Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken

Chicken can be a hard sell in my house, especially with the kids. Do you have this problem as well? I can't really blame them, if you're not careful, chicken breasts are can be really bland and tasteless.

I've spiced up these chicken tenders with a little bacon and pesto, because who doesn't love bacon?! If you're not sure about the pesto, go ahead and bake some without the sauce. Experiment with others if you'd like as well, buffalo is great, ranch might even be tasty!

Add this main dish to your summer lineup, it will go perfect with all of the fresh veggies coming out of the garden. Break out the grill if it's too hot to cook inside, and this would be fantastic topped over a big salad the next day for lunch! So many simple ways to enjoy this dish, the kids will be begging for more.


Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts cut into smaller strips
1 pound bacon
Pesto

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread pesto over top of each strip, then wrap one slice of bacon around each piece of chicken.

Place chicken onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken with desired sides.

BLT Cucumber Boats

It's been a busy week or so around here. We spent most of last week in Missouri visiting family and every day this week I've spent much of my time preserving peaches and making pickles. We brought home a box of Missouri peaches and Sunday when we got back into town, I made my way out to a local farm to pick up two more boxes of peaches I had ordered from Michigan. After sharing a little bit with my sister in-laws, I'm guessing I still had a good 70 pounds to put up for winter. I've canned peach slices, made jam, cobbler topping and even salsa. Today I finished up freezing slices and stuck a few mini pies in the freezer. Oh and it's been hot! I'm ready to relax a little bit this weekend and enjoy the much cooler temperatures.

My garden hasn't been as successful this year as I had hoped. We did end up with a decent harvest of lettuce and peas early on, the squirrels got to the strawberries, my broccoli never did produce, same with bell peppers (I have the darnedest time with those!). I'm still hoping I'll get some zucchini to grow since I had to replant. But my tomatoes have done great, especially the cherry. And my garden is currently being taken over by watermelon vines. It's our first year trying this fruit and we're excited to see how it turns out. I spotted three tiny little babies in there, the girls will be thrilled if they end up growing well.

Right now meals are simple, and based largely around what's coming out of the garden or what we're bringing home from the farmers' market. I find myself trying to add tomatoes to just about every single meal. It also happens to be prime BLT season and we tried a little twist on this classic sandwich recently. I mixed up a light bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo topping and stuffed it right into a cucumber that I simply scooped the middle out of. It was simply delicious and a nice lightened way to enjoy this favorite summer meal. You can try substituting a Greek yogurt if you'd like, but I figured if I was already skipping the bread, the mayonnaise wasn't such a big deal.

You really don't need a recipe per say to follow for a dish like this, but for those of you that feel more comfortable following one I've given precise measurements. Feel free to adjust as necessary. Enjoy this light summer meal while you've got tons of fresh produce around!


BLT Cucumber Boats

Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped lettuce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Slice cucumber in half length wise, taking a spoon, scoop out the middle and discard. Set cucumber halves aside.

In a small bowl, mix together cooked and crumbled bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings if needed, add additional mayonnaise if desired.

Top each cucumber half with bacon mixture. Serve immediately.

Bacon, Egg and Tomato Sandwich

For the past seven weeks or so, I've been taking an continuing ed class at our local community college.  My other classes were always later in the evening, giving me ample time to prepare dinner. Now we're finding ourselves getting home from dance practice at 5 or after and seriously rushing to get dinner on the table so I can leave and be in class by 6:00.

If it weren't for simple meals and the help from each family member, we probably wouldn't be able to make this work so well. Or else we'd be tempted to eat out those two nights each week. This season in life is crazy busy but hey, we're making the best of it. I'm sure so many of you can relate all too well.

So these happened to be dinner last night. Ridiculously simple, yet so good! I hope you're realizing good food doesn't always have to be time consuming and complicated.

I quickly pan fried a few small potatoes from the farmers market in a tiny bit of bacon grease and they made for a delicious side. The girls of course added some fresh blueberries to their plate.  These made for a great dinner when we're craving hearty breakfast food. You can certainly keep these in mind for your breakfast during the week or on the weekend.


Bacon, Egg and Tomato Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 lb bacon
Eggs
Sliced tomato
Cheese, if desired
Ciabatta buns

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Prepare eggs in another small skillet, fry in a bit of bacon grease if desired.

