Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

I definitely love a recipe that I can throw into a crock pot and not worry about, especially one that I can throw frozen chicken breasts into!! This was a thick and hearty chicken chili that we all enjoyed...

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
(recipe found on pinterest)

2 chicken breasts, still frozen
1 can rotel tomates
1 can corn, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 (8 ounces) cream cheese

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low 8-10 hours. Stir all together and serve!

Cake Batter Cheesecake Bars

I made these bars for a party that we were headed out to and I was all set to take a picture this time and I just couldn't do it... They turned out this odd shade of purple and they were not the prettiest things that I have ever laid eyes on. I didn't got for the optional food coloring, which I should have and I did stir in the sprinkles, which I think caused the odd purple color. So, when it says to stir, make sure you stir, don't just throw the mixer on low in the lazy fashion that I did! :) But let me tell you - Oh - My - Gosh!! These things were fabulous!! I'm usually a chocolate kind of girl, but these knocked my socks off... Super rich and delicious! Definitely making these again - and STIRRING the next time!!

Cake Batter Cheesecake Bars
(recipe found on pinterest via teenagetaste.com)


1 3/4 cups nilla wafers
6 tablespoons butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 cup yellow cake mix
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sprinkles
5 drops blue food coloring (optional)
3 drops green food coloring (optional)


Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" square baking pan, then line with parchment paper; set aside. Stir together cookie crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is just brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and beat for an additional couple of minutes, until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk, milk, vanilla, salt and beat again until completely combined and smooth. Finally, stir in the cake mix and sprinkles until smooth. Pour the filling over the crust. Set the pan in a larger pan (a 9×13-inch works for this), and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the water bath, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks

I love fried chicken, but hate the mess of frying anything. All that grease and nastiness all over my stove and everything that is remotely close to it. Yuck! So, I have tried a lot of "oven" fried chicken recipes and while they have been good, this one really lives up to the crunchiness that it promises. It was super yummy too!

Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

1 cup fat free plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
olive oil flavored cooking spray

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine yogurt, mustard and garlic. Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425. In another plastic bag, mix flour, paprika, balking powder, salt and pepper. Remove chicken from marinade and add, one piece at a time, to flour mixture; close bag and shake to coat. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet; spritz with cooking spray. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180.

Kansas City Style Ribs

These took a little bit of work, but the hubs loves ribs and I thought that I would give them a go. They were a hit!! Super tasty and falling off the bone. Just what ribs are supposed to do! So, grab some napkins and try these out...

Kansas City Style Ribs
(Recipe found in Taste of Home)

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons each garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons each ground cumin, ground pepper and cayenne pepper
12 bone in country style pork ribs (about 7 pounds)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and seasonings; sprinkle over ribs. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour. For suace, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 5-6 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Wrap ribs in a large piece of heavy duty foil; seal edges of foil. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours or until the ribs are tender. Carefully remove ribs from foil. Place ribs over direct medium heat; baste with some of the sauce. Grill, covered, 8-10 minutes or until browned, turning and basting occasionally with remaining sauce.

Brown Sugar Baked Peaches

This recipe looked so good that both my sister in law and I pinned it and brought along the ingredients when we went on our week long camping vacation! Although I beat her to making it, my nephew did an awesome job assembling the baked peaches and we all tremendously enjoyed them! I mean, look at how hard he is concentrating!!

Brown Sugar Baked Peaches
(recipe found on pinterest via recipesweet.net)

1 fresh peach
1 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
2 to 4 tsp. brown sugar, divided
Sprinkling of ground cinnamon, to taste

Cut peach in half and place on baking pan. Top with butter, then brown sugar, and finish with cinnamon. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Peach Ice Cream

Every year we get a couple of boxes of peaches from our local fire department and I love to find new ways to use them, other then just scarfing them down plain! This year (and I think last, even if I didn't get a chance to blog about it), I busted out my ice cream maker and churned up some peach ice cream. It was soooo good, nice and creamy and pretty easy to make! The kids definitely enjoyed it and although I prefer chocolate, I thought it was a good pick.

Peach Ice Cream
(recipe found in Ben and Jerry's)

2 cups finely chopped ripe peaches, peeled if you prefer (I left my peels on)
1 1/4 cups sugar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk

Combine the peaches, 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes. Remove peaches from refrigerator and drain the juice into another bowl. Return the peaches to the refrigerator. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Add the peach juice and blend. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the instructions. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the peaches and continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Pork Chops in the Crock Pot

This was a super easy ways to serve up pork chops and was delicious. My meat was falling off the bone tender, so no picture of what it looked like! Definitely good to eat, even if it didn't look pretty! :)

Pork Chops in the Crock Pot
(recipe found in A.C.C.C.)

onion
5 pounds pork chops
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons vinegar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
sesame seeds, to taste

Slice onions into bottom of crockpot. Mix together all ingredients except meat and onions to create a sauce. Dip the meat into the sauce; layer in the crockpot. Pour remaining sauce on top of meat. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Sprinkle with sesame seeds when ready to serve.

Chow Mein Hotdish

I love the crunch of chow mein noodles! They are so yummy and I enjoy them in a lot of dishes. I love the big can of chow mein that you can buy, throw the cans together, heat through and eat. Super simple and delish served over chow mein noodles. This is a much healthier, homemade version of that! Just as wonderful and mouthwatering! :)

Chow Mein Hotdish
(recipe found in A.C.C.C)

2 pound hamburger
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup raw rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or homemade cream of everything mix)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I just doubled the cream of everything mix)
2 cups water
1 can water chestnuts, cut up
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 can bean sprouts and juice

Brown hamburger and onions. Add remaining ingredients in a large casserole. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350. Stir every half hour while baking. Add more water if it seems too dry. Serve over chow mein noodles.

