Chili with a Kick

O this chili is so yummy! The hubbs and I have made it a couple of different times, and we love it. I think the beauty of this chili is that it is fairly easy, and it light on the beans...I love beans, but I always find that chili just has too many for my liking. This recipe has just the perfect kick, and the cocoa powder, although it sounds strange, really gives depth to the flavor of this meal. I can’t wait to eat it again...in a few months when the pregnancy heartburn stops! Enjoy it for me while I can’t!

Chili with a Kick
Printable Version

6 slices bacon
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves chopped garlic
Kosher salt
1/4 cup chili powder
1Tbs. ground cumin
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 6-ounce bottle lager beer
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 28-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
2  cups beef broth, plus more if needed
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and let cool, then mince. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the saucepan and reserve the drippings.

Increase the heat to medium high, add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon; wipe out the pan.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon drippings in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and cook 2 minutes. Add all spices and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste is brick red, a few minutes. Add the beer and simmer until almost completely reduced, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the beef, cocoa powder, tomatoes, beef broth and beans and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens slightly, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Stir the hot sauce into the chili and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with the crumbled bacon, cheese, and sour cream.

Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine
Serves 8

Creamy Garlic Cheese Bread

I just asked my hubbs what we should call this bread. We came up with lots of names that would make you feel extremely fat, and in the end, really persuade you away from making this delicious side dish. Let’s just say...eat this on your “off” day. Or, eat this bread on a day when you are going to get in a really good calorie burn workout! Anyway, if you are still on board to eat some amazing, creamy, cheese garlic bread, read on...!

Creamy Garlic Cheese Bread
Printable Version

4 cups Colby Jack Cheese, grated (or cheese of your choice
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup (Real) Mayonnaise
1 dash Salt
1 loaf Crusty French Bread
1/2 stick Butter
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

Mix cheeses with the mayonnaise, and add dash of salt to taste.

Cut loaf of bread in half lengthwise,  then cut each half in half to make 4-1/4 length loaves of bread.
Working 1/4 loaf at a time, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet and add 1 clove of minced garlic. Place 1 of the 1/4 loaves face down in the skillet, swirling it to soak up the butter and garlic. Allow bread to toast in the skillet, removing garlic if it starts to get too brown.

Repeat with remaining butter, garlic, and bread.

Spread cheese mixture evenly on loaves and bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups

Let’s mix it up a little...Lasagna, rolled up in individual portions, with alfredo sauce instead of tomato sauce. Not to mention the perfect rolls plopped onto your plate...they make for a much prettier show than the normal slop of a lasagna serving! These little babies were amazing! I switched the original recipe up quite a bit, and I would 100% recommend making homemade alfredo sauce. But, if you know me, you know I just CAN’T stand pre-made alfredo. Ew. Ew. EEW. I put my yum-o garlic alfredo sauce at the end of this recipe, just in case you share in my disdain! Oooo...and if you served these Divine Breadsticks with the roll-ups...you would be famous:)

Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups
Printable Version

9 lasagna noodles
2 ½ cups alfredo sauce (optional homemade recipe below)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
oregano
garlic salt
3 cups shredded Mozzarella, or cheese of your choice

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour ½ cup alfredo sauce, or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Boil 8-10 cups water in a large pan, cook lasagne noodles until al dente. (I usually cook 1 or 2 extra just because lasagna noodles always seem to break on me when I am stirring them.)
Now this is the important part! Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other. Then, lay out each noodle individually and blot dry with a paper towel.

Spread about 2 Tbs. alfredo sauce over each noodle. (if there is too much sauce you will have a big mess on your hands!) Sprinkle oregano and garlic salt on top of sauce. Take 1/9 of the shredded chicken and spread it out evenly over each noodle. Add approx. 3 Tbs. cheese. To roll up, start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings. You will need to lift the noodle a little to prevent squishing out the inside ingredients while rolling.

Place the roll-ups in the pan, one by one, seam-side down so they don't come undone. Once they are all in the pan, pour the remaining alfredo sauce over the top. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted on top.

Serves 3, 3 roll-ups each
Recipe highly adapted from Artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com

The Best Garlic Alfredo Sauce
Printable Version

½ cup butter
2 ounces cream cheese
2 cups heavy cream (or substitute half and half)
2 teaspoon garlic powder
½  tsp. fresh minced garlic
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp dried oregano
⅔ cup parmesan cheese

In a medium to large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add fresh minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the cream cheese and whisk to smooth and melted. Whisk in the heavy cream.
Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and whisk frequently until sauce thickens, around 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese and when melted, remove from heat and serve.

