Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

You know when you hear people talk about healthier versions of foods that "taste just as good as the original" and you know they're lying? Like low-fat mayonnaise or ranch, or homemade baked taquitos instead of the original fried crispy version. Except for these lightened-up taquitos really do taste just as good (if not better!) than the originals fully fattened fried versions! In fact, they turned out so nice and crispy that Neal was shocked that they weren't fried. Spraying the tops of the tortillas with cooking spray and baking them in a hot oven makes everything nice and crispy and without that oily taste that fried foods always have. I made the chicken version of these taquitos because that's what I had in the fridge, but these would also be awesome with ground or shredded beef, or even vegetarian-style for a change. Perfect for a football party or for a quick and easy weeknight meal with your family. We dipped ours in Creamy Cilantro Dressing which was uh-mazing! But they'd also be great in sour cream, salsa or guacamole. Recipe and picture adapted from Our Best Bites.

 

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (3 oz.) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup green salsa or diced green chilies
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. diced green onions or yellow onions
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
• White corn tortillas
• Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Heat cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until softened. Add green salsa/green chilies, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and the chopped cilantro and stir to combine. Add the onions, chicken and cheese and combine well.

Place 3 or 4 tortillas in between damp paper towels and microwave for 30-40 seconds, or until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. If yours start to crack, heat them longer and dampen your paper towels.

Place 2-3 Tbsp. of the chicken filling on the lower third of a tortilla and roll up tightly. Place seam down on the baking sheet and continue until all of the chicken mixture is gone. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to turn light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit on the pan for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve warm with your preference of sauce.

 

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Disclaimer: This is not a healthy recipe. :)

I have a confession that's a little embarrassing, but has to be said. I am in love with macaroni and cheese. Kraft Mac and Cheese from a box with the yellow powder cheese is one of my all-time favorite meals. I can even eat an entire box all to my self, and all in one sitting... Yeah. It's dangerous which is why I only buy it when Neal is gone and I'm cooking for myself. And the fact that Neal hates mac and cheese from a box doesn't help my "eat-all-4-servings-in-30-minutes" problem I have. :) I've always tried to make my own macaroni and cheese from scratch, knowing it's so much more healthy and would probably taste even better than Kraft (If possible!) but it never turns out quite as good as the stuff from the box. It's never as creamy and the flavor always seems to lack something... So in a contest between working and toiling over a decent mac and cheese compared with a minimal effort dinner from a box, the box always wins. Hands down.

 

Until this amazing recipe entered my life! And the funny thing is, it wasn't even a recipe! It was one of those miracle dishes that happen when you just start mixing in random ingredients until you taste perfection. Most of the time these type of dishes don't turn out so good for me, so I tend to stick to a recipe. But luck was on my side this time and I made an incredible, creamy, cheesy dish where the cheese actually melts and makes those mouthwatering string things as you're pulling a forkful out of the bowl. You know what I'm talking about?? I decided there are a few different secrets to make a creamy mac and cheese that's not dry, clumpy or non-flavorful. The first is to use half-and-half instead of milk. It creates a creamier texture in the base of the sauce and thickens up beautifully with a little flour and butter. Second is the use of Velveeta. Yes, that weird non-refrigerated cheese from a box that's really not cheese, but makes a dang good cheese dip. And the third is to use a good quality, freshly grated cheese - not that pre-shredded stuff you can buy in a bag. Mm... I wish I would have taken a picture of the final result, but here's one that's pretty dang close. And if this description and picture doesn't make you want to go make some cheesy mac, then we've got some serious issues.. (Note: this recipe makes enough for 6-8 people as a side, and about 4-5 as a main dish)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz.box pasta noodles (macaroni and shells are my preference)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 8 oz. cube of Velveeta cheese
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• Dash of pepper
• Dash of hot sauce

Cook the noodles according to package directions. While cooking, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large frypan over medium heat. Add in the flour and stir into the butter to create a thick roux. Cook over medium heat 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until it begins to turn a very light brown color and smells nutty. Add in the half-and-half all at once and stir with a wire whisk to get rid of the clumps from the roux. Simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring every 1-2 minutes or until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy. Add in the Velveeta in small cubes, stirring to melt and combine. Add in the cheddar and parmesan cheese, stirring to melt. Add in the pepper and hot sauce (optional) for a bit more flavor.

