Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

This was a really good, and somewhat unique take on enchiladas. I wasn't sure about the honey in this application, but it turned out to be quite tasty. The night we had these, I ended up having thirds! Okay, so I need to preface "thirds" with the caveat of I've been exercising like a crazy person, and I have been extremely hungry. I'm talking gnaw off my own arm type of hungry. Anyway, try these...you'll (hopefully) love them, too.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted From: Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients:
Marinade -
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas (I used whole wheat tortillas)
1 pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)

Directions:
1. Whisk the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a Zip-loc bag.
2. Let it marinate for at least a 1/2 hour, but preferably a half day or so.
3. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.
4. Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade, and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.
5. Put tortillas in 9x13 pan as you go.
6. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade (if there is any).
7. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.
8. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Notes:
This is also a great recipe to make as a freezer meal- put into 2 8x8" pans. Bake 1 pan for dinner now, put the other pan into the freezer. Pull it out and bake it when you need it!



Here's a photo of the whole pan when it came out of the oven. These were so delicious!

Sarah's Muffin Mix

My friend, Claire got this recipe from our friend, Sarah. I didn't pay much attention to it at first, because I thought that muffin recipes were all pretty much the same. Well, Claire brought some of these muffins to our bible study and showed me how wrong I truly was...these muffins were delicious! After hearing how easy it was to put the mix together and bake fresh muffins in the morning for breakfast, I was convinced that all muffins were not created equal. These. are. awesome.

Sarah's Muffin Mix
Adapted From: Cooking Claire blog

Ingredients:(*)
4 cups AP flour
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flax meal
3 T. baking powder
2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. nutmeg

Combine above ingredients. Store in pantry or freezer up to six months.

For each batch of muffins:

2-3/4 cups muffin mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Place muffin mix in bowl. Whisk egg, milk, and butter together and stir into dry ingredients. Include whichever mix-ins below (mix any dry ingredients in with mix, wet ingredients or fruit into wet ingredients or at the end). Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-21 minutes.

Add-Ins:
Banana: 1 cup mashed bananas
Cranberry Pecan: 1 cup chopped cranberries, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 3 T. sugar
Cappuccino: 1 cup mini chocolate chips, 2 t. instant coffee granules
Apple Cheese: 1/2 cup shredded apple, 1/2 cup colby jack cheese
Blueberry: 1 cup blueberries
Carrot Raisin: 3/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/3 cup golden raisins

One batch yielded 18 muffins for me.

I made a banana/raw almond variation and they were fantastic! I'm sure there are other variations to be made; so I'll have to get my creative juices flowing. I was actually thinking of a dried cranberry/white chocolate chip combo. YUM! Thanks Sarah and Claire!!!!

(*)NOTE: I've updated the mix and the muffins were just as delicious and a bit better for you. For a more healthful version use the following ingredients for the mix:

ALTERNATE INGREDIENTS FOR BASE MIX:
2 cups AP flour
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup flax meal
3 T. baking powder
2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. nutmeg

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

For the past couple of days, I've decided to quit stalling and do some blog updating. I didn't realize how many recipes I had made lately and didn't post until I went back through my camera photos. Yeesh! I forgot about this dish entirely, which is kinda mystifying because it was darn tasty. I guess I'll chalk it up to mommy-brain and move forward. I can't remember a whole lot about this recipe, other than kids and adults enjoyed it and I will make it again at some point.

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells
Adapted From: What’s Cookin’ Chicago, via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 box of jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
6oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan + 1/4 cup for topping
1 jar of prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 cloves garlic, grated
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
cooking spray

Directions:
In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

To make ahead/freezer meals -
Prepare as directed but place filled shells in an oven- and freezer-proof baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells, cover and freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

Thomas Keller's Simple Roasted Chicken

This, by far, is the easiest and best roasted chicken recipe I have come across. So much so, that I have forgone all the other whole chicken recipes in my arsenal and always opt for this one. This is how Chef Thomas Keller makes a roasted chicken at home, and it is everything a roasted chicken should be. The beauty of it is in it's simplicity.