Makes 2 ½ cups
Recipe from Momma!

Divine Breadsticks

There is no better name for these than DIVINE! I thought Cody was going to have a heart attack (okay, so he wasn't quite that enthusiastic, but, he did say they were the best that he had ever eaten!) Anyway, I cannot thank Melanie enough for bring this recipe into my life! It will probably be on our menu weekly, if Cody gets his way! One amazing thing that I love about these is the crispy yet tender bottom of them. Butter is melted in the bottom of the pan prior to baking them, and this really makes those bottoms yummy!

Divine Breadsticks

Printable Version

1 ½ cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 ½ cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 Tbs. butter

Mix all ingredients (except butter) and knead for three minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 2 Tbs. butter on baking pan (I used a cookie sheet with edges on it). Roll out dough about 1/8-inch thick and cut into strips. Place in butter on the pan and put close together. Sticks may be twisted by themselves or twisted with another strip if desired.

I found that the twisted ones were a bit fluffier, which we loved! Brush an additional 1 Tbs. of butter on top of each individual stick. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Recipe From melskitchencafe.com

White Cheddar Mac

Yep, that’s right! Another Mac and Cheese to add to my list. This is Panara’s recipe. If you have never been to Panara, you are missing out! It has amazing sandwiches, bagels, soups and salad. AND, as of last year, this Mac and Cheese. From the second I tasted it I have been trying to duplicate the flavors at home. I have gotten close, but never hit it right on. Recently, Panara posted the recipe on their website! I made it immediatley and it was spot on! I changed a couple of things, less mustard, parmesan to top, and I changed the milk to cream ratio. We loved it. I will be making it again soon. Thanks Panara, for sharing the creamy yumminess!

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Printable Version

16-ounces pasta shells
¼ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½  cups 1% milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 slices white American cheese, chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
Parmesan cheese, to top

Prepare pasta according to package directions.
While pasta is boiling, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Gradually whisk in milk and cream; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Drain and stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Top with Parmesan and enjoy the creamy yumminess!

Serves 4 to 6
Recipe adapted from Panara.

Mongolian Beef

We love american versions of asian meals. We may love true Asian meals, but to tell you the truth, we have not eaten at real Authentic restraunts. P.F. Chang’s is about as authentic as we have gotten! We love our share of sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, and honey sauced chicken. It is nice to have a beef meal to mix it up a bit. This was super duper easy, and honestly, I had to go back for more! It was delicious. I even shared it with my friends at work and they were all raving!

Mongolian Beef
Printable version

1 lb flank or sirloin steak, thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (adjust to change heat)
green onions, for garnish

After slicing the steak thinly, pat dry with a paper towel.  Put cornstarch in a large ziploc bag and add the steak pieces. Toss to coat. If needed, place beef slices in a strainer and shake off excess corn starch.

Heat wok to medium high and add the oil to the wok. Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is all browned. While meat is cooking, combine ginger, garlic, water, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes in a bowl. When meat is sufficiently browned, pour the sauce back into the wok and let it cook along with the meat. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will become. Turn off heat when desired thickness is reached. Serve over rice or quinoa and top with green onions.

Serves 2.
Recipe from pinterest

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

He took seconds! And thirds, I think. We loved this meal. It was definitely too hot for my palate, and brinking on too hot for my hubbs. So, I added a little sour cream and some brown sugar. BAM! A perfect meal. We have eaten this 3 times already, it is one of those easy, go-to meals that I always have everything for. ENJOY!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Printable Version

2 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces
⅓ cup flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (we did Frank’s Buffalo Wing), plus extra for garnishment
3 Tbs sour cream (optional, to lessen amount of spice)
1 Tbs brown sugar  (optional, to lessen amount of spice)
1 Tbs olive oil
10 6-inch yellow corn tortillas

Toppings
shredded Lettuce
cilantro
tomato
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing-(so good!)

Heat a large saute pan oven over medium-high heat.

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the saute pan, add chicken and cook until done, stirring frequently-about 5 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, mix buffalo wing sauce, sour cream, and brown sugar. Both of these ingredients are optional, they cool down the “hotness” of the wing sauce.

Once the chicken is done, drain on paper towels. Then, toss chicken in wing sauce mixture.

Assemble tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

Serves 2.
Adapted from Mrs. Ruguerio