Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

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Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

These little pizza bites were delicious! They were a perfect appetizer for our New Year's Eve party.

Printable Recipe

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
pinch of salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup cubed pepperoni
1/2 cup marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Whisk in the milk and the egg. Stir in the mozzarella, parmesan, and pepperoni. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and pour into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Microwave the marinara sauce until warmed through. Serve the pizza puffs with the warm sauce for dipping.

Makes 24 mini muffins

Recipe adapted from Lick the Bowl Good

Past Recipes:
One year ago: Tomatillo Salsa
Two years ago: Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Three years ago: Homemade Salsa

Mini Meatball Sandwiches

Meatball sandwiches are one of my favorite things ever! I thought this recipe was great because these are sliders so they're a little easier to eat. This is a great recipe for kids. My kids loved it! It would also be a fun appetizer for a party.

Printable Recipe

Mini Meatball Sandwiches
1 lb ground chuck or ground beef
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
12 dinner rolls or slider rolls
6 slices provolone cheese, cut in fourths

Mix together meat, bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized meatballs.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for one minute. Add meatballs and brown for one minute on each side. Pour in spaghetti sauce; shake pan gently to mix. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut each dinner roll down the middle. Place a wedge of provolone on the top and bottom of each roll. Spoon a meatball with the sauce onto the bun. Serve immediately.

Recipe source: Pioneer Woman

Past recipes:
One year ago: Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Two years ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Southwest Avocado Bean Dip

I started a bunco group with some of my friends in my neighborhood. It's a great chance for me to have a much needed girls night every month. The first game night was at my house. I made this dip along with these sugar cookie bars and it was a huge hit! This dip would also be great for the Super Bowl since it's coming up this weekend.

Printable Recipe

Southwest Avocado Bean Dip
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Wheat Thins

Mash avocados in a medium bowl; stir in sour cream, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Add all remaining ingredients except crackers. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Serve with Wheat Thins.

Recipe adapted from Kraft Recipes

Past recipes:
One year ago: Lemon Garlic Tilapia
Two years ago: Catalina Chicken

Tomatillo Salsa

I always get the Mexican pack when it's offered with Bountiful Baskets. It always comes with lots of tomatillos so I love to make this salsa. It's the same salsa from this recipe, but I half the recipe. Not only is it great on enchiladas, it's also great with chips or served with any type of Mexican food. We love salsa in our house! 


Printable Recipe


Tomatillo Salsa
1/2 lb tomatillos, husked (6-8)
1/2 onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, with skin on
1 jalapenos
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cilantro
lime juice, to taste


Preheat oven to 400. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeno on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Roast for 12-15 minutes. Remove skin from garlic and tops from jalapeno. Transfer roasted vegetables into a food processor or blender. Add cumin, salt, and cilantro. Pulse until well combined but still chunky. Stir in lime juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

I know this isn't the greatest picture but I promise these quesadillas are so good. My husband was out of town a few weeks ago and I wanted to make something low maintenance for dinner since it was just me and the kids. I wanted to make something that was kid friendly but also something that I would enjoy. So I came up with this chicken mixture and made quesadillas. It was so delicious; so much better than I expected it to be. It was probably the best quesadilla I've ever had! The best part was there was enough left over for us to have it for dinner the next night. Bonus!

Printable Recipe

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes

1/2 bell pepper, diced

2 green onions, sliced

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup salsa

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

shredded cheese

tortillas

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and green onions and cook until chicken is cooked through. Stir in beans, salsa, sour cream, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Heat through, about 10 minutes. Heat a griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place tortilla on griddle. Place cheese on the top half of the tortilla. Top with chicken mixture. Fold up bottom of tortilla, making a half circle. Heat until bottom is lightly browned. Flip quesadilla and cook on the other side until lightly browned. Cut into triangles.

