Doritos Casserole

I wanted to make Jam Hand's Doritos Casserole for ages, but figured it might be a tad much for just me and Mike on a weeknight. Two boys at the dinner table though? Completely different story! With a casserole that includes Doritos, cheese, cheese, and more cheese, how can you go wrong?

This recipe is great for a get together. It includes ingredients that are really hard to hate so you wont be left wondering if your company will eat it or not. Serve with copious amounts of salsa + chips and beer and you will surely have no complaints! The only change I would make if I whipped this up again would be to top the casserole off with additional Doritos for a crunchy top layer. The Doritos in the casserole add great flavor, but do get soft from all the wet ingredients. I double the recipe to fit into a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

4 cups cooked shredded chicken

2 cups cheese

1 large can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

1 large can of Ro-Tel tomatoes with the jalapeno peppers

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 bag of Doritos (I used Nacho Cheese, but use whatever you want!)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Combine all ingredients, excluding Doritos in a large bowl
3. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Add a layer of crushed Doritos to the bottom, then top with a layer of the chicken mixture. Repeat. Top with cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes
4. At 30 minutes, take casserole out of oven and top with additional Doritos if you want a bit of a crunch to your casserole! Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Wait a few minutes to cool if you like having a layer of skin on the roof of your mouth.

Definitely not the prettiest dish I've made, but I'd still give it 4 out of 5 noms for how easy it was to prepare and how delicious it came out! Pin, pin, pin away!

Burger Bites

What's better than one pinterest idea? Two rolled together, clearly! Cheeseburger Casserole and Bacon Cheeseburger Balls sound good enough on their own, but combined they form Burger Bites: a dish worthy of heading home early on a Saturday night for.

While I highly recommend both recipes, here is my version.

Ingredient List: Yields 16 bites
* 1 pound of ground beef
* 1/2 onion diced
* 1/2 cup of ketchup
* couple squirts of mustard
* slice 16 pieces of cheese from a block
* relish or pickle slices
* 2 cans of Pillsbury Grand Rolls ( 8 buns in each sleeve)
* 1 egg
* sesame seeds


















Preheat oven to 425
1. Brown the beef and onion together and drain.
2. Add the ketchup and mustard to the beef mixture.
3. Flatten and spread the Grand Rolls in your palm.
4. Start by placing the cheese in the roll. Then add a spoonful of the beef mixture. Top off with either a squirt of relish or a dill pickle slice.
5. Fold the roll up into a little bun. The first one will be tricky, but don't give up! You'll figure out what technique works best for  you quickly.
6. Place the bun seam side down in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.
7. Brush the tops of all the buns with an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

These are definitely a crowd pleaser. Dainty enough for girls to enjoy and delicious enough to satisfy guys. Not into burgers? You could fill these up with anything! Buffalo chicken, sloppy joe mix, pizza mixture! Don't skimp out on the egg wash. It really gives the buns a nice brown glazy appearance and tasty texture. My friends and I chanted "Burger Bites" the whole way home on a Saturday night in anticipation of eating the left overs.

Don't be afraid to tweak ideas you find online! Go ahead and pin any 3 of these burger creations or create your own. What modifications would you make?

Sirloin Steak & Pepper Sandwiches

Winter isn't over yet, no matter how much I try to will it away. The only thing I am remotely enjoying about the cold weather at this point is the crockpot. Meaty aroma floating through the house almost makes you forget that there's a a foot of snow out there still. I have a few more recipes left for the season before I retire the slowcooker for the year. We had the chicken tacos last week, so I thought I'd try beef this time after finding Where The Cookies Are's Slow Cooked Italian-Style Sirloin with Yellow Peppers. MMM beef.

It doesn't get much easier than this. Seasoning, Water, Pepper, Beef, and Buns are all you need to make these sammies. I opted for hot peppers, but you can use bell if you have wimps non-spicy fans at your dinner table. I was afraid I had overcooked the meat, a fear I often have when you using a crockpot. The meat seemed dry when it came time to shred it. However, when placed back in the pot, the beef absorbed the juices and the pepper water like a sponge. Problem solved. Make sure you use extra big buns that can accommodate and handle all the delicious juice. Simple and satisfying meal for any day of the week or for a large crowd. Pin away!

P.S - I served these sandwiches up with the brand new Sriracha Lays and green beans (out of guilt). I was disappointed with the chips. They delivered more of a ketchup taste rather than a traditionally hot rooster sauce flavor.  Hoping the garlic bread and chicken and waffles flavors are more promising!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I am always on the lookout for crockpot recipes. Dump some ingredients in a pot, and bada bing, you have a meal ready for dinner time, and usually leftovers for the next day as well. I've seen these crockpot chicken tacos floating around pinterest for awhile and thought I'd give them a shot. I liked that these used something other than ground beef.

