Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites

Ingredients

• Pretzels
• Caramel squares, unwrapped and cut in half
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted with 1 teaspoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil!)
• Christmas sprinkles 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Layer all pretzels on the sheet. Place half of caramel squares on each pretzel. 

Bake in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes. The caramel will be melty but not completely filing the holes of the pretzels. Use a spoon to flatten the caramels after removing from the oven. Cool pretzels completely before dipping in chocolate.

When cool, dip pretzels in chocolate (cover whole pretzels or dip halves). Tap against the bowl with chocolate to help excess drip off back to the bowl. 

Place back on the sheet. Sprinkle with funfetti. Let cool completely. 

Store in air tight container.

Buffalo Chicken Pull-Apart Bread

Ingredients

• 2 packages Pillsbury pizza dough
• 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1 cup Buffalo sauce
• 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• Ranch dressing for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll out dough and cut into 3x3-inch squares (3 rows of 5). Cook in the oven for about 8 minutes.

In a bowl, toss together shredded chicken, Buffalo sauce, scallions, half the cheese, and the diced jalapeño.

Grease loaf pan and/or muffin tin. Begin layering. Brush butter on a rectangle, top with Buffalo chicken mixture, followed by a sprinkling of cheese. Repeat with remaining rectangles, stacking one on top of the other, chicken side up. 

Cover with foil. Bake bread 50-60 minutes. Bake muffins 18-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pepperoni Cheese Stick Roll Ups

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 4 cheese sticks, halved
• 1 (3.5) ounce package sliced pepperoni 
• optional- marinara or ranch sauce for dipping

Garlic Butter Glaze

• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take each triangle of crescent roll dough and place about 6 pepperoni on the bottom of the triangle. Place half of a cheese stick on top and roll up. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown.

While rolls are cooking, combine melted butter, Italian seasonings, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. 

When rolls are done, remove from the oven and brush with garlic butter glaze. Serve with marinara or ranch for dipping. 

Oreo Krispie Treats

Ingredients

• 6 cups regular Oreos, crushed
• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 4 Tbsp butter

Pour Oreos into a large bowl and set aside. 

In a medium saucepan, heat marshmallows and butter over medium heat until only a few lumps of marshmallows are left.

Pour marshmallow mixture over Oreos and mix well until all the Oreos are coated.

Press mixture into an 8 x 8 inch pan and let sit until cooled.

Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!

Taco Tater Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (4 oz.) can Old El Paso diced green chiles
• 1 (1 oz.) package Old El Paso taco seasoning mix
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (12 oz.) package frozen corn
• 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 (28 oz.) package frozen tater tots
• 1 (10 oz.) can Old El Paso red enchilada sauce
• Toppings: cilantro, sour cream, tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. For extra crispy tater tots, bake tear tots for about 10 minutes while preparing beef mixture.

In a large skillet, brown the beef and the onion. Add the garlic towards the end of the browning process and cook for 1 minute. Drain.

Add the green chiles, taco seasoning mix, black beans, corn, and 2 cups of the cheese. Stir together to combine. 

Pour mixture into the prepared 9 x 13 pan. Arrange tater tots on top of the mixture in a single layer.

Pour the enchilada sauce on top of the casserole as evenly as you can. 

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until tater tots are nice and crispy. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top and place back in the oven for 2-3 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Top with cilantro, sour cream, tomatoes when serving. Enjoy!

One Pan BLT Skillet Frittata

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups baby spinach
• Fresh basil, chopped to garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degreed F.

Whisk together your eggs, milk, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cook your chopped bacon until crispy.

Add olive oil, garlic and spinach to the skillet and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and stir to combine.

Pour the egg mixture over the spinach and then stir in the bacon. Stir the entire skillet once or until well combined. Let sit (without stirring) for about 2 minutes, just until the edges are set.

Place the entire skillet in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until the eggs are set and slightly golden. 

Top with some freshly chopped basil if desired.

