Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. imported Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 c. imported Romano cheese, grated

6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs

salt and black pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Heat milk and cram in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.

2. Place egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering.)

3. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Rating: 2.5 of 5

I don't mean to slam OG's alfredo sauce. In all honesty, I LOVE their stuff....in-restaraunt. For some reason, this recipe tasted way off, and way bland. If it comes down to making alfredo at home, which it does all the time because I can't stand canned/jarred alfredo, then I'm going to have to stick by the usual: Michelle's Alfredo Sauce

Source: Olive Garden, Alfredo Sauce

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. white wine to deglaze the pan *

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

2 Russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 c. fresh kale, chopped **

3 c. chicken broth

2.5 c. water

1 c. heavy cream

salt and pepper

* I cut this out.

** I didn't have any kale on hand so I just did without.

Recipe:

1.  Place a large stockpot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned. Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside.

2. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant.

3. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.

4. Add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Return the sausage to the pot.

5. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through.

6. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Rating: 3 of 5

When we go to Olive Garden, this is the soup I always get. I love it because of it's strong flavors! So, while this was a good copy-cat, I really don't think it comes close. Not nearly strong enough. But, if you like flavor/heat on the weaker side, then this is your dish!

Source: Annie's Eats, Zuppa Toscana

No-Fry Fries

Ingredients:

2 large russet potatoes, peeled

2 T. olive oil

3/4 t. coarse sea salt

Recipe:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut potatoes in half horizontally; cut each half into 1/3-inch thick fries and place in a bowl of cold water.

3. Remove from water and dry thoroughly. Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt.

4. Place fries on a cookie sheet. Roast until browned and cooked through, turning occasionally, 25 minutes.

Rating: 4 of 5

I thought these were fine, but not amazing. LaDon, on the other hand, could not get enough of them. It's a super easy fry recipe and the results are better than others I have tried. And, they are really, really good with ranch. 

Source: Self, No-Fry Fries

Sugar Cookie - Keeping its shape

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

seeds from 1 vanilla bean OR 3 tsp. vanilla

5 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

Recipe:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer on low to medium speed, use the paddle attachment. Mix until thoroughly incorporated - for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula and mix again for a few seconds more. (Over mixing the butter and sugar in this step will cause too much air to be incorporated into the dough. If you'd like a light and fluffy cookie, that's ideal, however the dough will spread more during baking: not ideal if you'd like the cookie to hold its shape.

2. Add eggs slowly and mix. Scrape down the bowl with your spatula at least once and mix again.

3. Cut open your vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out. Add to mixing bowl. Alternatively, add liquid vanilla extract. Stir briefly.

4. Sift your dry ingredients together. 

5. Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. When the dough clumps around the paddle it's ready. It's also important at this stage not to over mix the dough.

6. Roll the dough out between 2 large pieces of parchment paper. Place on a baking sheet and into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

7. Roll out the dough further if you need to, and cut out cookie shapes. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and repeat.

8. Put cookie dough shapes back into the fridge for 10 minutes to 1 hour to chill again. They will hold their shape better when baked.

9. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

10. Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown. The baking time will depend on the size of your cookie.

11. Let cookies cool to room temperature and decorate!

Rating: 4 of 5

These cookies were great. I really liked the flavor - don't ask how many I ate. And they really do hold their shape pretty well! Ally and I had a blast decorating these for one of her friend's birthday. As much as I like this recipe, I do have a love-hate relationship with sugar cookies because of the in-and-out-of-the-fridge  process that happens.

Source: Sweetopia, Sugar Cookies

Corn, Black Bean, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

1 7-10 oz. package grape tomatoes, chopped *

1 avocado

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 1/2 T olive oil

1 T. red wine vinegar **

juice from 1 small lime

3/4 t. sea salt

1/2 t. coarse black pepper

*I just used a few Romas

** I'm just now realizing that I never put this in! I love red wine vinegar too!

Recipe:

1. Toss chopped avocado with juice from 1 small lime.

2. In a large bowl, combine avocado, grape tomatoes, black beans, corn and cilantro.

3. Stir in olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir to coat.

4. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

Obviously, it's a super easy recipe to throw together. I have to say, when I made this, I thought it was fine, but it didn't wow me at all. But, typing up the recipe, I realized that I totally skipped the red wine vinegar. So, I'm sure with the vinegar in there it would have added that little extra something I was looking for.

