Bacon Pierogi Bake

Doing the grocery shopping is just one of the many things I love about my husband. It's such a little thing but he knows I'm not a fan of that chore so each week he volunteers to go. He's pretty wonderful, if I haven't mentioned it yet.

So I really couldn't complain when I went to make dinner last week and realized there were no pierogis in our freezer. I looked over at him and asked, "Babe where are the pierogis?" He responded, "What the heck is a pierogi? I saw it on there but had no idea what it was. Sorry." Thanks love, it would have been nice to know that when I was getting ready to make dinner. But, with a little explaining of what a pierogi is and where it could be found, he made a quick trip out to grocery store and came back with exactly what I needed.

This was delicious. The cream cheese sauce tasted great with the pierogis and who doesn't like bacon?

Bacon Pierogi Bake

Source: slightly adapted from Peace, Love and French Fries

1 16 oz package frozen potato and cheddar cheese pierogies

2 bacon slices, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

pepper

Preheat oven to 400º. Arrange the pierogies in an 11 x 7 inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat, until crisp; remove from pan and set aside.

Add garlic to drippings in pan and cook for 40 seconds, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese to pan and cook for 1 minute, until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, whisking until smooth.

Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over the pierogies. Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Bake at 400º for 20 minutes, until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, sprinkle with bacon and pepper, and serve warm. Enjoy!

Super Bowl Saturdays: Italian Pinwheels

The Super Bowl is tomorrow! Is everyone excited? I hope you have all gotten some good ideas from this little series. My favorites were the Party Meatballs and the Buffalo Chicken Dip. I actually made these pinwheels because they were requested by my husband. He loves these little things and really enjoyed having them for dinner!

Italian Pinwheels

Source: slightly adapted from Pillsbury

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, finely chopped

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 cup pizza sauce, plus extra for serving

1 egg yolk

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 375º. In a small bowl, mix cheese, pepperoni, oregano, garlic salt, pizza sauce, and yolk. Unroll dough and separate into 4 triangles Firmly press the perforations to seal.

Spread each rectangle with 3 tbsp of the pepperoni mixture. Starting at the shortest side, roll up each rectangle and pinch edges to deal. Cut each roll into 6 slices. Place, cut side down, 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg white.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with extra pizza sauce. Enjoy!

Queso Blanco Dip

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before or not but Southern California has some great Mexican food. There are a ton of little hole in the wall places that may look a little scary from the outside but produce the best Mexican food. But, not a single place out here serves queso. Not one. The closest I've seen is a white cheese sauce over a burrito at a chain Mexican place that didn't come close to tasting like queso blanco dip that you get back home in Georgia.

So, every time we go home to Georgia I always want to eat at one of the Mexican restaurants. Sure it might be considered "fake" Mexican food by anyone from Southern California but it's delicious to me. It's always sooooo good but only getting it twice a year isn't enough. I finally decided I wanted to try it at home and figured what better time than now with my Super Bowl Saturdays? Queso has been sitting there on my 23 x 23 list for awhile so I finally made it.

This recipe was perfect. I upped the heat by adding a second jalopeno but you can choose how spicy you want it to be. This also heats up nicely in the microwave.

Queso Blanco Dip

Source: Annie's Eats

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1 jalopeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

12 oz. white American cheese, shredded (can be found at the deli counter)

4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/4 -2/3 cup milk

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

2 tbsp cilantro, minced

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalopeno to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add both of the shredded cheeses and 1/4 cup of the milk. Whisk or stir until completely melted. Mix in the tomato and cilantro, and add additional milk gradually as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Turkey Pesto Sliders

Whenever I think of sliders, I think of White Castle and when I think of White Castle, I think of wisdom teeth. Weird connection? Maybe. My older sister and I both got our wisdom teeth out at the same time. All I remember from the few days following it is being slightly drugged out on pain medicine, laying on the couch bed together, eating Dairy Queen ice cream and watching Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. And laughing. Because everything was funny.

White Castle's little mini burgers are so delicious but I wanted to go with slightly healthier version. So I found these turkey pesto sliders. Sliders are a perfect appetizer because they are hand-sized but very filling. These would be a great pick for the Super Bowl!

