In my last post, I discussed the wonder of the double meat entree. Well, this is another great 2-meat combo, and just like the last one, bacon is one of the proteins. Of course, I think you can add bacon to just about anything and it would taste great, so it's no big surprise that this recipe is tasty. Add BBQ sauce and melted cheese and you're pretty much guaranteed a winner. I started the huge undertaking of refinishing my kitchen cabinets today, so dinner was pretty low on my priority list, but, like all my favorite recipes, this comes together really quickly and easily yet it's nice enough even for company, so it was a perfect dinner after an exhausting day!
Monterey Chicken
Total time: 20 min
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1 cup Colby jack cheese, shredded
1 (14 oz) can Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until no long pink (we used our George Foreman grill) and place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).
357 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
I have always been an animal lover; cows, pigs, chickens - they ALL taste great! The pig is the most interesting animal in my opinion because each part of it tastes so different. Pork chops, ham, bacon, ribs, sausage - it's hard to believe they all come from the same amazing animal. I love each kind of meat for it's unique flavor, but you know what's even better than a great piece of meat? How about two of 'em together! This awesome recipe puts pork and bacon on the same plate and it is absolutely terrific.
BBQ Bacon Cheddar Chops
Prep time: 10 min Bake time: 30 min
Serves 4
4 pork chops
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
1 (2.5 oz) pkg real bacon bits
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the bacon bits, bread crumbs, & 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.
Brush the pork chops with BBQ sauce and then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place chops in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking.
Bake for 30 minutes, carefully flipping over halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and return to the oven for 2 minutes, or till cheese is melted.
Garnish with chopped green onions.
669 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
I try a lot of new recipes all the time, so it's easy for one to get lost in the shuffle. Before I started this blog, I used to write my favorite recipes down on index cards and stick them in an over-stuffed recipe box, where they lingered in anonymity till I got desperate for a good menu idea and started digging through the box. Totally old-school, I know! Well, I ran across this oldie and couldn't remember anything about it, but when I made it again tonight, I couldn't believe I had forgotten it. It was SOOOOOO good! Like, lick the plate, go back for thirds, good. Even the kid, who doesn't like sausage or tomatoes, gobbled this up. Of course, once I ran this recipe through the calorie counter I realized exactly why this is so tasty. Holy diet-buster, Batman! I think next time I will try this with half and half instead of heavy cream. That would significantly reduce the fat and calories and would probably still taste really great. I'll let you know how it turns out if I ever try it that way, but in the meantime, put on your baggy pants and MAKE THIS NOW!
Creamy Tomato & Sausage Pasta
Total time: 25 min
Serves 5
1 lb bulk pork sausage
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 (15 oz) can Italian diced tomatoes, un-drained
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), minced
12 oz fettuccine
Boil fettuccine till tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
Stir in cream and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Serve over fettuccine.
860 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
I have to admit, I'll take just about any excuse to make dessert. I've been trying, rather unsuccessfully, to lose a few pounds this year, so I haven't been making as many treats, but I have an insatiable sweet tooth and it doesn't take long for goodies to find their way into my mouth.
When I'm craving sugar, I will eat just about anything, but Oreos are not my favorite treat, mainly because the cookie part is so dry and crunchy. I like them dunked in milk, but they're messy to eat that way and I usually end up dropping them into the bottom of my glass. I first made Oreo truffles a couple years ago and was blown away by how easy and fabulous they were. They have all the great taste of a milk-soaked Oreo and the yummy chocolate coating makes them easy to eat.
When I saw this recipe for mint Oreo truffles, I knew they would be amazing because chocolate and mint is one of my favorite combinations. I've been saving this recipe for a "special occasion," and St. Patty's day coming up next week was the perfect excuse. If you've never made regular Oreo truffles, you definitely want to try them, too. Just substitute plain Oreos for the mint ones and omit the peppermint extract from the chocolate.
Mint Oreo Truffles
Total time: 30 min
Makes 40 truffles
1 (15 oz) pkg Cool Mint Oreos
6 oz cream cheese, softened
12 oz white chocolate
2-4 Tbs vegetable oil (if needed)
1 tsp peppermint extract
green food coloring
Finely crush 5 cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency. Reserve for later.
Crush remaining cookies and mix in softened cream cheese. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the surface of the water. Remove from heat, and stir in peppermint extract. Add green food coloring until desired shade of green is reached. Alternately, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. If your brand of white chocolate melts a little thicker, you can use vegetable oil to thin it. (I've heard that others tried almond bark and candy melts to BAD results. The peppermint seizes the whole mixture. So please, only use white chocolate! You could use milk chocolate instead, but obviously that won't give you this lovely green color.)
Dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper to dry. Sprinkle the tops with the 5 crushed cookies for decoration. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!
110 calories per truffle. Click here for more nutritional info!
