OMG Chicken

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Cooks Note: Dinner time is crazy time at my house. So.......I forgot to take a picture of the OMG Chicken. I promise to take one next time I make it, not that the picture would have looked very good, cause it is not the most beautiful dish, but OMG was it good! The kids loved it and it was very simple. Took about 10 min to put together. I added more Parmesan cheese than it called for, I used a total of about 1/2 a cup and mine needed a lot longer to bake, actually about 20 min longer. This one is especially good for weeknights. Enjoy!

Ingredients and Directions:

mix 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
Spread over chicken breast in a baking dish.
Sprinkle Italian bread crumbs on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. OMG


**The original recipe is no longer on the site that you are linked to through Pinterest, but the recipe is short and sweet.

Honey Beer Bread

                                                               Find it on Pinterest
  
Cooks Note: I have to say, and this is a pretty bold statement, this is my FAVORITE thing I have ever made from Pinterest! This bread is to die for and took about 5 min to put together. I made this loaf and it was gone the same day (no, I didn't eat the whole loaf myself). I did not change anything about the recipe, and after the fact, I would still not change anything. I did make some honey butter to go with it, take your everyday spread and mix in some honey and you are set. It is really good on this bread. I think this bread would be great with Chili, soups or stews. Enjoy!

Honey Beer Bread Recipe (Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake)
Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted (**You can double this if you’d like**)

Method:
(Makes 1 loaf)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x 5x 3-inch loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. (I recommend popping your honey in the microwave for a few seconds beforehand to make it easier to stir in!)
Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter. (Use a pastry brush to spread it around if you’d like.)
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Find the Original "Pinspiration" at Gimme Some Oven
                                   

Yogurt Banana Bread

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Cook's Note: I have, of course, modified this recipe from the original recipe - as I always do. This is Bread is DELICIOUS, a family favorite that I have made for years and I can't recommend this recipe enough to you ALL!

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1/3 cup VANILLA low-fat yogurt or greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking spray  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl - stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer (if you have a stand mixer, use that because it makes life easier!) at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.

Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Original "Pinspiration" is from Cooking Light on All recipes

Baked Potato Skins

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Cook's Note: These were EASY and delicious - great as an appetizer or a side any day of the week! I modified this recipe to suite my needs, as usual. I used Cavendar's Greek Seasoning (I use that alot!) to add a kick of flavor. Anyone that doesn't know what this is, GO GET SOME! You can use it on so many recipes and you will fall in love, trust me! 

Ingredients

• 5 potatoes, washed thoroughly
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Cavender's Greek Seasoning
• Sea Salt
• Olive Oil
• 6-8 strips of turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Clean potatoes well, puncture and bake on a microwave safe plate in the microwave for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out "potato meat" and set aside in bowl, brush potato shells with olive oil. Mix potato meat with melted butter and sprinkle salt to taste. Fill each shell with the potato meat, sprinkle in back bits and top with shredded cheesde. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until crisp but not dry and hard.

Serve with sour cream and ENJOY!

Original recipe can be found on CopyCat Recipes

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken Knock-Off

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Cook's Note: I love eating at "The Outback" for 2 things : Alice Springs Chicken and the Bloomin' Onion - that being said, I never get to go out to eat much anymore so here is my own variation for home cookin' and it was a hit! I didn't follow the recipe from the PIN exactly (I never do!), but I have placed my modified version below and you can decide for yourself. I say it's a must try!

What you need:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• seasoning salt such as Accent Seasoning or Cavendar's Greek Seasoning
• 6 slices turkey bacon, cut in half
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/3 cup honey (I only like local honey!)
• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 2 tablespoons onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cook turkey bacon in microwave until crisp (I use one of those cool bacon plates for the microwave and I love how turkey bacon cooks in the microwave!)
In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayo and onion soup mix flakes.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the skillet (try not to burn yourself, I always find this step tricky!)) and saute for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Move chicken to an 11x7 inch or 9x9 inch pan.
Apply the honey mustard to each breast, then layer with turkey bacon, and shredded cheese.
Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done.

Original recipe "Pinspiration" can be found on Six Sister's Stuff - they are awesome! 

