Taco aka Crack Dip

I can't believe I've never posted this dip! Whenever my friends have get togethers, this is what they ask me to bring. It's one of the easiest things you can make. And, as the name suggests, once you start eating it, you can't stop! 

Ingredients:

2 blocks cream cheese, room temperature

16 oz. sour cream

1 taco seasoning packet

½ cup salsa

Couple dashes of hot sauce

2 cups shredded Colby Jack or Mexican cheese

In a medium size Tupperware bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheese with a hand mixer.  Stir in cheese.  Refrigerate for an hour or two so that flavors combine.  I usually make mine up a day ahead of time. 

Serve with tortilla chips!

Rather than doing this in a bowl, feel free to spread out in a pan and top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, etc. 

Easy enchilada dip

This is one of our family favorite throw together meals when we’re enjoying a quite night at home watching movies or football.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

1 can enchilada sauce

½ block of velveeta (give or take to taste)

1 small jar salsa

Tortilla chips

Brown ground beef and drain.  Add enchilada sauce and let cook for a few minutes.  Add salsa and velveeta until melted and warmed through.  Serve with tortilla chips.

If you want to give it a little more kick, use rotel instead of salsa and add a few dashes of hot sauce.  

Hot chicken queso dip

Ingredients:

1 block (32 oz) of velveeta cheese.

1 package (8 oz) of cream cheese.

1 can (10 oz) of rotel.

1 can (10.75 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 pound of shredded chicken

2 Tbsp hot sauce

¼ cup salsa

In a crock pot, pour the cream cheese and add in the velveeta cheese after you cut it into cubes. Stir in all ingredients and cook on low for an hour.

**You can substitute the chicken for ground beef or sausage and the cream of chicken with cream of mushroom.

This was ooey gooey cheesy goodness.  Personally, next time I would add a little more hot sauce or use hot instead of mild rotel but I like things spicy.  

Baked grilled cheese and Chili Bar

I hosted a dinner party for friends the other night.  Eight of them to be exact. I made a huge batch of chili and all the fixings.  Where I grew up, you accompany your chili with a cinnamon roll or grilled cheese.  I know, some of you say, what? Where's the cornbread? I'm from the North, that's just how we roll. I didn't want to waste precious wine drinking time at the stove cooking one or two grilled cheese at a time.  I found a few recipes online that said you can make them in the oven. I've heard this rumor before but never had a reason to try it.  This was the night. There are different variations of how to do it but I chose the simplest one.

Grilled Cheese in the oven
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Butter one side of 6 pieces of bread and place butter side down on a baking sheet.  Top with a slice of cheese of your choice.  Butter 6 more slices of bread and lay on top of the cheese, butter side up.  Sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 6-8 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.  Flip and bake 6-8 more minutes.  Keep in mind the tops won't be brown, it cooks from the bottom!

The sandwiches turned out great! I cut in diagonals and we dipped away!

For the chili I used my usual recipe found here but doubled it to feed the crowd.  I threw it in the crockpot before I went to work in the morning so it was really easy prep pre-party.

For the Build Your Own Chili Bar I had the following for people to enjoy:
shredded cheese
green onion
jalapenos
sour cream
cinnamon rolls
french bread
grilled cheese
saltine crackers
ritz crackers
tortilla chips
butter
hot sauce

Success!!! 

Pineapple Lime Grilled Chicken with Mango-Pineapple Salsa

Mango-Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

 3 – Ripe Ataulfo (Yellow) Mangos. 2 larger regular mangos may also be used.

1 can crushed pineapple in juice

1 small chopped red onion

1 small bunch chopped cilantro

3 limes

1 can of chipotles in adobo sauce *

3 tablespoons of honey

Cut mangos in to small pieces and place in large bowl. Combine half can crushed pineapple to the mangos reserving juice and remaining half for chicken marinade. Add chopped red onions, half the bunch of chopped cilantro, juice of one lime, honey, one chopped chipotle pepper and teaspoon of adobo sauce.

*You can add more sauce or chilies, or omit them totally depending on your preference. Remember to always add a little at a time when using chipotles and adobo sauce for the first time. It’s easier to add a little spice then to take it out!

Refrigerate, covered, for a few hours or for best results let sit overnight.

Pineapple Lime Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

½ can crushed pineapples with juice

2 limes, juiced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp dry herbs. I like to use tarragon or an herb mixture.

