Chocolate Crack

Again, I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe before!  I love making this, and tend to do it a lot during the fall.  Not that it's particularly fall-y, just chocolate and peanut butter.  I just found it around Thanksgiving so I start thinking of it around this time of the year.

Ingredients

• 1 box graham crackers (I used cinnamon ones on accident, but they were delish)
• 1 cup melted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Spray with Pam/nonstick cooking spray.
3. Line the pan completely with a layer of graham crackers.
4. Combine butter with brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat: STIR CONSTANTLY for 5 minutes.
5. Pour the mixture over the graham crackers as evenly as possible.
6. Put in oven & bake for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from pan & sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers. Give them a minute or two to melt and then spread them out with a spoon/spatula/etc.

My tips

• I didn’t boil the sugar/butter, just warmed it on medium & let it melt together.
• Also I didn’t use the entire bag of chocolate chips, just kind of sprinkled them on there & spread.
• I think you can use less butter & brown sugar (3/4 of a cup of each, maybe even just 1/2 cup).  I also made it with white sugar when I ran out of brown (not quite as good as using the brown sugar, but I still liked it).  Last night I had a stroke of pure brilliance and added a tablespoon or two of peanut butter to the butter/(white) sugar combo and it was AMAZING.
• The original recipe said to let it chill before eating…this is REALLY hard for me to do.  I did like the one with white sugar (& no PB) better cooled, but it’s really yummy warm too so I don’t think you can really go wrong either way.
• Several people have heard of a similar version using saltines (so you have a salty/sweet combo) and love it.

Kayotic Sausage & Tomatoes

I found this recipe over at Kayotic Kitchen, which you should definitely check out.  Her blog is awesome, and this meal is my personal favorite out of anything I've ever made.

Beef Sausages & Balsamic Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 6 beef sausages
• 2 small red onions
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp oil
• fresh basil
• pepper
• salt

Directions

1. Preheat over to 350.
2. Peel and slice 6 cloves of garlic (she says "normal" sized cloves, I have used less if if they were bigger).
3. Peel & slice onions into wedges.
4. Place sausages in roasting pan and cover with olive oil.
5. Add garlic slices, and generous amounts of salt and pepper (this ensures that the sauce that forms will be properly seasoned- so no holding back!).
6. Shuffle the sausages around in the oil mixture so they are well covered/seasoned and the oil gets all over the pan also.
7. Add the onions and shuffle again, so they're also covered with the oil mixture.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sausages start to brown.
9. Wash your cherry tomatoes, and add to the pan once the sausages have browned.  It will look like red marbles in a track (there are wonderful pictures on the Kayotic blog for this part- well, all the parts actually).
10. Pour the balsamic vinegar into the pan, spreading evenly.
11. Put the pan bake in the oven for about 15 more minutes.  The cherries should be bursting and the sausages fully cooked when you take them out.
12. Tear up the basil leaves and stir them into the pan.
13. Serve with French bread or really thick rolls.  The juice from the sausages and tomatoes mix with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and form what is quite possible the most delectable sauce I've ever had in my life.  It's amazing, and you want a hearty bread that can soak it up to the fullest. 

My notes:

• Make very few changes!  Honestly, this is one of the recipes that is PERFECT.  Sometimes I have switched out grape tomatoes for cherry tomatoes- this does NOT work, stick to the bigger (and more juicy) cherry tomatoes.  The only "changes" I have really made is that it's gotten to the point where I don't have to measure everything out, I can eyeball it...but definitely measure the first time so you get an idea for the proper amount.
• Cook in a smaller pan.  You definitely want all those different juices and oils to be in close proximity so they can mix and make the delicious sauce, a larger pan just doesn't give it the same flavor.  
• I have used dried basil (and also thrown in a tiny bit of dried cilantro), it works when used generously but definitely go for fresh if possible.  I skimp where I can, y'all know that, but buy the ingredients as listed.   It will still be cheaper than going out, probably even to fast food, and the taste will blow your mind.
• I personally like the plain beef sausages.  We've gotten the tomato ones, and some chicken kind...hubs liked them but I prefer the plain kind.  The beauty of this meal comes from it's simplicity and that fancy-shmancy stuff isn't needed here in my opinion.

I love, love, LOVE this recipe.    I want to make it, and my mouth is watering from talking about it.  Stick to this recipe as exactly as possible and you will be amazed, I guarantee it.