Source: Center Cut Cook; Corn, Black Bean, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

Mom's Scones

Ingredients:

1 c. warm water

1 c. warm milk

1 T. dry active yeast

3 T. granulated sugar

1/4 c. melted butter, cooled

1 T. salt

5-6 c. bread flour

vegetable oil for deep frying

Recipe:

1. Combine warm water and warm milk. Stir in the sugar. Add yeast and stir lightly.

2. Allow yeast to activate, about 10 minutes. 

3. In a stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook, add milk mixture and melted cooled butter. Add the salt.

4. Start the mixer and add the flour one cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be slightly sticky but workable.

5. Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel. Set in a warm place allow to rise until double.

6. Pour your oil in a large pan (with sides deep enough to fully immerse the scones) or a deep fryer and heat slowly over medium-high heat. 

7. While the oil is heating, roll the dough out onto the counter, without flour, into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.

8. You may choose to butter the counter lightly. Using a pizza cutter, cut into squares or triangles. 

9. Heat oil to between 350-400 degrees and cook scones until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Rating: 3 of 5

These weren't great, but they were still good. I think the thing I didn't like about them is that it's just SO much fried food at once. We ate these with honey-butter which was really, really good. I didn't like the scones so much after they were cooled. They were best hot. I'd have to tweak this recipe a little bit before I would make it again.

Source: Make It Do, Mom's Scones

Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:

6 Italian sausage or chicken sausage

2 green peppers

1 red peppers

1 large red onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans Italian diced tomatoes

2 T. Italian seasoning

bread

noodles

mozzarella cheese

Recipe: 

1. Split between two bags, seal, mix, lay flat, freeze.

2. To cook: add drizzle of olive oil, cook on low 6 hours, serve over hot noodles or fresh French bread with mozzarella cheese.

Rating: 3 of 5

This one was fine, but not great. I felt like it was lacking in taste....as funny as that sounds. We had it on bread, but I think next time we'll serve it on Italian herb and cheese bread or something. I just thought it was a very bland dish. But, it has a ton of potential with some tweaking. 

Source: Ring Around the Rosies, Sausage and Peppers

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. lime juice

1 T. chili powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded

8-10 flour tortillas

1 lb. Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

2 c. green enchilada sauce *

1/2 c. heavy cream **

* I didn't have green enchilada sauce, so I used green salsa.

** Didn't have any heavy cream on hand, so I combined milk and melted butter

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

3. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour enough enchilada sauce on the bottom of pan to create a thing layer on the bottom.

4. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and a generous amount of shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

5. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the heavy cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with reserved cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. 

Rating: 4 of 5

These were pretty good. LaDon said they were the best enchiladas he's had to date....of course, that could be because he has a love affair with cheese and there is a LOT of cheese in this dish. I thought the taste was different, but good. The honey and lime weren't super strong, but there were there and made a nice combination with the chili powder. I'd make them again.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything, Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Best Burger Ever with Secret Sauce

Ingredients:

Burger:

2 lbs. ground beef, 85/15

1/2 c. grated Monterrey jack cheese

1/4 c. BBQ sauce

season salt, to taste

cracked black pepper

onion powder

Secret Sauce:

3/4 c. mayo

1/4 c. ketchup

1/4 c. relish

2 T. Worcestershire

seasoned salt

hamburger buns

cheese slices

lettuce

avocado

tomato

other hamburger toppings

Recipe:

1. Combine the ground beef, grated cheese, BBQ sauce, and seasonings. Shape patties that are about 1-inch thick.

2. Then is it very important to push a 1/2 inch indent into the center of the patty - this is what prevents the patty from becoming a dome. These burgers stay extra moist because the BBQ sauce and cheese are mixed in with the meat.

