Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla

Working 40 hours a week in retail, you don't always have the time or opportunity to cook a full meal. Enter the quesadilla. Great for a quick throw together lunch or supper.

Ingredients (for 2 quesadillas):

4 flour fajita shells
1 can chunk chicken breast
3 tablespoons Texas Pete buffalo sauce (or your favorite buffalo sauce)
1 cup shredded cheese (or if you don't have any on hand just use 4 slices of american singles)

Cooking Directions:

1. Heat a small pan on medium high heat. While the pan is heating up, mix together the chicken and buffalo sauce in a small bowl.

2. Place one fajita shell in center of pan. Cover shell in cheese. Add half of chicken. Add a little more cheese and top with another shell.

3. Brown both sides of quesadilla until cheese is melted on the inside. Remove from heat and cut into halves (or quarters if you prefer).

There you have it! Just add a side salad and some chips and salsa and you have dinner in a bout 5 minutes that includes protein, dairy, bread, and vegetables. Not too shabby (and cheap too!).

Crispy Italian Chicken and Pasta

A thousand apologies that I haven't posted in ages!! I've started a new job that has me working more than ever before and I've allowed it to be my excuse from getting on the computer as often as I used to. But alas, I am back and with the absolute best pan fried chicken that I have ever made, or even tasted.

The following is a Pinterest recipe that I have been wanting to try for months, but just hadn't gotten around to it. So when planning out my meals for the week I was determined that this one was finally going to make the list. And I'm so glad that it did!

(Just as a side note: I cut the entire recipe in half and it was the perfect portion for the hubs and me)

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta
(thanks to Jamie Cooks It Up!)

Cooking Ingredients:
3 large chicken breasts
5 cups cornflakes (if you don't typically eat cornflake cereal and don't feel like buying an entire box just for this recipe - I sure didn't! - then just get the single serve breakfast bowls of cereal that they have for like $1. 1 serving was plenty for the hubs and my chicken)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup milk
6 tablespoons olive oil
12 oz bowtie pasta
10 oz Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb)
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk

Cooking Directions:
1. Start by boiling a large pot of water for your pasta. Let the pasta cook while you prepare and cook the chicken. Place the chicken in a ziplock bag and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken flat. Then cut eat chicken breast in half.

2. Crush the cornflakes, either in a food processor or like i did - on a plate and I crushed them with my hands (you gotta have a little fun while you're cooking and the best way to do that is by getting messy!). Mix together the salt and flour in a pan. Dredge the chicken in the flour, making sure each piece is thoroughly coated. Place the chicken in the freezer for about 5 minutes (I had never done this before when coating my chicken, but it's genius! it helps the flour stick to the chicken and prevent it from caking off in the next step).

3. Dredge the chicken in the 1/2 cup milk. In another pan (or plate) dredge the chicken in the crushed corn flakes, again making sure each piece is thoroughly coated.

4. Add the oil to a hot skillet. Place each chicken breast in the skillet and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook on either side for about 5 minutes or until either side is golden brown. Then reduce to medium heat and cover, allowing the chicken to cook for about another 5 minutes.

5. By this time the pasta should be ready to drain. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the skillet and place on a plate. Using the same skillet, whisk together the Philadelphia Cream, Cream of Chicken soup, chicken broth, and milk over medium heat for a few minutes until sauce is formed.

6. Lastly you can either cut the chicken into strips and place on top of the pasta and sauce, or you can serve it on the plate alongside your pasta.

(photo curtesy of: Jamie Cooks It Up!)

This may sound like a lot of work, but it really wasn't too bad and I think it only took me a bout 30 minutes and we were ready to eat. And I am not lying when I say this is the best pan fried chicken that I have ever tasted. It was seriously amazing. I couldn't get enough, I had to go back for seconds (aka eat some of the hubs!). I think that it is the cornflakes. They add great texture and a little bit of sweetness. Either way, this is definitely the only way I'm making pan fried chicken from here on out.

Enjoy!

Creamy Taco Pasta

Let me first just say, I would loose my head if it wasn't attached. Seriously! I got a much needed new pan for Christmas that I was SO excited about... and then left it in Georgia! For the past two months, every time I've cooked something all I could think about was how much easier it would be if I had that darn pan. So on a quick weekend treck up to the home state I made sure that I came back to the swamp with my pan. And the other night I finally got to break it in.

I was about to prepare supper for the night with a recipe for a taco pasta I had found on Pinterest and realized that I had already tried it. And while it was good, it was lacking a little something. Not wanting to make the same mistake again I started searching for similar dishes with the ingredients I had on hand. And what I came up with was a little conglomeration of all the different ones I read.

Creamy Taco Pasta

Cooking Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
2 cups uncooked pasta (I used Rotini but any small pasta will work)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup heavy cream
finely shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Directions:
1. Brown meat in a large skillet while cooking pasta according to package directions.

2. Add taco seasoning to meat (if you like it a little 'saucier' add 1/4 cup of water too). Add in cream cheese, sour cream and salsa. Allow the cream cheese to melt and stir all ingredients together.

