cinnamon sugar toasted mini pita fruit nachos.

Cinnamon and Sugar Toasted Mini Pita Fruit Nachos

1 package of mini pitas from Whole Foods, or 6 regular size pitas cut into triangles will work (if you use 6 regular size pitas, make sure you double the remaining recipe except the fruit

3 Tablespoons melted butter

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons finely ground pecans

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pint strawberries, washed and chopped

2 Cups chopped fresh pineapple

1 pint raspberries, washed and dried

1 Cup finely chopped good quality chocolate, or chocolate chips

8 oz mascarpone cheese (you can substitute softened cream cheese here if you wish)

2 Tablespoons honey

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place mini pitas and melted butter into a large ziplock bag.  Shake around until all pitas are coated.  Immediately place buttered pitas into a second large ziplock with sugar, pecans and cinnamon.  Shake well until all pitas are coated.  Place coated pitas onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pitas are crisp.

2.  Place chocolate over a double broiler, stirring until melted.  Drizzle over crisped pitas and transfer to cooling rack.  You can let chocolate harden or serve with it melted.  Place mascarpone cheese and honey into a mixing bowl; mix to combine.  With a small cookie scoop, scoop a dollop of honeyed mascarpone onto the centers of each pita.  Place all fruit into a large mixing bowl.  Spoon fruit over mascarpone and pita.  Serve immediately.

6 servings, 2 or so mini pitas per person

roasted banana cinnamon rolls

Roasted Banana Cinnamon Rolls

2 ripe bananas cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 roll Pillsbury French Bread Loaf
4 Tablespoons softened butter
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 Cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place banana slices and cut up pieces of butter into a small baking dish.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly.  Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.  Next, use a fork to smash roasted bananas until well combined.
2.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees F.  Unroll Pillsbury French Bread dough into rectangle.  Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Place dollops of roasted banana mixture evenly over top.  Starting from long end, roll up into log shape.  Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch slices and place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just turning golden brown.  Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
3.  Whisk powdered sugar and heavy cream until combined; drizzle over top of warm rolls.
12 rolls

cheese muffins.

I started by whisking together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Then, according to Fig’s directions, I dumped in—get this—3 cups of grated colby/jack cheese!

That’s just a heckuva lot of cheese, man. But hey—I’m not complaining.

I gave the mixture a quick stir, just to combine.

Next, I mixed the wet ingredients: egg, milk, and melted butter. I made sure the butter wasn’t too hot before I poured it in.

Then I added the wet ingredients to the flour/cheese mixture.

Stirring it together, I noticed how incredibly sticky it was!

And the cheese, I saw, was definitely the chief ingredient in the batter.

Because I’m morally against buttering and flouring pans (not really—I’m just lazy) I sprayed the muffin tin generously with baking spray (the stuff in the blue can). Then I spooned in the batter so it fit equally into the twelve cups of the tin.

Then I popped ‘em into the oven for 20 minutes. When I pulled them out, I stuck a fork into one of them and took a bite. I tasted a slight floury/doughy flavor, so I put them back in for five more minutes.
That did the trick.

And mmmm. They looked—and smelled—wonderful.

Very interesting texture on top…but I couldn’t wait to pull one apart.

The verdict? Completely delicious and delightful, and I’m not just saying that to be nice. They have a ver different texture than an average “muffin”—crispy around the outside and airy and extremely cheesy, on the inside. According to Fig’s directions, the muffins should be eaten warm…and she’s right. Though they’re tasty at room temperature, warm is definitely where it’s at. Thanks, Fig, for your entry.
Fig’s Cheese Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter (I used salted)
Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine.
Bake in greased muffin tins at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Makes 12.

rolled up chicken dinner.

1.  Pound chicken  2.  Spread with prepared mashed potatoes  3.  Layer with broccoli  4.  Layer with cheese  5.  Roll and secure with toothpick  6.  Coat  with crumbs and Bake!!  See, it’s pretty easy!

