Cowboy Chili

Last night I made one of my grandfather's oldest recipes, Cowboy Chili. This chili is one of the best I have ever had; it is a very light and soupy chili as apposed to a heavy red chili. It is so easy to make and it creates a lot of food. Another bonus to this dish is that it can be kept in the refrigerator for a long time. It is a great holiday meal but can also be turned into a year round meal as well. 

2 lbs chicken cubed. 
Sauté chicken until browned on the outside. 
Sauté one chopped onion. 
Add cut up chicken and brown. 
Add...
          32 oz chicken stock 
          5 cans great northern beans 
          2 8oz cans of diced green chillies. 
          2 tsp chopped garlic. 
          1 Tsp oregano. 
          1/2 tsp cumin and cilantro. 
Simmer until thick. 
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with Monterey Jack Cheese.

7 Layer Bars

Today I will be sharing with you how to make one of my all time favorite desserts in the world. Adapted from the original 7 layer bars, these six layer bars are packed with heart warming ingredients that are kid friendly and adult friendly. Even people who claim they hate coconut say that these bars are one of the best things they've ever had. They always remind me of the holidays because my mom and I make them around Christmas time each year. I hope that you try them out and enjoy!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

In an 9x11 pan (glass or metal) sprayed with cooking spray, place...

1 cup + a little graham cracker crumbs (not too buttery)

1 stick butter

Melt butter and mix with graham cracker crumbs.  Pat evenly into bottom of pan until completely covered.  Bake for 8 minutes to set.

Layer on spreading as evenly as possible:

1 bag chocolate chips (11 oz)

1 bag butterscotch chips (11 oz)

1 bag sweetened shredded coconut (7 oz or ½ large bag 14 oz)

**1 cup chopped pecans for the 7^th layer if desired.

1 can Eagle Brand (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk  (slowly drizzled so as not to glob J)

Bake for 30 minutes until lightly brown on sides of pan.  The center can be pretty white.  If you have a convection oven, turn it on for 2-3 minutes to brown the top. 

Do not over cook – they will harden when cool.  You want them to be chewy, not dried out!

For easier release, while hot, push spatula down around the edges creating space for easier cutting later.

Amazing Pumpkin Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite desserts and it might be one of the worlds most diverse groups of cakes. There are so many ways to go about making a cheesecake and there are so many different flavors to choose from. If you have ever been to the Cheesecake Factory you know what I am talking about. There are over twenty different flavors of cheesecake there at all times and they switch them out constantly. However, this is not a blogpost about the cheesecake factory, this blogpost is dedicated to one of my new favorite flavors of cheesecake, Pumpkin cheesecake with salted caramel sauce. I came upon this watching the Pioneer Woman (again) and I had to try it because it looked so good. I am a true cheesecake lover and I would highly recommend this cake to anyone, cheesecake lover or not. 

Ingredients:

For the Cheesecake:

  12 ounces gingersnaps

  1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

  6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

  Dash of kosher salt

  2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

  Three 8-ounce packages of cream cheese

  One 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree

  3 large eggs

  1/4 cup sour cream

  1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

For the Caramel Sauce:

  1 cup packed brown sugar

  1/2 cup heavy cream

  1/2 stick of butter

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust of the cheesecake: 

  In a blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine. Pour the fine gingersnaps into a bowl and    then add pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt and mix together. Pour mixture into a 10-inch springform pan and pack it down flat to the bottom.

For the Cheesecake:

  Beat the cream cheese until soft with a beater or stand mixer. Mix in the pumpkin puree. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the sour cream to the mixture. With the mixer on low, add the following ingredients: granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Make sure everything is mixed together. 

  Pour the mixture into the pan and distribute it evenly and smooth out the top. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake until it is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly; about 50 minutes. After the 50 minutes, turn off the oven and then open up the oven door and let the cheesecake sit for 15 minutes. Take out the cheesecake and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Cover it with plastic rap and then put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 

  For the Salted Caramel Sauce:

Put the following ingredients into a saucepan over medium-low heat: brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Whisk the ingredients gently until it starts to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes. Take it out of the pan and let it cool.

Tomato Pesto Mozzarella Sandwiches

Today for lunch i made Tomato Pesto Mozzarella Sandwiches which were amazing! The combination of all of the fresh ingredients in this dish are sure to please any audience. My fourteen-year-old brother loved them and he doesn't love a lot of foods. It takes a few steps in order to make them but they are so worth it. I hope you make them and Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 ciabatta rolls

2 small tomatoes

1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese

A few slices of sun dried tomatoes

Pesto

Salt (too taste)

Steps:

Cut ciabatta rolls in half horizontally. Spread a liberal amount of pesto on each slices of bread. Slice mozzarella and tomato slices (not too thick) and place them on three out of the six pieces. There should be two slices of mozzarella and three slices of tomato on each piece of bread. Sprinkle some sun dried tomatoes over each one and then add salt.

