Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps

I love wraps!  These are simple and delicious.  This recipe was my inspiration, but I ended up using my own recipe because it was SO much easier and probably tasted just as good anyway.  So yeah, here's the recipe that gave me the idea to make these, but skip over it and just read what I wrote below it if you want a much simpler version:

*Note: If rotisserie chickens aren’t your thing, go ahead and sub 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken for the rotisserie.

*Makes 4 wraps

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup light or regular mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (2 1/2 pound) rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
1 romaine lettuce heart (about 6 ounces), torn into bite-sized pieces
4 (10-inch) whole-grain tortillas or wraps

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil slowly until thoroughly incorporated.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken and lettuce with the dressing. Divide the chicken/lettuce mixture evenly among the tortillas or wraps. Roll and secure with a toothpick, if desired. Serve.

So I cooked some (3 large ones?) boneless skinless chicken breasts in my crock pot for a few hours in water.  When the chicken was done I took it out of the crock pot, shredded it, and discarded the water in the crock pot.  I then put the shredded chicken back in with caesar dressing (maybe about 3/4 cup?  you can add however much you think tastes good) and some parmesan cheese, and let that cook for about a half an hour until it was warm.  I then assembled the chicken mixture on a tortilla with some romaine lettuce and chopped tomatoes, rolled them up, and served them.  So easy and so yummy!  It made about 4-5 wraps.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

These cookies are fun, and great for peanut butter lovers.  Whenever I have a bunch of Hersey's Kisses I make them, and eat them much too quickly.  :-)  Here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Blossoms

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Loved It?

ingredients

• 1/2
  cup shortening
• 1/2
  cup peanut butter
• 1/2
  cup granulated sugar
• 1/2
  cup packed brown sugar
• 1
  teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8
  teaspoon baking soda
• 1
  egg
• 2
  tablespoons milk
• 1
  teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4
  cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4
  cup granulated sugar
• Chocolate kisses or stars

directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

2.Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookies center. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 54 cookies.

from the test kitchen

• Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

The only way I change this is by adding softened butter instead of shortening.  (I've heard shortening is good too though).  They are super easy to make and kids love them!  (Then again, kids pretty much love every cookie....)  :-)

Ground Beef Enchiladas

Usually when I make enchiladas, I make them with chicken.  I am not usually the biggest fan of ground beef, but this recipe got amazing reviews, so I gave it a try.

Ground Beef Enchiladas

Time: 45 minutes prep + 30 minutes baking

Yield: 7 servings

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

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SAUCE:

1 T canola oil

1 T flour

1  28 ounce can enchilada sauce (I used mild)

2 C chicken broth

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

MEAT and FILLING:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2  4 ounce cans green chilies

1/2  t salt

12-14 white corn tortillas

3 C cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 C black olives, chopped

1 C green onions, chopped

1/2 C cilantro, chopped

1. Heat up a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Pour the oil in followed by the flour. Whisk them together. 

2. Pour in your Enchilada Sauce….chicken broth….cilantro, salt and pepper. Whisk it all together to combine. 

3. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. 

4. Heat up a separate skillet and toss in your ground beef, onion and the salt. Brown the meat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. 

5. When your meat is brown and the onions are transparent remove your pan from the heat and pour in your green chilies. 

6. Chop up your green onions, olives and cilantro. 

                           

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Pour about 3/4 C of your red sauce into the pan. 

7. Heat up a large griddle and spray it with cooking spray. Cook the tortillas until each side is just a bit crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per side.  This will make it easier to fill them, you shouldn’t have any trouble with them cracking.

8. Take your tortillas one at a time and dip it into your red sauce, making sure that the sauce covers both sides. 

9. Lay the smothered tortilla onto a cookie sheet and cover it with meat, green onions, olives, cilantro and cheese.

10. Roll the tortillas up and lay them seam side down into the pan.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top of the sauce. Top with any leftover green onions and olives. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. 

11. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve. 

Enjoy!!!

I did change this recipe just a little.  First, by using flour tortillas that didn't need to be cooked instead of corn tortillas that required cooking.  Second, by omitting the green onions.  (Because I forgot to buy them).  :-)  Third, I skipped whisking together oil and flour and then adding the enchilada sauce, broth, etc.  I just heated up the enchilada sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, and S & P in a sauce pan. Otherwise, I stuck to the recipe pretty closely.  I actually liked them, but they certainly weren't amazing.  I still think that the honey lime enchiladas are my favorite.  However, I will say that these are some of the best beef enchiladas I have ever had.  And my favorite thing about them is the green chiles.  Yum!  They add so much flavor.  Don't leave them out!