3. Wait for the skillet to get super hot and then apply a very thin layer of butter to the pan. Place the patties on the pan, indent side up.

4. Reduce heat to medium and allow patty to cook for about 4-6 minutes, but make sure it doesn't burn. Then flip the burger over and cook until done.

5. For the sauce: combine all ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking.

6. Assemble the burgers and serve with toppings.

Rating: 3 of 5

I actually wasn't that impressed with this burger recipe. It could be because we had the most amazing burgers the week before, so expectations were a little skewed. But, yes, these burger were juicy, and had pretty good flavor. One thing that drove me nuts about this recipe is that there was no specific measurement for some of the ingredients. It's not that big of a deal, but it is helpful.

Source: Little Miss Momma, Best Burger Recipe Ever with Secret Sauce

Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

Ingredients:

Bread Dough:

1 T. yeast

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 1/2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

4-5 1/2 c. flour

3 T. vegetable oil

1 egg yolk

Garlic Butter:

1/2 c. of real butter

1 1/2 T. garlic bread seasoning

shredded mozzarella cheese

Recipe:

1. Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes or until bubbly.

2. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger.

3. Knead, either by hand or in mixer for another 2-3 minutes. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.

4. While dough is rising, combine butter and garlic bread seasoning. Set aside.

5. Roll dough into a rectangle that's about 18-20 inches by 6 inches. Smear garlic butter over the entire surface of the dough and then sprinkle with cheese.

6. Roll up jelly-roll style and then use dental floss to cut into 12 equal slices. Place each slice in a muffin tin. Cover with a clean cloth. Preheat oven to 350 and allow rolls to rise while the oven is heating.

7. When the oven is ready, bake for 18-22 minutes. When you notice the cheese getting brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the rolls. This will keep the cheese from burning although it will get pretty brown on top.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

I really liked these, but because I made them so long ago and can't remember exactly what it was that I did and did not like, I'm afraid to give them a higher rating. Guess I'll have to make them again! With that being said, I really did like the cheesy mess between each layer of bread and I did like the seasoning. I made these for the missionaries one night and our newest Elder declared that "[they were] the best rolls [he's] ever had!" So, they must be good, right?

Source: Our Best Bites, Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

Southwest Chipotle Burgers

Ingredients:

Burgers:

1 1/2 lb. ground chuck or ground sirloin *

1-1/2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce**

1 1/2 T. adobo sauce (from the chipotle chili can)

1/4 c. grated onion ***

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. cumin

1 1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. pepper

* I used just 1 lb ground beef. It's what I had on hand

** I've learned from experience that I can't quite handle all the heat a whole pepper brings to the plate, so I just eliminated the pepper.

*** Used my old stand-by of dried chopped oinon

Chipotle-Lime Mayo:

1/2 c. mayo

2 t. lime juice

1 1/2 t. adobo sauce (from the canned chipotle chilis)

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro *

* I actually rarely measure out the cilantro. I usually add a bit more than called for because we LOVE the taste of cilantro.

4-6 good quality buns (try this recipe!)

1 tomato

1-2 avocado

lettuce

jack, cotija, or queso fresco cheese *

* We just used medium cheddar

Recipe:

1. Start by making the sauce. Place may, adobo sauce, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl. Stir all together. Cover and set in the fridge.

2. Now place the beef in a bowl and gently crumble with your fingers. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Use your hands to gently mix things together. Just mix it enough to distribute the ingredients.

3. Divide into 4 patties (or 6 little ones) and place on a preheated grill, indoor grill pan, or skillet. If you want to top with cheese, do so in the last few minutes of grilling.

4. While the burgers are cooking, toast buns and spread chipotle-lime sauce generously on each side of each bun. When the burgers are done to your liking let them stand for 5 minutes off the grill and then pop onto your prepared buns.