Slice and serve. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Black Bean Taco Chili

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, trimmed of fat
• 15 oz corn, drained
• 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed well
• 15 oz petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1C yellow onion, chopped
• 1C green bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 - 1/4 red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups chicken broth
• Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• Tortilla chips
• Sour cream

To the bowl of a 5-6 quart slow cooker, add raw chicken breasts, beans, vegetables, spices and chicken broth. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Remove chicken breasts to shred, then return to slow cooker.

Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips and optional sour cream.

Bowtie Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients

• 2 bunches green leaf lettuce, chopped
• 1 bag garlic croutons
• 1 bag almond accents/ roasted garlic caesar
• 2 chicken breasts, boiled with an onion and salt and pepper
• 2 cups bowtie pasta, cooked
• 4-6 oz., shredded parmesan cheese
• Caesar dressing

Toss all the above ingredients with Caesar dressing right before serving.

Enjoy!

Queso Chicken Bake

Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken breasts
• Chili powder
• 1 can RO*TEL
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 16 oz. Velveeta

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Season the chicken breasts with chili powder, and then place the chicken breasts in a baking dish. 

Layer the corn, black beans, and RO*TEL on top of the chicken.

Dice the queso cheese into 1/2 inch cubes and spread them evenly over the top of the dish. 

Cover the dish with foil and bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until the chicken is done and the juices run clear.

*If you want the cheese to be a little crispy, remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.

Remove from oven and remove the chicken breasts from the pan. Use a fork or whisk to work the extra cheese into the juices to form more queso sauce.

Serve over rice, with chips, or with tortillas. Enjoy! 

Taco Bake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning 
• 8 oz. shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• Corn tortilla chips

Preheat hoven to 350 degrees F. 

In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and drain fat. 

Add the diced tomatoes with green chilies, water, sour cream and taco seasoning mix. Let season 5-10 minutes. 

In the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish, place a layer of tortilla chips.

Cover with a layer of meat mixture then a layer of cheese.

Repeat this process until the last layer is cheese. 

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. 

Enjoy! 

Smoked Sausage Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Hillshire Farm smoked sausage, diagonally sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
• 1 pkg. frozen broccoli, thawed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups instant rice
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil and garlic in skillet, stir in smoked sausage slices and cook until browned.

Add pepper, onion, broccoli, broth and tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is absorbed.

In the meantime, prepare rice according to package instructions.

Stir rice into the skillet, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

Hash Brown Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 lbs frozen hash brown potatoes, Southern Style
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 1/2 cup summer sweet corn, canned
• 2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• Bread crumbs or Corn Flake crumbs

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Place the potatoes in a 9 x 14 inch pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients, except the bread crumbs. Layer the mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle crumbs on top. 

Bake for 1 hour or until top is golden brown. 

Enjoy!

Hot Ham and Cheese with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients 

• 1 package King's Hawaiian hamburger buns
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 yellow onion 
• 8 Tablespoons salted butter, divided 
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound sliced deli ham
• 1 pound sliced swiss cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Fry the bacon until crispy. Place on paper towels to drain.

Slice onion into thin strips.

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a small skillet; add onions and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should turn a deep golden color and taste sweet.

Melt the remaining butter and whisk with the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Brush each bun with butter mixture on both sides.

Top with ham, onions, bacon, and cheese. Brush the top of the bun with butter on both sides, place on the sandwich. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. 

Cover your baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through and cheese is melted. 

Enjoy!

Crockpot Ribs

Ingredients

• 1-2 slabs of ribs
• 1 can of Coke
• Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce
• Salt and Pepper to taste

First, use a non-stick cooking spray or place a slow cooker liner inside the crock pot. Next place the slabs of ribs in the crockpot. Add in the Coke. Set the crockpot on LOW.

After 8 hours, drain out the Coke. Keep the ribs in the crockpot and smother them with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce. (Make sure all the ribs are covered.)

Once the ribs are coated in BBQ sauce, cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. 

After an hour, take the ribs out to serve. Be gentle-- the ribs tend to fall of the bone easily.

Enjoy!

