Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• 24-25 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh chives

Cook the shells according to package instructions in salted water until al dente (don't over cook shells or they'll tear apart). Drain and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F. Spray an 11x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup sauce over bottom of the baking dish.

To make the filling: combine the ricotta, egg, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the mozzarella cheese and chives, mix well. Set aside.

Fill each shell with ricotta mixture.

Arrange in a single layer in the baking dish.

Spoon remaining sauce over the shells.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the shells are cooked through. Serve immediately. 

BBQ Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 3/4 cup canned corn kernels, drained
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup tortilla strips

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Chipotle Seasoning
• 2 cups Romaine Lettuce
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 avocado, sliced

Salsa Ranch

• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• tortilla chips, crushed

Rub chicken with chipotle seasoning and cook on stove top or grill until cooked through. Once cooked, chop up and set aside.

Place lettuce on a plate or bowl. Sprinkle with corn, black beans, and cheese. Place chicken and avocado slices on top. Top with Salsa Ranch and crushed chips!

Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (12 oz) bottle buffalo wing sauce
• 2 Tablespoons ranch mix seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 6 hamburger buns
• 6 slices cheddar cheese
• Ranch or blue cheese dressing

Place chicken breasts in lightly greased slow cooker.

In medium bowl, combine the buffalo wing sauce and ranch seasoning.

Pour hot sauce mixture over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Shred chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Stir in butter until melted.

Preheat broiler. Place slices of cheese on bun tops and melt under broiler for 1-2 minutes.

Pile buffalo chicken onto buns. Top with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 (18 oz.) box chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3 1/2 oz.) box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 12 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat 4 eggs, water, oil and sour cream until smooth. 

Add the box of cake mix and pudding stirring until smooth. Add chocolate chips, mixing just until blended. Pour into greased bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes.

Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded and cooked
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 3 whole chipotle pepper, minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups spinach
• 5 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash your sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until fork tender. Allow to cool and cut in half.

In a medium size bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and wilt the spinach. Toss the spinach and shredded chicken together, set aside and keep warm.

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F. Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a medium size layer of flesh inside the peel and place in a baking dish. Brush the skins with a little of the chipotle sauce and bake for 5-10 minutes until nice and crisp. While the skins bake, mix the spinach, chicken, and chipotle sauce together. Remove skins from the oven and stuff with the chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes. 

Blueberry Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 cup blueberries, fresh
• a few Tablespoons of additional heavy cream for brushing the tops
• Sugar (turbinado) for sprinkling the tops

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter. Mix ingredients with an electric mixer until fine crumbs form.

With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and heavy cream in a slow stream. Mix until a thick, stiff dough forms. Add the blueberries and mix until the blueberries are just incorporated into the dough. 

Flour your hands. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place on a floured work surface. Roll into a rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles; pull the triangles apart from each other and and brush with heavy cream. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Sprinkle again with sugar. Enjoy warm; store leftovers in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

Notes: Parchment paper helps prevent burning on the bottom. For lighter scones, be sure to keep the butter as cold as possible throughout the process. Stick the dough in the fridge for a few minutes if getting warm.