Amish Breakfast Casserole

3 kinds of cheese?? Yum! This is so good. I made a few tweaks, noted with the *. Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 pound sliced bacon, diced (*I used one honey ham steak, diced, instead of bacon)

1 sweet onion, chopped

(*I added 2 cloves minced garlic)

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

9 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese

1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

(*I added one diced bell pepper--any color--and chopped greens--spinach, chard, arugula)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir bacon and onion until bacon is evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain. (*I cooked the onion with a little bit of olive oil for about 10 min, adding the garlic for the last couple minutes) Transfer bacon and onion to a large bowl. Stir in potatoes, eggs, Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, and Swiss cheese (*also add the peppers and greens, with a little salt and pepper). Stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until eggs are set and cheese is melted, 45 to 50 minutes (*I ended up cooking it for 60 minutes, stick a knife in the middle to make sure it comes out clean). Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Tacos with creamy cilantro sauce

Made this tonight and will definitely be making it again soon, so so good! I got the recipe for the sauce and vegetable mix here: http://www.cookusinterruptus.com/fish-tacos-w-creamy-cilantro-sauce-4136-127.html

Meat:
I used frozen breaded tillapia, cooked according to package instructions. But use whatever fish/steak/chicken you want!

Tortillas:
I used small taco sized white corn tortillas toasted in a pan with a little bit of butter. (The recipe makes enough for 10-12 of this size)

Sauce:
1/4 cup mayonnaise or plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice (*or juice from half a lime)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (*I used 3 Tbsp)
1 clove garlic, pressed (*I used 1 tsp minced garlic)
1/8 teaspoon cumin 
1 tablespoon water

Vegetables:
1/2 cup shredded cabbage (*I didn't add this, mostly because I didn't have it on hand or I would have)
4 leaves romaine, rolled and cut in thin strips (*I used about 1 1/2-2 cups chopped romaine)
1 carrot, grated (*I didn't use this, but instead chopped half a yellow bell pepper)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice (*or juice from half a lime)
salt and pepper
(*I also added a Tbsp of chopped cilantro)

Combine all ingredients for sauce in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  In another bowl, add vegetables and dress with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and toss. Assemble tacos and top with grated cheese, diced avocado, and/or salsa.

Crispy Ranch Chicken

So easy and so good! Though leftovers aren't as good so don't make too much :)

Source: http://www.momswhothink.com/easy-recipes/crispy-ranch-chicken.html

Ingedients:

3/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers (or similar type)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter, melted (I used 1 egg, beaten)

Directions:

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the crackers, Parmesan cheese and salad dressing mix.

2. Dip chicken in the melted butter (or egg), then roll in cracker mixture being sure to coat well.

3. Place in a greased 13x9 baking dish.

4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Perfectly shaped sugar cookies

If you ever want to bake sugar cookies that keep their shape, use this recipe! They came out perfect! Click the link below for great tips on making the perfect cookies--

source: http://bakingamoment.com/how-to-bake-easy-and-delicious-cutout-cookies-with-neat-edges

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (1 cup) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornstarch

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream together the cold, cubed butter, the granulated sugar, and the salt.
3. Add in the eggs and vanilla (or other flavorings/extracts).
4. Add all the flour and cornstarch, and mix on low speed, until fully incorporated and forming a ball.
5. Roll out to a thickness of 5/16 inch, cut into shapes, and bake for 12 minutes (for appox. 2 1/2 inch cookie).

Cowboy Confetti (Shrapnel Dip)

Love this dip! Got the recipe from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/amazing-shrapnel-dip and made a few changes*

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can white beans, such as navy or Great Northern (*I used Black Eyed Peas)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn
• 1-2 avocados, diced
• 1/4-1/2 cup red pepper, diced
• 1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion (*I used 4T)
• 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (*I used 4T)
• 1/3 cup Italian dressing, plus more if needed (*I didn't add this)
• Squeeze of fresh lime (about half of a large lime) 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• White, blue or yellow corn/tortilla chips for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Drain the beans and corn together in a colander. Give them a quick rinse and let them drain really well so no extra liquid makes its way into the dip. You can use a salad spinner to get rid of excess liquid or lay them out on a double layer of paper towels and blot dry. Add them to a large bowl.
2. Toss in the avocados, red pepper, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Mix. Pour the dressing over the top of the salad and using a large spoon or spatula, fold the ingredients and dressing together until everything is evenly coated.
3. Squeeze the lime juice over the top. Gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with chips. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. If making in advance, wait to chop and stir in the avocados until right before serving.

Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash

Source: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/25065/cinnamon-roasted-butternut-squash-recipe/
INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 pounds or 8 cups, cubed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Dash cayenne, optional

Directions

1. Prepare Squash: Heat oven to 425º F and line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil. Toss squash cubes with olive oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and the cayenne until well coated. Tumble coated squash onto baking sheets and spread into one layer. Try not to crowd them too much or else they will not brown.

Roast Squash: Roast squash, turning once and rotating pans once, until edges are lightly browned and centers are tender; 40 to 45 minutes. (Since ovens can often run hotter than you have heated them to, check the squash every so often to make sure they are not roasting quicker than expected).

Honey Lime Chicken or Pork Enchiladas

Just typing this recipe is making my mouth water, this is so so so good!
Source: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2009/04/honey-lime-chicken-enchiladas.html

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lime juice (or juice from 2 limes)
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (can also use pork)
• 8-10 flour tortillas, (I use the soft taco tortillas because they fit perfectly in the pan)
• 1 pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded (4 cups)
• 2 cups green enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used 1/2 cup sour cream)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the honey (their tip: spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray before measuring out the honey), lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least a 1/2 hour (up to 8 hours) in a Ziploc bag or sealed container.
3. Spray a 9X13 pan and a 9X9 pan with cooking spray. Pour enough enchilada sauce on the bottom of each baking pan to create a thin layer on the bottom. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and a generous amount of shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.
4. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and any leftover chicken marinade (you might not need to use all of the enchilada sauce depending on how saucy you like yours). Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and top with reserved cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. I served mine with pico de gallo, mexican rice and black beans.