Roasted Garlic Macaroni and Cheese

This is definitely a mac n cheese dish you're gonna want to make on a weekend. It's really good, and really creamy, but the 45-60 minutes of baking the garlic head eats up some time. It's absolutely worth it though.

I almost said screw the macaroni and just smeared the warm, creamy garlic onto some buttered french bread and ate it all that way. I always forget how easy it is to roast garlic. It takes some time, but it's so easy and good.

This is absolutely a grown-up version of mac n cheese. Jesse (who lives for mac n cheese) didn't care for it, but Heath and I loved it. I've always liked that spreadable garlic and herb cheese, so it's great to have a recipe that requires it.

Ok guys, if I don't post for the rest of the week, have a great weekend! All my furniture gets delivered tomorrow morning (finally), so I'll be waist-deep in boxes and packing paper for the next couple days. 48 hours. That's my goal. Everything unpacked and put away, pictures hung, and boxes broken down (that last one isn't a necessity, but I'll try). I want to try and beat my record of 72 hours that I set in Charleston. We'll see!

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'Roasted Garlic Macaroni and Cheese'

Source: Adapted from Cassie Craves

Ingredients

1 head garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

12-16 ounces penne pasta

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

8 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded

1 container Boursin Garlic and Herb Spreadable Cheese (6 oz)

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350. Remove most of the outer skins from the head of garlic, leaving it intact. Slice off the top portion of the head so that all of the cloves are exposed at the top, but the head is still intact. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

2. Place garlic on a piece of foil and loosely fold the foil up around the head of garlic to create a foil packet. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the cloves are easily squeezed from the skins. Squeeze all of the garlic out of the skins and smash with a fork to make a paste.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot; set aside.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and the roasted garlic paste and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce comes to a low boil and thickens noticeably. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the cheddar and Boursin. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted. 

5. Add cheese sauce to reserved pasta and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Day 6 of temporarily living with my Mother. Good times, good times. Just a couple more days then all my worldly possessions will be delivered to me on Thurs. I just want to get this show on the road. I know I have so much unpacking and setting up to do that I just want to get it done. That and my mother keeps the air set at 47 degrees, so there are little icicles hanging from my ears as I write this. Hope Heath and Jesse are having fun in Disney World...jerks.

So this is a recipe I spotted on Pinterest. I've heard of Smitten Kitchen before, but had never been over there to check out their stuff...big mistake. They have some awesome recipes. This chicken was something I had to have because of the buttermilk. I love buttermilk (as a marinade, not to drink). Soaking chicken in buttermilk before cooking makes it so tender and juicy. I do the same for chicken fried steak.

Now, I used smoked paprika for this. It was good, but it gives it a definite 'smoked' flavor (obviously). Heath loved it, but it was a little too much for me. Next time I'll be using regular paprika. Definitely something I'll be making again though. Oh, and I absolutely recommend soaking the chicken in the buttermilk mixture for at least 24 hours (you can soak it for as much as 48 hours). It makes it so moist and tender.

Ok guys, I'm off to find a parka and some mittens so I can relax a bit and read my book comfortably in the living room. Two more days...just Two. More. Days.

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'Buttermilk Roast Chicken'

Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk

5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon table salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, plus extra for sprinkling (I used smoked paprika)

Lots of freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts (I used all legs)

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Whisk buttermilk with garlic, table salt, sugar, paprika and lots of freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Place chicken parts in a gallon-sized freezer bag (or lidded container) and pour buttermilk mixture over top completely covering the chicken.

2. Refrigerate for at least 2 but preferably 24 hours.

3. When ready to roast, heat oven to 425. Line a baking dish with foil. Remove chicken from buttermilk brine and arrange in dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with additional paprika and sea salt to taste.

4. Roast for 30 minutes (for legs; approximately 35 to 40 for breasts), until brown. Serve immediately.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Baked Spasanga

Ok, there are a few things you should know about this recipe. First...it's A-W-E-S-O-M-E. Seriously...really, really good. It's my favorite part of lasagna (the cheese filling), just with spaghetti. It's super creamy and cheesy.

Second...it makes a LOT. This is one hearty, hefty-ass dinner. I made this for 3 adults, including my step-dad who's the size of a lumberjack and eats three times what a normal human being eats, and we still  had leftovers. I'm posting the recipe exactly how I found it and how I made it. If you make this following the recipe, this will easily feed 6 adults...I'd say even 8.

Third...if you are making this for a small family, say 3-4 people (especially if a couple of those people are children), I HIGHLY suggest cutting the recipe in half and making this in an 8x8 dish.

