Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 12 thin flour tortillas 
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
• 4 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1/3 cup Frank's hot sauce
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small sauce pot over medium low heat, melt butter.
3. Add Mrs. Dash and garlic powder.  Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and completely combined with butter and spices.
5. Wisk in hot sauce and milk and simmer for 5 – 8 minutes.  Add salt to taste.
6. Combine chicken and sauce.
7. Lay out a tortilla; fill with a scant ¼ cup chicken and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese.
8. Tightly roll up taquito and place on a greased baking sheet; repeat until chicken is gone.
9. Brush taquitos with vegetable oil on all sides.
10. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes; rotate them every 5 minutes, until golden brown.

*www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (spooned into measuring cup and leveled)
1 cup whole wheat flour (again, don’t scoop!)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
6 ounce container vanilla yogurt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (plus a few extra for the top of loaves)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 9×5 (or similar sized) loaf pans with nonstick spray and set aside.

In medium-sized bowl, combine flours.  Grab a teaspoon or two of all-purpose flour and in a small separate bowl,  toss it with chocolate chips, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk gently to combine and set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and white sugar and whisk to combine, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar.  Add yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix together, being careful to not over mix. When combined, gently stir in chocolate chips (and spice mixture).   Divide batter between loaf pans and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few crumbs attached.  Because all ovens are different, I would set your timer for about 45 minutes and keep an eye on it after that.  Don’t overbake!

Let cool for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around edge of pan and remove loaves from pan.

*www.ourbestbites.com

Corn Chowder Soup

An oldie...revisited.  I love it so, so much.

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

4 cups diced potatoes

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups frozen corn

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup flour

4 cups of half and half (or milk)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 cups cubed ham (Ask for a one and a half inch thick slice of ham at the deli...I cube into small bites.)

Directions: (You'll need two large pots to make this soup.)

1. Boil water and veggies with bouillon cubes for 10-15 minutes.  
2. In another pot, make a rue with the flour, butter, and half and half.  It should be thick.
3. Add the cheeses, stirring until smooth.  
4. Add ham. 
5. Add undrained veggie mixture and heat through.

*Mom's.

Barbeque Roasted Salmon

 Salmon haters...prepare to be converted.  Delicious!!!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Cooking spray
• Lemon slices (optional) 

Directions:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a Ziploc bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator one hour, turning occasionally. 

2. Preheat oven to 400°.  Remove fish from bag; discard marinade. 

3. Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients (sugar through cinnamon) in a bowl. Rub over fish. 

4. Place in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. (I checked mine after 12 minutes and they were not done.  Mine baked for about 17 minutes, but be sure to check on them after the 12 minute mark every couple of minutes.)

5. Serve with lemon slices, if desired.

*www.cookinglight.com

Pumpkin Dump Cake

woah.  thanks, katie!

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 10 oz can evaporated milk
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans
• 1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking/baking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
4. Pour into your prepared pan.
5. Sprinkle your entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
6. Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

Note: Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

*www.cookiesandcups.com

Chicken and Butternut Squash Quinoa Stew

Healthy and yummy!  Perfect for fall!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
1 can (14-oz) petite or regular diced tomatoes
3 cups chopped butternut squash (about 1 medium squash, peeled and seeded) (*TIP: I bought squash peeled, seeded, AND diced at Costco!  I diced it into smaller cubes before preparing the soup, but it the Costco purchase saved tons of prep time!)
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 cups chopped fresh spinach

Directions:
In a large 4 quart pot, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the chopped onions, oregano, and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and boil until the chicken is cooked, 7-9 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the tomatoes, butternut squash, and quinoa. Simmer for about 15 minutes, OR until the squash is tender and quinoa is cooked. If desired, scoop out some of the squash, mash it and return it to the pot.  (I did this step.  I put about 1 cup of squash in a blender and pureed.  It made the soup thicker, which I liked.)  Shred the cooked chicken and return to the pot. Add the salt and pepper, adding more salt to taste, if needed. Stir in the spinach. Cook 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. (I also topped mine with a little bit of grated Parmesan.)  Serve warm.

*www.melskitchencafe.com

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Ingredients:
3 links Italian sausage (12 oz., or 3/4 lb.)
4 cloves pressed or minced garlic
1 onion, diced
½ cup water
2 15-oz. cans chicken broth
½ cup apple cider (DO NOT LEAVE THIS OUT!)
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini (thawed if using frozen)

Directions:
If you’re using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing.

Chop onion and add to pot with garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.  Add the tortellini and cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.

*www.ourbestbites.com

Mustard-Roasted Red Skin Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds small red-skinned potatoes, quartered

2 small yellow onions, halved, peeled and sliced vertically

3-1/2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil

2-1/2 tablespoons country style Dijon mustard

chopped fresh parsley, about two tablespoons

salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Grab a rimmed aluminum sheet pan and add the quartered red-skins and sliced onions.

Drizzle with 3-1/2 tablespoons garlic olive oil and 2-1/2 tablespoons of the grainy Dijon mustard.

Toss with you impeccably clean hands and spread them out evenly before popping them into the oven to roast for 45-60 minutes. Stir them once halfway through.

Once crispy and golden, season with kosher salt, black pepper and the chopped fresh parsley.

*www.simplyscratch.com

Copycat Cinnastix

 

Ingredients:

1 tube prepared pizza dough, unrolled
1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon (more if you are a cinnamon fan)
1/4 cup sugar

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
small splash of milk, or until desired consistency
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips. Brush the dough with one tablespoon melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes until cooked through, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn't over bake. Remove from oven. While the dough is baking, prepare the icing by combining the icing ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.

3. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir together well. Sprinkle the mixture over the warm dough. Drizzle with the prepared icing. Serve warm.

*www.jamhands.net 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish

woahhhh.

Ingredients:
1 tube crescent rolls
6 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

for the glaze...
2/3 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons heavy cream or 1 tablespoon milk
splash of vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, spices, flour and vanilla. Set aside.

Pop open crescent roll dough and unroll, leaving crescents in rectangles. On an ungreased baking sheet or silpat, lay the crescent roll rectangles together, lining them up width wise. Dough should be almost the entire length of a half sheet pan.Press edges together to even out edges and seal any holes. Cut 1/2 inch diagonal strips up each side of the dough. Carefully spread cream cheese filling down the center of the dough to be about 2-3 inches wide. Fold 1/2 inch dough pieces up over filling alternating sides to get a braided pattern. You may have excess dough once you reach the end of the danish, so fold them in as best as you can. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until filling is set and crescent dough is golden in color. Cool before removing from baking sheet.

Once danish has cooled, remove to serving platter. In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream to create icing. You may need to add more cream to get the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over danish. Cut into pieces and serve.

*www.laurenslatest.com

Quick and Easy Black Beans

so, so yummy!

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 
1/2 tablespoon olive oil 
2/3 c. diced onion 
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced 
2/3 c. chicken broth (or water...I used broth for extra flavor.) 
1/4 teaspoon cumin 
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon oregano 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
1 lime

Directions:

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to smoosh some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce.  They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

*www.ourbestbites.com