 ½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp lime zest

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

6 pieces butterflied boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 1 whole chicken cut into pieces.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. You can also use some of the juice from your salsa mixture for extra flavor. Reserve about ¼ cup of the marinade to baste the chicken with while it’s cooking. Wash chicken thoroughly; pat dry, and season breasts with salt and pepper. Place in gallon baggies or large glass dish, coat evenly with marinade, and cover. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours, best if left to marinade overnight.

If cooking on the stovetop, it is best to use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and cook 2-3 breasts at a time to avoid overcrowding. Preheat your skillet and add about a tablespoon of oil. Heat in cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, sear on both sides and reduce heat. Cover with lid and cook until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.

If grilling on a bbq outdoors, clean and preheat your grill. Us a cloth or paper towel and oil to brush on grates to keep chicken from sticking. Grill the chicken over moderate heat, flipping once halfway through cooking, brushing the meat periodically with the reserved marinade. Grill until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. Grilling times will vary based on the cut of meat and the type of grill you're using.

Let meat rest 10 minutes before serving.

Shredded salsa chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

2 cups salsa

Salt & pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts in the crock pot.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with salsa.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Remove and shred with a fork. 

Recipes don’t get much easier than this.  Set it and forget it! The chicken was very moist and had a good flavor. Would be wonderful paired with the Mexican chopped salad! 

Lyndee’s Spicy Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage

½ c. salsa or picante sauce (If you don’t like the chunks, substitute some spicy V8 juice)

1 can chili beans

1 large can diced tomatoes (I use a quart size jar of my Grandma’s tomatoes)

2 tbsp. Jalapeño cream cheese

1 tbsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Minced garlic

Shredded pepper jack

Brown Italian sausage with minced garlic.  I like to add some chopped onion if I have any on hand.  In a large pot mix all other ingredients except shredded pepper jack.  Add meat once cooked.  Bring to a quick boil and then cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until warmed through and cream cheese has melted.  Serve and top with shredded pepper jack, crackers, sour cream or whatever you desire.

This can also be done in a crockpot on low heat for 4 hours.  Just dump and go! 

To “unspice” and make my normal chili, make as directed but leave out the cream cheese, hot sauce, red pepper flakes and pepper jack. 

Pepper jack salsa chicken

Review by Lyndee

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

½ cup salsa

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

5-8 Ritz crackers

Spray butter

4 Laughing cow creamy pepper jack wedges

4 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

Pico di gallo

Marinate chicken breast in minced garlic and salsa for one hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut chicken breast into four 4 oz tenders.  Place in greased 8 x 8 pan.  Crush the crackers and spread on top of the chicken.  Squirt with spray butter.  Bake for 30 minutes. 

When cooked through, top each piece with a wedge of laughing cow pepper jack and crumbled bacon bits.  Add a bit of pico and enjoy!

This was simple to make and tasted outstanding! It was some of the best chicken I’ve ever made.  Not too shabby for throwing a bunch of things in my fridge together.  

Pepper jack and bacon omelet - 150 calories

Want to spice up your morning breakfast but keep it healthy?  How about 150 calories and 11 grams of protein?  This quick and easy omelet is my new favorite breakfast meal.  

Ingredients:

1 egg, scrambled

1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 wedge Laughing Cow Pepperjack cheese

1 tsp garden fresh salsa or pico di gallo 

Cook bacon and set aside on a paper towel to cool.  Pour egg into heated pan.  When first side is done, flip.  Spread crumbled bacon and chunks of cheese onto one half of the egg.  Let set for a minute.  Flip the empty side of the egg over the bacon and cheese.  Cook a bit longer so that the cheese begins to melt.  Top with fresh salsa or pico and enjoy! 

Taco cups

Review by Lyndee:

We had some leftover taco meat and I decided to make a snack last night.  It turned out great and would be a fun appetizer for your next party. 

Ingredients:

Scoops tortilla chips

Ground beef (seasoned with a taco packet)-you could also use ground turkey or shredded chicken breast

Shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese

Salsa

Sour cream

Optional: onions, tomatoes, lettuce and other taco fixings

Add warm meat to your scoop.  Sprinkle on some shredded cheese.  Bake in the oven at 350 for four-five minutes.  The cheese will start to melt and the scoops will begin to brown a bit.  Make sure not to cook them too long or you will burn your chips! Remove from oven and garnish with your favorite taco toppings. I did sour cream and salsa.  Delicious! It doesn’t get much easier than that.