Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

Loved this! So easy and so good :)

Source: http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/01/crock-pot-chicken-parmesan/

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I used 3 large chicken breasts sliced in half)
1/2 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs (I used crushed whole wheat Ritz crackers and a package of Italian dressing mix, adds more flavor!)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t kosher salt
1 TBSP olive oil
1 egg, beaten
sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
favorite jarred marinara sauce (I used more than a jar)

Spread the 1 TBSP of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot.
Beat the egg with a fork in a separate bowl.
Mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the Parmesan cheese in another separate dish.
Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings.
Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crockpot.
Layer 2-3 slices or 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese on top, depending on how much cheese you like.
Cover chicken and cheese with entire jar of marinara sauce.
Close lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3.
Serve with your favorite pasta.

Black Bean and Butternut Enchilada Skillet

Seriously. So. Good. Our new favorite recipe! You can also use sweet potatoes, it is just as good.

source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/11/black-bean-and-butternut-enchilada-skillet.html

(*I have added a few tweaks)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon oil (olive, coconut, canola, etc.)
• 1/2 cup chopped red or yellow onion (*I used 1 cup red onion)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced (*I used 4 heaping tsp. of minced garlic)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
• 4 cups diced butternut squash (from a small to medium butternut squash that has been peeled and seeded) (*I have also made it with diced sweet potatoes, equally as amazing!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 yellow or white corn tortillas, cut into large squares (I cut each tortilla in thirds and then chopped the strips in half)
• 2 cups green enchilada sauce (*I used an extra 1/2 cup or so, depends on how saucy you like it)
• 2-3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (*I used at least 1/2 cup, maybe more, depends on how much cilantro flavor you like)
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and jalapeno, if using (*I always add the garlic at the end for the last minute of cooking). Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften. Stir in the butternut squash, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder.
2. Cook for about 10-12 minutes (*I covered it for this part, otherwise it takes much longer than 12 minutes), stirring every few minutes, until the squash is tender. If you want a smoother consistency to the squash, continue cooking until it breaks down to a creamy consistency, otherwise you can cook it just until it becomes tender.
3. Stir in the beans, tortillas and enchilada sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes so the tortillas can soak up some of the sauce and start to cook down just a little bit.
4. Add the chicken, cilantro and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir to combine and heat through (*this is when I added the extra sauce). Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes over medium-low or medium heat until the cheese melts.

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

I've made these twice now--the first time I made 3 batches for a large group and then I just made one batch for a New Year's Eve party (everyone thought they were store bought!). They are so YUMMY!

source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/08/oreo-cheesecake-bites.html

INGREDIENTS

• 36 Oreo Cookies, divided
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
• 4 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 4 ounces white chocolate

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Finely crush 24 Oreo cookies. Melt 1/4 cup butter; mix with crumbs. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each just until blended. Chop remaining cookies. Gently stir into batter; pour over crust.
4. Bake the cheesecake for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides are set and the center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.
5. When the cheesecake is completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When chilled, remove the cheesecake using the foil overhang and cut the cheesecake into bite-sized pieces. Place the cheesecake bites on a wax or parchment paper-lined baking tray. Melt the semisweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate bowls (I use the microwave on 50% power, stirring frequently). Pour the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag, one for the semisweet chocolate, one for the white chocolate. Snip a small corner off the corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake bars. Chill the bars until ready to serve. Alternately, the drizzled bites can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. Let them defrost in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These are so yummy! Such a simple recipe but I always look it up to double check time and temp so wanted to keep it here.

source: http://cookieandkate.com/2010/baked-sweet-potato-fries/

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes. I’d plan on at least one per person. Medium-sized sweet potatoes with smooth, firm, evenly toned skin usually make the best sweet potato fries.
• Corn starch. A big sprinkle’s worth. (optional--I didn't add this)
• Olive oil. A couple of tablespoons or so. Enough to lightly and evenly coat the fries.
• Salt, pepper and spices. Amy suggested cumin, but I much prefer cayenne pepper, paprika or curry powder. Garlic is great as well. It’s up to you!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into fry-shaped pieces (see photos). Try to cut them into similarly sized pieces so the fries will bake evenly.
2. Toss the uncooked fries into a mixing bowl or a plastic bag, or just onto your baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornstarch (if using) and pour in a few tablespoons of olive oil, enough to lightly coat the fries. Season with salt, pepper, and spices. I’d try to use half a teaspoon per potato or so. Mix/shake to distribute evenly (corn starch should be evenly mixed in so there are no powdery spots).
3. Pour the fries directly onto a non-stick baking sheet for best results (lining with aluminum foil produces mixed results and parchment paper can burn in the hot oven). Arrange your fries in a single layer and don’t overcrowd, otherwise they will never crisp up.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the fries so they can cook on all sides. I find the easiest way to flip them is with a metal spatula. Section by section, scoop up about ten fries and flip them with a quick turn of the wrist.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until the fries are crispy. You’ll know they’re done when the surface of the fries change from shiny orange to a more matte, puffed up texture. It’s essential to bake them long enough, otherwise they won’t be crispy. Don’t worry if the edges are a little bit brown; they will taste more caramelized than burnt.

Hershey Kiss Cookies

Made these on Christmas Eve for a party we went to, so yummy! I used regular kisses and the seasonal candy cane kisses.
source: http://www.instructables.com/id/Hershey-Kiss-Cookies/

INGREDIENTS:
2 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Additional sugar
5 dozen Hershey kisses, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375.
In large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda. Add butter and PB and mix until smooth. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until smooth.
Make balls out of level tablespoons of dough--add flour if needed. Then roll in sugar.
Bake 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes (I decreased cooking time to 6 or 7 min). Remove from oven and add 1 kiss to center of each cookie. Return to the oven and bake for 2 more minutes. Remove and cool.

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Source: 

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=59689

1/4 + 1/8 cup honey

3 tbsp soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 pork loin chops, boneless, trimmed of excess fat, 4 oz each

Directions:

In a shallow dish, whisk together honey, soy sauce and garlic.
Coat chops in mixture.
Reserve left over honey mixture for basting.
Place chops on greased grill over med high heat, close lid and cook, basting 2 times.

Or cook in oven at 375 for 30 min.

Pasta with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is a great recipe for all sorts of pasta. I tend to tweak it in different ways each time I make it, using a different meat or different vegetables or different cheeses, I don't follow it exactly but I wanted to have it here because I usually end up having to find it again online.
Source: http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/pasta-with-sausage-artichokes-and-sun-dried-tomatoes/

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage
• 8 oz. artichoke hearts, quartered
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 8 oz. short cut pasta
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 8 oz. mozzarella, cubed
• salt and freshly ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.