(On a side note: I love how Chef Keller explains the preparation of this dish...very specific on the method.)

Thomas Keller's Simple Roasted Chicken
From: Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1 2- to 3-pound whole chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
butter, unsalted (optional)
Dijon mustard (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip—until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be super-elegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

Baked Avocado Chicken Parmigiana

A friend of mine pinned this recipe on Pinterest, and I almost bypassed it entirely. I really thought this flavor combination sounded a little strange. So strange, that I knew it would only go one of two ways for us...we would either love it or hate it. I decided I had to try it out to see. I was very intrigued!

I really didn't think that avocados would work in this application; but some how, some way, they totally made this dish sing! The creamy, fatty avocado was the perfect counter-point to the slightly acidic marinara sauce and crunchy-coated chicken. Who knew?!?! I never would have come up with this combo on my own, so score another great recipe find for Pinterest! Our side dishes were very complimentary, too. A light green salad and whole wheat spaghetti with garlic and olive oil made this a totally satisfying and delicious dinner!

Baked Avocado Chicken Parmigiana
Adapted From: Cuisine Paradise blog via Pinterest

Ingredients:
2-4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (1/2 inch thickness)
1/2 cup AP flour
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil/Cooking Spray
1/2 cup jarred marinara sauce
2 avocado, Sliced
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Place chicken breast in a clear plastic bag(alternatively between 2 sheets plastic wrap), using a rolling pin or meat mallet pound until 1/2 inch thick.

Place flour and breadcrumbs on two separate plate and lightly whisk milk and egg together in a shallow bowl.

Coat 1 piece of chicken breast in flour(shaking off excess), dip in egg mixture then coat in breadcrumbs using your fingertips pressing on to secure.

Place on prepared baking tray lay with foil or baking paper (I used a silicone baking mat), repeat the same process with the remaining chicken breast with flour, egg and etc.

Lightly spray or brush the prepared chicken with oil, bake for 8 minutes(turning after 4 minutes to have even color on the breadcrumbs) in preheated 400F degree oven.

Remove from oven and spread each chicken breast with 1 heaped tablespoon of marinara sauce. Arrange avocado slices over sauce and sprinkle with decent amount of mozzarella cheese.

Return to oven and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through.

Easy Taco Melts

I like to call this recipe, "Empanadas for Dummies". These little pocket taco melts have all the great features of an empanada, without all the muss and fuss (albeit not very traditional).

Seriously, these babies were so easy and quick to put together it was almost ridiculous; and the recipe itself has very few ingredients. Perfect for those of us--ahem!--who seem to be budget & time challenged lately. Affordable, family-friendly, and supremely tasty...need I say more????

Easy Taco Melts
Adapted From: pillsbury.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef, cooked, drained
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 can of jumbo refrigerated biscuits
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions:
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, mix cooked beef and jar of salsa. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot and liquid from salsa reduces down.

Press each biscuit into 6-inch round. Spoon some meat mixture and a good pinch of cheese onto the center of each round.

Fold dough in half over filling; press to seal. Place on greased (or lined) cookie sheet.

Bake at 375°F 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.



Here is a photo of some of the finished ones on the baking sheet. One taco melt is a good serving size for an adult. Yum!

Turkey Meatloaf

So, every time (yes, EVERY TIME) we have a turkey recipe for dinner I sing Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving Song. So much so, that my 5 year old son knows the ((clean version)) lyrics and my 2 year old twins randomly spout off words from the song, too. Is it Thanksgiving time? No. Is it age-appropriate humor? Nope. However, the song has the word "turkey" in it, and that's what I cooked for dinner tonight--turkey--in meatloaf form. Pretty quirky, eh??? That's just how we roll at my house.

If your not familiar, here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving Song lyrics...