5. Top with tomato slices, avocado slices, and a crisp piece of lettuce.

Rating: 4.75 of 5

These are, literally, the best burgers I've had! Literally! I don't know what to say except that these were SO SO SO SO GOOD!!!! Between LaDon, Jonas, and I well all liked different aspects about the burger better, but overall it's just a fantastic combination of tastes and textures. I, personally, loved the taste the chipotle-lime mayo added. I loved the cilantro taste in it. And, I think the burger would be really good if you just replaced the lettuce completely with cilantro. Yummy! I've been craving these burgers ever since we made them this week!

Source: Our Best Bites, Southwest Chipotle Burgers

40-Minute Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:

2 T. active dry yeast

1 c. + 2 T. warm water

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1/4c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. salt

3-3.5 c. all-purpose flour

Recipe:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.

2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise. Divide into 12 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

3. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Bake at 425 for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. 

Rating: 4 of 5

I really liked this recipe. I was a little skeptical at first and wondered if I'd be able to get the soft, fluffy bun texture, but this recipe did not disappoint! You could easily make these whole wheat as well. Besides being super easy and quick, they were soft, fluffy, and the perfect hamburger bun! I don't think I'll ever buy buns again!

Source: Taste of Home, 40-Minutes Hamburger Buns

Griddle Flat Bread

Ingredients:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. ice water

3 T. shortening

2 t. salt

2 t. baking powder

pinch of baking soda

Recipe:

1. Combine dry ingredients together. Add in shortening and mix until the shortening has been crumbled.

2. Mix in water and form into a dough.

3. Cut into 4-6 equal pieces and roll out into a thin disk.

4. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork and cook on a hot griddle, 1-2 minutes per side. Turn with spatula. 

Rating: 3.5 of 5

I used this recipe to stand in as pita bread for dinner because I didn't have the 2.5 hours I needed. This recipe only took about 20 minutes, so it solved the time problem. I liked this bread a lot actually, the only thing I would change would be the salt content. It's presence was a little bit too noticeable for me. 

Source: About.com, Griddle Flat Bread

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 2.5-3 lb beef roast (frozen is okay too!)

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

2 1-oz. pkg dry onion soup mix

2 c. water

2 cans beef broth *

6-8 large buns (Try this Quick French Bread recipe!)

Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced

* I just used 2 1/2 large beef bouillon cubes and added 2 c. water (in addition to the 2 c. called for)

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a large pot oven medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

2. When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.

3. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

4. Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will be.

5. When meat is ready, shred with a fork. Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. *

6. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!

* Rather than put everything under the broiler, I simply buttered the sliced open bread and put them on a griddle until they were golden, like a grilled cheese sandwich, and then placed the meat and cheese between the two pieces of hot bread. It melted the cheese and kept the whole sandwich from getting a little too much heat.

Freezer directions: 

1. Prepare roast through the first 2 steps above. After meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container, cover with onion soup mix and bouillon, and freeze.

2. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

* I used a frozen roast and basically skipped all of the instructions I could! Haha! I just dumped the roast in the pot, and sprinkled and covered according to step 3.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Loved this! The meat was so extremely tender and juicy and delicious! Can't wait to make these again! I think the original recipe calls for 6-8 loaves, but we demolished the meat in just 4 sandwiches! Easy and delicious. I'm tellin' ya!

Source: Our Best Bites, French Dip Sandwiches

Quick French Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 c. warm water

2 1/2 t. dry active yeast

1 t. sugar

1 T sugar

1 t. salt

1 c. + 2 T. warm water

3 1/2- 4 c. all-purpose flour

1 egg white and 1 T water*

* in an effort to save my lone egg for something else, I brushed my bread with a little bit of milk(which makes the top of the loaf turn a darker brown). I'd imagine that you could also use warm water and baking soda which would leave the loaf closer to it's natural baking color.

Recipe:

1. Combine 1/4 c. water, yeast and 1 t. sugar in a bowl. Allow to stand until bubbly.

2. Add in 1 T. sugar, salt and remaining water.

3. Gradually add in flour, mix well and knead for 5 minutes. Let rise for 15-20 minutes in a warm place. Preheat oven to 300 while dough rises.