Turkey Pesto Sliders

Source: Annie's Eats

6 slider buns

6 slices of turkey deli meat

6 slices of provolone cheese

3 tbsp pesto

3 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with foil. Split the slider buns and lay a folded slice of turkey on the bottom half of each bun. Layer each with a slice of provolone. In a small bow, combine the pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix until blended. Spread a thin layer of the pesto mayonnaise on the inner side of the top half of each bun. Replace the top bun over the cheese to assemble the sandwiches. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with melted butter. Bake 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are warmed through. Enjoy!

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

I love cooking, I really do. But sometimes, I want a break. Especially after I try out a new recipe that seems promising but after an hour and a half of constant work in the kitchen I end up with something that sucks. That happened a few days ago. So to recover from it the next night I needed something easy. Easy is usually fast food for us but we're attempting to eat out less this year. Instead of going the drive through route I made these crescent rolls with things I had in my fridge.

These come together in less than 25 minutes and go great with spicy mustard. You could also serve these as appetizers. The best thing about them, according to my husband who is now interested in tracking every calorie, is that they are only 200 calories apiece! They are so easy to make and are kind of a recipe that isn't even a recipe but I figured I would share them anyways!

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

Source: Pillsbury

1 can (8oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

8 thin slices of cooked ham

4 thin slices of Cheddar cheese, each cut into 4 strips

Heat oven to 350º. Separate dough into 8 triangle. Place 1 piece of ham on each triangle; place 2 strips of cheese down the center of the ham. Fold in edges of ham to match the shape of the dough triangle.

Roll up each crescent, ending at tip of triangle. Place with tips down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15-19 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and serve warm. Enjoy!

Six Can Tortilla Soup

This recipe makes it on our weekly meal list at least once a month, usually twice. It's cheap and easy and pretty delicious. It's rated 5 stars on Allrecipes and it deserves the rating, but only if you make some changes. The original recipe calls for canned chunk chicken, but you can't expect a 5 star recipe to use chunk chicken. Instead, cook up some chicken breasts and either cut them up or shred them into the soup. I leave the black beans out since the hubs doesn't like them and sometimes I exchange one of the chicken broth cans for cream of chicken soup to give it a different flavor. By the time I'm done with it, it's usually more like "4 can tortilla soup with some extras," but it's still worth trying.

Six Can Tortilla Soup

Source: Allrecipes

1 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 14.5 oz cans chicken broth (or 1 chicken broth and 1 cream of chicken soup)

1 10 oz can chunk chicken (go for 2-3 shredded chicken breasts, cooked)

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed

1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained

cumin

chili powder

garlic powder

cheese, optional

sour cream, optional

tortilla chips, optional

Add all of the cans into a large stock pot. Add seasonings to taste. Simmer over medium heat until everything is heated through. Serve, topped with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Week: Pumpkin Spice Latte

Welcome to day 3 of Pumpkin Week! I hope you've been inspired by the Dinner in a pumpkin or that you're craving some Pumpkin Butter. Before we get to todays recipe, I thought I'd share some pictures of us carving our pumpkin.

Living in an apartment complex, not only do you have a miniscule kitchen, but your husband also doesn't get many opportunities to us his drill and other handy tools. When I suggested we break out the drill for our pumpkin, he was all for it. I took a turn drilling a few wholes but mostly left all that heavy duty man stuff up to my manly husband. Because he looks good wielding that drill.

That's right, we used our drill to create a polka dotted pumpkin! Our scary faces aren't that scary and we didn't have enough skills to make some complicated drawing/carving so instead we made it polka dotted. And I love it. It's fun and doesn't seem out of place now that Halloween is over.

Besides carving pumpkins, one of my favorite Fall things is pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. But daily coffees from Starbucks get expensive so I decided to try a homemade version. It was delicious and super cheap. And just so you know, whipped cream makes things so much better.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Source: Recipe Girl

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tbsp unsweetened canned pumpkin puree

1 tsp packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup hot brewed, strong coffee

2 tbsp half & half cream

1 tsp granulated white sugar, or more to taste

whipped cream, optional but not really cause whipped cream makes everything better

ground nutmeg

In a microwave-safe glass or bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, spice, and vanilla. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Watch closely and remove from microwave when it gets hot and frothy.

Pour the pumpkin milk into a tall mug or glass. Add hot coffee. Pour in the cream and add a teaspoon of sugar. Stir and taste, adding more sugar, if desired.

Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Sesame Chicken

The night I made this, we were in a rush to get from school/work to our Growth Group. I hadn't eaten in around 10 hours (except for a Butter Croissant from Starbucks-those are delicious) and needed food before we went. I threw this together in under 15 minutes from the time I opened the fridge to the time it was on the table. This was an easy, but by no means authentic, recipe. We loved the taste with the hint of spiciness.

Sesame Chicken

Source: The Rookie Chef

3 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1/2 bottle of Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Add chicken into pan with cooking spray and cook through over medium heat. Once they are cooked, add the dressing and spices to the chicken over low heat. Keep stirring and allow to caramelize. Serve over rice or by itself. Enjoy!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

When my 7 alarms go off in the morning, I usually hit the snooze button for at least 6 of them. Yep you read that right. It takes about 13 alarms to get me out of bed in the morning. And even after I turn that last one off, I usually lay in bed for another 5 minutes telling myself that I'll just count to thirty and then get up. And around 20, I forget where I was and have to start counting. I'm so not a morning person.

So since I'm basically dysfunctional in the mornings, I'm not really a breakfast person. I'll have the occasional bowl of cereal and I love when the hubs makes me bacon and pancakes but I never eat breakfast during the week. But since I'm all about making new goals for myself this week, I decided I was going to eat breakfast every morning, or at least drink it.

Smoothies are so easy to make in the morning, especially since I added almost all the ingredients to a plastic bag and stuck it in the freezer. So all I have to do is empty the bag into the blender, add the milk and honey, and pulse that baby up. That's about as much work as I can handle in the morning.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Source: Tyler's Taste Test Original

1 banana

4 strawberries

1/4 cup ice

1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup milk

honey, to taste (if you like your mornings a little sweeter)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend :) Enjoy!

Chicken Stir-Fry

Unless we have company, we usually just have the main dish for dinner. It's just a huge hassle to make sides when there's only the two of us. I love making stir-fry because you get your carbs. veggies, and meat all in one. Because who has stir-fry without rice?

Chicken Stir-Fry

Source: Taste of Home Cookbook

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

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup celery, sliced

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 small onion, cut into wedges

1 cup water

1 tsp chicken bouillon granules

Place chicken strips into a re sealable plastic bad and add cornstarch and toss to coat. Add soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder to bag and shake well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Stir fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining oil. Stir-fry broccoli, celery, carrots, and onion for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add water and the bouillon and return chicken to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Enjoy!

Basil Shrimp Orzo

Ever since making Orzo with Watermelon and Feta for the Recipe Swap, orzo has made quite a few appearances on our grocery list. Usually it's so I can make us a batch of the watermelon/feta dish (it really is a perfect summer lunch) but every now and then I try out a new recipe. Anything with shrimp usually earns me an A from Neil and this one was accompanied by a thumbs up since his mouth was full.

Basil Shrimp Orzo

Recipe Source: Erica's Kitchen Adventures

8 oz orzo

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz can diced tomatoes with garlic and basil

20 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

crushed red pepper, to taste

1.5 tbsp tomato paste

Parmesan cheese

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute your onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes. After about 3 minutes, add the shrimp in. Next, add the diced tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, red pepper, and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until mixture is heated through.

Turn off the heat and add the orzo to the skillet. Sprinkle with Parmesan and mix together. Enjoy!

Inside-Out Cheesy Cheeseburgers

As much as I love cheese, I hate cheeseburgers. I think it's because the cheese only slightly melts and it kind of has a weird rubber consistency. These were a perfect alternative. Having the cheese inside completely melts it and each bite has an added cheesy goodness.

You can use your favorite burger recipe and just stuff the inside with cheese but I just followed this recipe where I got the idea from!

For one burger:

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp seasoned meat tenderizer

1/3 tsp chili powder

2 slices of cheese

Season raw meat with onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned meat tenderizer, and chili powder. Separate the meat into two equal parts and make into patties.

Make a well in the center of one patty and tear one slice of cheese into eight pieces. Pile pieces of cheese into the well and fit the other patty over the cheese patty. Shape the patties together. Cook burger until done. Enjoy!