While eggs are cooking, start toasting buns. When eggs are ready, layer each toasted bun with an egg, bacon and tomato. Add cheese if desired.

Serve with pan fried potatoes and fresh fruit.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla

We love quesadillas in our house, they're quick, easy and so versatile. Heck, you can even make them for breakfast. It's also a great way to get in some extra veggies!

I've been thinking of this particular combination for awhile so it was about time to give it a whirl. Everyone was able to help assemble their own, picking and choosing their fillings. They turned out great; ultimately I went with a pepper jack cheese, spinach, bell pepper,  chicken and bacon filling. All topped with fresh tomato and served up with a little ranch and salsa. It was certainly delicious!

I'll list all the necessary ingredients below but honestly, no specific measurements are needed. Feel free to make them your own!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
6 slices cooked bacon
fresh spinach
diced bell pepper
diced tomato
grated pepper jack cheese (or cheddar)
Flour tortilla shells
ranch dressing, for serving
salsa, for serving

Directions:
Heat a medium size skillet over medium heat. Lay one tortilla in bottom of skillet.  Layer chicken, crumbled bacon, spinach, pepper and cheese onto tortilla. Top with one more tortilla.

Let cook for a couple minutes, just until lightly browned and flip over to brown the other side. Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining ingredients.

Cut into triangles using a pizza cutter. Add diced tomato on top. Serve with ranch and salsa if desired.

Green Bean Bundles

So did you enjoy a wonderful day with the dads in your life? We had a very nice, relaxing day. It started off with church, a little bit of yard work and then grilling. Later we made our way to my parent's home to see everyone for a bit. All in all what I hope was a good day for my husband.

In planning my menu for the day I decided to add these green beans to the list. Now I know for some of my family members, they're not big fans. But just maybe the bacon would leer them in. It didn't exactly work, the little ones just wanted bacon. I couldn't really blame them though.

That just left more for me as I love green beans. I remember mom preparing our beans with a little bacon and brown sugar growing up. I'd always eat more, just to get that little piece of flavorful meat.

Now that fresh produce is starting to be in abundance, I love preparing side dishes that we might not eat on a regular basis. You could surely use canned beans here but fresh taste so much better I think. This side dish is incredibly simple yet full of flavor. One that your whole family will enjoy!


Green Bean Bundles

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh green beans
8 slices bacon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with foil and set aside.

Wash and trim ends of green beans. Wrap one slice of bacon around a bundle of 10 beans. Repeat with remaining beans and bacon. Place bundles onto baking sheet.

Mix butter, brown sugar and garlic together in a bowl. Spoon mixture over beans. Cover pan with foil and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Then uncover pan and bake for 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and serve bundles right away.

Makes 8 bundles.

Brussels Sprout Salad

Mother nature finally seems to be on our side. The snow is melting, the air is warmer and I think spring is near by. Warmer weather makes me anxious for more time outdoors and all the fresh produce that comes with spring and summer.

I find myself craving salads about this time of year. Lighter meals trade places with those hearty casseroles. Salads like this one are my favorite! And before you tell me you hate brussels sprouts, you need to at least try this dish. It reminds me of the ever so famous broccoli salad. Except the dressing is so light, almost to where you don't even know it's there.

This salad definitely gets better with time, but make sure to eat it up within a few days. The apples will get a little soft. My own girls even liked it, except for one. I'll take it though...and keep trying.


Brussels Sprout Salad

Ingredients:
9 oz bag shaved Brussels sprouts (I found these at my local Target in the produce. If you can't locate any, just try shredding whole sprouts in a food processor)
5 slices cooked bacon
2 tbsp reserved bacon fat
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp stone ground Dijon mustard
1 apple, sliced thinly

Directions:
In a medium pan, heat reserved bacon fat. Add in onion and let cook for about two minutes, just until tender. Add in vinegar, honey and mustard. Whisk together until combined, let cook together for one minute.

Dump brussels sprouts into a medium sized bowl. Drizzle onion mixture over top and toss all together. Add in crumbled bacon and sliced apple, mix together well.

You may serve immediately but I recommend letting salad ingredients marinate for a few hours. Store in fridge for up to three days.

