Buffalo Chicken Nachos

We have been craving nachos lately and usually we just do our own individual plates where we toss on some cheese and throw it in the microwave. But we have really been wanting to make a big ol' pan in the oven all piled high and layered with yummy things. We finally made these buffalo chicken nachos and they were super good! In fact, the first pan was gone before I remembered to take a picture, so I had to take one of the second batch, which didn't cook as nicely. (Of course that would happen.) 

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup buffalo sauce (We found a recipe online and made our own, using Frank's Red Hot Sauce.)

Pepper Jack cheese, shredded or sliced

Jalapenos, sliced (We used the deli-sliced kind from the jar.)

Tortilla chips 

Directions:

Line baking pan with foil.

Lightly coat chicken with the buffalo sauce. Spread tortilla chips on pan, sprinkle on cheese, add chicken & cover with more cheese. Top with the jalapeno slices.

Broil in oven until cheese is melted. Watch closely so it doesn't burn. (Our second batch got a little crispy.)

Enjoy!

For a yummy variation try Nacho Cheese Doritos, tortilla chips with a hint of lime, or even Fritos!

The BEST Chili EVER!

I seriously cannot say enough about this chili! It is soooo good! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I really am not a big fan of chili. Especially because I am freaky about the meat in it. It's always chewy, or the consistency is wrong - runny with chunks of meat - ugh!! I can handle it when it's on a potato, but to just eat it plain in a bowl - no way!

But this recipe looked really good, and it's homemade so I control what's in it. ;) It was so good and hearty, with the PERFECT consistency, and I added a little spiciness to it also. Yummm! 

I ate it over a potato, and then had a bowl of it as well. Talk about over-eating! haha

It made a TON - so we saved it and I just threw it all in the slow cooker 2 days later. STILL DELICIOUS! 

So hurry and go make this before winter is over! You won't regret it. :)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. lean ground beef, browned and drained

3 green peppers, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 TBS minced garlic

1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained

1 (15 oz) can Ranch Style beans

1 (15oz) can Italian stewed tomatoes

2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (10 oz) can Rotel, or diced tomatoes with green chilis 

1 pkg McCormick chili seasoning

Secret Ingredient: crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (It's hard to tell - I just sprinkled a bit on top, and mixed it in & it was perfect.)

Directions:

While ground beef is browning - chop peppers, onion, and celery. Add all ingredients to a large pot or slow cooker. Simmer for a few hours. If you use a slow cooker, you could keep it on low most of the day if you wanted. (Mine cooked a little too hot on the stove, and burned a little on the bottom. Ugh!)

Note: If you like your chili really spicy, add a medium Rotel, hotter chili seasoning packet and/or more crushed red pepper flakes. Mine was pretty spicy though. ;)

This also makes amazing leftovers, and I think I will be freezing the rest. 

Enjoy!

Spicy Italian Meatball soup

I love soup, every kind of soup.  However my husband doesn't like soup.  He says they aren't filling enough. I have been wanting to find one he would be willing to tolerate so I made this one because it sounded and looked delicious and then crossed my fingers.  He ended up loving it!  It was so delicious!!!!



Ingredients Meatballs:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 c dehydrated onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions Meatballs:
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Shape into 1in meatballs.  Place on prepared baking sheet.
Broil for 7-10 min or until the meatballs become brown and fragrant.  (they will finish cooking in soup)

Ingredients Soup:
Prepared Italian meatballs
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 cup water
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 carrots, pealed and diced
2 cups small pasta (macaroni, diti, rotini, penne)
2 cups spinach

Directions Soup:
While meatballs are cooking, heat oil in large pot.  Saute onions and garlic until translucent.  Add broth, water, tomatoes and Italian seasoning.  Heat to boiling.  Gently add the meatballs, carrots, pasta and spinach.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through, carrots are tender and pasta is soft. 

Top with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese!  YUMMY

Colorado Beef Burritos

These burritos were so good - I totally forgot to take any pictures of them until there was only one left!  So, the pictures aren't the best - but I will definitely be making these again. 

These were the really good shredded beef kind of burritos, like you get in Mexican restaurants. Yum!  And they were super easy.  The recipe is a freezer Crockpot meal, so I actually had it sitting in my freezer ready to go.  Then I just dumped it all in my Crockpot on Sunday to cook.  You still have to shred the meat and make the burritos, but it's still pretty easy.

I got the recipe from baked in the south.  There are a whole bunch of yummy freezer-to-Crockpot meals on there that I'm planning to make.