Pizza Bagels

        

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COOKS NOTE: These are delicious, and VERY easy. Good for lunch or for afterschool snacks. I used to eat these for lunch in high school, and I have to say these were much better tasting than the ones the lunch ladies made (no offense to the lunch ladies) if it wasn't for them my kids would not have experienced pizza bagels.

 

** Makes 2 pizza bagels

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded mozzarella
4 T pasta sauce or pizza sauce
2 slices of provolone cheese
4 slices pepperoni
1 bagel

Directions:

 Spread 1T of sauce on each bagel half, cut side up

Top each half with one slice of provolone

Top the provolone with 1T of sauce

Top the sauce with ½ cup of mozzarella (depending on the size of your bagels-may vary)

Top each bagel with 2 slices of pepperoni (I used Turkey pepperoni) or toppings of your choice

I bake mine in the toaster oven on 350 degrees for about 8 min or until cheese is melted and browning on top.  Baking times may vary.

 

Devils Food Cake Cookies

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Cook's Note: These are the easiest cookies I have ever made. The only thing I did differently, and it might just be my oven, is to leave them in about 10-13 minutes instead of 8-10. But these are good, I will make them again when I am short on time, but need a little sugar kick. Thumbs Up!

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix (Super Moist)

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with fork until it becomes a thick dough.

Roll the dough into 1 1/2" balls and place on a greased cookie sheets. 

Use the bottom a cup to flatten the dough balls and sprinkle sugar on top of the cookies. 

Cook for 8-10 minutes, they should be evenly cracked. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before placing on a wire rack. Enjoy with a glass of ice cold milk. 

Find the Original recipe: http://www.catzinthekitchen.com/2012/07/devils-food-cake-cookies.html



Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

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Cook's Note: Below is the recipe, which was found on Pinterest, I have modified this recipe slightly as I went along and am placing my modified version of the recipe below, as I do with every recipe. I recommend using FLOUR tortillas vs Corn tortillas (as was in the original recipe). The reason for this is that flour tortillas are easier to roll and won't crumble as easily as the corn tortillas. All in all, the recipe was tasty, but it is not a quick recipe to make and does require some time! 

Ingredients: 

2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
2 cans mild enchilada sauce 
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided
12 6-inch Flour tortillas cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Add the minced garlic to the 1 can of enchilada sauce in a large skillet and heat to boiling, stir in salt and pepper. 

Place chicken breasts in the sauce and reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.

Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts. 

Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add  the enchilada sauce from the skillet, beans if using, 1/2 cup each of the Monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses and the 1/2 cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.

Coat a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture along the center of the tortilla. Gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Place baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the second can of sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro. Lightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil after 20 minutes and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Remove form the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Serve with Sour Cream for an even yummier treat! 

* Original recipe Pinspiration can be found on A Sweet Pea Chef

Taco Pasta

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Ingredients 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 8-12 ounces medium pasta shells  (I used whole wheat—yum!)
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
• Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat and onions over medium-high heat. Add in the diced tomatoes, garlic and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

TIP: I used the entire taco seasoning packet, and I don’t know that I will next time. It was a bit overpowering, especially with using Ro-Tel (I didn't use Ro-Tel). Consider cutting back on the seasoning packet.

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and remaining pasta water. Continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Simmer for a few minutes over medium heat to reduce the sauce, if needed.

Find original recipe here: http://www.overworkedsupermom.com/2012/03/supermoms-sunday-recipe-taco-pasta.html

Cook's Note : This was really good. I did make a few changes to it that I think made it better. I did not drain the diced tomatoes, I think if I had it may have been too dry. Also, I did not use Cilantro, not because I don't like it, but because I didn't have any and since it snowed today I was too lazy to go to the store and get it. I did use LF sour cream, LF cream cheese and I added cheddar cheese to the top (quite a bit) because, my thought is, whether it is Mexican or Italian or a mix of the two, IT NEEDS CHEESE!! And I think without the cheese it wouldn't have been as good. Thumbs UP on this one, easy and scrumptious!