Please note that there are NO errors in the ingredients. Yes...32 oz of shredded Mozzarella cheese is correct, as is 24 oz of spaghetti. Feel free to use less if you're uncomfortable with that amount, but as I said, I made it exactly as stated below and it was amazing. We all loved it.

Trust me though, when I say use a large bowl to mix the filling together, I do mean a LARGE bowl! This recipe was a great find, and I will absolutely be making it again. I can't wait for Heath and Jesse to try it!

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'Baked Spasanga'

Source: Adapted from Plain Chicken

Ingredients

spaghetti (24 oz)

shredded mozzarella cheese (32 oz)

8 oz ricotta cheese

8 oz sour cream

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 jar spaghetti sauce (24 oz)

1 lb ground beef

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain.

2. In LARGE bowl, stir together sour cream, ricotta, half-and-half, mozzarella, oregano, basil, pepper, garlic, salt, and half the Parmesan cheese. Add spaghetti and toss until well coated.

3. Pour spaghetti mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Top spaghetti with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover dish and bake 30 minutes.

4. While pasta is baking, prepare meat sauce. Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer.

5. Remove pasta from oven. Cut into squares and top with meat sauce.

***PRINT RECIPE***

The LHS Lunchtime Special

I. Am. HOME!! After two days and 15 hours in the car Jango and I arrived yesterday afternoon! It's so nice to be back. It's funny how you can drive down streets you haven't been on in over a year and lived around in over 4 years, but when you drive into town, you feel like you never left.

So, in honor of our moving back to Groton (Gales Ferry) for the next couple years, I would like to share a special little sandwich that my fellow Ledyard High classmates are very familiar with, and hold quite a nostalgic fondness for.

In high school we didn't have hot lunch. We had fast food days (like McDonald's every Monday, Taco Bell on Tuesday, Subway on Wednesday and so on), but we did have a store in the cafeteria. The heartiest and most filling thing they sold were bagels. Well, after awhile a plain bagel and cream cheese gets boring, so you start to experiment. This combination was a keeper...bagel, cream cheese, and BBQ Fritos.

Hey...don't knock it till you try it. Whether for breakfast or lunch, it's good.

Ok guys, I have a lot of cleaning and shopping to do before the movers get here with all our stuff (looks like they won't be here until next week which is a slight bummer, but what can ya do?), so I'm off for today! Have a good one!

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'The LHS Lunchtime Special'

Source: A Ledyard High Lunchtime Favorite

Ingredients

1 bagel

2-3 tablespoons cream cheese

1 handful BBQ Fritos (or any flavor you prefer)

Directions

1. Toast bagel to desired 'toasty-ness'

2. Slather both sides with cream cheese.

3. Arrange a handful of BBQ Fritos around the bottom portion of the bagel. Replace top to make a sandwich.

4. Press down to break the chips and squish the sandwich together...enjoy!

***PRINT RECIPE***

Panko Crusted Cod with Sage Butter

Well, packing day is finally here! I have two lovely ladies here right now packing all our stuff up, and then tomorrow I hit the road with Jango Puppy for CT (well, Maryland for the night, then CT on Wednesday). I love when we get nice movers. Hopefully the loading crew Heath deals with on Wednesday is just as nice.

I'm trying not to think about leaving my Bubba for three weeks though (he and Daddy-O will be here for another week then they're heading to Disney World for a week and a half before coming up). I know they'll have a great time, and it'll be nice to be able to get the house together without any interruption, but I'm gonna miss them both like crazy.

Anyway though...Panko Crusted Cod. Good stuff. I love panko, so I'm pretty sure you could cover and old shoe in the stuff and I'd recommend it, but we all really liked this. I can't remember ever buying cod before, but it's super easy to work with and cooks up fast. Very flaky and light.

The original recipe for the sage butter called for sage leaves, but I couldn't find any, so I just used rubbed sage. Turned out just fine.

Ok guys, I'll be gone for a couple days while traveling, but I'll try and  be back Thursday with a post. Have a great week and to all my friends and family at home, I'll see you soon!!

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'Panko Crusted Cod with Sage Butter'

Source: Adapted from Lifes Ambrosia

Ingredients

1 pound cod fillets

salt and pepper

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage

Directions

1. Rinse and pat dry the cod fillets. Slice into 3 inch pieces. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Place flour in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in another shallow dish and place the bread crumbs in a large zip-lock bag.

3. Dredge each piece of fish in the flour, then the egg, then drop into the bread crumbs bag. Seal bag and shake until all cod pieces are coated.

4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook fish 5–7 minutes or until golden brown on each side.

5. While the fish is cooking, melt butter over low heat. Once butter is melted add rubbed sage and simmer until fish is cooked.