Mexican 6 Layer Dip

I'm going to link to several recipes in this post, because I used a basic recipe for dip (which can be found here).  But instead of using that avocado layer, I combined two recipes for guacamole (which can be found here and here).  So the setup here will be a little different.  I'll explain what I did for the guacamole, and then for the dip.

Guacamole

  

Ingredients:

• 3 Avocados (peel & pit)
• Juice of one lime
• 1/4 red onion (chopped)
• Small handful minced cilantro
• 1 small clove of garlic
• Salt & pepper to taste

 Directions: 

1. Peel & pit the avocados (I use a spoon to take the pit out, which is the hardest part IMO; then I slip the spoon under the avocado & scoop it right out- so easy).  Place avocados in a bowl and mash- I started just mashing with a spoon and then switched to a potato masher, worked like a charm.
2. Chop the red onion (you could add more, but my husband isn't crazy about red onions so I used a minimal amount), add to bowl and mix.
3. Juice the lime, add to bowl and mix.
4. Chop the garlic, add to bowl, and mix.
5. Chop the cilantro, add to bowl, and mix (you may want to add slowly & taste as you go alone if using fresh cilantro- it's much stronger than dried...but in a good way).
6. Add salt & pepper to taste.

6 Layer Dip

 

Ingredients: 

•  16 oz refried/black beans
• Homemade guacamole
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 pack taco seasoning
• 3 tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup sliced olives
• 16 oz shredded cheese
• Tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Chop the tomatoes & olives (if so desired)
2. Mix the sour cream & taco seasoning.
3.  Spread beans in the bottom of a large dish.
4. Add  guacamole.
5. Add sour cream/taco seasoning mix.
6. Add cheese.
7. Add tomatoes.
8. Add olives.
9. Serve with tortilla chips & enjoy!

My changes: 

• As mentioned, I used the above guacamole mixture instead of just mashing the avocados- it was AMAZING!  On it's on I thought it was okay, but mixed with the rest of the ingredients Oh. My. God. (said in the voice of Janice from F*R*I*E*N*D*S).
• The original recipe is for a 7 layer dip, but one of those layers is onions.  Since I already had red onions in my guacamole, I decided to skip this layer.
• While this was a great vegetarian recipe (even my husband, who is the ultimate "I am man, I eat meat" kind of guy, loved it), you could easily add a meat layer with ground beef or shredded chicken.  
• This recipe was SO easy to prepare, AND I didn't have to turn on my oven or even microwave (a big plus in the summer).  It's surprisingly filling & delicious- I'm sure I'll be making it again soon. 
• One thing- have a HUGE bag of tortilla chips.  The delicious salty chips with the cool, smooth taste from the guacamole & sour cream...my mouth is watering... 

Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake

Okay I relaxed for a bit, but have still been trying new recipes.  Usually I try to type them up in the order I make them, but this one was so delicious that I just have to share it now.  I've made several variations on this theme  of chicken/mexican/corn/casserole/bakes.  To be perfectly honest, none of them have really been worth it for me.  This one, however...delicious.  I'm not sure if it's the addition of cilantro and ranch packets, or using diced tomatoes instead of the typical salsa...but this was surprisingly flavorful and I'll definitely be making it again. I mean, I'll have to rename it...because that's just too long of a name.  But the dish itself probably won't change.

Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 3-4 chicken breast (boneless & skinless), shredded
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can black olives, drained
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix
• pinch of salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1.5 tablespoons cumin
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 (more) tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 garlic salt with parsley
• 1 cup shredded cheese
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on stove.  Add onions & saute for 5 minutes before adding garlic for 1 additional minute.
3. Add chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, olives, ranch dressing mix, cumin, salt, & pepper.  Cook & stir for 5 minutes or until heated through.
4. Add cilantro.  
5. Pour mixture into baking dish.
6. Place crescent rolls over mixture, keeping as a sheet.  Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil & season with garlic salt.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until rolls begin to brown.
8. Add cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is cooked through. 

