"Everything in the Kitchen Fridge" Chicken

This meal came about because I needed to cook dinner but didn't have anything planned. It was my day off and the thought of going to the grocery store made me cuddle even deeper on the couch in my pajamas. So instead I whipped up this marinade with pretty much everything we had in our fridge-and a few things from the closet. It was surprisingly delicious!

"Everything in the Kitchen Fridge" Chicken

Source: Tyler's Taste Test Original

1 lb thin chicken breasts

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

2tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp ketchup

Combine everything, except for the chicken. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the chicken and marinade for 8 hours.

Take the chicken/marinade mixture from the fridge and add to a skillet. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and continue heating the sauce, stirring often, to thicken. Pour over the chicken and serve. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

You guys have no idea how excited I am to finally post this recipe. I've spent the past three months trying out different pizza dough recipes and searching for the best one. There have been some good ones and some really bad ones. There have also been recipes that have completely failed. But this one from Annies Eats is perfect. Her Deep Dish one is also pretty good if you're looking for deep dish pizza.

*I used a different baking method than Annie because I didn't have a pizza stone. I followed the directions on the yeast packet and baked mine on the lowest rack at 475º between 10-13 minutes. I put the dough in either a baking pan or a clear bottomed glass baking dish. The glass dish works best because it allows you to check the bottom of the crust to make sure it's browning, not burning.

Pizza Crust

Source: Annie's Eats

1/2 cup warm water (about110º)

1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast

1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 tsp salt

olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Meausre the warm water into a liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at a low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and put in a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until it has doubled in size, about 1.5-2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500º for at least thirty minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough and keeping the other covered, shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with cornmeal. Top as desired. Slide the bough onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and the cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8-12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining ball of dough or freeze for later use. Enjoy!

*Pizza dough was one of the things on my 23x23 list!

Ragu a la Bolognese

I hope y'all enjoyed all the pumpkin recipes! I had a lot of fun looking for recipes to try and trying out all the ones I picked. I'm still enjoying some pumpkin snickerdoodles with my pumpkin spice latte!

There isn't a trace of pumpkin in this recipe but it sure was good. It does take awhile to make so I suggest picking a day where you have lots of time to prepare dinner. It also makes quite a lot of spaghetti sauce so you may want to think about freezing half and saving it for later.

Ragu a la Bolognese

Source: Christine's Kitchen Chronicles

1 lb ground beef

1 pound italian sausage

7 oz bacon or pancetta, sliced

1 ;arge onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

28 oz can diced tomatoes

2.5 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp pepper

3.5 cps beef broth

2.5 tbsp fresh basil chopped

pinch of dried basil

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, melt butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4 minutes. Add the vegetables and garlic and cook an additional 5 minutes. Crumble the ground meats into the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, until browned.

Pour in milk and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes, broth, basil, bay leaves, pepper, and salt. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

After sauce has rested for a little while, skim the grease off the top of the sauce. Adjust seasonings as needed and serve over hot pasta. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Week: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Hope y'all are enjoying all the pumpkin recipes! Today's recipe stood out to me because it involves a cookie you normally only see at Christmas: Snickerdoodles.

But these are even better than regular snickerdoodles because they have pumpkin in them! I love baking with pumpkin because it gives the cookies a different texture. These were delicious. The pumpkin flavor wasn't super pronounced but you could definitely taste it.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Source: Erin's Food Files

For the cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1.5 cups granulated white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extrace

3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the rolling sugar:

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground allspice

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter until fluffy. Add sugar and pumpkin puree and beat well. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the ingredients.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Beat the flour mixture into the liquid mixture a little at a time until just incorporated.

Cover dough with plastic and chill at least an hour, or until dough becomes slightly firm.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray. Mix rolling sugar ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove cookie dough from refrigerator. Use a medium cookie scoop or a large spoon to scoop out dough and roll into balls. Use your hands to roll the balls in cinnamon sugar nd make sure they are coated really well. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Use a flat-bottomed glass dipped in sugar and flatten the balls.