6. Once fish is cooked through, transfer to a plate and spoon sage butter over the top. Serve.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch

My last weekend in Charleston, SC is here!! Heath and Jesse are taking the camper over to the Air Force Base tonight and I will be spending the weekend tearing this house apart to get it ready for the packers on Monday.

Tuesday morning, bright and early, Jango and I are hittin' the road bound for CT!

 I was originally gonna try and drive straight through, but it's just a bit too much. 15-16 hours, and that's if I hit NO traffic in D.C or NYC...which is impossible.

I will be super bummed to be without my Bubba and hubby for 3 weeks though. Thank God for iPhone/iPad face time! I'll get to see them every night before bed :)

So, here's a recipe that's been in my draft folder for quite some time. Not sure why I haven't shared it sooner, but it just keeps getting overlooked. I really liked it (and I loved that avocado sauce), and it's a fairly simple eggroll recipe. Just mix all the ingredients together, plop into an eggroll wrapper, roll and bake! Great lunch or snack, or for a party or get-together.

Ok guys, I'll probably be pretty sporadic next week with my posts. I definitely won't post on Tuesday or Wednesday while traveling, but I'll try for the rest of the week. Wish us luck that everything goes smoothly and everyone gets to where they're going safely and our stuff all arrives together and in one piece, lol!

Have a great weekend!

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'Southwestern Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch'

Source: Adapted from Cake & Allie

Ingredients

For the egg rolls:

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz)

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel (9 oz)

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1 can diced green chiles, drained (7 oz)

4 green onions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 package of egg roll or wonton wrappers

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl mix together corn, beans, spinach, cheese, chiles, onions, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper.

3. Spoon a small amount of filling onto the center of each wrapper. Fold one corner up and over the filling. Fold in two side corners, then roll to complete egg roll. Wet fingers with water and dab a bit on the exposed corner to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, placing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.

4. Lightly spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping them at least once during baking.

For avocado ranch:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons buttermilk

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 green onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Use immediately.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Ambrosia Salad

So Publix makes this stuff called 'Marshmallow Delight' that Heath absolutely loves. It comes in these little containers and is sold in the same place as the macaroni and potato salads. All it is is some fruit mixed with mini marshmallows and a crap ton of cool whip and/or sour cream and mayo (there are a bunch of different ways to make it).

Anyway, I figured I try making it at home. I found the recipe below on Pinterest and it couldn't have been easier to throw together. Jesse and I loved it...Heath? Eh. He still prefers the Publix stuff. Whatever. He's gonna have to get over that though since Publix is nowhere to be found in New England, so he can either learn to love the homemade stuff, or get none at all.

This is definitely something that I'll make again, either for a boat get-together or a family gathering. It's easy, it's tasty, and it's filled with mini marshmallows! Who doesn't love mini marshmallows?!

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'Ambrosia Salad'

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients

1 can mandarin oranges, drained (11 oz)

1 can crushed pineapple, drained (8 oz)

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 tub cool whip (8 oz)

Directions

1. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold together all ingredients in a large serving bowl.

2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Taco Casserole

Here's another quick weeknight dinner that I found over at Taste of Home. This cooks up pretty quick, and you can speed up the prep time by chopping your onion and green pepper either that morning or the night before.

It's a basic dish...tacos in casserole form. Can't really go wrong with that (at least not in this house). Heath loves anything even remotely Mexican, and Jesse ate it, so that's always a win (I never know these days what he'll eat...it changes all the time).

Ok guys, just a quick post today. Jesse and I are headed into Charleston for the last time to walk around and grab some lunch. He loves playing with the cannons down on the battery, and I like walking around down there since it's usually much cooler on the water.

Have a great day!

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'Taco Casserole'

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 envelope taco seasoning

1/2 cup water

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1 can (16 ounces) refried beans

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings: chopped lettuce and tomatoes, sliced ripe olives, sour cream and picante sauce

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375. In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Cook and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes.

2. Place meat mixture in a greased 8 x 8 in. square baking dish. In a small bowl, stir refried beans; spread over meat. Top beans with cheese.

3. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives and crushed chips. Serve with sour cream and picante sauce.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Applesauce Muffins

Ahhhh, another day of pulling pictures off the walls, spackling holes, and painting over them...good times! I actually don't mind doing that kind of stuff. As long as I give myself plenty of time to do it at my leisure, it's king of relaxing. Oh, and Mr. Clean Magic Erasing all my walls. I love those things. Every time I use them I'm amazed at how easily they clean dirt and grime off the walls.