Caprese Pizza Toast

It's no secret that we love pizza around here.  And these are pizza-ish, so I had to try them out.  :-)  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil
• pinches of salt and pepper
• 1  thick focaccia loaf
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) grated mozzarella
• 6  large balls bocconcini
• 5  plum tomatoes

This is an open-faced sandwich version of the famous Italian Caprese salad with sliced tomatoes, bocconcini and fresh basil.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Place basil, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a blender. Whirl to a saucy consistency. Add more oil to make it more saucy, if needed. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Cut bread in half horizontally, then cut each half into quarters. Place cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread half of basil mixture over bread, then evenly sprinkle with mozzarella. Thickly slice bocconcini and tomatoes into rounds, then arrange in overlapping slices on top of bread. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper.
• Bake in centre of preheated oven until cheese starts to melt, 7 to 10 minutes, then turn broiler to high. Broil until cheese begins to turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining basil mixture. Cut each piece in half diagonally. Best served warm.

First off, the store I went to didn't have a focaccia loaf so I had to settle for regular french bread.  Also, I didn't get the bocconcini balls because I didn't think it was necessary.  (Though it does sound good!)  This still turned out awesome!  I served it with salad and it made for a pretty good dinner, but only do this if you want to eat lightly one night (due to a large lunch or whatever) because it's probably normally best as an appetizer-type food.  Still - very delicious!!!  I will definitely make them again.

Pulled Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I don't normally love regular grilled cheese, but I really really like them when it's more than just cheese and bread.  This recipe looked delicious so I gave it a try.  Here it is:

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup BBQ sauce
8 dill pickle slices
8 slices cheddar cheese
8 slices white bread
butter (for spreading)

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Add chicken to a sauce pan or a large deep skillet. Fill with enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Boil until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Drain any excess liquid from the pan and shred the chicken using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce pan and mix with BBQ sauce. Cook on low heat until heated through.
Step 2: Heat a skillet to medium heat. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place two of the slices into the skillet butter side down. Top each slice of bread in the skillet with 1 slice of cheese, pulled chicken, 2 dill pickle slices, and another slice of cheese. Cover with 2 of remaining bread slices, butter side up.
Step 3: Cook the sandwiches over medium heat until browned on the bottom. Flip them over and cook until browned on the other side and the cheese has melted. Repeat the process with the 2 additional sandwiches.
(Makes 4 Servings)

The pickles sounded super, super weird to me, (and kind of gross) but I decided to be brave and throw them in anyway.  I can't say I loved the pickles in there, but they weren't nearly as bad as I feared.  My husband, however, thought the pickles were amazing.  According to him, they made the sandwich.  Haha.  Anyway, this is a great way to add more fun to your grilled cheese and make them more "adult-friendly," so I highly recommend them.  Definitely delicious.  (And if you hate pickles, just omit them.  Still great).

Oh, and I cooked my chicken in the oven, shredded it, and added the BBQ sauce to it before making the sandwiches.  In my opinion, this was easier than cooking the chicken on the stove.

Chicken Ole!

I very rarely make chicken salad, even though I actually really like it.  I found this recipe and it looked really really good because it was made with fresh chicken and really awesome ingredients.  (In my opinion).  :-)  Here's the recipe:

Chicken Ole

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded or diced
• 1 (14.5oz) can black beans, rinsed
• 1 (4oz) can green chiles (don’t drain)
• 1c shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• ⅓c low-fat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt
• ⅓c light mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp (1/2 package) taco seasoning
• juice of 1 lime
• other: tortilla chips, lime wedges, olive slices to serve

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine cooked chicken, black beans, green chiles, and cheese. Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise, taco seasoning and lime juice. Combine well.
2. Serve with tortilla chips and garnish with lime wedges and/or sliced olives.

I loved this!  We used it as a dip, but you could also put it in rolls or whatever you want.  I followed the recipe exactly (and shredded the chicken) and was scared because it looked nasty but it was actually pretty awesome.  You can also add or take out whatever you want to fit your style.  (For example, I think a lot of people would hate the beans, but would love to add tomatoes or whatever else).  I will definitely use this recipe again.  Oh, and this is a great party food - for all kinds of parties!

And as I mentioned, it looks gross - but don't let the picture fool you.  It's delicious.

Ranch Potatoes

So this isn't exactly the most healthy way to eat potatoes, but you can't really go wrong in the taste department when it comes to cheese and bacon.  Here we have the ranch potatoes recipe:

Ingredients:
8-10 medium potatoes (cut into ½” cubes)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
1 ½ cups milk
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
salt and pepper
6  bacon slices (cooked until crispy and crumbled)

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add potatoes to a large pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are almost tender. Drain.
Step 2: Lightly grease an 13×9 inch casserole dish. In a bowl mix together cream of mushroom soup, milk, ranch dressing, 1 cup of the cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes in the casserole dish.
Step 3: Sprinkle remaining cup of shredded cheddar cheese and the crumbled bacon over the top. Place into the oven and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
(Makes 6 Servings)

I halved this recipe since it would feed a large family and there are only 2 of us... 3 including the baby.  :-)  And me and my husband are both fans of this recipe.  It definitely has a lot of ingredients for a side dish, but it's great if you're feeling iffy about your main dish or if your main dish isn't super flavorful.  I will definitely use this recipe again.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos

I actually really like butternut squash, so I thought that if there was any vegan burrito that I would like, this recipe would be the winner.  Here it is:

Yield: 4 burritos or 3.5 cups of filling

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed, & roasted
1/2 cup uncooked short grain brown rice (yields: 1.5 cups cooked)
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
One 15-oz can black beans (about 1.5-2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
3/4 cup Daiya cheese
4 tortilla wraps (large or x-large)
Toppings of choice: (avocado, salsa, vegan sour cream, spinach/lettuce, cilantro, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 425F and line a large glass dish with tinfoil. Drizzle olive oil on squash and give a shake of salt and pepper. Coat with hands. Roast chopped butternut squash for 45 mins. or until tender.