 

Drain the pasta noodles and slowly stir in the cheese mixture until all of the noodles are coated. It will seem like a lot of sauce compared to the amount of noodles, but you'll want to put every bit of sauce in to make it creamy and gooey! Serve warm immediately, or put into an 8x8 baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown and bubble on the top.

 

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Hands down, one of my all time favorite smells is banana or zucchini bread cooking in the oven. I love the sweet, spicy small that makes every inch of your home smell warm and welcoming - especially on a cold winter day. There's also not much better than that first bite of warm bread with melting butter, but add in gooey chocolate chips to the mix and you've hit the highlight in your life! Period.

I've always loved all of the baking recipes from King Arthur flour and knew I wouldn't be disappointed when I found this recipe. It has a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour which creates the perfect balance of light and fluffy and whole and hearty. I originally made a batch of these for Neal and I to eat for breakfast throughout the week, but they ended up completely disappearing in about 3 days.. Ha. And I think Neal only ate about 2 or 3... I have no shame. They were worth every little calorie. Plus, they have bananas and whole wheat flour in them, so technically I'm eating healthy, right?.....

(Recipe and picture courtesy of King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 large or 3 medium bananas)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips OR 1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large muffin tin, or place 12 muffin cups in each hole. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the mashed banana, egg, vanilla and milk. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flours, stirring until smooth. If the mixture has a lot of lumps, continue stirring until they've nearly disappeared. Stir in the chocolate chips or blueberries.

Heap the thick batter into the muffin cups, mounding them quite full. Sprinkle the tops with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired. Bake the muffins 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and tilt them in the pan to cool a bit; this will prevent the bottoms from getting soggy. As soon as you can safely handle them, transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely.

But you HAVE to sneak one or two to eat warm with butter if you really want to live your life right. :)

Makes about 12 muffins.

Zucchini Onion Pie

I always seem to get in a rut every time I try to think of side dishes for dinner. The usual potato or rice is always an option, but trying to come up with a vegetable side that's different and not just a frozen or sauteed version of some vegetable is nearly impossible for me. I knew when I saw this recipe in a recent Taste of Home magazine that I had to cut it out and try it. And to be honest, it actually exceeded my expectations! It bakes up similar to a frittata due to the eggs and baking mix, but has a wonderful savory, cheesy and herbacious flavor that complements the zucchini and onions perfectly. After I made it, I had tons of little variations run through my head of different vegetables you could add to make a new variety of savory pie! Squash, carrots, corn, or a mixture of two or three to get all of those veggies in for the day. And an added bonus, this dish literally takes about 5 minutes to throw together, aside from the baking time. That's a HUGE plus in my book when I'm trying to prepare the main dish and don't want to waste time preparing the sides. :) (Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home).

 

Ingredients:

•  3 eggs
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced parsley
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 3 cups sliced zucchini
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup biscuit/baking mix

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients. Stir in the zucchini, onion and baking mix. Pour into a greased 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until lightly browned. (Serves 6-8)

Salmon Burgers with Basil Mayonnaise

So for once I actually have a decent excuse for not posting any recipes... I'm 16 weeks pregnant!! :) Overall I've been feeling amazing and Neal and I are thrilled about the new addition that will be coming to our family in July! I'm tempted to make a paper chain to count down the days until our munchkin arrives.. But I'll resist.. for now... :) The only real "sickness" (if you can even call it that..) that I've had so far is an aversion to certain foods, especially cooking. So needless to say, new recipes and a lot of food in general has not sounded so good the past couple of months.. I'm finally over the stage of  "cereal, fruit and smoothies are the only things in this house I can stomach" so I'm finally back to my sad, neglected blog to post a few new recipes that I've collected over the past few weeks. It feels great to have the appetite to actually try new things again.

These burgers were great, healthy and super quick to throw together. Perfect for a weeknight meal when you're hungry and don't want to spend more than 30 minutes throwing a meal together. The basil mayo had a great flavor and added enough flavor and sauce to the burgers that no other sauces were even needed. And I felt kind of fancy for eating salmon burgers since it sounds like something you'd have in a gourmet steakhouse with truffle fries.. Mm... This recipe makes enough for 2 good-size salmon burgers, so double or triple it to feed more mouths. (Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:

Basil Mayonnaise:

• 4 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1-2 pinches dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. dried dill

Salmon Burgers:

• 4-5 oz. canned salmon, drained and gently mashed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 Tbsp. parsley (dried or fresh)
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 pinch oregano
• 1 pinch thyme
• 1 pinch basil
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 sesame hamburger buns
• lettuce leaves
• sliced tomatoes

Combine all of the ingredients for the mayonnaise and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until hot. To make sure the oil is at the right temperature, flick a little water into it. If it sizzles lightly then it's right. If it sparks and splashes and goes everywhere, it's too hot so turn it down and wait a couple of minutes. If nothing happens, or if it's a very delayed reaction, increase the heat and try again. 