Rolled Up Chicken Dinner

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thinness
1 1/2 Cups prepared mashed potatoes, on the thick side, helps if they are chilled.  Click HERE for my recipe
2 Cups steamed broccoli, chopped into very small pieces, almost minced
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 Cups panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
10 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 Cup milk
1 Cup steamed broccoli, finely chopped
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place pounded chicken breasts onto a large baking sheet.  Spread a thin layer of mashed potatoes over each chicken breast then layer with broccoli and cheddar cheese.  Carefully roll each chicken breast up securing ends with a toothpick.  Place flour, salt and pepper into a shallow bowl.  Place beaten egg in a second bowl and the panko and ranch mix into a 3rd shallow bowl.  Dip/roll rolled chicken carefully into flour then egg, then panko mix (this will get a bit messy, don’t worry, it turns out great anyway!!)  Place chicken rolls back onto a baking sheet that’s been sprayed with cooking spray or is lined with silpat.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (juices are clear, not pink).  Let rest for 10 minutes.
2.  Heat cream of chicken soup, milk and chopped broccoli in a small saucepan until warmed.  Pour spoonfuls of sauce over each chicken roll and serve.
4 serving

strawberry milk chipsters

Strawberry Milk Chipsters

2 sticks softened butter
1/2 Cup strawberry milk Powder, Nestles
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-2 drops red food coloring
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 oz bag White Chocolate Chips
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter, strawberry milk and brown sugar until well combined.  Place eggs into a bowl and whisk in 1-2 drops of food coloring.  Pour into mixer along with vanilla and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.   Place four, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine then slowly add to wet ingredients along with white chips.  Mix on low until just combined.
2.  With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake for 9-11 minute or until edges just start to brown.  Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
about 3 dozen cookies

Apple streusel bars.

Apple Streusel Bars

SWEET PASTRY:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. real butter, softened (no substitutions!)

1 egg, beaten

APPLE FILLING:

1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

4 c. (about 3 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples (I've used Granny Smith in the past, although this time around I used Gala and they were fabulous)

GLAZE:

2 c. powdered sugar

About 3 Tbsp. milk (whole milk is best)

1 tsp. almond extract

To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles. Gently mix in beaten egg.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 and set aside.

To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon and toss with apples.


Spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.


When finished, allow to cool completely.

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.


Place glaze in a Ziploc bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners. (Or just use a fork(Drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve.


In an attempt to keep yourself from eating the whole pan, you, like me, will probably have to send half of them to a nice home...

puffed french toast.

Puffed French Toast
print recipe text only

2 eggs
2 ½ Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. milk
1 c. flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
12 slices Texas style toast, cut in half diagonally

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil (not olive oil) over medium heat. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, flour, and baking powder. Test oil heat by flicking some water into the frying pan. If it pops, reduce the heat. If hardly anything happens, turn up the heat. If it sizzles, it's just right.


Working quickly, take each 1/2 slice of bread and soak it both sides in the milk/egg/flour mixture. If you leave it in too long, it will get soggy, but you want to make sure enough of the egg mixture has soaked into the bread. Gently shake to remove excess batter and place in hot oil. Cook until puffed, golden brown, and a nice, crispy crust has formed on each side (probably 3-5 minutes per side; you really need to babysit them and make sure they're cooking correctly) and then remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. While cooking remaining French toast, keep cooked pieces warm in an oven set to the lowest temperature it will go.

When ready to serve, roll each piece in cinnamon sugar.


If you're feeling extra naughty, go ahead and drizzle a little maple syrup, buttermilk syrup, strawberry syrup or scoop some honey butter on there. You can email me later and tell me how bad you feel about yourself, but I guarantee that it'll be worth it!


Golden and crispy on the outside with a sugary crunch, and heavenly soft in the middle.


Slice the bread into strips for great french toast dippers. Kiddos love these- or talk about killer party food! You could pile them high on a platter and then serve next to ramekins filled with different dipping sauces. Ie: Maple syrup, Buttermilk Syrup, Strawberry Sauce, etc.

creamy lemmon bars

Creamy Lemon Bars

20 Nilla Wafers, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold real butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese (you can use 1/3-less fat cream cheese)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (don’t even think about opening a bottle!)
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside. (The foil isn’t too pretty, but it makes clean-up and cutting the bars a cinch!)