Place two built sandwiches on a skillet over medium heat and put a plate or other head object on them so they cook faster (this is a replacement of a panini maker). Flip after about two minutes and cook the other side. Take them out, cut them in half, and ENJOY!

Red Chili

Today for lunch my mom and I made a family favorite, spicy red chili. This simple recipe creates at least a weeks worth of food that gets better and better as the days go on. I had a bowl of this for lunch and I will be full until dinner time for sure. Another perk is that there is almost no fat in this recipe and it is very healthy. I hope you try and make this! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 large onion (chopped)

2-3 cloves garlic

2 pounds ground beef

2 large cans tomato puree

1 large can red kidney beans (32 ounces)

2 small cans black beans (15 ounces)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin 

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)

Steps:

In a large soup pot, sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

Add the beef to the onions and garlic and cook until brown.

Drain off any excess liquid from the mixture.

Add the tomato puree.

Add the kidney beans.

Add the black beans.

Add the chili power, cumin, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Add as much grated cheddar as you like, Enjoy!

Mini Meatball Sliders

Yesterday I made delicious Mini Meatball Slider. This was the first time I made these sliders and I was shocked at how delicious and simple they were to make. This is a perfect lunch or dinner time meal and it is a very good thing to make ahead. This recipe creates a lot of leftovers so it can be a great snack throughout the week. This is how I made it, I hope you try it and enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 large onion (finely chopped)

1/2 cup milk 
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg 
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely minced Italian parsley

1 pound ground turkey
1 clove garlic, minced

Black pepper

Salt

Sauce:

1 large can of tomato sauce

1 large jar of marinara 

1 medium onion

1 tablespoon of garlic

(Combine these ingredients in a large pot to simmer)

Steps:

Combine all listed ingredients in a bowl, mix with hands. Once everything is combine create the meatballs, there is no specific size or shape. Put meatballs into a hot skillet and cook until the outside is completely browned.

Remove the meatballs from the skillet and put them into the Spaghetti sauce. Cook them in the sauce until there is no pink on the inside. 

Place as much mozzarella cheese as needed on each meatball then put them on slider rolls. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Today I made deliciously chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. These cookies will never disappoint and with this quick and easy recipe, you can have them in just under 27 minutes. Weather you like raisins or not, you have got to try these; the combination of brown sugar mixed with the deliciousness of oats and raisins create a killer combination. Let me show you how to make them.

      

Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
2 
cups all-purpose flour

1 
teaspoon baking soda

1 
teaspoon baking powder

1 
teaspoon kosher salt

Cream 

Wet Ingredients
1 
cup unsalted butter, softened


1 
cup sugar

1 
cup dark brown sugar

2 
large eggs

2 
teaspoons vanilla

Then stir in
3 
cups oats 

1 1⁄2
cups raisins 

Steps:Bev's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies       
Preheat oven to 350°. 
Whisk dry ingredients; set aside.
Combine wet ingredients with a hand mixer on low. 
To cream, increase speed to high beat until fluffy and the color lightens. 
Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible.
Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.
Drop cookie dough balls 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden.
Remove from oven
Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Bev on Bev's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Taco Thursday

On Thursday night I made one of the most unique taco recipes I have ever come across. The mixture of nutmeg, cayenne pepper and various other spices make these tacos amazing. They are definitely a crowd pleaser and even my younger brother likes them. Warning, they are a little spicy, but this spice adds a little interest to this dish. 

• Ingredients:
• 3 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning 
• 3 large chicken breasts, pounded to ½ inch thicknesshttp:
• 2 cups slaw or shredded lettuce (I used red and green cabbage, thinly sliced)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 8 taco sized soft tortillas
• lime wedges, for serving

Sauce

⅓ cup mayo

2 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
• 
  
• Steps:
• Season chicken breasts with jerk seasoning, rubbing into both sides. Cook over medium heat on the stove for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Slice into strips.
• Whisk together mayo and 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning.
• Assemble tacos. Place slaw/lettuce on each tortilla. Top with chicken, then drizzle with sauce. Top with chopped cilantro. Serve with fresh lime wedges for drizzling on tacos.

Recipe courtesy of Tiffany on http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2014/09/jamaican-jerk-chicken-tacos.html

Fettuccine Alfredo

For lunch today I made Fettuccine Alfredo. This recipe is another one of my favorites that I found watching the Pioneer Woman on the Food Network. My family loves this dish and even though it is a little caloric, it is a heartwarming food that will please any pasta lover. It only took me about 30 minutes to make which is very reasonable for a restaurant quality dish. If you are looking for something quick and delicious to make, you have found it.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Fettuccine Noodles
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
•  Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Steps:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a saucepan or skillet, warm butter and cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Grate Parmesan cheese and place half of it into a large serving bowl. Pour warm butter/cream mixture over the top.

Drain pasta and immediately pour it into the bowl.
Toss a couple of times, then sprinkle in the other half of the Parmesan. 
Toss to combine, thinning with pasta water if necessary. (http://thepioneerwoman.com)


I followed these directions exactly and the photo above is the direct result.

Enjoy!