Anyway...Applesauce Muffins. I'd been wanting to try these for some time. I had completely forgotten about them until I was going through some old cookbooks I had out in the garage, and I came across this recipe in one of my Gooseberry Patch books.

These were really good! Super moist, and when served warm with a bit of butter and some tea...Yum! Jesse really dug them. Ya know, I should start making muffins more often. He always seems to like them, and they're such an easy breakfast for him to grab. Maybe I'll do that this afternoon in between all my spackling...search the web for new muffin recipes.

If you know of any really good ones that I should try, let me know! I'm open to pretty much everything (except Bran muffins...I just don't see that going over well with Heath and the boy). Thanks!

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'Applesauce Muffins'

Source: Adapted from Gooseberry Patch

Muffins:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup raisins

Topping:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cups quick cooking oats, uncooked

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Combine all the topping ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until crumbly. (You can use a pastry cutter or two knives slicing in opposite directions to cut the butter into the ingredients to make it crumbly)

2. Combine all muffin ingredients; stir until moistened.

3. Fill lightly greased muffin cups 3/4 full; sprinkle with Crumb Topping.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 12 to 16 muffins.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

Well, the goodbyes have started, and it was very sad. Today I had to say goodbye to my beloved Publix and all the wonderful men and women who work there. I know it sounds silly to be sad about leaving a grocery store behind, but of every grocery store I've ever shopped in in the whole of my life, this one has been the best, and I will sincerely miss them all.

Now, this recipe. I loved this recipe. Heath loved this recipe. Even Jesse loved it (though if you ask him, he'll tell you he doesn't like mushrooms). It's quick, it's easy and flavorful, and best of all...it has mushrooms! I love mushrooms, but for some reason hardly ever cook with them. 

If you too are a 'shroom fan, then I definitely recommend giving this recipe a try. It's a great weeknight meal that cooks up fast and disappears quickly. There weren't even any leftovers for Heath to take in to work the next day! That's when I know I've done good ;) Oh, and if you've got some time, head on over to the site where I got this from...Life's Ambrosia. I know I've said it before, but I'm saying it again...she's got some really great recipes that are worth taking a look at. So glad I happened upon her page!

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'Pan Fried Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy'

Source: Adapted from Life's Ambrosia

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops

1 egg

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons season salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup milk

fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt

Directions

1. Heat oven to warm setting (or 250 if you don't a warm setting).

2. Place pork chops in a resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and hit the pork chops with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick.

3. In one bowl beat egg. In a separate bowl combine flour and seasoning salt.

4. Remove pork chops from plastic bag, dip in egg and then dredge in flour to coat completely. In a skillet heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Once butter has melted fry pork chops until browned and cooked through. About 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a ovenproof dish and place in oven to keep warm.

5. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the pan drippings. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the top, stir and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in broth and milk. Cook until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Place cooked pork chops on a serving platter, spoon gravy over the top. Serve.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies

Well, another week gone! This will be our last 'normal' weekend in this house, since next weekend we'll be tearing it apart to get ready for the packers who are coming on the 20th. I'm itchin' to get started. I hate this 'in-between' time where you know you have so much to do, but you can't really start any of it yet.

We're gonna grab the camper and starting next Friday be staying at the Air Force Base campground so we don't have to live in the chaos that will be our house. Jesse's psyched. That boy would be perfectly happy living permanently in an RV  :)

Ok so, these cookies? These are some evil, evil little cookies. I made mine a little larger than what Lauren made, so I got 12 cookies from this recipe. I think there were 3 left when I went to bed. Heath and I destroyed them. Poor Jesse, I think he got 2...maybe 3.

So good. So, so, so, so good. If you like chocolate covered strawberries (and really, who doesn't?), and you like cookies, MAKE THESE! The chocolate drizzle at the end is extra, so you can use whatever type of chocolate you prefer...regular, dark or even white chocolate. Ooohh!! Do half with regular chocolate and the other half with white chocolate!! If you were making them for a function or get-together, that would look so pretty! (Good luck not eating half of them before you serve them though).

Ok guys, have a wonderful weekend and I'll see ya next week. My final week in Charleston!

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'Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies'

Source: Adapted from Lauren's Latest

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup fresh chopped strawberries

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (for drizzle)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in strawberries. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes.

2. Heat oven to 350. Scoop dough into small rounds and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.

3. Bake 7-8 minutes until edges start to barely golden (mine took more like 12-15 minutes, but my cookies were a bit bigger). Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet and transfer to cooling rack.

4. In a small bowl, microwave chocolate chips,stirring every 20 seconds until melted completely. Drizzle over cookies. Serve warm.