My Changes

• I didn't shred my chicken, just used filets and diced them.  I cooked them with garlic salt & pepper before starting.
• I only used 1/2 an onion.  I don't think a whole onion would be bad, but that was fine for us.
• I forgot to pick up olives at the grocery store...and I'm sure that will only add to the deliciousness.
• I didn't drain my chicken, just dumped it straight into the mixture.  At first this seemed a little too soupy for me, but my husband loved it and I think it made it warm up so much better the next day.  
• I didn't have garlic seasoning with parsley, so I just used regular garlic salt.
• I didn't have cumin, so I omitted it.
• I didn't have fresh cilantro (my grocery store has been out of it the past TWO times I shopped) so I used dried flakes...not sure how much, just a moderate sprinkle.  
• We served with sour cream, as suggested.

Greek Meatloaf

This was the first recipe I made off of my huge list, and it was a huge hit.  Hubs says it's one of those things that gets better the longer it sits, so every day it tastes better haha.

Greek Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (or 1/2 cup bread crumbs)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (reduce to 1/4 cup if using bread crumbs)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325.
2. Heat oil in saucepan.  Add onions, salt, and pepper.  Heat until translucent.  Add spinach and stir until heated throughout.
3. Mix onion mixture, turkey, flour/breadcrumbs, chicken stock, egg & Worcestershire sauce.  Mix until well combined.
4. Place half of the mixture in a baking sheet and evenly spread flat.
5. Cover with feta cheese.
6. Place the remaining mixture on top of cheese and evenly spread flat.
7. Bake for 1-1.25 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 160.

My Changes

• I used plain breadcrumbs instead of coconut flour...because I don't have coconut flour.  
• I added some Italian seasoning & cilantro because the original poster from the above site suggested that it needed some more seasoning, and I forgot to look for her suggestion of gyro seasoning at the grocery store.  It worked nicely.
• I plan on using more feta next time I make this.  The idea of putting it in the middle instead of mixing it up as in a traditional meatloaf was nice, but for our preference (me & hubs) it could have been stronger.
• I also want to make this using ground lamb.  Hubs LOVES lamb and I feel like that would really take this recipe to the next level.

Crockpot Chicken Salsa

This is hands down the easiest receipe I have in my arsenal.  It is quick, simple, and idiot-proof.  Oh, and fairly cheap.  Are there any better words for a busy wannbe chef?

Crockpot Chicken Salsa

Ingredients

• Frozen Chicken Breasts (I use 3 small/medium)
• 2 cans drained corn/1 bag frozen corn
• 2 cans drained black beans
• 1 jar salsa

Directions

1. Dump frozen chicken, corn, beans, and salsa into a crockpot.
2. Cook on high for 5-6 hours (depending on the intensity of your slow cooker).
3. After 5-5.5 hours stir to shred up chicken.
4. I told you it was idiot proof.

My Tips

• I have a 5 qt. slow cooker.  If yours is smaller, adjust ingredient amounts accordingly.
• The original recipe I was given added cream cheese.  I prefer to skip that and add sour cream to individual portions as we please.  We also add cheese, because everything tastes better with cheese.
• I eat this with Spanish rice.  My husband puts it in tortillas.  It can also be served with nachos.  And probably many other ways. 

Shepherds Pie

This is one of the first recipes I found using Allrecipes.com and a favorite in our house.  I've been craving it for several days and tonight is the night!  One of the reasons I like Allrecipes so much is because it allows members to review the recipe and make suggestions on how to improve or tweak it.  For that reason I will be posting the link to the recipes I get from there, as well as the original recipe here in my blog along with my personal changes.

American Shepherds Pie 

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed vegetable soup
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cups mashed cooked potatoes
• 1 cup shredded Colby longhorn cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir and cook ground beef, onion and celery until juices run clear. Drain. Pour mixture into baking dish with vegetable soup and thyme; stir well. Spread mashed potatoes on top.
3. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese has melted

My Changes

• I use 1.5-2.0 lbs of ground beef, we like our food meaty.  I also usually add garlic salt to the meat/onion concoction, because my husband thinks garlic belongs on everything.
• I don't use celery or thyme. Just not a favorite of me or the hubs.
• I use cream of mushroom soup instead of vegetable.
• I add a veggie layer on top of the meat layer: almost always corn, but lately I've been adding green beans as well.  Husband likes it when we use green peas, but I hate green peas so that's rare.  That's the beauty of this recipe though, it's SUPER easy to customize to your own preferences.
• We sometimes add biscuits to the top.  I had a revelation the other night when I made upside down pizza though, and I'm thinking of using crescent rolls instead.  I'll come back & update this post after I experiment with it.