Makes about 8 quesadillas

Baby Girl Shower

This week I threw a pink baby shower for my sister. She has 3 boys and she's finally having a girl! I had so much fun planning this shower and trying to make everything pink. We served tortilla roll-ups, strawberry spinach salad, pink punch, watermelon, mini cupcakes, and oreo truffles dipped in pink chocolate. The food was delicious and the shower was a huge success!

Me and my sister

 The food....

These oreo truffles are to die for! I was especially excited that I found pink chocolate to dip them in :)

Who doesn't love a mini cupcake? 

Tortilla Roll-Ups

Printable Recipe

Tortilla Roll-Ups

7-8 burrito size flour tortillas

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

3 Tbsp sliced green onion

3 Tbsp diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

21-24 pieces of thinly sliced ham

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, green chiles, green onion, red bell pepper, cilantro, and cheese. Spread a thin layer on each tortilla. Top with 2-3 pieces of ham. Roll up tightly and place seam side down. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, cut into 1/2" slices.

Makes 70-80 roll-ups

Recipe adapted from Southern Food

Baked Southwest Egg Rolls

These were so good. I love the Southwest Egg Rolls at Chili's so when I saw this recipe I was excited to try it. The filling tastes exactly the same. The only difference is they're baked and not fried which is even better to me. Food always seems really heavy when it's fried. This really isn't an egg roll at all; it's actually mini burritos. But either way, it's so yummy!

Printable Recipe

Baked Southwest Egg Rolls

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 lb chicken breast, cubed

1 green or red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup frozen corn

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups shredded cheese

2-3 dozen fajita size tortillas

Chipotle Sauce:

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup salsa

1 tsp canned chipotle chilies in adobo, minced

Mix together ingredients for sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add chicken and peppers. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in beans, spinach, corn, and spices. Mix well and cook until heated through. Stir in cheese and cook until melted. 

Heat tortillas in microwave until warm. Place a small amount of filling in the center of each tortilla. Fold in the sides and roll up tightly. Place on baking sheets seam side down. Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with dipping sauce.

*Can serve as a main dish or an appetizer

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Nachos

This is the same recipe found here but I decided to switch it up and use chicken instead. So I came up with this recipe and we loved it! 


Printable Recipe


Chicken Nachos


Chicken:
1  1/2 lb chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup salsa


Cheese Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese
salt and pepper

Toppings:
tortilla chips
diced tomatoes
olives
salsa
guacamole
sour cream

In a medium saucepan, combine chicken, spices, and salsa. Heat through. For cheese sauce melt butter in a  medium size pot. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Slowly stir in milk. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to medium and stir continuously until sauce is thickened. Stir in shredded cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chips topped with chicken mixture and cheese sauce. Top with tomatoes, olives, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

Thai Lettuce Cups

Oh my goodness! These were so good. They were a little tricky to eat but that was part of the fun. It was a little spicy but I think it depends on the type of sweet chili sauce you use. Apparently the sauce I bought had a kick to it. My kids are pretty used to eating fairly spicy food so as long as we don't tell them it's spicy they don't notice. You can serve it like this or as a salad. It would probably be a little easier to eat as a salad. This was great as a main dish with some white rice on the side but I also think it would be a great appetizer. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Thai Lettuce Cups
adapted from The Sisters Cafe

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup honey
1-2 heads iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters and leaves gently removed
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped
juice of a lime (to taste)
1 handful basil, chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Drain liquid if necessary. Add bell pepper and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add sweet chili sauce and honey. Simmer to reduce and coat chicken. Before serving stir in lime juice and peanuts. Sprinkle with basil. Serve in lettuce cups.

Serves 4-6

Baked Parmesan Chicken Fingers

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 packet Shake N Bake coating mix

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

Preheat oven to 400. Add parmesan cheese to coating mix in shaker bag. Add 3 or 4 chicken tenders to shaker bag; shake until evenly coated. Repeat with remaining chicken. Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes.

Can serve as an appetizer or main dish. This is super easy and definitely a kid favorite.