Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

We LOVE these. My friend halved the Parmesan cheese and added mozzarella cheese, and it was gooey good. 

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells
original Joelen recipe

12-16 jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste


In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.


http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/05/pesto-chicken-stuffed-shells.html

Jiffy Corn Dog Mini Muffins

Admit it...you like Corn Dogs. Besides these are the perfect potluck food. 

Jiffy Corn Dog Mini Muffins

1-8.5 oz. box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 cup skim milk
1 TBS honey

4 Oscar Mayer Turkey Hot dogs, each cut into 5 pieces 

1. Spray the wells of a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

2.  In a med bowl, combine the mix, egg, honey and skim milk.  Allow to sit for 3 - 4 min.  Stir batter.  

3.  Fill each mini muffin well with about 1/2 TBS batter.  Place a piece of hot dog into each well, pressing in.  

4. Top each hot dog with about a tsp. of batter, covering hot dog.  

5.  Bake in oven for 10 - 15 min.  or until golden brown.  Allow to cool in pan for 5 min. before removing to platter. 

http://mykitchenadventures1.blogspot.com/2011/01/jiffy-corn-dog-mini-muffins.html

Mini German Pancakes

I make these almost every Saturday. They are delicious with pureed fruit or yogurt. These are a mini version of the pie pan sized ones I grew up with.

Mini German Pancakes

(from Chris O's kitchen)

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1 cup milk (you can use skim or low fat milk if you want)

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

Toppings: Powdered sugar and lemon juice, or maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Spray cupcake pans with no-stick cooking spray. Mix eggs, milk, flour and salt just enough to blend. (Do not over mix. Batter will be lumpy.) Pour batter in cupcake pans. Makes approx. 12-16 mini German pancakes. Bake 18-25 minutes depending on type of cupcake pan and the amount of batter in each cupcake tin. Remove from oven. Let cool for just a minute or two. Remove mini pancakes from pan. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with powdered sugar. You can also serve with maple syrup if you prefer instead of using lemon juice. Enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

http://momathonblog.typepad.com/momathon_blog/2008/07/recipe-mini-german-pancakes.html

Shrimp and Grits

We always triple this. It's a new favorite favorite around here. You can't be afraid of cheese with this dinner!

Shrimp and Grits

2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes or 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup quick grits
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, without tails
cajun seasoning
4 slices thick cut bacon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 garlic clove, minced

Arrange bacon on a cooling rack (like for cookies) and set the rack on a sheet pan (something with a lip all the way around). Place the bacon in a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 400 degrees F. Cook the bacon for 15 mins on each side, or until done. Chop into 4 slices into bite-sized pieces and reserve the bacon grease from the bottom of the pan.

In a medium saucepan, bring water, bouillon, butter and grits to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 7 mins, until grits and thickened and tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon grease to a medium skillet over medium high heat. Season the shrimp with plenty of cajun seasoning. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute per side. Lower the heat to medium and add the bacon scallions, garlic, and squeeze in some lemon juice. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic and scallions are softened and the shrimp are done.

Serve the grits in bowl and top with the shrimp. Enjoy!

Makes 2 servings.

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/shrimp-and-grits.html

Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos

Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel cheese)
12 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken(a rotisserie chicken works great for this!)
1 (1 oz) packet dry Ranch Dressing mix
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
3-4 Tablespoons green onion, chopped
20 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Salt
Non-stick cooking spray 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
Cover a large baking sheet (I use a cookie sheet) with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. 
Mix together cream cheese, chicken, bacon, cheese, and green onions. Add in about 1/2 of the dry Ranch dressing mix and taste- add more if you want more of a Ranch taste (I ended up using only 1/2 of the packet). Mix well. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into a flour tortilla and roll it up.
Place taquito seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat about 20 times (I had to use two baking sheets because all of my taquitos would not fit on one). Once finished, spray the tops of the taquitos with non-stick cooking spray (or you could lightly brush some olive oil on them) and sprinkle with salt (I like to use sea salt).
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until edges and tops are golden). Let cool for a couple of minutes. Serve with Ranch dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing for dipping (my husband also likes to dip them in "Salsa Ranch"- just mix equal parts salsa and Ranch dressing together).

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/03/baked-chicken-bacon-ranch-taquitos.html

Perfect Pulled Pork

LuAnn is responsible for finding this yummy recipe. 

Perfect Pulled Pork

1 whole boston butt

Dry Rub

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Brine Solution

1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp dry rub mix

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder preparation:

Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family!

{Kevin & Amanda http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/perfect-pulled-pork-slow-roasted-seasoned-savory.html

Slow Cooker, Pumpkin Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal

I found that my slow cooker cooks this in just 3 hours. 

Slow Cooker, Pumpkin Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal 

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other dairy or non-dairy milk)
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats (gluten-free, if desired)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (may substitute other preferred sweetener)
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (unsweetened,unflavored)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or one apple, peeled, cored, and grated)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon ground chia or flax seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces (optional)
• Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, brown sugar, additional milk or butter

Directions

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker, using 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice. Stir, cover, and cook on low for  approx. 5 hours, or until oats are cooked & softened, but edges haven't browned. (Slow cooker times may vary.) Taste and stir in more pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

Alternative slow cooker method for extended cooking time without over-browning the edges: Insert a heat-tolerant bowl inside the slow cooker; coat inside of bowl with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to the bowl; stir to combine. Pour water into the slow cooker on the outside of the bowl so that the water fills approx. halfway up the sides of the bowl. Put the cover on the slow cooker, and cook on low for up to 8 hours.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot. (If frozen, microwave longer at half power.)

Recipe may be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.

Nutritional Info (per 3/4 cup serving): 149 calories, 3.6g fat, 27.3g carbs, 3.9g fiber, 4.9g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4 pts

{From The Yummy Life http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Pumpkin_Pie_Oatmeal }

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas Recipe:

Ingredients:

Marinade:

6 tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Enchiladas:

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I usually boil 4 chicken breasts and shred them)

8-10 flour tortillas

1 pound Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

16 ounces green enchilada sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Whisk the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a Zip-loc bag.  Let it marinate in the fridge for at least a 1/2 hour, but preferably a half day or so.  Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.  Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade, and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.  Put rolled tortillas in 9x13 pan as you go.  Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade (if there is any).  Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

{from SixSisters blog}
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/05/honey-lime-chicken-enchiladas.html#