Bake at 350º for 10-14 minutes, until they are slightly firm to the touch. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes and then remove them to a wire rack and cool completely. Enjoy!

*Store in an airtight container. These cookies freeze well. Just place them in a freezer zip bag and remove from freezer when the craving hits.

Baked Shells with Pesto, Mozzarella, and Meat Sauce

I thought I had blogged this one a long time ago but when I found these pictures while cleaning out my iPhoto I realized I hadn't! The first time I made this recipe, I substituted the mini shells with stuffed shells-Neil's a big fan of food he can eat with his hands. This time, since it was just for me, I made it easier on myself by just using the mini shells.

Baked Shells with Pesto, Mozzarella, and Meat Sauce

Recipe Source: Cooking This and That

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1.25 lbs ground beef

28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

2 tsp salt

3/4 cup pesto

1 pound pasta shells

2 cups shredded mozzarella

6 tbsp grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a 15 x 10 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain if needed.Add the tomatoes and salt to the pan and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in pesto.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and toss with sauce. Put half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella and 3 tablespoons of Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining pasta mixture and cheese.

Bake until bubbling and slightly brown on top, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Rachel Ray's Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

I'm not a huge tv person but whenever I need something in the background while I'm cleaning or doing homework I usually turn on the Food channel. It makes very good background noise and I know as long as I catch the last 5 minutes I won't have missed any huge plot twists. Rachel Ray is one of my favorite cooks to watch. I found this recipe while searching for a dessert I had seen on one of her shows (don't ask how I got from dessert to cheeseburger chili mac and cheese). The combination sounded like a interesting one and I had to out it on our weekly meal list.

This was delicious. You could taste the separate chili and cheeseburger tastes and they went great together. Recipe is from Rachel Ray.

2 tbsp EVOO

1.5 pounds ground sirloin

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp chili powder

salt and ground black pepper

1/2 cup ketchu

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1-2 cups beef stock (use more if you want it more liquidy)

pound elbow macaroni

1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat broiler and bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Place a pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground sirloin and cook until brown, about 6 minutes. Add the onion and chili powder to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is tender, 5 minutes. Add the ketchup, mustard, tomato sauce, and beef stock to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, about 5 mintues.

While the chili is simmering, add the pasta to your salted boiling water. Cook to al dente, drain, and return to pot. Add the chili to the pasta pot and mix well.

Transfer everything to a casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese. Place the casserole under the broiler to melt the cheese. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Chili

You know that feeling when you come home and your husband has just baked chocolate chip cookies (or in my husbands case, lit our birthday cake scented candle and let it burn) and the delicious smell has filled your house? I love that smell. Making this was nothing like that.

Instead, imagine the smell of buffalo wings filling your entire house. As delicious as they taste, I'd rather come home to a house that smells like birthday cake, not buffalo wings. But the hubby loved it and has suggested we invent a buffalo scented candle since Yankee Candle has yet to put one on the market. Yeah, we'll get right on that babe.

Buffalo chicken chili does taste as good as it smells though, as long as that smell is contained to the steam wafting from my bowl. The original recipe for this, from Prevention RD, called for it to be made over the stove but I had no time and no other crock pot meal on the menu for that week so chili it was. Prevention RD had made this recipe twice and the second time she followed the recipe exactly and put the chicken and veggies in the food processor and pureed it all up. It's all a matter of preference but the next time I make this I'll stick to simply chopping everything up. The chili was spicy and delicious and a great alternative to your usual chili but the weird texture distracted a bit from the taste.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 large carrots

3 stalks of celery

1 large red pepper

5 cloves of garlic (I substituted a little garlic powder)

5 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 cup of Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce (or your preferred buffalo wing sauce)

2 15 oz cans tomato sauce

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can black beans, drained (I, of course, omitted because of hubby's deep dislike of beans)