Low-Fat Butterfinger Dessert

  Find the Pinterest Pin here: 

http://pinterest.com/pin/378583912395692414/

Recipe:

Servings - 16   Serving size - 1/16th of recipe   Points Plus per serving - 5 Points+

Calories - 177.7,   Total Fat - 1g,   Carb - 37g,   Protein - 3.3g,   Fiber - 0.1g

*Please note that if you follow the link to the original recipe, it says 4points per serving.  This may be the old points.  I put all the nutrition info into the site I use, using exact size of cake ( which is not listed in the original recipe) and I came up with 5 points+ per serving.  

1 (10") prepared angel food cake, cut into 1' cubes

1 ( 1 oz.) package of sugar free, fat free butterscotch pudding mix

1 1/2 cups skim milk

2 ( 8 oz. ) containers of cool whip FREE, thawed

10 fun-sized butterfingers candy bars, crushed ( I used mini food processor)

1.  Spray 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray.  Arrange half the angel food cake cubes in bottom of pan.  

2.  In large bowl, combine the pudding mix with skim milk.  Whisk until starting to thicken.  Fold in both containers of cool whip FREE.  

3.  Pour half the "fluff" mixture over the cubed angel food cake in pan.  Top with half the crushed Butterfinger candies.  Repeat with rest of cake, fluff and candy. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, or overnight.  Enjoy!

Find original recipe here: http://mykitchenadventures1.blogspot.com/2012/02/butterfinger-dessert.html


Cook's Note: This dessert was VERY simple to make. My kids helped me smash the Butterfingers, which was great fun for them, and it took all of 5-10 min to put together. I bought a SF Angel Food Cake, which was a little dry for my taste, but a regular one, which is still LF would taste that much better. Something this good AND WW friendly, you can't go wrong. Thumbs UP!

Crock-pot Taco Chili

* Please note that I am re-arranging the layout of this recipe, because I found it quite confusing to follow as originally written. If you want to make the original recipe, see link below.

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Cook's Note: My husband loved this chili and said I should make it again! I I turned this into a crock-pot recipe for ease of cooking and changed a few things from the original recipe (as always!) That being said - Make it - its a hit!

What You Will Need: 

1  (16-ounce) can tomato sauce 
1   (11 3/4-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies (optional)
2  cups water
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1  package buttermilk salad dressing mix  (such as Hidden Valley Ranch)
1 small onion, chopped/diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

In the crock-pot, add tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, ranch seasoning packet, taco seasoning packet, water, diced tomatoes and green chilies, onion, chili powder, cumin, ground beef.

Cover and cook on HIGH to simmer for 2 hours, or until beans are tender. I placed this on low for one additional

Original Recipe "Pinspiration" from Paual Deen

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Spaghetti

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Cook's Notes: Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Spaghetti sounded like something the whole family would enjoy. The ingredients are simple and I think most people have them in the house. That said, I prepared this a little differently than the recipe stated, in fact, I didn't use a crock pot. I had purchased a bag of Tyson's Grilled Ready to Eat Chicken, you know, the kind you put in salads? So I prepared the sauce as instructed and added my bag of chicken to the sauce after it was heated. I used all the same ingredients (just a little less chicken), just changed the way it was cooked. 

My Recommendations:

I would make the sauce a little saucier, it was pretty thick and as a result it clumped a little after it was mixed with the pasta.  The recipe calls for 3lb of chicken. That is A LOT of chicken, I think it would be too much, so I used half that and it was perfect. This makes a lot of pasta and we have a good amount of leftovers, and I fed 2 adults and 2 kids (one a tween boy). So keep that in mind.

What You Need:

3 lb. chicken pieces 

 1 (2/3 oz.) pkg. Italian salad dressing mix 

 4 tbsp. melted butter 

 1 small onion

chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 

 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of chicken soup 

 8 oz. cream cheese 

 1/2 cup chicken broth 

 1 lb. of spaghetti

Directions:

Place chicken pieces in crock pot and sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. melted butter. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a saucepan and sauté onion and garlic. Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Stir until smooth. Add this mixture to crockpot and cook on low for an additional hour. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.

**I will make this dish again, I think it is an easy and yummy weeknight dinner.**

Original recipe " Pinspiration" from My Daily Moment