Coffee Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pre-packaged graham cracker (or Oreo!) crust
• 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk (2%)
• 1 pint coffee-flavored ice cream, softened
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk, and beat until creamy. Add in the ice cream and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into graham crack crust and freeze in the freezer for at least 3 to 4 hours, or until completely firm and frozen.

*Before serving, drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.

Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

• 8 oz. spaghetti
• 8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, or more, to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

For the Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• Juice of 1/2 lime, or more, to taste
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. 

Place the shrimp onto the prepared baking sheet. Add olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper, to taste, and gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast just until pink, firm and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. 

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

To make the sauce, whisk together mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce, garlic, lime juice, Sriracha and red pepper flakes; set aside.

 In a large bowl, combine pasta, shrimp and mayonnaise mixture. 

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley. 

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 cups small diced broccoli florets
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 oz parmesan cheese, freshly and finely shredded

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and flour, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes. 

While continuing to whisk, slowly pour in evaporated milk (whisk well to smooth). Cook mixture, stirring until it begins to thicken. Then pour into a slow cooker along with chicken broth, diced broccoli and thyme. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or low heat for 6 hours.

Turn heat to warm (or off) and stir in heavy cream. Next add in shredded cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. 

Enjoy!

Banana Oat Energy Bites

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas 
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mash up the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the rolled oats, almond butter, honey, mini chocolate chips and cinnamon. 

Scoop about 2 Tablespoons of the mixture and roll into a 1-inch ball. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. 

Refrigerate for 2 hours, allowing the oats enough time to soften. 

Store the energy bites in the refrigerator.

Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients

• 1 lb. pork sausage
• 1 1/2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced red or green pepper
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 12 flour tortillas (8 inch), warmed
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Picante sauce and sour cream, optional

In a large skilled, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.

Add the potatoes, onion, and pepper; cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Add eggs; cook and stir until set.

Spoon filling off-center on each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. 

Serve with picante sauce and sour cream if desired.

Tip

Make these on the weekend and freeze for an easy breakfast throughout the week. 

Gnocchi with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 3 cans (8 oz. each) no salt added tomato sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) no salt added diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 lb. gnocchi
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving
• Shredded basil, for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion and garlic and cook until the beef is cooked through, breaking up the beef as it cooks. Add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi rises to the surface of the water. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the cooked gnocchi to the meat sauce and stir to combine. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and shredded basil, if desired.

Enjoy!

Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3-4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 lb. chicken breast tenders
• Salt
• Paprika
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. penne pasta
• 1 Tablespoon basil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup water (or more)

In a large pan, sauté garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in 2 Tablespoons of oil for 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant. 

Remove sun-dried tomatoes from the pan, leaving the oil, and add chicken tenders, salted lightly and covered in paprika. Cook on high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. 

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.

Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller bits and add them back to the skillet with chicken. Add half and half and cheese to the skillet. Bring to a gentle boil. Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms. 

Add cooked pasta to the skillet with the creamy sauce. Stir to combine. Add 1 Tablespoon of basil and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

Add about 1/2 cup water (slowly) because the creamy sauce will be to thick. (This will water down the chickens and cheese sauce to make it creamier. 

Season the pasta with salt and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes for the flavors to combine. 

Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sausage

Ingredients

• 2 pkgs. Butterball Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
• 1 cup apricot jam
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce for mild (3-4 tsp for spicy)
• 1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Increase heat to high the last 30 minutes. (Or cook on high for 3-4 hours.)

Stir every hour while cooking to rotate sausages from top to bottom.

Serve with toothpick inserted into the individual pieces and enjoy!

Cookie and Brownie Bars

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

• 1 pkg. Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened

Brownie Batter

• 1 pkg. Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2 inch pan. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the cookie mix, egg, and butter until dough forms; set aside.

In a second bowl, stir together the brownie mix, water, oil and egg until fully blended. Spread brownie batter into prepared pan.

Spoon cookie dough on top of brownie batter. Bake 40-45 minutes or until cookie is golden brown.