4. Place several cups of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil while you form the loaf. If you want to make 2 smaller loaves, divide dough in half. 

5. Flour a surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Roll up the dough and turn ends under and place seam side down onto a greased cookie sheet. *

6. Cut 3 diagonal cute into the loaf about 1/4 inch deep. Combine water and egg white and brush onto loaf.

7. Pour boiled water into an oven-safe dish and place on the lower rack of the preheated oven. 

8. TURN OFF THE OVEN! Place sheet with bread on the rack above the water. Let rise until double and then take out the pan of water, about 10-15 minutes.

9. Turn oven on to 425 degrees and bake 10 minutes.

10. Turn heat down to 375 and bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

*I actually thought the rolling out process produced rather puny loaves, even when I didn't divide it and tried to make a single (I divided my dough into 4 parts in order to use for some delicious French Dip Sandwiches!). I recommend forming the dough into a ball and then rolling it out into a fatty snake (think play dough snakes as a kid) and making the French bread shape that way. Much easier, quicker, and no seam or folding under!

Rating: 4 of 5

This is a pretty easy recipe, but it's definitely a very involved one. It's not like other bread recipes where you can go off and leave the dough alone for an hour or two. So, if you're going to make this one, make sure your mentally there. It could be super easy to get distracted and ruin the bread. I definitely think I'll stick to brushing the bread with milk. So much easier. As far as taste goes, I thought this recipe was a pretty close match to store bough French bread. The outside is slightly crispy while the inside is nice and fluffy. I'll definitely be making this over buying every time! In fact, I kind of want to make another batch today and just eat garlic bread because I can!

Source: Thirty Handmade Days, Quick French Bread

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad

Salad sans dressing

Ingredients:

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce:

1 mango, peeled and chopped

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus 2 t. adobo sauce

1/2 c. ketchup

1/2 c. apple juice

1/4 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

juice from 1/2 lemon

2 T. unseasoned rice vinegar

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. canola oil

2 t. paprika *

2 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

*I only had 1 t. paprika, so I substituted the rest with just a 1/2 t. cayenne pepper.

Dressing:

2 T. prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ sauce

2 T. plain Greek yogurt

1-2 t. lime juice, give or take a little

salt and pepper

Salad:

2 chicken breasts

2 ears sweet corn, shucked

1 vine-ripe tomato, cut into wedges

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 bag Dole Romaine Salad mix *

*I used just a head of Romaine

Recipe:

Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients for BBQ sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool then transfer to a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.

Dressing:

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste, then add more lime juice, salt and pepper if necessary.

Salad:

1. Marinate chicken breasts in some of the prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ sauce for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 hours.

2. Grill over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until no longer pink in the middle. Allow to rest for 5 minutes off the grill before slicing.

3. Grill corn alongside the chicken, rotating every few minutes until charred on all sides. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut kernels off the cob.

4. Divide lettuce between two plates, then top with grilled corn, tomatoes, cilantro, and grilled chicken. Drizzle with prepared dressing.

Rating: 4 of 5

I really liked this salad. My only complaint is the heat of the dressing, but that is easily remedied by taking out the chipotle pepper before blending. I thought the chicken marinade was perfect and just the right flavor to go with the salad and cilantro. For the corn, I brushed it with olive oil and then grilled it. Loved the flavor in the salad. Super easy salad to make although it does require a little bit of prep time. I'd definitely make this again.

Source: Iowa Girl Eats, Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken Salad

Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 c. (8 oz.) dry penne pasta

8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 c)

1 12-oz can evaporated milk

2 c. (8 oz pkg) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend *

1 t. dried basil

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. ground black pepper

* I totally spaced getting this when I made my grocery run, so I just used the normal Mexican blend that I had and then added a bit of Parmesan cheese to it. I thought the end result was still delicious.

Recipe:

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain.

2. Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder, and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese in melted. Remove from heat.

3. Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.

Rating: 3.75 of 5

I thought it was at least a 4, but LaDon said, "it could have had more cheese and...unhealthy things." Haha. Well, despite those drawbacks, I thought this was a good mac and cheese type dish. I didn't feel heavy but you still got great taste. And it was still yummy as leftovers the next day. 