Weight Watchers Cobbler

This was by far the easiest dessert that I have ever put together! It was light to eat and delicious even though it was a "healthier" dessert! After the refrigerator brownie cake that we had the day before, I definitely needed something a little lighter!

Weight Watchers Cobbler
(recipe found on pinterest on livingachangedlife.blogspot.com)

2 (12 ounces each) bags of frozen mixed berries
1 box white cake mix
1-2 cans of clear pop

Place fruit in bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with white cake mix and cover with pop until no dry spots are still seen. Do not stir. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Serves: 16
Points: 3

Taco Pie

I love a quick and easy recipe on the weekend. The hubs is gone a lot during the week and when he comes out he is always looking forward to some home cooked meals that hit the spot. He was a big fan of this one - it might have something to do with the doritos on top! :)

Taco Pie
(recipe found in A.C.C.C.)

1 pound hamburger
1 tube crescent rolls
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed nacho cheese chips

Brown hamburger. Add the taco seasoning and water; simmer for 5 minutes. Place crescent rolls in a greased deep pie pan; flatten to cover the bottom. Layer on top of crescent rolls, hamburger mixture, sour cream, cheese and crushed chips. Bake for 25 minutes at 350.

Brownie Refrigerator Cake

I was looking for something a little simpler to go with the Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves that we had with supper during the moving party and this was definitely it. I love to try the big desserts, but sometimes you just have to go with a good old chocolate brownie - with a twist! :)

Brownie Refrigerator Cake
(recipe found on pinterest via www.hpj.com)

2 brownie mixes (or you can use my homemade brownie mix - I just tripled it)
1 extra large egg
1 8 ounces package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 8 ounces each containers whipped topping
1 3 ounces package instant chocolate pudding
1 3 ounces package instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 Hershey candy bar or chocolate syrup

Mix brownie mixes according to directions. Add egg. Bake in 9x13 inch greased and floured cake pan. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 container whipped topping. Put this mix on top of the cooled brownies. Blend puddings and milk together and put on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another layer of whipped topping. Put chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves

Since I was laid up with a bum knee after having knee surgery, I wasn't able to help with all the moving that my family was doing back in September. So, I helped the best way that I know how... I kept them all fed! After a long day of moving, everyone came over to my house for supper and these little meat loaves were a huge hit! I tripled the recipe and it fed the whole family, even when they came back for seconds and even thirds! (Mine were slightly larger then 12 mini loaves from each pound, so I did get less loaves per pound.)

Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves
(recipe found in A.C.C.C)

1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard

In a bowl, beat egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 12 mini loaves and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink on the inside.

Five Cheese Jumbo Shells

These looked a little scary coming out of the pan, but boy oh boy, did they taste fabulous! My family chowed them down and kept asking for more!! Serving size was 3 a piece and the hubs went on the safe side and only gave the kids 1 or 2... They didn't last long before they were begging for 1 or 2 more! It was definitely a hit at my house. This is also an easy meal to double up on and freeze the second pan. I mean, while you are at it, you might as well make one for later! :)

Five Cheese Jumbo Shells
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry
1/2 pound baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups reduced fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/3 cup grated romano cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 jar (24 ounce3) meatless spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 250. Cook shells according to package directions for al dente; drain. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add vegetables; cook and stir until tender. Remove from heat. In a bowl, combine the riccota, mozzarella, provolone and romano cheeses; stir in egg, seasonings and vegetables. Spread 1 cup sauce into a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Fill pasta shells with cheese mixture; place in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cramy Tomato Tortellini with Sausage

I wasn't a huge fan of this pasta dish, so normally I wouldn't be posting about it. The hubs though - LOVED this dish and kept talking about how much he liked it. So, I obviously had to post it for his sake! :) It was easy to throw together, so that was a definite plus!

Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Sausage
(recipe found in Taste of Home)

1 package (19 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini
2 fully cooked italian sausage links, sliced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
4 ounces reduce fat cream cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir sausage over medium high heat 4-5 minutes or until browned. Add tomatoes and spinach; cook and stir until spinach wilts. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Drain tortellini; add to sausage mixture. Toss to combine.

Ramen Shrimp and Veggies

As you know I am a big fan of quick and easy meals. We are on the run a lot of the time and I like to be able to feed the kids quick and get out the door. This incorporates my love of quickness and our families love of shrimp! Love it!

Ramen Shrimp and Veggies
(recipe found on www.bettycrocker.com)

1 lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen and tails peeled
2 cups water
1 package Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 bag (1 pound) stir-fry vegetables
1/4 cup stir-fry sauce

Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp in skillet 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pink and firm. Remove shrimp from skillet; keep warm. Heat water to boiling in same skillet. Break up noodles from soup mix into water; stirring until slightly softened. Stir in vegetables. Heat to boiling. Boil 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in seasoning packet from soup mix and stir-fry sauce. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot. Stir in shrimp.

Chipotle Orange Pork Chops

Sometimes I'm not too sure about the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, they have a bit of a too smoky taste for me, but I thought that I would give them another go in this recipe. The orange juice and maple syrup definitely helped to cut the too smoky taste and they were fabulous! Easy to put together and the kids love anything that has a "dipping" sauce to it!

Chipotle Orange Pork Chops
(recipe found in Simple and Delicious)

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
3 tablespoons chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
8 bone in pork loin chops

Mix the first five ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside 1/3 cup for serving. Grill pork chops, covered, over medium heat or broil 4" from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160, basting frequently with orange mixture. Serve with reserved sauce.