium chicken broth, I would suggest decreasing the 1 teaspoon salt and adding to taste so the soup isn't overly salty.

*www.melskitchencafe.com

Giada's Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Basil-Curry Mayonnaise

Ingredients:


Beef:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed


Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



Directions:


For the beef: 
Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, finely grind the cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the spices and cook for a few seconds until aromatic and toasted. Put the spices in a small bowl. Chop the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Holding a chef's knife at a 45 degrees angle, scrape the garlic and salt together to form a paste. Add the garlic paste to the bowl with the spices. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, and oil and stir until smooth. Put the meat on the prepared baking sheet and rub with the spice mixture. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125 degrees F, for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and transfer the meat to a cutting board. Cover the meat loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.

For the mayonnaise: 
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mascarpone cheese, basil, curry powder, and paprika until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve: 
Slice the meat into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange on a platter. Spoon the mayonnaise mixture into a small serving bowl and serve alongside the sliced meat.

Cook's Note: The spices can also be crushed by placing them in a small sealable bag and crushed using a rolling pin or the bottom of a small saucepan.

*www.foodnetwork.com