Gingerbread Scones

Scones are so much fun for me to make... they have the sweetness of a cookie, but the easiness of a recipe where you throw everything together, pat it into a circle and bake it. No in and out of the oven a million times, just one baking cycle and you are good to go! I am a fan of the gingerbread flavor, so I definitely wanted to try this out. It was super yummy tasting, but the texture of this was more cake like than I prefer in a scone. While they tasted awesome I wanted a little more crunch to go with my scone!

Gingerbread Scones
(Recipe found at heritageschoolhouse.blogspot.com via pinterest.com)

2 cups flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, separated
sugar

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Combine the molasses, milk and egg yolk until smooth; stir into the flour mixture just until moistened. Turn the dough onto a floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into an 8 inch circle; cut into 8 wedges and place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Beat egg white until frothy; brush over scones. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm and enjoy!

Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos are one of my favorite appetizers to order when we head out to a Mexican restaurant, especially at a certain chain restaurant that we have been to quite a bit in Arizona. this was my first go round with trying to do taquitos at home. They were less time consuming than what I thought they were going to be and not quite as good as when you get them made for you, but they were pretty tasty and definitely a redo at our house! We had them for a main dish, but they would be great for appetizers at a party!

Chicken Taquitos
(Recipe found at cherishedbliss.com via pinterest.com)

4 chicken breast
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4-6 green onions (no more than ½ cup), finely chopped (including the green part)
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon oregano
30 corn tortillas
olive or vegetable oil, for brushing the taquitos before baking

First cook the chicken breast in a large stock pot or in a crock pot. If cooking chicken on the stove top, use 2-4 cups of broth. If using a crock pot use about a cup of broth.
Cover and simmer chicken until falling apart tender. If cooking in the crock pot cook on high for 3 -4 hours. Shred chicken once chicken has cooled. If using a stand mixer you do not need to shred the chicken before mixing. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Next in a large mixing bowl, add chicken breast, softened cream cheese, green onions, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, and all seasonings. Mix everything together until combined well. Next, line a baking sheet with foil. Then wrap 5 corn tortillas in parchment paper, at a time, and heat in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds, or until soft and flexible. Now add about 2 tablespoons of chicken filling and spread it in the middle of a tortilla.Tightly wrap the tortilla and place seam side down. Repeat this process until all the chicken filling has been used. Once all the tortillas are made, spray the tortillas with vegetable or olive oil. You may also brush on the oil as well. Cook for 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees. Serve oven baked chicken taquitos with a your favorite hot sauce, green sauce, sour cream, and/or avocado salad.

Mac and Cheese Pizza

While I am not a super fan of mac and cheese, it does have a tendency to show up on our menu from time to time, especially around lunch time or when I am in a crunch to get something on the table before running out the door. When I saw this mac and cheese pizza, I knew that it was going to be a hit with the rest of my family. I was definitely a good guesser on that one! They thought it was fabulous, even the next day! It was an interesting combo for pizza, but it made be made again since everyone enjoyed it so much.

Mac and Cheese Pizza
(Recipe found at thegunnysack.com via pinterest.com)

1 box of mac and cheese
3 slices American Cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 premade pizza crust or I used my homemade pizza crust
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Start by making the macaroni and cheese according to the package. Add 3 slices of American cheese and 1/4 cup of milk to make a little more cheese sauce. Stir over low heat until melted. Make crust for pizza if using homemade crust. Prebake for 5-10 minutes first. Brush pizza crust with olive oil. Top with macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

This was a fabulous, throw together in a few minutes week night meal that we have had a few times! The first time that I made it, I discovered that it was a little saltier than I prefer, so I made sure to buy the low sodium soy sauce the next time and didn't put in the full 1/2 cup that the recipe calls for. I also had to double the recipe the second time around since my family simply devoured the first batch that I made! It was a simple, yummy meal!

Egg Roll in a Bowl
(recipe found at mostlyhomemademom.com via pinterest.com)

1 pound ground country sausage
1 bag dry coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium is best)
1 teaspoon ginger
sliced green onion

In a large, deep skillet, brown sausage. Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine garlic, soy sauce, and ginger; set aside. Once sausage is cooked through, add dry coleslaw mix to skillet and stir to combine. Pour soy sauce mixture into the skillet and stir, continuing to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until cabbage is wilted, but still a bit crunchy. Serve with sliced green onion.

Easy Irish Beef Stew

There is nothing like a good stew on a cool fall evening. I love the heartiness of a beef stew and I am always anxious to try new recipes for soups in my crockpot. This was definitely a filling meal, especially when I paired it with my whole wheat bread, which is always a tasty addition!

Easy Irish Beef Stew
(recipe found at madincrafts.com via pinterest.com)

2 pounds beef, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces
5 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons oil
2-3 medium onions, cut into large pieces
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
small bag of baby carrots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste

Dredge meat with flour. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add meat; cook until browned. Add the beef to crockpot. Add in broth, tomatoes and vegetables. Add garlic and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, then turn crockpot down to low. Let cook for several hours. Stew may be thickened with cornstarch if desired.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Mmmmm.... a burger in the shape of meatloaf! I love when something easy is made even easier and what can be easier than throwing everything into a bowl, mixing it together and slapping it in a pan? Not much! The family really enjoyed this meal, we probably needed to make a double batch, but that would be my only complaint!

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
recipe found at bettycrocker.com

3 slices bread, torn into small pieces
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup dill pickle relish
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 egg, slightly beaten

Topping
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Heat oven to 350. Line 9x5-inch loaf pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix bread and milk. Let stand 5 minutes to absorb milk. Add beef, all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon, the shredded cheese, relish, onion, garlic and egg. Mix until well combined. Shape mixture into 8x4-inch loaf. Place in pan. In small bowl, stir together topping ingredients. Spread on top and sides of loaf. Top with reserved 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon. Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center of loaf reads 160. Cool 10 minutes. Cut meatloaf into slices to serve. Top with desired burger toppings, such as pickle relish, ketchup and mustard.

Weekly Line Up - 10/2-10/8

Busy week again! The hubby's brother and his family are moving this weekend, so we will be having extra company for meals while they are packing, cleaning and moving. Fall is in the air and we are running with football, cub scouts and other fun events that our family is a part of. That means that I am definitely busting out my crock pot a lot more. Love that thing!

Friday - Burgers/Brats, *Broccoli Salad
Saturday - Stroganoff
Sunday - *Ranch Chicken Fajita Bowls
Monday - Eggs/Toast
Tuesday - ECFE
Wednesday - Taco Chicken Bowl
Thursday - *Pumpkin Waffles

Extras: *Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

* - New Recipe