1 15 oz can chili beans in sauce (once again, these were omitted)

salt and pepper to taste (I left this out and we just added as needed while we were eating)

Put chicken breasts in food processor to grind up. Rinse out food processor and add carrots, celery, garlic, and red pepper and puree. (You can just choose to cut up all the veggies/chicken if you'd prefer for a different texture). Add veggies and chicken to crock pot along with the rest of ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Blue Ribbon Chili

I've posted before about hubby's deep dislike of beans and my love for them. I was craving chili- real chili with beans- so I added it to our menu and kept quiet about the beans. My husband exhibited 5-year old tendencies during this meal and ate around every single bean and dumped them in the trash can, all while giving me a slightly nasty look. He can be so cute sometimes.

Even though hubby wasn't a fan, I loved it. This is a perfect chili recipe and we'll definitely be making it again. Recipe from And a Cookie for Dessert.

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 ts garlic salt

2.5 cups tomato sauce

8 oz salsa

4 tbsp (1 packet) chili seasoning mix

15 oz can light red kidney beans

15 oz can dark red kidney beans

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine the ground beef and onion and saute for 10 minutes, until beef is browned and onion is tender. Drain.

Add the beef mixture along with the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Chicken Brunswick Stew

I love brunswick stew but this was my first time making it. The only other times I've had it has been with my aunt. She's from South Georgia and makes an amazing brunswick stew. Actually anything she makes is pretty amazing. She even catered our wedding!

This isn't her recipe it's from Crockpot Tuesdays. It was delicious and easy as almost all crock pot meals are. It makes a ton so Neil took some for lunch and we froze the rest for a later date.

2 large onions, chopped (I used two medium onions and it felt like a lot of onion. But I'm not a huge onion fan)

3 chicken breasts

2 cans cream-style corn

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

12 oz bottle chili sauce

1 can chicken broth

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup butter, cut up

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp sugar

Place onions in the bottom of the crock pot. Lay chicken breasts on top. Add the rest of the ingredients, and carefully stir to combine (without disturbing the chicken and onions). Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Place chicken back in the stew and stir to combine. Enjoy!

Spicy Potato Soup

With all the hours I'm taking this semester I've decided to start making freezer meals. That way, if I ever have a busy week with lots of tests, or just get tired of doing it all, I have a go-to meal in our fridge and we don't have to go out and get fast food for dinner. We do that quite a bit even with all the meal planning I do so one of our goals for 2011 is to cut out the fast food visits. This made quite a bit as a single batch so I was able to get two freezer meals out of the second batch.

This reminded me of something that I couldn't quite place. Maybe it's shepherd's pie because of the meat and potatoes. Regardless, of what it reminded me of, it was delicious. I upped the spiciness a bit and it was a great ending to a long day. Recipe from Cooking This and That.

1 lb ground beef

4 cups cubed peeled potatoes (1/2 inch cubes) or 4 cups hash browns, defrosted (I used hash browns)

1 small onion, chopped

24 oz tomato sauce

4 cups water

2 tsp salt

1.5 tsp pepper

1/2 to 1 tsp hot pepper sauce

In a dutch oven or large kettle, brown ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the potatoes, onion, and tomato sauce. Stir in the water, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for an hour or until potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened. Make sure to stir occasionally. Serve with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

(Image from thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com. I was in such a hurry I forgot to snap a picture)

Today has been a long, long day. It was the first day of classes so after dropping hubby off at work at 6:45 and our pup off at Doggy Day Care (yes-we're those kind of people(: ), I had to drive the 50 minutes down to San Diego for class. Luckily, I didn't have an early class like last semester so my drive time was cut in half. After 3 long classes, driving home, grocery shopping, and picking up Lucy from day care, I arrived home to a messy house. I thought about cleaning and cooking dinner but decided leftovers would be okay and laid down on the couch for a quick nap.