Ingredients:
2 lb. stew beef
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. beef stock
2 (12 oz) cans red enchilada sauce
6-8 flour tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Label gallon freezer bag and add stew beef, onions, beef stock and 1 can enchilada sauce.  Freeze.
(If you don't want to freeze it, just add the ingredients straight to the Crockpot instead.)

Cook on low for 6-8 hrs until beef is tender.  Remove beef and shred.

Divide beef evenly between tortillas and roll into burrito.  Lay burritos seam-side down on greased baking dish.  Pour remaining can of enchilada sauce over burritos and top with cheese.

Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with salsa, lettuce, sour cream or other toppings if you want.  I liked mine plain. :)

Kung Pao Chicken

I have never made any Chinese food aside from ramen noodles and I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.  So I was nervous, I don't even know what some of the ingredients are.  However one of my all time favorite meals is Kung Pao Chicken from Pei Wei.

I had this recipe sitting in my "need to make" file for years.  I don't even remember where I got it from.  I was ready for this meal to fail, and told my kids we would have Eggo Waffles if this went bad.  That being said, I LOVED THIS!  My kids LOVED this and didn't even want to save any for my husband (who wasn't home yet) and wanted to know when I would be making it again!  It was easy (once I got over my nervousness) and super fast!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts (cut into 1in chunks)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup green onions (chopped)
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
10 red dried chili peppers
2/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

Directions:

Coat chicken with cornstarch in small bowl.  Heat sesame oil in a walk over medium heat, add chicken and stir fry 5-7 min or until no longer pink inside.  Remove chicken from wok.

Add green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, dried chili's and powdered ginger to the wok and stir fry for 15 seconds.

Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl.  Mix well and add the sauce to the wok.

Return chicken to the wok and coat with sauce.  Stir in roasted peanuts.  Heat thoroughly.  Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over white rice.

*the only other thing I would do different is to add snow peas and thinly sliced carrots 

Mexican Bean Dip

This bean dip is such a family favorite - it is our go-to recipe for all the family gatherings.  It is great for potlucks, football parties or just with dinner.  It is also very yummy as a leftover. :)

 

This is one of those recipes, that really doesn't have very exact measurements, you can add as much or as little as you like for your family.  (If you can see, only one half of this dip has serrano peppers, I don't think my 2 year-old would like a mouthful of fire!) haha

 

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese

1 can refried beans

salsa (I used about 1/2 cup)

shredded cheese (any kind would be delicious - I used cheddar)

diced jalapeno peppers, optional

chopped green onions, optional

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

 

Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of a casserole dish or pie plate.  (Sometimes we double the batch and make it in a 9x13 pan.)

 

Continue layering, with the beans and salsa.

 

Spread as much cheese as you would like on the top, then sprinkle chopped peppers and green onions on top.

 

Place dish in oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and melted.  You may have to broil it a little at the end.

  

 

Serve with chips as a dip, or as the little ones like it - wrap it in a tortilla.  It makes a yummy bean burrito!

 

Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Bites

This is another recipe I made with my pre-cooked and shredded chicken.

These are so good!  Chicken, hot sauce, and cream cheese all rolled together with a Corn Flake crust.  Yummo!  They have just enough kick to them, but you could go flamin' hot if you're super adventurous like that. I thought they were perfect.

We had these as our main dish, but I'm thinking I might be making these for our next Super Bowl party.  They would be an amazing appetizer!

I will admit I had some troubles getting the balls to stay formed - and they were a little messy!  I might try this as a casserole someday.  I'll just layer the mixture in a casserole dish, and sprinkle the Corn Flakes on top.  What do ya think?

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce (add more if you like it way spicy!)
3 1/2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 - 4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (I used foil, and then sprayed it with cooking spray.)

In a large bowl, combine chicken, hot sauce, both cheeses and green onions.  Form into large balls and place onto a separate baking sheet.

Place flour, eggs, and Corn Flakes in 3 separate dishes.  Dip each chicken ball into the flour, then the eggs and last the Corn Flakes. 

Place onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Great plain or with ranch dressing - Enjoy!

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

I have been wanting to make this recipe for awhile now, but the weather was too nice for soup.  Then yesterday it was cold and windy, so I thought I'd better hurry up and make it before I lose my chance!

This soup is really hearty, and spicy.  I put waaay too much pasta in it, but everyone liked it anyway, so it worked out. :)

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 - 1 onion, diced
1/2 - 1 cup celery, diced
1/2 - 1 cup matchstick carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney or white beans, drained
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup small pasta (I put at least 2 cups in!)
1-2 cups baby spinach, chopped (optional)
freshly grated parmesan cheese, garnish (optional)

Directions:
Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery and carrots.  Saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent. 