Turkey for me
Turkey for you
Let's eat the turkey
In my big brown shoe
Love to eat the turkey
At the table
I once saw a movie
With Betty Grable
Eat that turkey
All night long
Fifty million Elvis fans
Can't be wrong
Turkey lurkey doo and
Turkey lurkey dap
I eat that turkey
Then I take a nap

Haha! The "big brown shoe" line is our favorite. It always get's 'em giggling!

Some people leave their children riches, or some leave behind a spectacular accomplishment that helps humanity and elevates their respective family name...

That's not us.

Instead, I teach my children the Thanksgiving Song. Now that is what I call a family legacy to be proud of...you're welcome world!

Anyway, this was a great version of turkey meatloaf. Probably the best I've tried. If you like classic meatloaf, this is a basic turkey recipe that doesn't sacrifice on any of the flavors you've come to know and love through the original beef version. Yum!

Turkey Meatloaf
From: Food.com

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
1 cup onion , chopped
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 ¼ lbs ground turkey
½ cup breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
¾ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Melt butter in a skillet.

Cook onion and garlic in melted butter for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place mixture in a large bowl to cool for 5 minutes.

Combine turkey, bread crumbs, egg, 1/4 cup of the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper with onion mixture.

Press meatloaf into an 8x4-inch loaf pan.

Spread remaining ketchup on top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes.(Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees.) Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Do you like the new blog digs??? I wanted to give this place a facelift of sorts; make it a little more fresh and professional looking. Why??? I don't know. Just because, I guess. Anyway, I'm not sure about this particular template yet. I'll be playing around with some new looks until I settle on one I really love. This one, I like. Not love, but like. I guess you could say that I'm only dating this template. I'll let you know if I decide to marry it or not.

This recipe came to me off of Pinterest; which has now become my first go-to recipe resource. I'm happy to say that so far I think everything I've tried from that site has worked out and been really tasty! Also, I love finding new food blogs to peruse through my various recipe pins, such as this one called C+C Marriage Factory. This pork loin was no exception. The glaze on this pork was to die for; actually, it was more of a thick sauce than a glaze I would say. I didn't have time to go the slow cooker route, so I cooked mine in the oven (see below for adaptation). The pork was tender and juicy, and the reduced sauce/glaze was drinkable. Hooray Pinterest recipes!!!


Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Adapted From: C+C Marriage Factory website via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork pork loin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup water

For Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
Combine salt, pepper and garlic powder. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. ***OR USE OVEN BAKING METHOD BELOW***

About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

***Oven Baking Method:***
Cook for 2-3 hours in a 325 oven in a covered baking pan or dutch oven.

Notes:
I ended up pouring all my glaze on the roast toward the end of cooking. I wanted the flavors to be well combined, and it worked out pretty well for me.

Austrailian Chicken

We don't really eat out all that much. Our rationale is that it's not very enjoyable to pack up three kids and eat at a crowded, over-priced, chain restaurant that only has mostly-mediocre food. We can do better at home, for considerably less expense and hassle. When the husband and I do eat out at a restaurant, it's gonna be for a date night and it will someplace that is not inexpensive or --ahem-- kid-friendly. It doesn't happen that often, but when it does we want to relax and make sure it's worth our while from a foodie perspective.

With that said, there are a couple of chain restaurant dishes that I do miss and often think about. For example, I really love the Alice Springs Chicken at Outback Steakhouse. (I don't love it enough to go there and pay for it; but I love it nonetheless.) Imagine how happy I was to find a copycat recipe for said chicken that was just as good, if not better than the original version. Score! I love finding ways to have our favorite restaurant-type meals at home...it makes me feel all savvy and crafty. Kinda like I've found a way to outsmart the system.

Ha! Take that chain restaurants!!! I've even renamed my copycat version, to show you who's boss. Victory is mine!