Apple Hand Pies

Happy Pi Day! Yeah, I know, I'm such a nerd :) But I love pie so this was the perfect excuse to try this recipe out! I love it because it's like built in portion control-as long as you only grab one! These are very easy to make and would be great so satisfy a sweet craving! Recipe source.

1 pre-made pie crust

1 granny smith apple, or your choice

1.5 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

tiny pinch of nutmeg

1 egg + 2 tbsp water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375º. Peel the apple and cut into very small cubes. Place the cut up apples in a bowl and add the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until apples are well coated and set aside.

Roll out pie crust on your flour-dusted surface. Cut out circular shapes using a 4.5 inch diameter cookie cutter or the top of a wide glass. My crust yielded 5 + 1 small circular dough crusts.

Put 1-2 tbsp of the apple filling on each circular dough and fold in half. Use a fork to press the seams of the pie dough together. In a bowl, whisk the egg and water. Lightly brush each of the apple pies with the egg wash. Poke two small vent holes on the top of each pie.

Place pies onto a parchment paper lined cookie pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the surface looks golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Mozzarella and Feta Cheese Pizza

This pizza was inspired by my favorite Mediterranean restaurant and hookah bar in Atlanta: Cafe Istanbul. I started going there in high school with my older sister and I've seen it go from a tiny two room building to a much larger space with a VIP booth in the back. Most of the seating is on the floor with low tables and pillows. If you go during the weekend, there are belly dancers that come out every hour. It's so much fun. If you're ever in Atlanta, check it out.

As fun as the atmosphere is, the reason I go is for the food. Specifically, the Turkish Kayak Pizza. Its topped with mozzarella and feta gooeyness and is absolutely amazing. Me and the hubs can finish the whole thing by ourselves along with a hummus platter.

There's not really a recipe for this one, but the next time you decide to have pizza night in your house try this combination. You'll be hooked!

Fried Pickles

Something happened with my blog and the posts I had scheduled for this past week, including my Super Bowl post, deleted themselves. I'm not sure why or how but they did. So the nest few recipes won't have pictures since the pictures deleted themselves as well. Luckily, I hadn't posted these guys yet.

Fried Pickles. Yum. Back in Georgia, there was a restaurant that brought out free appetizers including sweet potato fries and fried pickles. I love love love pickles. They are my favorite salty food. And fried pickles are no exception. This recipe was delicious. It's no exact Hooters or BDubs replica but it's still delicious. I consumed way too many the night I made these and I'm selfishly glad hubby doesn't like pickles. Recipe from the Food Network.

1 pint sliced dill pickles, undrained (spears, slices, or chips work)

1 large egg, lightly beated

1 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 1/2 to 2 tsp ground red pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

Vegetable oil

Drain pickles, reserving 2/3 cup of the juice. Press pickles between paper towels to dry. Combine 2/3 cup pickle juice with the egg, 1 tbsp flour, and hot sauce. Stir well and set aside.

Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour with ground red pepper, garlic powder, salt and paprika. Blend well. Dip pickles in egg mixture, then dredge in flour mixture. Fry the coated pickles in 375º oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

I followed the recipe exactly for half the batch and for the other half I dipped twice in both the flour and egg mixture. The ones that were dipped twice had a thicker coating which I personally liked more. Also, make sure to place the coated pickles in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This makes the coating crispier when you fry it. 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.

Boiled Oatmeal Cookie

When I was little, my dad used to make us boiled oatmeal cookies about once a month or so. We weren't allowed in the kitchen while he was making them and he would never tell us the secret ingredients. He'd spend about 10 minutes in the kitchen and then bring us each a plate of oatmeal cookies. Except, they wouldn't be small little cookies; they'd be big pies. We'd each get a plate and a big glass of milk. They were delicious but would always be too sweet to finish so we'd save them for breakfast the next morning.

I finally got the recipe when my aunt put all of her recipes, along with other family members, in a cookbook and gifted us with it on Christmas. While looking through some blogs, I found a recipe for No Bakes which is almost exactly like my dad's boiled oatmeal cookies. There were a few differences but it was almost exactly the same. This is another chocolate and peanut butter combination that can become quite addicting!

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 stuck butter

3 tbsp peanut butter

3 cups quick oats

1 tsp vanilla

Combine the sugar, milk, cocoa, and butter in a sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper and allow to set. Or grab a big glass of milk, plop some on a plate and enjoy!