An hour later, Neil comes home and wakes me up to remind me that we have our Growth Group (Bible Study) tonight and that I volunteered to make apps for this weeks meeting. I immediately freaked out because I had less than an hour and a half to put together something for 10-12 people and I hadn't planned anything. I spent about 5 minutes staring at the contents of the fridge before I remembered this recipe found on Easy as Pie. All of these ingredients are pretty much common household food items other than pepperoni but we just happened to have some in the fridge. I set to work whipping up a double batch and we made it with two minutes to spare to the meeting.

Everyone enjoyed them, especially Neil who decided these would make a perfect dinner. They were so easy to throw together and I'll definitely be making them again. I'm thinking a Hawaiian version would be delicious. One of the best things about these is how you can personalize them to whatever flavor pizza you what. Add some garlic, some onions, some peppers-anything you want! The Superbowl is coming up and these little guys will definitely be making an appearance on our menu!

*No picture but I'll be making more soon*

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup whole milk (I used 1% and it worked fine)

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

4 oz pepperoni, cut into small pieces (about 1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 375º. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. (A 12-cup works fine you will just have to cook 2 batches). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Whisk in the egg and milk. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni. Let stand for 10 minutes. (I skipped the standing part since I was in a rush).

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 tablespoon of basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining basil. Serve the puffs warm with the pizza sauce for dipping.

To freeze: Bake completely and then freeze the baked puffs in a single layer on a baking sheet in a freezer bag. To reheat, bake the frozen puffs on a baking sheet in a 35º oven for 8-20 minutes.

Giada's Cheesy Baked Tortellini

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before but I love cheese. Pretty much any kind will do but I'm especially in love with parmesan. Neil will occasionally bring me home a block of parmesan as a surprise gift to be romantic. He's kind of cheesy like that :) Bad puns aside, any recipe with the word "cheesy" in it is like a flag waving me down. When I saw this recipe on Melissa's blog, I bookmarked it and put it on our weekly menu the first chance I got. I love watching the food network and everything Giada makes look's delicious. This recipe did not disappoint.

I wasn't quite sure how the smoked mozzarella would work out but it was perfect. It was a tad bit smoky but the flavors of the mascarpone and parmesan cheese blended well with it. If you're not a fan of smoky, I would substitute regular mozzarella. Mascarpone is kind of expensive so substituting ricotta is a possibility I recommend splurging for the mascarpone!

olive oil

2 cups marinara sauce

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 tsps chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 pound cheese tortellini

2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350º. Lightly oil an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Mix the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese on the top melt, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Tortilla Lasagna Casserole

This was delicious. But not very pretty. Hubby had 24 hour duty tonight so I wanted to bring him something more exciting than a frozen pizza or a hot pocket for dinner. This was very easy to make and delicious according to his text! Between taking his over to base and dealing with cleaning the house I completely forgot to take a picture. So... picture a burrito unwrapped and spread all over the place. That's exactly what it looks like! Recipe source.

1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained

1/2 package of taco seasoning

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup chopped green onions

3/4 cup salsa

1 5 oz. can diced green chiles

2 large tortillas

1 cup sourcream

1-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine cooked ground beef with taco seasoning, water, and green onions. Stir in salsa and green chiles.

Spray a 9- inch round cake pan with a nonstick spray. Place a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, pressing up the edges if needed. Top with half of the beef mixture. Spread half of the sour cream on top of the beef. Sprinkle with half of the cheddar cheese.

Repeat with another tortilla, followed be beef mixture, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes (remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time).

Pesto Palmiers

This recipe appealed to me not only because I love pesto but also because it's so quick! When I have company, I hate spending lots of time in the kitchen. I'd much rather make a quick meal and spend time talking while dinner cooks. This recipe would also work if you had unexpected company and needed something to share.

The recipe is from Confections of a Foodie Bride.

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1/2-3/4 cup pesto

1 egg

1tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375º. Roll out the puff pastry on a piece of parchment into a 12x12 inch square. Spread the pesto within a 1/2 inch of each side of the pastry. Using your spatula, make three indentions on the top edge of the dough at 3 inches, 6 inches, and 9 inches to divide the sheet into quarters.