BLT Pizza

Last night was pizza night in our house. My usual batch of dough makes enough for three pizzas, plenty to feed our family of five even at our hungriest and then usually a little bit of leftovers for lunch the next day. I took advantage of some leftover chicken and made our favorite buffalo chicken pizza and also another favorite, ham with mozzarella cheese.

For our third, I wanted to combine a summer favorite: BLTs with pizza. My tomatoes are slowly starting to ripen, which is probably a good thing so I won't be overwhelmed all at once. Our youngest is constantly checking on them in the garden and pleading to just have one. She's eating the cherry tomatoes as fast as I can get to them!

I managed to gather a few before she could get to them and thought of incorporating them into our pizza night. Along with some cooked, crumbled bacon and lettuce; it was very delicious. As for the sauce, I was a little torn. I couldn't imagine spreading mayo on my pizza, it just didn't seem very appealing. Ranch dressing would probably be good, but then that would leave me to eat a whole pizza myself. So I decided on a traditional tomato sauce.

Made just like any regular pizza but adding in bacon, lettuce and tomato; I really like this new version. If you think you'd like ranch or mayo better, go for it! Tailor your food to suite your own tastes. And be sure to let me know what you think!


BLT Pizza

Ingredients:
Pizza dough for one crust
6 slices bacon, cooked
pizza sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
handful of cut lettuce
4 cherry tomatoes, diced
Ranch dressing, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a pizza pan or stone. Using a little bit of extra flour, roll out pizza dough to fit pan. Spread sauce over dough. Take three slices of bacon, crumble and layer over the sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, depending on how brown you like your crust and cheese.

Remove pizza from oven and immediately layer on lettuce, tomatoes and remaining three slices of bacon. Cut into slices, serve with ranch dressing on the side if desired.

Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burritos

I love having items like these in the freezer, within arms reach for busy mornings or when mom just doesn't feel up to cooking so early. The family doesn't mind, in fact these are one of their favorites. Simply reheat in the microwave, toaster oven or your regular sized oven and breakfast is served. Simple, I like that!

Since we had a change of plans in our dinner a few nights ago and I already had this bacon thawed out. It made sense to make up a big batch of these. I don't always use bacon either, a lot of times if will be a mild breakfast sausage or even some diced ham. I love adding bell peppers to mine but I know the hubby and some of the girls don't like them cooked. You can use whatever veggies you prefer, maybe some mushrooms.

Then you'll want to top with cheese and roll them up. Wrap each one individually in foil to prevent freezer burn. Stack them all neatly in a large Ziploc bag, label with contents and date. And voila, you've got yourself some breakfast burritos ready to be enjoyed at a moments notice.


Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:
scrambled eggs with or w/out desired veggies cooked in {peppers, onions, mushrooms work well}
choice of meat- crumbled bacon, diced ham or sausage
grated cheddar cheese
flour tortilla shells
foil
freezer bags

Directions:
Lay tortillas out onto a clean counter top. Spread a small amount of scrambled eggs down middle of tortilla. Top with meat and cheese. Roll up burrito style. Wrap each one individually in foil. Place gently into a large freezer bag. Label with contents, date bag and then store in the freezer until ready to use.

When ready to use; you may remove and store in fridge to thaw overnight if desired. Otherwise simply reheat burritos while frozen, in the microwave it should take about 2 minutes. If you heat in the oven, about 5-6 minutes.

DIY Bacon Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper

When I first moved out on my own I don't think I really knew how to cook much. I've always loved both baking and cooking, but I admit I ate my fair share of convenience and packaged foods. My husband and I had our oldest daughter when we were both sophomores in high school; my mom recently told me she was a little worried about what we would be eating on a daily basis when we did finally get a place of our own!

Hamburger helper wasn't something I really ever liked, but because it was cheap and didn't involve much preparation, I do recall making it every so often. But things have changed, I've grown up, matured and my food views have changed a lot.

Fast forward to today, I honestly don't think I could even choke down hamburger helper. But this homemade version, not that's another story. It's made with real ingredients and flavored with real spices instead of preservatives. What's better yet is I was able to use up some leftover ground beef and bacon that we had sitting in the fridge. Yay for not wasting!