In a bowl, combine Nilla Wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar. Chop butter into small pieces and then cut into crumb mixture with a pastry blender.

If you don’t have a pastry blender, just use 2 knives, or even your fingers to break up the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, like this:

Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.

While crust is cooking, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 2 Tbsp. flour, and baking powder; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp. lemon zest, and lemon juice and then pour mixture over crust.

Bake 25 to 30 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. These bars improve with time. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in refrigerator. (As if you'll have leftovers!)

Banana cream pie.

Banana Cream Pie from our BEST BITES>

1 4-serving size box of instant chocolate or vanilla pudding
1 c. cold water
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 cookie crusts. You can use anything--graham crackers, Nilla Wafers, shortbread, even Oreo.
Lots of bananas
1 pint whipping cream
1/3 c. powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, cold water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well and place in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes. In another bowl, whip 1 c. of whipping cream until soft peaks form.

Slice the bananas (probably 4 small bananas or 2 large bananas) and layer them on the bottom of the crusts. Be sure and save the plastic domes that come with the pie crusts--you'll need them later!


Set aside. Remove pudding from the fridge and gently dollop the whipped cream on top of the pudding. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until well-combined.

Now divide the mixture between the two pies.


Prepare sweetened whipped cream with the remaining whipping cream and 1/3 c. of powdered sugar and spread it on top of the two pies. Place the clear plastic shells back on the pies and allow to chill for several hours. This is actually really important--I tried eating it right away once and the pie wasn't banana-y at all and the moisture hadn't absorbed into the crust, so the crust just fell apart.
And there you have it--the best AND the easiest banana cream pie you'll ever have or need!

white chocolate raspberry blondies.

*if you are looking for a dessert that is quicker to make than this, the "individual raspberry cobblers" are great!if you scroll down about 4 posts you will find them. they have a similar taste and when you serve them warm with ice cream they are so yummy! these take a little longer to make and have more ingredients but they are jordans favorite!

Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies

¼ Cup butter

¾ Cup white chocolate chips

½ Cup sugar

¼ Cup brown sugar

1 Cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ Cup white chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons sour cream

1 Cup fresh raspberries

½ Cup finely chopped pecans

2 Tablespoons sanding sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Stir in ¾ Cup white chips until melted and smooth. In a large bowl add the sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and ½ Cup white chips. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and sour cream. Pour into the dry ingredient bowl along with the melted white chip mixture. Mix until just combined.

2. Pour into an 8×8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Top evenly with 1 Cup raspberries. Mix the chopped pecans and sanding sugar in a small bowl until combined then sprinkle over top of blondies. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean from center.

9 blondies

bbq ranch chicken and cheddar pizza roll em ups.

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll em’ Ups
1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can (or use other pizza dough of choice)
1/4 Cup prepared ranch dressing
2 Cups prepared shredded BBQ Chicken
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese
Ranch Dressing for dipping
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough then top with evenly with chicken, cilantro and cheddar cheese. Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 ¼ Cups ketchup

3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

4 Tablespoons worstershire sauce

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of salt

2. Combine all BBQ Sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded chicken. Let simmer.

cafe rio copycat recipes.

SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can RED enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!


CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


CILANTRO RANCH

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

MUD PIE.

I love this recipe, it is pretty simple and can be altered how you like it.  I have had it with pistachio pudding in the middle and that is REALLY good too.

1 cup flour

1 cube butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Mix thoroughly and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 min, then cool.

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

9 oz. cool whip (1/2 of carton)

Mix well and spread on first layer.

2 small pkgs. of instant pudding (I mixed 1 butterscotch with 1 chocolate)

2 1/2 cups cold milk

Beat for 2 minutes then spread on second layer.

Spread on remaining cool whip and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

French Dip Sandwiches.

French Dip Sandwiches

1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns (or more...6 would be VERY generous servings!)
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices. Oh, and it smells so good--just like Grandma's house on a Sunday afternoon.


Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onions soup mix. Pour water and beef broth over roast.


Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It's hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.


Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. And don't even think about walking away--things can go from lightly-toasted to on fire within a matter of seconds when you're using your broiler.



Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!