3. Drain pasta and add to meat. Stir in 1/4 cup cream.

4. Serve topped with cheese.

Two great things about this meal. 1. It only takes about 20 minutes to make. 2. It only uses two dishes! It is super yummy and made for great left overs for lunch the next day. And if you love your cheese (like the hubs and I both do) you can sprinkle some in when you add the pasta in addition to topping it off when served.

Oh, and yes, my new pan performed wonderfully! ;)

Chocolate - Chocolate Chip - Caramel Cake

If you have ever had my chocolate cake, then get ready for something even more amazingly delicious (yes, it actually is possible!). Years ago my mother-in-law introduced me to poke cakes. It turns an ordinary boxed cake into a gooey mess of cake goodness. Typically I bake a chocolate cake in a 9x13 pan, use a fork to poke holes all over it and cover it in icing. It's simple and for some reason so much better than just regular chocolate cake. So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest for a chocolate poke cake with added chocolate chips and caramel, naturally I couldn't resist!

Chocolate Chip-Caramel Poke Cake

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil's Food Cake mix
 11/3 cups buttermilk (I'm not a buttermilk fan and didn't feel like buying an entire carton just to throw the rest of it out, so naturally I just used the 2% that I had on hand)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
12oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup caramel topping (I used Smuckers caramel ice cream topping)
1/2 cup Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy vanilla frosting

Cooking Directions:
1. In a large bowl mix together cake mix, milk, eggs and oil with an electric mixer for 30 seconds at low speed and then on medium speed for 2 minutes.

2. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips into and gently press into batter. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes until done.

3. Cool for 30 minutes. Using a fork poke holes all over cake. Pour caramel topping all over cake and allow to seep into holes. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Microwave icing for about 30 seconds and stir until very soft. Spoon into a 1 quart resealable food bag. Cut the tip off one corner and drizzle all over cake.

(photo credit: Betty Crocker)

(As amazing as this combination is, next time I'm going to try milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. The semi-sweet is just a little too bitter for my taste.)

Cut yourself a nice big piece, microwave it for about 10 seconds and top with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice-cream and you have heaven in a bowl!

Make it and devour it. Trust me, you're going to love it (unless you are one of those crazy people that doesn't believe in eating chocolate. how do you people even exist?!).

Mustard Baked Tilapia

Chicken. Chicken. Chicken. I know that by now most of you are probably asking, "Does she ever cook supper with something besides chicken (and the occasional ground beef in a crock pot)?" Truth is, ashamedly, no, not really. So this week I was on a mission to make something for dinner that didn't have ANY chicken in it! Plus, now that we live in Louisiana I'm supposed to become a seafood lover (yeah, good luck with that happening any time soon). There is one fish that I don't mind consuming every now and then that doesn't have much of that "fishy" taste: tilapia.

So I reached into the freezer, past the chicken, and grabbed two tilapia fillets I had picked up at the grocery store earlier in the week. Now what? If I was going to eat fish I didn't want it bland and tasting like, well, fish. So I rummaged through the refrigerator and here is what came of it:

Mustard Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons spicy mustard

4 tablespoons bread crumbs

Cooking Directions:

1. Coat fillets in spicy mustard (I found it easiest to use a knife to spread it). Sprinkle bread crumbs on both sides of the fillets.

2. Place in a baking dish and bake in oven at 350* for 15 minutes.

Sorry that I didn't get a picture but the hubs gobbled his up too quick (and well, I was starving!). The fish came out very juicy and flavorful. The mustard did the trick and covered up any "fishy" taste. I served green beans and pan-fried potatoes as well, so I guess you can say we had a healthy version of "fish and chips". And the whole meal took only 30 minutes. Which was perfect since we had both worked long days and were super hungry by the time that we got home.

So... voila! I can cook supper without chicken! But don't laugh at me when my next recipe is a chicken casserole. It's one I've been wanting to try for weeks. ;)

Oreo Truffles

I saw this recipe on Pinterest a while ago and am finally getting around to trying it out. I was so excited because it only has 3 ingredients and 1 of them is my favorite cookie - Oreos!!

The whole process from pantry to mouth took about 30 minutes (because of freezer/setting time).

No Bake Oreo Truffles

Ingredients:
1 package Oreo cookies
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 package baking chocolate/candy coating

Cooking Directions:
1. Finely chop Oreos in a food processor or blender. Set some aside for a garnish later.

2. Mix cream cheese and Oreos (you may not need to use all of your cream cheese. start with about half and continue adding in until you reach a doughy consistency) and roll into bite-size balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper and put in freezer for 15 minutes.

3. While truffles are chilling, melt chocolate in a small bowl.

4. Once truffles have chilled, one at a time dip them in the chocolate and return to cookie sheet and sprinkle with the Oreo crumbs you set aside earlier.