DIY Bacon Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef
4 slices bacon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp  butter
1 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
3 cups elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1-1/4 cup Monterrey and cheddar cheese, grated


Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon slices until crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain grease. Add in garlic and let saute for about one minute. Then add in ground beef and let cook until no longer pink and crumbled. Drain and then set aside.

In the same skillet, melt butter and then add in flour. Stir together well and let cook for a minute. Then whisk in milk and water.

Crumble bacon. Add pasta, hamburger and bacon into skillet and stir to combine. Add in all spices, then sprinkle with cheese and stir until melted through. Taste and add in additional seasonings if needed. Serve warm with additional cheese or bacon if desired.

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We've got quite the exciting evening going on in our house. Our oldest daughter will be off to her 8th grade dance and I keep thinking where does the time go, she can't possibly be old enough for all of this. While the rest of us will be attending an end-of-the-year bowling banquet for the other two girls. Our first grader will be graduating tonight to the next level, sporting a cap and gown and all! I'm sure some pics will follow in the next few days.

Also, stay tuned for a virtual baby shower on Monday! Some fellow Iowa bloggers and I are hosting a shower for our friend Ally from Ally's Sweet and Savory Eats. She's due any day now with baby #3, a girl! I'm so excited and can't wait to share all of these amazing goodies with you. Have a great weekend!

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pull-Apart Bread

New Year's Eve night usually consists of us staying home with the kids and myself making up a few different appetizers for us to munch on. Nothing too fancy, but it works for us and we enjoy staying in where it's warm and not waking up with a headache the next day.

This year the hubby had to work both days...blah! So my side of the family came over to keep the girls and I company for a little bit. We watched the kids dance to their new Just Dance game on the Wii, talked and of course ate. My mom was a lifesaver and brought along most of the food as I had kids all day for daycare. But I did manage to whip up something quick.

I've fallen in love with pull-apart breads, they're fun and really easy to make! I made two kinds that night, this savory bacon, cheddar and ranch kind and then also a sweet bread. While it was good, I need to experiment a little more to perfect that recipe.

I had a hard time finding a regular sized round loaf so I went with these simple bread bowls our local bakery sells. Of course I could have purchased a french loaf and went that way, but round is so much more fun. It's almost like a garlic cheese bread with lots of bacon, so good and yet so simple.  I think the only thing that could have made this better, would to have some sort of dip to serve alongside. Yum!


Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pull-Apart Bread

Ingredients:
1 small bread bowl
3-4 slices cooked bacon
1 tsp dry ranch seasoning
2 tbsp melted butter
grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Using a sharp knife cut into bread, criss-crossing but making sure to not cut all the way through the bottom of the loaf.

Sprinkle cheese throughout the loaf, tucking into every nook and cranny. Crumble the bacon and do the same. Mix together melted butter and ranch seasoning in a small bowl. Drizzle all over bread.

Wrap bread in a large piece of foil. Place onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Open up the foil and let bake for another 5 minutes, just until cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and serve warm.

Bacon-Wrapped Crackers

Appetizers are a must around the holidays, if you're like our families, we make our meals based around a bunch of different finger foods. My husband's family has always done this. We'll make up small sandwiches, tons of dips and whatever else sounds good and that's our Christmas Eve dinner. My own side of the family adapted this tradition recently after we grew tired of the same ham/turkey dinner each year.

These crackers were something new I tried for Christmas dinner last night and I have to say they were a huge hit! In fact, they went quickly and I probably should have made a double batch.

We all know anything wrapped in bacon is just that much better. I had a friend tell me about these specific crackers and I found the recipe intriguing. We especially loved the sweet brown sugar ones, they reminded me much of those bacon wrapped smokies we make each year. The savory Parmesan cheese ones were also delicious as well.  I think we've found a new favorite appetizer for the holidays, we surely will be making these often!

Bacon-Wrapped Crackers

Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon, cut in half
1 sleeve Club crackers
Parmesan cheese
Brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with foil and place a baking rack on top of cookie sheet.  Place crackers along the baking rack, it will be a tight squeeze but you can fit all 30+ crackers on there.

Take about 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese and place on half of the crackers. Then taking a teaspoon of brown sugar, place on the other half of crackers. Wrap each cracker with one half slice of bacon, making sure to tuck the ends underneath. Place back onto prepared sheet.