Australian Chicken
Adapted From: sixsistersstuff.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
cooking spray
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
Lawry's seasoning salt to taste
6 slices bacon, cut in half
1 cup of your favorite honey mustard salad dressing
1/2 tablespoon of dried onion flakes
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
salt to taste
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 glass dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Lightly sprinkle seasoned salt on both sides of chicken and set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan, reserving the bacon grease to a separate bowl. Drain bacon on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

In the same non-stick skillet, add about a tablespoon of bacon grease back to the pan. Heat grease over medium-high heat. Saute the mushrooms in the grease with a pinch of salt. Once mushrooms are cooked, remove to separate bowl and set aside (I put mine along side my draining bacon to save on doing dishes later.)

Again, in the same skillet, add another tablespoon of bacon grease back to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Brown seasoned chicken on both sides, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Place browned chicken in prepared glass dish. Sprinkle the chicken with dried onion flakes. Pour half of the honey mustard salad dressing over the chicken. Top each chicken breast with two halves of bacon and a spoonful of the cooked mushrooms. Drizzle the remaining honey mustard dressing over top of the mushrooms, on each breast. Cover chicken with shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is done thoroughly and cheese is melted and bubbly.



The Result:
This satisfied my fix, for sure. My kiddos loved it, and had thirds! The husband said that he thought it was better than the restaurant version, and I think he's right. It was pretty darn spectacular. This is a keeper recipe for sure!

Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes

I needed an easy side dish to go along with some grilled steaks for our Saturday night dinner. We were short on time, since my troops were hungry and we did not start cooking until well after 5 o'clock. I found this potato recipe on Pinterest that promised a relatively quick, easy, and delicious side dish. SOLD!

Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes
From: plainchicken.com via Pinterest

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, scrubbed
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dried Italian Seasoning
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Slice potatoes into very thin slices (1/4 inch). big ziploc bag to coat the potatoes. Toss potatoes with olive oil, Italian seasoning and salt in a ziplock bag to coat. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 450 for 15 -20 minutes, until lightly brown. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.



The Result:
These potatoes were as advertised...crispy, easy, and delicious. In the time it took to grill our steaks, these potatoes were done perfectly. YUM!

Kittencal's Ranch-Parmesan Chicken

Well, the use of ranch dip continues. I did a search on food.com the other day for recipes that use ranch dressing and found this delicious chicken dish. Let tell you, anytime you dip something in ranch and/or breading it's gonna be good. This recipe required both. It. was. phenomenal.

Kittencal's Ranch-Parmesan Chicken
From: food.com

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup dry breadcrumbs (even better, use panko breadcrumbs)
¼-1⁄3; cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
½-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½-1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup prepared ranch salad dressing (use bottled salad dressing, you might need a bit more dressing)
¼ cup melted butter (no substitutes)

Directions:
Set oven to 400° degrees (set oven rack to lowest position).

Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

In a shallow bowl mix together the dry breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

Dip the chicken into the ranch dressing to coat both sides (allow any excess to drip off).

Coat in the breadcrumb mixture.

Place in a single layer onto a greased baking sheet or line with non-stick foil (do NOT bake in a smaller baking dish or the bottom of the chicken will be soggy).

Lightly drizzle the melted butter over each breast (for low-fat option omit the butter or use a diet alternative).

If desired you can sprinkle black pepper over the chicken pieces .

Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked).



The Result:
Fan-freakin'-tastic! I ended up using some whole wheat, homemade breadcrumbs with a wee bit of flax meal mixed in. I wanted to make them slightly more healthful to ease my guilty conscience. My kids LOVED this chicken. All three of them had second helpings, which is pretty darn amazing. My son is a notoriously difficult eater these days, so getting him to finish anything on his plate is nothing short of amazing. I didn't have to prod or nag to get him to polish his entire dinner off and ask for more. I was a happy mommy!