*** Just a tip: After melting my chocolate chips, I take a plastic bag, set one corner of it down into a short glass and wrap the opening of the bag around the top of the glass. Pour the chocolate into the bag, remove the bag from the glass (the purpose of the glass is just to hold the bag open for you), then snip a tiny corner of the bag, and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Much more control, and no mess! ***

***PRINT RECIPE***

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

I've made this recipe a few times before. I really like those Philadelphia cooking cremes, and this is a recipe I got from their website. There's a bunch of different flavors, but I think the Santa Fe is my favorite.

This is a pretty easy recipe, just a small amount of time is needed to assemble it, but it bakes pretty quickly. To make things a littler easier (and because I prefer the texture), I shredded a store bought, pre-made rotisserie chicken a few days before and froze the meat in a plastic bag. When ready to use, just take it out to thaw that day. Because it's shredded, it thaws pretty quickly (a few hours on the counter top, or overnight in the fridge).

Top with salsa and/or sour cream, and you're good to go!

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'Santa Fe Chicken Casserole'

Source: Adapted from Kraft Foods

Ingredients

3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts

1 can black beans, rinsed (15 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes, drained )14.5 oz)

2 green onions, sliced

1 tub Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme, divided (10 oz)

3 flour tortillas (6 inch)

3/4 cup Mexican Shredded Four Cheese, divided

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375. Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add 3/4 cup cooking creme; mix lightly.

2. Spoon 1/3 of the chicken mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Top with 1 tortilla, half the remaining chicken mixture and 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

3. Cover with second tortilla, remaining chicken mixture, 1/4 cup shredded cheese and remaining tortilla. Top with remaining cooking creme and shredded cheese; cover.

4. Bake 20 min. or until heated through; uncover. Bake 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Chocolate Dipped Apple Slices

I. Love. These. Love them! Why? Well, they take about 5 minutes to make. Seriously...5 minutes. Maybe 7 or 8 if you're making a lot.

I was literally walking out the door to go pick Jesse up from school when I decided to make these real quick so they would be ready when we got home. Just melt some chocolate in the microwave, slice some apples, dip, and set in the fridge to harden...that's it!

I originally saw this idea on (where else?) Pinterest and loved it since apple slices are about a thousand times easier for Jesse to eat than a whole apple on a stick. I can't believe I never thought to do this earlier!

As someone mentioned on my Facebook page, you can also melt some caramel squares as well and dip these first in caramel, and THEN in chocolate. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and you've got a truly evil little snack on a stick!

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'Chocolate Dipped Apple Slices'

Source: Adapted from Rosa-Rot

Ingredients

2 apples (I used gala)

1 bag chocolate chips (23 oz)

6" wooden sticks

Sprinkles or nuts

Directions

1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl and melt in the microwave according to package directions.

2. Sit apples upright and slice from top to bottom in 1/2 in thick slices (I got 4 slices per apple, counting the two ends)

3. Line a large cookie sheet with foil. Push the pointed end of each stick up into the bottom of each apple slice.

4. Dip slices in chocolate (you may want to use a spoon to help cover each slice if you're bowl isn't deep enough).

5. Allow excess chocolate to drip off then lay flat on the foil lined baking sheet. Shake some sprinkles or chopped nuts onto the apples while chocolate is still wet.

6. When all apples are coated, place the baking sheet in the fridge and allow chocolate to harden (about 10-15 minutes). Serve.

***PRINT RECIPE***

Avocado Mac N Cheese

When Heath came home from work and saw green mac n cheese in the pan, his first words were 'Should I go to Burger King?' He was not impressed.

He ended up really liking it though. Like, ate two bowls for dinner and took leftovers to work the next day, liking it! I did too, but then again I love avocados, so I knew it would be a success. Jesse ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I tried telling him it was mac n cheese, but he yelled at me for lying, and insisted on a PB&J  :)

This was super easy to prepare, and I definitely recommend it. Not sure how well the whole 'Green Mac n Cheese' thing will go over with YOUR children, but it's worth a try. Even if they don't eat it, you've got a tasty dinner for yourself!

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'Avocado Mac N Cheese'

Source: Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients

10 ounces dry elbow macaroni

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 avocados, peeled and pitted

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh avocado chunks, for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare avocado sauce by placing the garlic, avocados, lime juice, cilantro (or parsley), salt and pepper into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

3. Prepare cheese sauce by place butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. When butter is melted, whisk in flour. Whisk in milk until smooth. Stir until sauce starts to thicken. Add Pepper Jack cheese and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.

4. Place macaroni in a large bowl. Pour avocado sauce over the macaroni and stir until well coated. Add the cheese sauce and stir until macaroni is coated and creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

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