Add sausage and cook until browned and crumbled.  Add garlic and chicken broth.  Pour tomatoes and their juices into the pot.  Drain the beans and add to soup along with the seasonings. 

Simmer partially covered for 1-2 hrs.  When almost ready to serve, bring soup to boil and add in the pasta.  Cook until noodles are soft.  Add more seasonings if necessary.  Add spinach if you want. (I didn't, and it was still excellent!)

Serve with parmesan cheese.

Red Pepper & Parmesan Tilapia

source

Okay, I know - another Tilapia recipe.  What can I say?  I like Tilapia.  Plus I have a big bag of it in my freezer.

I think I liked this recipe better than the Crispy Baked Tilapia I posted in February.  It's very spicy and flavorful.  I also love the parmesan in it!!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp pepper
4 tilapia fillets

Directions:
Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Place egg substitute in shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, combine cheese, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and pepper.  Dip fillets in egg substitute, then cheese mixture.

Place fillets on baking sheet and bake at 425 F for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

This was very good - and very spicy!  Maybe too spicy. Haha :)  So be warned, if you don't want this to burn your mouth off, maybe cut back on the jalapenos a bit. (I put 2 serrano peppers in it, so maybe that's my problem.)
Anyway, try this - it's delicious!  We crushed up some tortilla chips and sprinkled them on top for some extra crunch.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (I threw mine in frozen - so easy)
2 cans beans, any kind (we used pinto and black)
1 can cream-style corn
1/2 bottle of Frank's Buffalo Sauce
1 cup salsa
1/2 onion, chopped
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 jalapenos, chopped

Directions:
Put all ingredients in slow cooker and stir well.  Cook on low for 8 hours, remove chicken and shred with a fork.  Place chicken back in slow cooker and stir.

Serve plain or with extra toppings, tortilla chips, or crackers.

Enjoy!

Sesame Beef Stir-Fry

This is another recipe from Eating For Life by Bill Phillips - LOVE that book! 
I have to say, this is probably my family's number one requested meal of all time. (Well, that and Pepperoni Rolls)  It is sooo good!  It's also pretty spicy, too.  And, of course, it's healthy - what more can you ask for? 

I have to double this recipe and then some, because it's completely gone every time.  I also make it in a HUGE stir fry pan. :)

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 - 1 lb. lean ground beef
2 TBS toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced
2 cups broccoli slaw
2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
2 TBS soy sauce
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (I just sprinkle a bunch in until it looks good)

Directions:
While rice is cooking, brown beef in skillet, drain and set aside.

Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and green onions.  Saute for 2 minutes.

Add broccoli slaw and cabbage, stir-fry for 2 minutes.  (It seems massive at first, but the cabbage will shrink down quite a bit.)

Add rice and soy sauce, stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add in beef and season with red pepper flakes, stir well and let heat through.

Serve immediately.

That's it! Hope you love it like we do!

WINGERS STICKY FINGERS

I just thought I'd throw this in here. The boys LOVE Wingers sticky fingers, and so we just made these one night with the $2 noodles - it was goooood! We already had breaded chicken breasts, so we just added the sauce. You could probably make it on skinless breasts, too.

Sauce

3 TBS Franks hot sauce
3/4 c brown sugar
2 TBS water

Cook in pan until sugar is dissolved. Line baking pan/cookie sheet with foil. Cook chicken strips first. (about 350*) Then dunk each strip into sauce completely & lay back on pan. Pour remaining sauce over chicken until well coated. Bake again about 5 more minutes. Just like Wingers - DELISH!

SLOPPY BUFFALO JOES

I got this from Rachael Ray. Yeah, I know, Manwich is alot easier - but this tastes way better and it's spicy! I also used those chewy rolls from Sam's Club. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 TBS olive oil
1 lb ground turkey (I used beef)
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 TBS brown sugar
1/2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot)
1/2 c tomato sauce
1/2 c chicken stock

Heat a large skillet with oil over med-high heat. Add meat, cook for 5 min. Add in carrots, celery, onions & garlic. Season with salt & pepper - cook 7-8 minutes more.

In a bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, Worsh. sauce, hot sauce,tomato sauce & stock. Pour into the pan & stir to combine. Simmer a few more minutes. Pile onto buns.

(You could also double this recipe and freeze half for another time.)