Blue Cheese (or Ranch) Bacon "Hotburgers"

So, I have a TON of leftover blue cheese and ranch chicken wing dips. What is a mother to do with all the extra, creamy goodness??? Why, incorporate them into the meal plan, of course. I spread my dip(s) over some burgers with a slice of bacon each, and viola...a new burger was born.

My family is divided into blue cheese lovers (me) and non blue cheese lovers (everyone else). Actually, the baby girls seem to be on the fence about blue cheese because they are still so young. I still have time to sway them over to my side, hopefully. Anyway, I used blue cheese dip for mine and the girls and then used the ranch dip for the boys at my table. Everyone was happy with their burgers and it was declared that these were some of the tastiest burgers we have ever consumed. I'll agree...they were awesome!

I put these burgers together and split them in half and served them on hotdog buns. Why, you ask???? Well, I didn't have hamburger buns. (Hey, we had hot dog buns and I wasn't going to make a special trip to the store just for a different-shaped bread item. They taste the same, I tell ya!!!) My son was complaining about the lack of actual hamburger buns, so I took my friend Claire's suggestion and started calling them "hotburgers". Thanks to the clever re-branding scheme, he didn't seem to mind having hamburgers on hot dog buns after that. Tee-hee!

Blue Cheese (or Ranch) Bacon "Hotburgers"

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
2 teaspoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
5 slices of bacon
1-2 teaspoons of bacon grease
hotdog buns (or hamburger buns, if you want to be boring)(just kidding)
blue cheese or ranch dip(s), your choice (see previous post for recipe)

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine beef, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper with a fork. Just mix enough to combine the ingredients, but try not to over-mix or handle too much. Divide mixture into 4 balls and form into patties. Set aside.

In a non-stick skillet, fry bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Discard most of bacon grease, but leave some in the pan to help cook the burgers. Fry burgers, for about 4 minutes on each side or until cooked medium rare in the middle.

Slather either the blue cheese dip or the ranch dip on both sides of your bun (either hot dog bun or hamburger buns), depending on your preference. If using hot dog buns, cut burger patty in half and arrange meat on the hot dog bun lengthwise. Top with a slice of bacon, close the bun and serve!

(Obviously, if you are using a regular hamburger bun just prepare as you would a normal hamburger & toppings.)

The Result:
These are our new favorite burgers. I must confess, I tried both varieties and did prefer the blue cheese over the ranch. I suggest you try both and see which one your family likes best!

Mexican Layer Dip

I almost forgot about my bean dip! I had a plethora of leftover beans from burritos, so I decided to make this dip to go on my football food party table. I had all the ingredients on hand, so it was easy to just assemble. Again, Pioneer Woman did not advise poorly...this bean dip was even better than the one my mom used to make in the 80's!

Mexican Layer Dip
From: The Pioneer Woman, via thepioneerwoman.com
Link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/mexican-layer-dip/

Ingredients:
1 can refried Beans
Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
1 can Diced Green Chilies
Ground Cumin, to taste
3/4 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Guacamole
3/4 cups Monterey Jack Cheese
1 can Black Olives
1 cup Pico De Gallo

Directions:
Begin by throwing the refried beans into a small pan over medium-low heat. Add several dashes of Tabasco sauce and a small can of (undrained) diced green chiles. Stir well. Next, sprinkle a little bit of ground Cumin.

Spread the beans on the bottom of a glass bowl or high-sided dish. Over this sprinkle the sharp cheddar. Next, plop your sour cream. And spread it into a single layer, being careful not to disturb the cheese underneath.

The next layer is the guacamole. Spread it over the sour cream. Follow this with a layer of Monterey Jack Cheese and a nice sprinkling of chopped black olives.

Lastly, place a generous layer of Pico de Gallo. You can also, if you have the gumption for it, sprinkle some diced jalapenos over top.

The Result:
This was snarfed down all to quickly, so no photo. I actually served this over chips for dinner the next evening to my family. I know, I know...bean dip for dinner???? I called it vegetarian nachos, thank you very much. (Please submit your "Mother of the Year" accolades here...)