While the oil is heating, mix all ingredients for the salmon burgers together through the basil. Form into two patties (the patties will be very moist and will fall apart easily) and gently place into the hot oil. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes until light brown.

To assemble burgers, spread basil mayo on the hamburger buns and top with a patty, lettuce and tomato. Serve immediately while still warm.

BYU's Mint Brownies

While I was going to school at Brigham Young University (BYU), it was always a challenge to stay away from their made-from-scratch orange rolls, chocolate covered cinnamon bears, cinnamon rolls and especially their mint brownies. Soft, chewy and fudgy with a thin layer of mint frosting topped with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth layer of chocolate frosting. Sinful and decadent.

Now that I live across the country in Tennessee, these brownies are kind of out of my reach, which is why I was so excited when I stumbled across the recipe that was posted in the BYU magazine back in 2003.

Let's start with the brownie part first. This was a super easy brownie recipe since it just calls for cocoa powder instead of melted and cooled chocolate. The resulting brownie was so soft, chewy and fudgy - just like the ones I remember! That's a big plus for homemade brownies since half of the time mine turn into hard bricks. :)

The frosting was also really simple and had a fantastic flavor. I love the light mint flavor combined with the chocolate frosting. And since the mint layer is tinted a light green, it makes me feel all fancy and professional, even though I'm FAR from that... Serve these with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to take them over the edge. Oh, and if you make this large 9x13 size, make sure you take it to a party where there are a LOT of people to eat them. Otherwise you'll end up with a half of a pan full of these bad boys sitting at home. Not a good start to the Holiday season..

Ingredients:

Brownies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks)  margarine
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I leave these out)

Mint Icing:

• 5 Tbsp. margarine, softened
• dash of salt
• 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• 2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. mint extract
• 1 - 2 drops green food coloring
• 3 Tbsp. milk

Chocolate Icing:

• 5 Tbsp. margarine, softened
• dash of salt
• 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp. milk

Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts if desired. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting. Note: You still want the mint frosting to be thick enough to spread and have it stay in place. Don't add more than 3 Tbsp. of milk or the consistency will be too thin.

Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time (15-20 minutes) to stiffen the icing. Mix up the chocolate icing the same way as the mint. Remove the brownies from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing. Keep brownies stored in fridge until ready to serve.

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

There's nothing quite like leftover turkey on a homemade dinner roll slathered with cranberry sauce. Especially this amazing, homemade cranberry-orange sauce with a hint of cinnamon. Mm.. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This sauce is really easy to make and tastes ten times better than the canned Oceanspray cranberry sauce you can buy year-round. Thanksgiving only comes once a year, so why not take the extra ten minutes to make your own instead of using that awful looking canned sauce that has jellied ridges from the aluminum? 

Honestly though, this sauce really only takes about 10 minutes to throw together! Put in a fancy silver dish on the table and you'll take your turkey to whole new level! (Picture courtesy of This Week for Dinner)

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz. bag of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 orange, roughly chopped

Put all ingredients into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let it softly simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries begin to burst and release their juices. Sauce will thicken slightly and all of the flavors will meld together to create an amazing tart-sweet flavor! Let cool and serve cold.

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Recently Neal and I have really enjoyed Thai-style dishes, especially this CPK's Thai Chicken Salad. I recently I ran across this recipe that is pretty similar, except it's made with noodles instead of lettuce! The sauce definitely makes this dish with the fresh ginger, sesame oil, cilantro and peanut butter. Seriously, wait until you have all of the ingredients before you make this. It makes a big difference to have those fresh, flavorful ingredients on-hand. This can definitely be added to one of those quick "weeknight" meals that we all desperately need from time to time (or at least I do...). This could also be made into a great side dish instead of your usual rice or potatoes. This recipe serves 6 people easily so cut it in half if you only need to feed 2 or 3 like I usually do. (Recipe courtesy of The Sisters Cafe)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped finely
• 1 large red or orange bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• handful of cilantro

Sauce:

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 cup hot water

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. While they are cooking, place garlic and ginger in a food processor until well chopped. Add peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar. Pulse until well combined. Slowly add hot water and pulse a few more times. Set aside. 