Fold the left and right edges of the puff pastry halfway to the center of the dough (to the closest quarter-mark indention). Fold the sides to the middle again until they're almost touching. Fold the two halves together like a book.

(You can stop here and freeze for later use. Just let the logs thaw a bit and then proceed)

Cut into 1/2 inch slices and place onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Whisk egg and water together and brush over the palmiers. Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes. Palmiers are best the day of baking.

Baked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

I love the recipe I use for enchiladas. It's easy, delicious, and my hubby's favorite dish. I had a lot of chicken to use up this week though so I decided to try a new recipe. I found this one over at The Mess Pot. It was very easy to put together and while it doesn't top my beef version, it still makes for a delicious meal.

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sour cream

2 cups prepared salsa

2 cups grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

Salt and Pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced

12-14 soft round 6-8 inch corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 325º. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and the sour cream. Stir in the 1/2 cup of the salsa and 1 cup of grated cheese. In a second bowl, toss together teh chicken, corn cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and 1/2 the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

In a baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of salsa over the bottom. Place about a1/4 cup of the mixture on the tortilla, roll up and transfer to the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour remaining salsa over the enchiladas, spreading to coat all of them. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and serve warm. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Empanadas

One of my favorite things from Taco Bell used to be the caramel apple empanada. Minus the fact that it was over 300 calories it was delicious. I loved the pastry outside and the gooeyinside made it that much better. When I found this recipe here I had to try it. I could still get the delicious pastry outside but with a much healthier inside. Plus they are baked instead of fried! I slightly adapted the recipe to include a small can of green chilies instead of the jalopeno since it's what we had on hand.

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken

8 ounces shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend

4 ounces of cream cheese softened

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 jalopeno, seeded and chopped (or small can of green chilies)

1 tbsp ground cumin (I used chili powder)

1.5 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

15 oz package refrigerated pie crusts

water

Preheat oven to 400º. Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and the next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15 inch curcle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter or the rim of a cup. Re-roll dough as needed to make 12-15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean flat surface. Lightly brush the edge of the crust with water. Place one heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture into the center of the round. Fold dough over the filling and press the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (At this point, the recipe can be frozen for up to 1 month) Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Enchi-ritos

Enchi-ritos is what Neil and I named one of our favorite meals. They are enchiladas but with flour tortillas instead of corn. Technically, they could be considered burritos, but we use enchilada sauce. This is an original recipe, although it wasn't that hard to create :) No picture for these because they disappear too quickly!

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup onion chopped (or more whatever suits your tastes)

8 (10-inch) flour tortillas

pack of taco seasoning

shredded cheddar cheese

1 can of enchilada sauce

Optional add ins:

Mexican Rice or Yellow Rice

Refried beans

1 can of green chile peppers

1 can of sliced black olives drained

Sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and chopped onion until evenly browned. Add taco seasoning according to directions. Meanwhile, pour half of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. On each tortilla, place a small amount of ground beef mixture, cheese, and any optional add ins that you want. Tightly roll the tortillas and place them seam side down in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Enjoy!

Baked Ziti

We love pasta and it's on our menu at least once a week. Usually, we go with the same few meals and just alternate them every week but this week I decided to go with something different. We had a box of ziti in the closet waiting to be used with a recipe on the back waiting to be tried. Baked Ziti was very easy to make but it was incredibly satisfying. It reminded me of my moms amazing lasagna without the meat. It was rich, creamy, and super cheesy!

1 box of ziti, cooked

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

15 oz. ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 Tbsp parsley

1 egg

1 Tsp oregano

1/2 Tsp garlic powder

1/2 Tsp salt

1/4 Tsp black pepper

3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375ºF. In a large bowl, stir together hot pasta, 1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parsley, egg, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In a 13x9x2- inch baking dish, spoon pasta mixture in. Top with the remaining 1-1/2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and then cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.