Classic Hot Wings (with Blue Cheese and Ranch Dips)

Here is the other wing recipe from my Super Bowl spread. I also made two simple dips; actually the second was just a variation of the first dip recipe for these wings. I must confess, these were the best wings that I've ever made at home. They were restaurant-quality...GOOD restaurant-quality. Again, they went quickly so I'm assuming our friends agreed that these wings were pretty darn tasty.

Classic Hot Wings (with Blue Cheese and Ranch Dips)
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman, via foodnetwork.com
Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/classic-hot-wings-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:
1-2 cups of AP flour
Canola oil, for frying
24 chicken wing parts (12 wings separated into 2 pieces)
One 12-ounce bottle cayenne hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's
1 stick butter
Several dashes Worcestershire sauce
Several dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Directions:
Dry the wings with paper towels and dredge in AP flour. Shake off any excess, so there is a very light dusting of flour on each wing.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat 3 inches of canola oil in a heavy pot to 375 degrees F.

Add half the chicken wing parts to the oil and fry them until they're golden brown and fully cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the other half of the wing parts.

In a saucepan, heat the cayenne sauce and butter over medium-low heat. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce. Let it bubble up, and then turn off the heat.

Place the wings in an ovenproof dish and pour the hot sauce over the top. Toss to coat, and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

The Result:
I ended up doing about 6 pounds of wings, so I just doubled the sauce recipe. Make sure you fry your wings in small batches and coat with the sauce, bake just before serving for the best results.

*********************************

Ranch and Blue Cheese Dips
Adapted From: The Pioneer Woman, via thepioneerwoman.com
Link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/02/my-top-ten-food-picks-for-super-bowl-sunday/

1/2 cup of milk
1 packet of Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream

***1 (4 oz.) container of blue cheese crumbles (optional)***

Directions:
Mix the milk and ranch packet together in a bowl until well combined. Add mayo and sour cream. Stir to combine and serve for Ranch Dip.

***(Add blue cheese to make blue cheese dip variation.)***

The Result:
I made two separate dips. One with and one without the blue cheese. YUM! The were both delish!!!

Asian Hot Wings

I made a couple of different varieties of hot wings for our annual Super Bowl gathering. This year it was a little larger than it has been in the past, so I made a total of 10 pounds of wings...6 pounds of classic (recipe to follow) and 4 pounds of these bad boys. Both were delicious and went like hotcakes. Seriously, nary a wing survived at my house for leftovers. They. were. awesome.

(For some reason, my blog hyperlink feature is not working properly. Therefore, I must include the link separately from the original recipe source.)

Asian Hot Wings
From: The Pioneer Woman, via foodnetwork.com
Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/asian-hot-wings-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:
Canola oil, for frying
24 chicken wing parts (12 wings separated into 2 pieces)
3/4 cup plum jelly
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (less of you'd like less heat!)
3 to 4 assorted hot peppers (serranos, jalapenos, and so on), minced fine
Thinly sliced (julienne) carrots and cucumber, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat 3 inches of canola oil in a heavy pot to 375 degrees F.

Add half the chicken wing parts to the oil and fry them until they're golden brown and fully cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the other half of the wing parts.

Add the plum jelly to a bowl. Then stir in the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Add the brown sugar, ginger, red onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and hot peppers. Stir to combine, and then pour it into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the sauce until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

Place the wings in an ovenproof dish and pour the sauce over the top, reserving some sauce for serving. Toss to coat, and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Place the wings in dishes, and then spoon extra sauce over the top. Serve with cool vegetables to go with that delicious heat. (You might want to have a glass of ice water handy, too.)

The Result:
By the time I thought of taking a photo, these wings were gone! I used 2 Serrano peppers and one jalapeno. Since I wasn't sure about the heat tolerance of my guests, I stemmed and seeded each pepper. They were still plenty spicy, but not overwhelming. Trust me, these were a hit!