Saute onion and bell pepper in some olive oil for 2-3 minutes or until soft-crisp. Add onion, peppers and chicken to the cooked noodles. Add sauce and stir to coat. Top with peanuts, sesame seeds and cilantro, if desired. Serve warm.

Note: Sauce tends to pool at the bottom of the warm dish of noodles so make sure to give it a good stir before serving. 

Brown Sugar Cranberry Oat Muffins

Sometimes I get really tired of cereal and oatmeal for breakfast in the mornings. Every now and then I'll get up early enough to make myself something different like scrambled eggs and toast or a fruit smoothie, but most of the time sleep wins over breakfast and I end up grabbing a packet of oatmeal as I run out the door. Why didn't I think of making muffins more often for my grab-and-go breakfast? No idea. But now that the idea finally came to me I'll definitely be making some more often!

I start my work day early and usually leave my house no later than 6:30 every morning. This means I usually eat breakfast around 6:15 and I wait until around 12:30 to eat lunch. 6 hours is a long time to go without a meal! So it's pretty important for me to eat something that will fill me up with maybe a small snack around 10:30 or 11:00. These muffins definitely did the trick! I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose and with the oatmeal and cranberries, I only needed one or two to satisfy my hunger. These muffins bake up nice and moist and the tart cranberries pair perfectly with the sweet brown sugar muffin. If you're not a big fan of cranberries, try adding in blueberries instead. I think a blueberry-banana combination would be great!

This recipe makes about 16 muffins - perfect for Neal and I to eat throughout the week. By the way - I found this recipe at the Williams Sonoma website. I had no idea they had such a huge collection of recipes! They might be my new go-to source for new ideas, especially their breakfast collection. Check it out when you get a free minute! (Picture and recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Line 16 standard muffing cups with paper liners, or butter/oil the cups.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another larger bowl, stir together 2 cups of the oats, the sour cream, milk and butter until combined.  Add the eggs, then the brown sugar and stir until combined.  Gently stir the flour mixture into the oat mixture. Fold in the cranberries.

Fill the prepared muffin cups to the rims.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup oats evenly over the muffins.  Pour a little water into any empty muffin cups to prevent scorching.  Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.  Let the muffins cool about five minutes, then unmold the muffins onto a wire rack and let cool slightly.  Serve warm.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

I'm a huge fan of butternut squash soup in the Fall. I love the sweet/salty flavor and especially the creaminess it adds. A few weeks ago I bought a huge butternut squash from the Farmer's Market and wanted to try to make something different with it. Almost every blog I hop on to look at recipes has so many unique and different ways to use the gourd! Already having a deep love for homemade mac and cheese (I love basically anything that has cheese in it..), I couldn't resist trying out this recipe with the addition of squash. I was very surprised at the ending flavor and how it all turned out! Neal tested it before the final result of the added spices and thought it was just okay, but once I added a bit of salt and herbs, he loved it. Result of the story: Don't forget your spices!

Please don't be skeptical about adding in squash to mac and cheese! It makes the dish so creamy and slightly sweet and I absolutely loved. I roasted the butternut squash before pureeing it which brought out all of the best flavors. For the cheese I used a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and added in some garlic powder, rosemary, chili powder, nutmeg and pepper to add some extra flavor. If you have the extra time, I also think adding breadcrumbs to the top and baking it for a few minutes would add an amazing texture and crunch. This is definitely going to be a fall favorite from now on! (Recipe and picture courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni
• 2 1/2 cups milk, divided
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 5 strips cooked bacon (optional)
• 1/2 cup green onions, diced (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butternut squash chunks on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender, turning once.

While the squash is roasting, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Add butternut squash to food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add in 1/2 cup milk to thin out the squash, then puree again.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and add in the spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, until the flour mixture begins to smell nutty. Add in the remaining cups of milk gradually (1/2 cup at a time), whisking constantly until smooth and flour is dissolved. Turn heat to high and to a boil while continuing to whisk. After sauce has thickened turn heat to low and whisk in half of the butternut squash mixture. Taste and continue to add in the other half until it tastes creamy enough to you (all up to your personal preference). Add the sauce and the shredded cheese to the cooked macaroni noodles and stir until cheese is melted. Crumble the cooked bacon and green onions over the top (optional). Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Optional: pour After cheese is melted, pour macaroni into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup bread crumbs and bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.