Bake at 250 for two hours. Remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter. Serve warm if possible, but these are also great at room temp. Makes about 34 crackers.

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Roll ups

I wish I had some great story behind this recipe, but really I don't. I needed something quick to set on the table last night and this is what sort of came to mind. I don't think anyone was complaining though.

I'm going to state right off the bat, these are not exactly healthy. They're also not something I would normally serve my family on a daily basis, but they're really good and once in a while it's okay to indulge. I figure we serve plenty of veggies and fruit on the side to round out the meal anyways.

Baked chicken, crumbled bacon, cheese, ranch and bell pepper all rolled into a tortilla shell; really what's not to love about this? While they did make for a quick, light dinner, I would also serve these for lunch or even a hearty after school snack for the kids. Salsa was the perfect dipping sauce but additional ranch would also be great.

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Roll Ups

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded/diced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup ranch dressing
diced bell pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 tortilla shells

Directions:
In a bowl add shredded or diced chicken, crumbled bacon, ranch dressing, diced bell pepper and cheese. Stir to combine. Divide chicken mixture among tortilla shells evenly, spread down the middle and roll each shell up. Place seam side down onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Serve warm with salsa or additional ranch dressing. Feel free to add in your favorite veggies to the mixture!

Maple-Bacon Muffins

It's not too often I purchase bacon, we love it and it never lasts long but I just don't buy it often. So you know how surprised I was to find a few pieces leftover from the weekend sitting in our fridge. The little ones would have easily gobbled it up if I had let them, but what's the fun in that?

It only seemed right I crumble it up and add to muffin batter, maple muffin batter at that! These were sooo good and sure didn't last long. A sweetened cinnamon butter would have been a great addition but believe me, these are just as good on their own. Plenty sweet with pure maple syrup baked in but not too sweet. The bacon sure balances that out.

They also bake up beautifully, so light and fluffy. I think for someone who doesn't typically like muffins and tends to gravitate towards savory breakfast choices; these would be perfect for you. My only regret is, I didn't make more. But that might not be such a bad thing after all!

Maple-Bacon Muffins

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine eggs, maple syrup, oil and yogurt together. Add in sugar, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir in flour. Add in crumbled bacon and stir just until combined.

Spoon batter into a prepared muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes.

Grilled Bacon Caprese Sandwich

I apologize for the lack of consistency with my posts this week, it's certainly been one of those weeks. We enjoyed a beautiful day at a local amusement park (well still two hours away) yesterday with our family. It's been years since we've been able to go and since the girls are a little older now, we knew they'd have a blast.

It really was the most beautiful day, the sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, maybe a little too hot in the sun at times but nothing a visit to their waterpark couldn't fix. The kiddos were all so well behaved and we were exhausted by the time we got home late last night. I only wish I would have taken more pics, but that's okay, we created a memory filled day that I hope the girls always remember!

Our youngest two have been enjoying lots of homemade popsicles lately, we love making our own and creating new flavors. These were just simply frozen lemonade, which they quickly devoured.

Okay back to this sandwich. It's nothing real fancy, no complicated ingredients; but man is it ever good! I've literally been waiting to make this for a long time now, waiting for fresh, ripe tomatoes from the garden. Well mine aren't exactly ready yet, I've still got lots of green ones but we've been purchasing some every weekend at our local farmers' market.

I dreamed this up one day. I have this problem a lot actually, I'll suddenly think of a new recipe whether it's a dessert, sandwich or casserole dish. Maybe it will come to me in a dream or I'll just think of it out of the blue. Is that weird? Maybe it's a foodie thing lol.

You'll have to make this as soon as you get your hands on some fresh tomatoes! You're gonna love it I promise. I could go for another one right now.


Grilled Bacon Caprese Sandwich

Ingredients:
Bacon, cooked
Tomato, sliced
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Basil pesto
Good quality bread
Butter

Directions:

Heat a small skillet over the stove. Butter the outsides of two slices of bread, spread pesto on the inside of the both slices. Place one slice of bread, butter side down in the skillet. Top with bacon, sliced tomato and mozzarella cheese. Place last slice of bread, butter side up on top of sandwich. Let cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove onto a plate, cut in half and enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad is one of my favorites and one recipe I'm pretty sure you might already have. But this comes from my mom, it's not something I make very often because I'm usually the only one in the house that eats it. My mom gave me this recipe along with several others at my bridal shower almost 7 years ago. My awesome bridesmaids put together the cutest recipe box for me because they knew how much I love to cook and bake, they also asked each guest to bring along at least one of their own recipes to put inside. It was one of the best gifts I've ever received and to this day I still love it! I seriously think it's one of the best gifts to give to a new bride.

