Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Breast

Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Breast

4 ounces light cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
 3-4 large jalapeno peppers, seeded, a couple sliced in half and 1 for diced up
4 strips bacon, cooked and diced, OR diced and cooked :)
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup canola oil
Preheat your oven to 350.  De-seed and slice jalapenos in half (length wise) and blanched them for a few minutes, to insure they are cooked inside the chicken to the tenderness I prefer. You could skip this step I suppose.   Cut a pocket horizontally through the thickest side of each chicken breast and fill with 1/3 of the cream cheese.  Place 2 of your halved jalapeno slices inside breast,  atop of your cream cheese.  Use tooth picks to "zip up" the opened edges of the chicken.  Put the stuffed chicken breast on a lightly greased dish, put it in the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes.  Dice up and fry bacon, drain it on a paper towel.  Remove chicken from oven and layer on some cheese.  Sprinkle bacon and diced jalapenos on top of cheese.  Place back in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until cheese melts.

Potatoes Magnolia

Potatoes Magnolia
1 stick margarine
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
4 medium baking potatoes

Melt margarine in a glass casserole dish. Sprinkle dry dressing mix over margarine. Add Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with salt. Wash potatoes and slice in half lengthwise. Place cut side down in butter mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 F for 45 minutes. Good with steak, chicken or any meat dish.

Diabetic Lemon Pie

Diabetic Lemon Pie
2 (1-oz.) pkgs. sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 (1 1/2-oz.) sugar-free Crystal Light lemonade drink mix
6 packets Equal sweetener
2 1/4 cups fat-free milk
8 oz. sugar-free whipped topping
2 graham cracker crusts

Combine pudding mix, drink mix and Equal. Add milk, beating with a wire whisk until thickened. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into crusts. Cover and chill for 3 hours or freeze at least 8 hours.

Mini Pot Pies

Mini Pot Pies

2 C. cooked cubed chicken

¾  C. chicken broth

1 C. frozen peas

¼ t dried thyme

Salt & pepper to taste

1 C. shredded cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar gives it more flavor)

1 C. baking mix (Bisquick)

½ C. milk

2 eggs

Mix all 9 ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour evenly into a 12 ct. muffin tin sprayed with non stick spray.  

Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until set.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 celery seed
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2+ cups cut up cooked chicken
1+ cups frozen peas
1+ cups diced cooked carrots
1 double pie crust (I use Pillsbury or the store equivalent)
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Melt butter over low heat in saucepan.  Add in onion to soften.  Blend in flour and seasonings; cook, stirring for 1 minute until mixture is bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir until thickened.  Gently stir in chicken and vegetables.  Pour into pie crust.  Top with top pie crust, flute and slit.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Salsa Verde Beef

Salsa Verde Beef
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 lbs. stewing beef cut into  1 1/2" chunks
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 cup salsa verde
Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add beef chunks and brown on all sides to carmelize.  Remove to crockpot.  Add onion to drippings and saute until lightly browned.  Stir in taco seasoning and heat about one minute.  Add salsa and stir, scraping up any browned bits.  Transfer liquid to crockpot.  Stir to combine.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Shred meat and serve on tortillas with whatever fixings you want.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Stuffed Pepper Soup
2 lbs. ground beef
2 quarts water
1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups cooked long grain rice
2 cups chopped green peppers
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1 tsp. pepper
In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are tender.

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies

1/2 cup butter
2-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp red food coloring
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.  In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Batter should be red. Add flour and salt into the bowl and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.  Prepare cheesecake mixture. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.  Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving.

Elvis Cupcakes

Elvis Cupcakes

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 bananas, very ripe and mashed

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. (You should have about 20 cupcakes.) Lightly spray liners with non-stick cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a handheld mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Add the buttermilk, honey, vegetable oil and vanilla and continue beating until combined. Add the bananas and continue beating only until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat until batter is smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for ten minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and place directly on the cooling rack to continue cooling.  fter cupcakes are completely cool, make the frosting.  Cream together the butter and peanut butter with a handheld mixer. Add the vanilla and salt and continue beating. Add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Slowly add the cream. You may need a little more to reach your desired consistency.  Frost the cooled cupcakes.

Snickers Brownies

Snickers Brownies

Brownie Layer:

1 box of brownie mix, I prefer Betty Crocker's Fudge or Dark Chocolate mixes

Ingredients called for on box

1/4 cup hot fudge topping, unheated, straight from the jar

Nougat Layer :

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 (7 oz.) jars marshmallow creme (@1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

Caramel Layer:

1 (17 oz.) jar of caramel, preferably Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel

Candy Bar Topping:

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter.

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions for a 9x13-inch pan, adding 1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, unheated and straight from the jar to the batter. Make sure to follow the high altitude directions if you live at high altitude. Cool completely.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved. Bring to a boil. Add in the marshmallow creme (I didn't measure, because how exactly do you measure that sticky fluff? I used one complete 7 oz. jar and most of the second jar), peanut butter, and vanilla stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts. Pour evenly over cooled brownies. Use a spatula to help spread the mixture. Cool. I stick the brownies in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  Scoop caramel topping into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat over low until caramel is soft and easy to stir.  Pour the caramel over the nougat layer. Make sure to pour it evenly across the nougat covering as much as the surface as you can. This makes it easier to spread the caramel with a spatula. Let cool. Again, I usually stick this in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Scoop caramel topping into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat over low until caramel is soft and east to stir rather than mess with hot.  Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Pour over nougat layer and cool completely. I usually stick them in the fridge until the chocolate is set. They chocolate gets pretty soft when left out, so I like to store these in the fridge and let them set out for a few minutes before cutting them. You want the chocolate to be cool enough to be set, but warmed up just a bit so that they are soft enough to cut more easily.