It's Lent! Which means no meat on Fridays for my Catholic husband. No problem, except none of us like fish! Shrimp is pretty good, but I don't want it every Friday for six weeks, so I'm always on the lookout for new meatless dishes that don't taste like a sacrifice.
I first had southwestern egg rolls at Bennigan's and thought they were fabulous. It's been so long since I've had theirs that I forget exactly how they tasted, but this recipe is close enough for me. Theirs were fried, but I save a few calories by baking these instead. Feel free to fry them if you prefer a more traditional egg roll texture. Heck, you could even add some meat if you wanted. Shredded chicken would be nice, but I honestly don't miss the meat a bit. I planned to make these last Friday, but an ice storm power outage ruined those plans, so I served them on a Tuesday instead, and nobody even noticed they didn't have meat!
Southwestern Egg Rolls
Prep time: 20 min Bake time: 20 min
Makes 20 rolls
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
20 egg roll wrappers
Avocado Ranch
3/8 cup mayonnaise
3/8 cup sour cream
3 Tbs buttermilk
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 green onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
Preheat oven to 425F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix together corn, beans, spinach, cheese, chiles, onions, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
Using a small spoon, scoop a small amount of filling onto the wrapper. Starting at a corner, carefully start to roll the wrapper. When it’s slightly rolled, tuck in the two sides and continue rolling to the last point. Wet your finger with water and dab a bit on the corner to seal the egg roll. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, placing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.
Lightly spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping them at least once during baking.
Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in a blender and puree till smooth.
151 calories per roll, with sauce. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
If you know me at all, you have to know that pizza is my absolute, hands-down favorite food. Ask me where I want to go for dinner and I will almost always say a pizza place. I could eat pizza everyday, for every meal, and be perfectly happy. In fact, I pretty much did that back in 2001 when I had a tough new job, no family to feed, and plenty of money for delivery. Allen's wedding vows even included a promise to forfeit all pizza leftovers to me till death do us part (okay, I might have made that up, but I do eat ALL the pizza leftovers!) There's just something about the combination of tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni or sausage, all on a edible platter of chewy bread that satisfies me like no other food.
Because I love pizza so much, I have tried many times to make homemade pizza that tastes as good as my favorite pizzeria - to no avail. I just can't duplicate it to my satisfaction. I have a few recipes for pizza-like foods that make a decent homemade substitute when I'm in the mood and can't go out, but I've pretty much given up on creating real pizza at home. What I have learned, though, is that I can make a bunch of great non-pizza flavored pizzas! This recipe if probably my favorite homemade "pizza" recipe. It has all the great flavors of chicken Pad Thai, but in convenient pizza form! Like any pizza, the topping are all totally optional; it's really the peanut sauce that makes this pizza truly Thai. You can even cheat the sauce if you want to - just buy a bottle of Thai peanut sauce and substitute it for the homemade version. You could also use a pre-baked crust instead of the dough. Just follow the heating instructions on the package. Make sure you put your veggies on after baking, though, so they stay crisp and fresh.
Chicken Pad Thai Pizza
Prep time: 10 min Bake time: 20 min
Serves 4
1 tube (11 oz) thin pizza crust dough
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons Thai chili sauce
2 teaspoons honey
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup bean sprouts
1/3 cup sliced snow peas
1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Unroll dough into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Bake at 425° for 5-6 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter, teriyaki sauce, chili sauce and honey. Place chicken in another small bowl; add half of the peanut butter mixture to chicken and toss to coat.
Spread remaining peanut butter mixture over crust; top with chicken and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients.
353 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
I love to experiment with new recipes, and when my husband and I got married he was thrilled. His mom had always been afraid to try new things, so my foray into the exotic was met with enthusiasm. After 11 years of marriage, he still appreciates all the new dishes I try, but you know what gets him excited now? When I make the good, old-fashioned meals his momma used to make. This dish is one that my mom used to make all the time, and I don't remember liking it as a kid, but now it's one of my favorites. I've adapted mom's recipe a little, swapping a box of Spanish rice for the longer list of ingredients she always used, but I think it makes it tastier as well as easier. The kid won't eat it, of course, but maybe in a few years when she's trying to please her husband she'll remember mom's good ol' stuffed peppers recipe and give it a try herself!
Stuffed Green Peppers
Prep time: 30 min Bake time: 10 min
Serves 6
3 large green peppers
1 (6.8 oz) box Spanish rice mix
2 Tbs butter (for rice)
2 cups hot water (for rice)
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian diced tomatoes (for rice)
1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups shredded cheddar
2 Tbs chopped cilantro or parsley (optional)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and stem. Blanch peppers in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Remove, drain, and place inside-up in a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt.
Meanwhile, brown ground beef and drain. Prepare rice according to directions on box. (I usually add the cooked beef into the rice while it is simmering to infuse it with flavor.) Combine the beef and rice with 1 cup of the cheese.
Scoop the mixture into the peppers. Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese on top. Bake at 350° till cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro or parsley, if desired.
463 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