Sausage Balls

Recently, I hosted a cookie exchange (more posts coming on that soon). We had ten girls RSVP so I knew we would have lots of sweets at the party. I wanted to have a few appetizers set out that were more substantial/salty/etc than cookies. While brainstorming, I immediately thought of sausage balls!

Sausage balls are a staple at our house during Christmas. It never seems like they are served during a meal or set out as appetizers. Instead they're made, put in little cookie tins, and then people just munch on them throughout the day. They're yummy, bite sized, and can be prepared ahead of time- a perfect appetizer!

3 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 lb italian sausage (I bought the spicy kind because I like a little heat to mine)

4 cups shredded cheese

1/2 cup milk

pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. If you have a kitchen-aid mixer, this is easy with the dough hook. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the balls are golden brown. Cool completely and serve.

Foil Packet Italian Chicken

I haven't had a lot of posts lately because school has taken over my life. The end of the semester is nearing and with two 25+ page papers due as well as a huge project I've been working on over the entire semester to present, cooking an elaborate meal when I get home is the last thing on my mind. We've eaten an embarrassing amount of pizza and grilled cheeses lately so I knew I had to cook something blog-worthy... and something the husband would like :)

This meal was very easy to put together and even easier to clean up. I'm all about easy these days so it's definitely a keeper. Not to mention that it tasted delicious! The chicken was very juicy and the fact that I could cook chicken and a side in one little packet was perfect. If you have a busy weeknight schedule, you should definitely try this out! Recipe is from Amber's Delectable Delights.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 red potatoes

1/4 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup Italian cheese blend (Or just mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 400º. Lay 2 pieces of aluminum foil on a flat surface and spray the middle of each with a non-stick cooking spray. Wash and scrub potatoes and slice into very thin slices. Arrange the potatoes in an oval shape on the middle of the foil about the size of your piece of chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Mix all of the seasonings into a small bowl and sprinkle on both sides of the chicken. Place a chicken breast on top of each pile of potatoes. Top each chicken breast with 1/8 cup of marinara sauce and 1/8 cup of cheese.

Raise up the long sides of the foil and fold down twice. Do the same thing to the sides of the foil creating an air tight seal. Place the packets on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is 170º. Remove chicken from oven and let set a few minutes before poking a hole in the foil to release the steam before opening. Enjoy!

For All You Harry Potter Fans... Butterbeer!

I have a confession: I love Harry Potter. Both the hubby and I are addicted and we can't even count how many times we've seen the movies and read the books. We're pretty awesome at Harry Potter Scene It and whenever we move back East, our first vacation will most likely involve a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Unfortunately, the hubby is coaching on the range this week so he has to leave for work before 4 in the morning. As much as we love HP, being on the range around loaded pistols and rifles coaching Marines on how to shoot with very little sleep probably wasn't a good idea. So instead we bought our tickets for 7:00 Friday night and I will just have to try to keep myself from going in the morning while hubby is at work!

When I saw a recipe for Frozen Butterbeer, I decided we had to make it before seeing the movie! I don't really drink but I'm going to go out and buy a bottle of butterscotch schnapps just for this recipe!

When the Hogwarts students went into Hogsmeade, butterbeer was their drink of choice. There isn't enough alcohol in it to have an effect on humans but it will make a house elf drunk! In the books, butterbeer is served hot and foaming but the recipe I'll be using is for frozen butterbeer. Enjoy!

Frozen Butterbeer

Recipe from Cook Like a Champion

For the butterbeer:

1.5 cups cream soda

6 tbsp butterscotch schnapps

2 cups ice

For the foamy topping:

6 tbsps heavy cream

1 tbsp butterscotch schnapps

Combine the cream soda, schnapps, and ice in a blender. Blend until slushy. Pour into a glass or mug. In a small bowl combine heavy cream and schnapps. using an electric mixture, whisk together until almost whipped. You want the cream mixture to be slightly loose, not as firm as whipped cream. Top the butterbeer with the foamy topping and serve immediately. Serves 2. Enjoy!

I can't believe this is the last movie (with the exception of the second part). Seeing how much they've changed makes me want to have a Harry Potter Movie Marathon and enjoy a nice tall glass of butterbeer!