5. Let chill and devour!

(photo credit: Chef in Training)

I ended up only using half of the package of Oreos and only about 3oz of the cream cheese dipped in 1/3 of the melted candy coating (which made 15 truffles). But after tasting them, I just might have to make the other half of the package!

The best way to describe the taste of these is that they taste just like Oreos dunked in milk. They have a gooey texture and are completely delicious. Good thing, each one is pretty filling so you won't want to eat too many at once, which just leaves more for later!

Make these. Love them. And remember them the next time you have a party or get together, they'd be perfect!

Creamy Turkey Stew

It turns out that the weather in Southern Louisiana is more unpredictable than in Georgia! One week it's sunny and 70* and the next week it's highs in the 50's and freezing at night. So it's time for some more crockpot soup recipes!

Creamy Turkey Stew
from: Sandra Lee's "Money Saving Slow Cooking"

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds turkey breast cutlets, cut into strips (I used chicken, big surprise, but I already had some in the freezer, and opted to cut them into bite-size pieces rather than strips)
2 8oz packages sliced fresh mushrooms (of course I decided to leave these out since neither the hubs nor I like eating fungus)
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 1/2 cups finely diced carrots and celery
1 cup frozen white corn kernels (I had to use sweet corn, couldn't find any white at the store)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of potato soup
1 packet chicken gravy mix
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper
optional: cooked bacon and fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Directions:
1. Stir together turkey, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, celery and corn in slow cooker. In separate bowl whisk chicken broth, soup, gravy mix and tarragon then pour into slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on high 4 to 6 hours.

3. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon and parsley if desired.

(I apologize, I forgot to take a picture)

This turned out pretty tasty. I do think, however, it would have been better with turkey (but I'm not a huge turkey fan). I will have to remember this recipe around Thanksgiving, it would be great with leftover turkey!

It tasted just like beef stew, but with chicken! And it made great left-overs (which I am a BIG fan of). Thank you Sandra Lee!

Peanut Butter Smoothie

One of my favorite post-workout snacks is a high-protein smoothie. The following recipe can be used with or without the added protein supplement. Either way it's yummy, creamy and high in protein (perfect for before or after a workout session).

(Thanks yet again to Pinterest for inspiring me to create something new and delicious.)

Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
1 or 2 scoops homemade vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 carton vanilla yogurt
1 banana sliced and frozen (obviously this needs to be done ahead of time)
optional: 1 scoop vanilla protein supplement

Cooking Directions:
1. Add all ingredients into a blender. Blend for 2 minutes until smooth.

2. Pour into cup and sip with a straw and enjoy!

(photo credit: My Recipes)

Pot Roast and Gravy

Southern Living is a treasure of a resource for everything for the home, especially recipes. So, of course, I was beyond excited to receive another one of their cookbooks for Christmas. "Southern Living All-Time Favorites" is a great blend of treats for everything from breakfast dishes to pastas to desserts. Isn't it wonderful to be from the south?! Exactly how do people in the north cook??

After a nice long trip back home to Georgia, the hubs was feeling a bit homesick when we returned to Louisiana. So, I decided that some comfort food would be perfect. So bring on, what else than, the pot roast! I've seen my mom and mother-in-law make numerous pot roasts before, but had yet to make one on my own.

Also, it was a wonderful excuse to use a wedding gift I had yet to break in (yea, yea it's been almost 2 years now). It's the French version of a Dutch oven and after one use, I'm in love! Thank you Aunt Barbara!

Country-Style Pot Roast and Gravy

Ingredients:
4-5lb boneless chuck roast (I used a rump roast because the only chuck they had at the store was HUGE. I got a 5lb rump and put half of it in the freezer)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or enough to fill the bottom of your Dutch oven)
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
6 red new potatoes quartered (I used russet potatoes because that's what I had on hand)
2 carrots chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 10oz package red pearl onions pealed (I just chopped up one sweet onion, because I already had one)
for gravy:
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

Cooking Directions:
1. Brown roast in hot oil in Dutch oven. Add soup mix and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours.

2. Add vegetables and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

3. Remove roast and veggies and keep warm. Add flour, salt and pepper (and water if necessary, mine was already soupy enough without it) to drippings. Stir constantly until gravy thickens.

You can serve the gravy alongside your roast and veggies or do like I did: add veggies back into dutch oven and stir into gravy. Slice roast and enjoy the deliciousness!

Oh. my. goodness. The hubs could not stop complimenting me while we were eating (lol). We loved it! The roast was super juicy and the vegetables were perfectly tender without being mushy. Hubs took the leftovers to work for supper that night, he was so in love. Plus now I have the other half in the freezer just waiting to be used in a few weeks.

New Year - New Fiascos

Happy 2012 y'all!! I hope that everyone had a marvelous Christmas and New Year's.

I apologize for my long absence. The hubs and I just got back from a great trip home for the holidays. And I am so happy to announce that I received 3 new cookbooks as christmas gifts that I am excited to tear into! This week I will be getting back into my routine of trying at least one new recipe a week, so stay tuned for more fiascos!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!