Source: Very Best Baking, Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, undrained

1 can Rotel, undrained (aka: green chilies and tomatoes)

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

1 t. cumin

1 T. chili powder *

1 t. onion powder

1 8-oz pkg. light cream cheese

2 chicken breasts

* I thought the whole T. was a little too much heat for me, so next time I will only use 1/2 T.

Recipe:

1. Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of slow cooker pot. Pour on can of corn, Rotel, and black beans.

2. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together.

3. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low 6-8 hours.

4. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

A bit spicy for my taste with the whole tablespoon of chili powder, but that's easily fixed. We really liked this chili. I don't really have much to say about it other than it was a creamy version of the Chicken Tortilla Soup, which is one of our all time favorite soups. And, I do think this soup would be good topped with some chopped cilantro.

Source: Plain Chicken, Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

I never did end up getting a picture of these cookies. I would only bake 8 at a time and they would just disappear!

Ingredients:

2 c. minus 2 T. cake flour

1 2/3 c. bread flour

1 1/4 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. coarse salt

1 1/4 c. unsalted butter

1 1/4 c. light brown sugar

1 c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/4 lbs. chocolate chips*

* 1 lb chocolate chips = 2 2/3 c. -- I used what I had which was normal semisweet, white chocolate, and mini chocolate chips

Recipe:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

2. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs. Stir in vanilla. Reduce to low speed and slowly add dry ingredients until just combined.

4. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 24-36 hours.

5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Rating: 5 of 5

I have low self-esteem when it comes to making chocolate chip cookies. Just chocolate chip cookies. Why? Well, because it doesn't matter what I do, they never turn out! But, this recipe actually works for me. I don't know why, but I didn't have a single bad batch, or cookie for that matter, over the 3 days that it took me to bake all the dough. To get a good soft cookie after it cools though, you need to drop enough dough to almost make a golf ball (which is my guess since I'm really not that familiar with golf balls....so let's say a ping pong ball since I do know those). These cookies are just so good! Oh yeah, I definitely don't think you need to refrig for 24-36 hours. I made my first batch after a 4 hour stint in the fridge and they turned out just the same as the dough that stayed in for the allotted time.

Source: I Am Baker, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 large eggs

1/4 c. coconut milk, optional

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. panko bread crumbs

1 c. shredded coconut

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. vegetable oil, divided

1 c. sweet chili sauce

Recipe:

1. Cut off any extra fat globules from your chicken breasts. Cut each breast into 6 strips, diagonally to prevent the end strips from being really short.

2. Prepare your breading station by gathering three bowls. In the first bowl, combine the flour and salt. In the second bowl, combine the eggs and coconut milk. Whisk together until well combined. In the third bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut.

3. Place 1/4 c. of vegetable oil in a large heavy duty skillet and heat over medium heat until it is just below smoking. You can test the heat by throwing in a little bit of flour. When it is hot enough, the flour with sizzle and create a lot of bubbles.

4. While the oil is heating, dredge chicken strips. First, coat each strip in the flour and salt mixture. Then dip each into the eggs/coconut milk and finally coat each in panko shredded coconut.

5. Place about 6 strips in the pan at once. There should be only one layer of chicken and about 1-inch distance between each piece. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side of until they are golden brown and crispy. Place them on a plate with paper towel. Continue frying remaining chicken. Oil might become low, in which case, add the second 1/4 c. of oil.

6. Serve with chili dipping sauce.

Rating: 4 of 5

LaDon wanted to rate these higher, like 4.5, but I didn't like them that much. The chicken was good, but in all honesty, I couldn't taste the coconut at all. It was just a crunchy chicken strip (which are good). I was hoping for a much more flavorful chicken considering all the frying that went on. However, with that said, I did serve these up with some honey-mustard and it greatly improved everything (which means that we didn't use the sweet chili sauce). For the sake of crispy chicken strips for LaDon, I would make these again.

Source: Budget Bytes, Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce