Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

This is a crock pot recipe. I love using my crock pot....makes life easier! It's really yummy as a sandwich and my husband and I also ate it as nachos for leftovers. We just dipped our tortilla chips in it. It was good. :)

Ingredients: 3 lbs. frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
                    1 Big bottle of Frank's wings buffalo sauce
                   1 packet of dry ranch dip mix
                    sliced cheese of your choice ( I did pepper jack and baby swiss)
                   Buns (or tortilla chips if you're eating it nacho style)

Directions: Put the chicken, wing sauce and ranch mix in your crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred the chicken and return to crock pot stirring it in good. Serve on buns with cheese or as nachos.

*Helpful tip: You can use your mixer to shred the chicken! I read that online somewhere and tried it and it works! It makes it so much easier than using forks! Just make sure you mix on "low" speed.

*This makes a lot! I would say about 8-10 people.

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Butter Cookies

 These cookies are so awesome and moist! It's from Paula Dean so it's naturally fat free......  ;)
   Who cares about calories these are worth it!

Ingredients: 1 (18oz) box moist chocolate cake mix * make sure it's 18oz. some boxes are only 14-15.
                   8 oz. cream cheese, softened
                   1 egg
                   1 stick butter, room temp.
                   1 t. vanilla
                  powdered sugar for rolling and dusting

Directions:  With a mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then add the vanilla. Beat in cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm it up so you can roll them into balls.
  After they have refrigerated roll them into balls and then roll into powdered sugar.
   Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes. Sift some more powdered sugar on them when they come out. So yummy!

*If you don't have a sifter you can be creative! I used my cheese grater and it worked great! :)

Cream Cheese Baked Potato Soup

This is a crockpot recipe and it's really good! The cream cheese gives it a new twist :)

Ingredients: 5 lbs potatoes (I used Russet potatoes)
                   1 onion
                   minced garlic
                   8 cups chicken stock
                  16 oz. cream cheese
                  1 T. seasoned salt
For the garnish:  Bacon (I use an entire package)
                           shredded cheese
                           chives (I buy them already chopped for me)
   *you also need a blender*

 Directions: Dice the potatoes into small cubes (do not peel them). Put into crockpot, along with chopped onion, minced garlic (I don't measure this...just dump a couple teaspoons worth or so....), seasoning salt, and chicken broth.
   Cook on high for 6 hours. Remove about 1/2 of the soup and pour into blender. Puree until well blended. Pour it back into the crockpot. (it makes it really creamy...yum!) Then, stir in the cream cheese and allow to melt.
    Top with garnish!
*I just cook an entire package of bacon until nice and crispy, then crumble it up into pieces. I save it in a ziploc bag.  I made this for family before and they wanted more bacon...so make an extra package of bacon if you are cooking for bacon lovers! :)

Serving size: Makes a big crockpot full! I would say about 8-10 people

The Best Pumpkin Pie

Since Thanksgiving is this week I thought I should share my pumpkin pie recipe. I like to make my own crust and there is no better crust than my mom's recipe! (Thanks Mom!!) I can seriously have this ready for the oven in like 15 minutes, it's so easy and yummy!

Ingredients for the Crust:  1 3/4 c. flour
                                         1 t. salt
                                         1/2 c. veggie oil
                                        3-4 T. cold water

Ingredients for the Pie:  1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
                                     1 can sweetened condensed milk ( 14oz)
                                     2 eggs
                                     1 T. pumpkin pie spice

Directions for the crust: Combine all the crust ingredients and roll out onto floured surface. Or, if you have waxed paper you can roll it in between two pieces of the paper. Just roll it out into a big circle that will fit in your pie container. I always grease my pie pan lightly. Then, just press it into the pan making sure to get the sides and top edge for crust. Then, lightly poke a few holes throughout the dough crust (so it won't shrink)

Directions for Pie filling: Mix all the pie ingredients together and pour into crust! ( I told you it was easy!) Bake at 425 for 15 minutes ONLY. Then, REDUCE heat to 350 and bake another 35-40 minutes longer. (My oven tends to be closer to the 40 min. mark)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

mmmmm......breakfast food. You should make this soon, it's so good! My 14 month old eats it too!

Ingredients: 1 lb. of breakfast sausage
                   3 cups of frozen, shredded potatoes
                   1/4 c. butter, melted
                   12 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese
                    1 onion, chopped
                   1 (16oz) container Small Curd cottage cheese
                 6 jumbo eggs

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Cook the sausage in a frying pan until done. Drain grease and set aside. Pour the 3 cups of shredded potatoes into the 9x13 pan and pour the melted butter on top. Mix well into potatoes and press down, lining the bottom and sides of pan. In a bowl, mix the sausage, cheddar cheese, onion, cottage cheese and eggs. Pour over potato mixture. 

Bake for about 55-60 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

*Serving size is about 6-8 people. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Drop Cookies

This is a great recipe! These cookies are so super soft and moist. I love making these in the fall/winter. It goes perfect with a pumpkin spiced latte...haha...or any coffee for that matter.

Ingredients: 2 cups butter, softened
                   2 cups sugar
                1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
                2 eggs
                 4 cups flour
                 2 t. pumpkin pie spice
                1 t. baking powder
                1/2 t. baking soda
               1 (12 oz) package white choc. chips
               1 (16oz) tub of cream cheese frosting
             1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 375.
           In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy with your electric mixer. Then, add pumpkin and eggs, beat until blended. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda until blended. Stir in white choc. chips. Drop dough by spoon onto GREASED cookie sheet. Bake for about 14-16 minutes or until set and bottoms are slightly browned. Cool for a minute on cookie sheet. Remove to wire rack to cool more.
   Combine the frosting and brown sugar in a bowl. Spread on warm cookies.

*The icing will dry after awhile so you are able to stack them on top of each other after awhile.
*I forget how much this makes...but if you know me and have seen any of my blogs you know I usually cook to feed A LOT. So.....if you don't want to hand out cookies to a few neighbors and friends then feel free to cut everything in half. :)

Cake Batter Cookies

If you are like me and like to bake the Duncan Hines cake mixes JUST so you can lick the spoon....you will LOVE these cookies. I found this on pinterest and am keeping this recipe forever!

Ingredients: 1 1/2 sticks of butter
                   3/4 c. brown sugar
                   1/4 c. sugar
                    1 (3.4oz) instant vanilla pudding
                3/4 c. yellow cake mix
                  2 eggs
                  1 tsp. vanilla
                  1 tsp. baking soda
                  2 1/4 c. flour
                 1/2 tsp. salt
                 Sprinkles (get the bigger chunk ones...)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Stir the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
 In another bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Add in pudding package and cake mix and beat well.
    Add eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add everything to the flour mix. Then, stir in the sprinkles. Roll into balls and place on a greased sheet.
 Bake about 10-12 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen.

*Just a side note....The box of cake mix has enough in it to make these again. :)

Pizza Casserole

My good friend Jamie Hergott has been telling me about pizza casserole for awhile now and I don't know what took me so long to finally make one....but I did...and it's amazing!!! Awesome idea Jamie, I LOVE IT!!

Ingredients: 1 big bag of egg noodles
                   1 Huge jar of Ragu sauce (the biggest one they make)
                   2 bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
                   1 1/2- 2 lbs of ground beef (I'm sure it's good with less meat...but my husband is definitely one of those guys that likes an absurd amount of meat)
                   package of pepperonis
                    1 onion

Directions: Brown the meat and drain the grease. Chop the onion up and stir into meat. Set aside. Cook the egg noodles until done. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9x13 pan.  Here is the order of layering the ingredients.....
     Layer #1 a THIN layer of sauce
     Layer #2 1/2 of the noodles
    Layer #3 1/2 of the meat/onion mixture
     Layer #4 Sauce (half of what is left)
    Layer #5 the rest of the noodles
    Layer #6 1/2 of the cheese
    Layer #7 rest of the meat
      Layer #8 Rest of the sauce
     Layer #9 Rest of the cheese
  Layer #10 Pepperonis

*Cook for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and pepperonis look done.
*Serving size is about 6-8 people
   

Coconut Chicken

I love this recipe because it's the easiest thing in the world to make and it's sweet and tasty.

Ingredients: Boneless, skinless chicken breast (3-4 pieces)
                   1/4 cup melted butter
                  1/2 cup coconut (I always make it an overflowing cup though!!)
                   1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. I always cut the fat off my chicken and wash it. Add the bread crumbs and coconut in a bowl, mix well. Then, brush the chicken with the melted butter. Next, roll the chicken in the mixture until covered well. Bake for about 40 minutes(my chicken breasts were pretty big) or until no longer pink inside.

Almond Joy Pie

This pie is just like the candy! So, if you like chocolate and you like coconut...this is the pie for you! Plus...there is no oven involved...yay!

Ingredients: 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

                  1 cup cream of coconut (you find this in the alcohol section)

                   1 pkg. (3.9oz) of cheesecake flavored instant pudding

                 14 oz. sweetened flaked coconut (put in fridge when you get home)*it's important*

                  2 pkg. (8oz each) of cool whip

                 1 oreo pie crust

                  Hard shell chocolate ice cream topping (or some call it "magic shell")

                  6 pieces of almond joy candy

                  Directions:  Blend the softened cream cheese and cream of coconut until smooth and creamy. Add the pudding mix and beat until blended.

               Next, add 1/2 of the cold coconut. Mix well. Fold in one tub (8oz.) of cool whip.

             Pour 1/2 of the mixture into the oreo crust. Drizzle with the hard shell topping, then pour second half of mixture on top.

             Mix about 3/4 of the remaining coconut with the other tub of cool whip and spread on pie.

       Then, sprinkle the remaining coconut on top of pie and put the almond joy candy on top. Place in refrigerater for about 45 minutes to set.

Mini breakfast bake bites

I love making these! They are really easy and also if you have picky eaters it's nice because you can choose what toppings to put in each one.

Ingredients: 4 eggs
                    1/4 cup half and half
                  1/2 tsp. salt
        Mix ins: anything you like!
                 I used sausage(either buy it cooked or make sure to brown it first), spinach, shredded cheese, chopped onion and chopped mango with garlic (you can find it at walmart buy the carrots...it's already chopped and ready for you.) *But you can choose any toppings you like!
   *it fills 6 cupcakes worth in the pan....so you just need enough to your liking.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Grease cupcake pan pretty good. (you only need 6 spaces)
    Whisk the eggs and half n'half and salt in a bowl. Then, pour evenly into cupcake pan. It makes 6. Next, add whatever toppings you love to each spot. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Chicken and Noodles

Perfect time of year for soup. This is a really easy chicken and noodle soup recipe, and it's very good as leftovers. The more you save it, the less "soupy" it gets and the more creamy it gets....even better to me!

Ingredients: 80 oz. of chicken broth. ( I always get a a big one 48oz., and a medium one 32oz. of the swanson or rachel ray brand)
                    1 1/2 cups water
                   some minced garlic
                   carrots, chopped (I would say I used about 20-30 baby carrots cut up?...I never measure!)
                   1 onion
                   1 bag of FROZEN egg noodles (I get the Ramen brand....I might be spelling that wrong)
                    3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed.

Directions: Get a huge pot and pour in the chicken broth and water. Start heating it up on medium/high heat. While that's going, cut the fat off your chicken and wash it off, then throw it in the pot. :) Next, chop your carrots and onion. Then, add it to the pot along with the garlic. Then, throw in the frozen noodles. Cook at a low boil. After about 15-20 minutes check to see if the chicken is cooked all the way through. When it is, take the chicken out and cut it up into bite sized pieces, then put it back in pot. The noodles should be done at this point too, but test it to be sure.

*Also, you can add other stuff to it like celery...I've tried that before and it's good...just didn't have any this time.

* Serving size is A LOT!  I'd say about 10 people maybe? Don't forget the leftovers are even better!

Root Beer Pulled Pork

This is another Crock Pot recipe! I love these, they are so easy and delicious too!!

Ingredients: 1 (2lb.) pork tenderloin
                    1 (12oz.) can of root beer
                   1 (18-24 oz.) bottle of BBQ sauce
                   Hamburger buns

Directions: Place the pork tenderloin in a crock pot. Pour the can of root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. (or until pork easily shreds with a fork)
            Then, drain the root beer. Shred the pork with a fork and place back in crock pot. Pour BBQ sauce on top and mix well. Serve immediately or keep warm in crock pot until ready.
 
* servings are about 6-8 people.

The BEST salad dressing!

I got this recipe from my mother in law Pam. I am telling you it is the best salad dressing ever! It's a sesame- poppy seed dressing. It goes really well on a spinach salad with pecans, strawberries and feta cheese.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup sugar
                    1/2 cider vinegar
                    1 T. minced onion
                   1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
                    1/4 tsp. salt
                   1 cup olive oil
                  1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (you buy them toasted)
                   2 T. poppy seeds
                  1/4 tsp. paprika
           *A Blender!

Directions:   Pulse the first 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth. While running, add the olive oil. STIR in seeds. Refrigerate for awhile, then you can leave it out. * Just make sure to shake the dressing good before each pour. :) So YUMMY!!!!