FREEZER DIRECTIONS:

Prepare roast through the searing step; after meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container (think Gladware), cover with onion soup mix and boullion, and freeze. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

chicken parm.

Ingredients

* 4 whole (up To 6) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat
* ½ cups All-purpose Flour
* Salt And Pepper, to taste
* ½ cups Olive Oil
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
* 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
* ¾ cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)
* 3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
* 2 Tablespoons Sugar
* ¼ cubes Chopped Fresh Parsley
* 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
* 1 pound Thin Linguine

Preparation Instructions

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.
Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.

At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.

Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.

Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.

Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.

Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

Individual Raspberry Cobblers

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Self-rising Flour (You Must Use Self-rising)
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 cups Milk
• 2 sticks Butter, Melted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Fresh Raspberries
• Extra Sugar For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour with sugar, then whisk in milk. Whisk in melted butter and vanilla.
Pour 1/4 cup batter into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle a few raspberries on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp around the edges.
Invert onto a cooling rack and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
* RECIPE FROM THE PIONEER WOMAN.

Flaky Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Cups

3 Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough, thawed
¼ Cup olive oil, for brushing
½ teaspoon garlic salt, Lawry’s
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ Cup diced white onion
½ Cup diced red bell pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic salt, Lawry’s is what I use

26 oz favorite pasta sauce, homemade or store bought

1 lb whole wheat spaghetti

½ Cup Fresh grated parmesan cheese
12 Fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out pie dough rounds to an even thinness. Using a 3 inch wide bowl or cup, press 12 round circles of dough. You may need to roll out remaining dough to make more circles. Lightly brush each side of the dough rounds with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Press gently into the bottom and sides of 12 muffin tins, that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack.

2. Place oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, sauté onion and bell pepper until slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in beef, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Cook until browned and crumbled. Stir in pasta sauce and reduce heat to low to simmer.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

4. To assemble, using tongs, place a small amount of noodles into the bottom of the crusts. Top with a heaping spoonful of pasta sauce. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and basil leaves if desired.

Makes 12 spaghetti cups, you’ll have more spaghetti left over

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with Gorgonzola Crumbles

1 soft sandwich roll of choice
Mayonnaise for roll
Finely shredded lettuce
2 large pre-cooked chicken strips, warm (I used ones from grocery stores’ deli)
¼ Cup Buffalo Wing Sauce (I use Frank’s)
1 Tablespoon butter
¼ Cup Gorgonzola Cheese crumbled

1. Spread mayonnaise on both sides of roll. Layer bottom roll with lettuce then chicken strips that have been thinly sliced, about ½ inch.
2. Place wing sauce and butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, or until butter is melted. Stir to combine and pour over chicken.
3. Top with crumbled gorgonzola cheese and close with top roll. Enjoy!

Crunchy Almond Crusted Chicken Strips

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ Cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 eggs, beaten
¾ Cup Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)
½ Cup finely chopped almonds (chopped in food processor or blender)
4-5 Cups Vegetable oil

1. Cut chicken breasts into ½ inch strips then cut each strip in half. Set aside

2. Place flour, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning in a shallow bowl. Place eggs in another bowl, then the panko and almonds in a 3^rd bowl.

3. Dip each chicken strip first into the flour mixture, then the egg, then the almond mixture. Set all coated chicken strips on a baking sheet.

4. Heat about 4-5 Cups of vegetable oil in a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat, until 350 degrees F. When hot, fry strips in batches for 3-4 minutes, flipping around often, until golden brown. Transfer cooked strips to a paper towel lined baking sheet and season with salt. Serve with favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
4 servings

Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 14oz can cream of chicken soup
1 14 oz can cheddar soup
1 14 oz can chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used Emeril’s brand)
¼ teaspoon garlic salt seasoning (Lawrys)
1 Cup sour cream
6 Cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed, just fork tender ( I cook it in boiling water for 3-4 minutes)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Place soups, chicken broth, salt, Cajun and garlic seasoning into a crockpot over low heat. Whisk until smooth. Place chicken in, pressing to the bottom. Cover lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

2. When chicken is cooked, use 2 forks to shred into bite size pieces. Stir in sour cream and broccoli.

3. Serve over steamed rice and sprinkle with cheese.

4-6 servings