2. Cook brown rice (for directions, see here)

3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, onion, and minced garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add in salt and seasonings and stir well.

4.  Add chopped red pepper, black beans, and cooked rice and sauté for another 10 mins. on low.

5. When b’nut squash is tender remove from oven and cool slightly. Add 1.5 cups of the cooked butternut squash to the skillet and stir well. You can mash the squash with a fork if some pieces are too large. Add Daiya cheese and heat another couple minutes.

6. Add bean filling to tortilla along with desired toppings. Wrap and serve. Leftover filling can be reheated the next day for lunch in a wrap or as a salad topper.

 Okay, I used mozzarella cheese instead of vegan cheese, but I pretty much followed the recipe perfectly otherwise.  It was just okay.  While we finished them, neither me or my husband will ever crave these.   Perhaps it's because meaty burritos are just so much better.  :-)  If these are your style and you think they look awesome then they're probably worth a try, (the original chef RAVES about them) but for now I don't highly recommend them to just anybody.

Turkey Wraps with Honey Mustard Dip

This recipe is so simple that it can hardly be called a recipe.  However, it's a good idea for a snack or lunch (or possibly even a dinner) so I'm going to include it.  Here's the recipe:

Turkey Wraps with Honey Mustard Dip
Serves 4

For the wraps
4 large tortilla wraps or lavash flat bread
4 ounces whipped cream cheese
8 slices turkey breast
1 head iceberg lettuce
8 slices Monterey Jack cheese

For the honey mustard dip
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise

For the wraps, spread a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese onto the tortilla. Towards the center of each wrap, layer with 2 slices turkey, lettuce, and 2 slices of cheese. Wrap tightly and slice on the diagonal. Secure with toothpicks, if necessary. (If using tortillas, save the end pieces for snacking.) Serve with honey mustard dip.

For the honey mustard dip, combine honey, mustard, and mayonnaise in a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust ingredients to personal taste.

I liked these a lot.  I also added some tomatoes and you really could add whatever else sounds good to you.  I actually liked the dip as well, but it WAS pretty mustard-y so if you're not a fan of mustard, stay away from the dip.  :-)

I recommend making these for lunch, or for a big group of people.  They're easy to prepare, serve, and eat. They totally work for dinner too though.

Baked Tacos

We love tacos around here, but my biggest complaint about them is that I hate setting out 10 different taco fillings on the table.  It makes for longer preparation, longer cleanup, and a lot less room at the table.  Baked tacos seemed like a great remedy for this, so I gave them a try.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2lbs ground beef
4 teaspoons dried minced onion
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2 cups shredded Colby-jack cheese
18-20 hard taco shells
Optional Condiments-
lettuce (shredded)
tomato (diced)
Salsa
Guacamole

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl combine dried minced onion, chili powder, cornstarch, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Step 2: In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess liquid. Add refried beans, tomato sauce, and prepared taco seasoning. Mix well.
Step 3: Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving.
(Makes 8-10 Servings)

Okay, so this recipe makes a LOT of tacos, so since I was feeding only me and my husband, I halved it.  (Definitely a good choice).  I also skipped adding all those spices and just threw in some low sodium taco seasoning from the store.  SO much easier.  Because of this, I ended up just cooking the meat and then throwing in the beans, tomato sauce, and seasoning, scooping it into the taco shells, adding the cheese, and baking them.  Super easy.  I didn't even add anything to them (tomatoes, olives, etc) and they were still great.  NOT quite as good as a custom-made taco, but pretty close... and the ease of making them plus the ease of the cleanup more than made up for it.  My husband was a huge fan as well and loved not having to put together a bunch of tacos.  I did put out some hot sauce for us to add to the tacos, but that was basically no extra work whatsoever.

When I make them in the future, I might cut up some tomatoes and lettuce and put some sour cream on the table as well so that there will be a bit more variety, but that's pretty easy to do.

Oh, and these would make for GREAT party food.  Seriously.  Guests can just pick up a taco and move on to other food.  Pretty cool.

The Best Snickerdoodles

I am always on the hunt for the "best" of all the cookie recipes out there.  So far, this is the best recipe for snickerdoodles that I have found.  Here it is:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For rolling:

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with
an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and
beat until smooth.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and
cream of tartar.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for
30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the
topping.

6. Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a
ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it
onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more. The cookies
may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are
removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be
soft and chewy in the middle.

Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

I found out too late that I didn't have cream of tartar, so I substituted some baking powder instead.  And these are soooo yummy!  My husband isn't huge on snickerdoodles and he ate a bunch of them right out of the oven and kept saying how much he liked them.  They're super fluffy and soft.  Give them a try!