Last week I made this salad to go along with our baked ham and cheese sandwiches. I can't remember the last time I've gotten to have broccoli salad and was literally craving it. I love the crunchy broccoli mixed with the sweet red onion and walnuts, the saltiness from the bacon and the sweetness from raisins. The dressing itself is also on the sweet side. The more you let the flavors mingle, the better it tastes; although I will say it's best enjoyed no later than the second day. It doesn't make a huge amount so I'm sure you'll have no troubles .

I will share real quick these baked ham and cheese sandwiches we made. They were pretty good and something very simple to make. I took a package of King's Hawaiian brand rolls, split them in half and filled them with a few slices of ham and cheese. We used provolone and colby-jack between all of the sandwiches. You could use whatever kind you like best though. I did mix together a few tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tbsp brown sugar and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and basted the insides of the top bun as well as the tops, just for a little extra glaze.  We baked them in a 9x13 inch baking pan, covered with foil for about 20 mins or so until cheese was melted. They were delicious, I don't think we had any left at all. These make for a very quick and easy dinner, lunch or even an appetizer.


Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:
6-8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 c walnuts
1/2 c raisins

Dressing:
1 c mayonnaise (I recommend Hellman's)
1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp white vinegar

Directions:
In a medium-large sized bowl combine bacon, broccoli, onion, walnuts and raisins. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and mix well. Pour dressing over salad and mix together. Let salad marinate in fridge for several hours before serving.

White Bean and Bacon Chicken Chili

I'm back! I didn't purposely stop posting last week, my schedule just got the better of me. I spent any of my free time Wed-Fri working on cake and cupcake orders. It's a lot of fun, I love what I do but man I was so tired by the time I finished up Friday evening.

We enjoyed this soup one night last week, I relied on my slow cooker quite a bit. I had this recipe bookmarked in my new Picky Palate cookbook, along with tons of others! This was well liked by everyone in the family, I haven't made a white bean chili in awhile so it was a nice change of pace. I loved all of the unique flavors, and one of the best parts: the kids didn't even realize all the veggies they were eating because the carrots were shredded and the celery was diced so small. Now, my kids are pretty good about eating their veggies; but being able to "sneak" even more into their bellies, that makes my day.

White Bean and Bacon Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
5-6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 jalapeno pepper
2 peeled, shredded carrots
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
32 oz chicken broth
2 c shredded, cooked chicken
2-15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
small handful of cilantro, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Add all ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine well. Cover and cook on low during the day while at work, etc. You can even cook in a large pot over stove top for about 20-25 minutes, until heated through if you don't have a slow cooker.

Slightly adapted from: Picky Palate cookbook

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Can you believe that I've never made real twice baked potatoes before? I figure I don't have a need when we can enjoy mashed potatoes this way. I've been making these for awhile now, we don't have them with our meals too often because well, for one, they aren't exactly good for you. I'd say we enjoy them a few times throughout the year; since the dish makes quite a bit I like the prepare them when we have company.

A couple weekends ago I had my family over for dinner, I made pulled pork and served it with these mashed potatoes and various other sides. It was the ultimate comfort meal!

You can certainly cut the recipe in half if you're not feeding several people. Otherwise I highly encourage to give these fabulous potatoes a try, your family is bound to request them over and over again!


Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
20 med-sized potatoes
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c sour cream
3/4 stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
6-8 slices cooked bacon

Directions:
Peel and cut potatoes up into small chunks, place in a large pot of cold water and cook over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl. Add in cream cheese, sour cream, butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder. With an electric mixer, blend all ingredients together until smooth. Stir in a few slices of crumbled bacon and 1/2-1 c of shredded cheese. Mix together and transfer to a lightly greased casserole dish (I generally use a 2 qt. dish). Sprinkle with remaining cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake at 375 for 25-30 mins. or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.  Serves about 12.