Key ingredient to any crockpot meal: electricity. Unfortunately ours went out the second I had stirred all the ingredients together as a heavy snow storm made it's way in. Mac, Mike, and I made our way outside to shovel and distract ourselves from the taunting uncooked meat. (Well, let's be realistic. Mike shoveled and I played in the snow with the pup). The electricity came on a few hours later and I cranked that pot up to ensure we had a meal ready for dinner. Building a snowman really builds up an appetite. The chicken cooked up within 3 hours and fell apart with ease. It absorbed the salsa and taco flavoring and provided a great base for additional toppings. My favorites: sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. This recipe was a breeze, and despite it's simplicity, is easily adaptable. With the eclectic range of taco seasonings and salsas available, the options are endless. I give this 4 noms out of 5 and recommend this pin for a weekday meal or a large gathering.

Chiptole Turkey Burgers with Mango Basil Salsa

Sometimes I only think things half way through (Yes, only sometimes Mom). I took some ground turkey out of the freezer to defrost before work to have for dinner. I personally thought I was a genius for planning ahead, but I hadn't quite thought of how I was going to turn it into a meal. Eat a plate of ground meat for dinner? I doubt I would have heard any complaints from Mike, but I wasn't super keen on the idea. I searched for turkey burgers on pinterest and within minutes had a recipe from Pinch of Yum I wanted to try!

The Verdict: My pictures don't do these bad boys justice. The burgers were topped with Lindsay's Nectarine Basil Salsa recipe, which I tweaked by using mango due to a lack of nectarines at my local supermarket. No tears over that substitution. The sweetness of the mango cooled down the heat from the jalapeños in the salsa and the adobo sauce in the burgers. It may seem like there are a lot of flavors going on here, but the avocado, chiptole burgers, and mango salsa combine to create a kickin', yet tangy burger. If you're looking for a unique and flavorful burger, pin and try these for dinner. Just make sure that you double the salsa recipe to have enough to eat with tortilla chips on the side!

Bacon Corn Muffins with Savory Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm a cupcake addict, it runs in the family. My mom has a sweet tooth for cake, and well my sister, An American Cupcake in London, is on a whole other level. This affliction runs deep and tends to affect that extra X chromosome, so really there's no real hope for finding a cure or getting help. I needed a fix and didn't care what form it came it. When I saw Brian Boitano's Bacon Corn Muffins with Savory Cream Cheese Frosting on Pinterest, I didn't care that they weren't sugary. They had frosting and I was finding it difficult to stop thinking about all that bacon.

The Verdict: This recipe can do no wrong in my book because it's comprised of two of my favorite things: cupcakes and bacon. The corn muffin base is perfect; adding crumbled bacon and leftover fat keeps them moist and savory.

The frosting, which included cream cheese, honey, and hot sauce is rich. I used Frank's Buffalo hot sauce to give the frosting a nice orange color and to add an extra bit of tanginess. I swirled a good amount onto each mini muffin, but would cut back next time. A little goes a long way here. I think you'll be able to cram more down your gullet too this way!

Don't let the piping intimidate you. You can just slather the frosting, don't worry, no one cares (and if they do, you can reserve your right to share). These are quick enough to make on a work night and can be paired with whatever your little heart desires, so go ahead and pin them. We chose mini cheese cocktail wieners because nothing says classy better!

P.S - Please ignore the fact that someone forgot to tell the chef her fly was undone!

Spinach & Asapragus Soup

This is New England, I should have known better. That warm weather wasn't going to last. We went from a balmy 80 degrees back to gray and cold in a blink of an eye. What horse shit! While I had mentally transitioned to Spring, my stomach couldn't on such a crappy day. I pulled up Jenny Hobick's Cream of Spinach and Asparagus Soup from my dinner board for one last comforting winter meal.

The Verdict: I was skeptical at first. It was looking quite runny while it was simmering on the stove. Luckily we were not organized that night, and the soup ended up sitting on the burner for 45 minutes longer than suggested in the recipe. This gave it plenty of time to thicken up and the flavors of the asparagus and scallions to sink in.

I added chicken to this soup as well, as I've found out a meal isn't a meal to a boy if it doesn't include meat. Pairing this soup with a salad and garlic bread definitely made a filling meal and no late snacks were needed as a result! The crispy pancetta on top gave it a salty bite, so don't skimp on this ingredient! We are bound to have a few more cold days before summer truly sets in, so pin this soup to try on a cold day!
 
P.S - This soup will make your pee extra potent immediately after consuming!

Seared Salmon with Dill Dijon Sauce

 

I'm making an effort to eat slightly healthier after consuming about a 1,000 tapas and tostadas in Sevilla the other week (not to mention all the lovely wine). I thought I'd get back on track by cutting my portion of girl scout cookies with my morning coffee down to two and trying out A Bitchin Kitchen's Seared Salmon with Dill Dijon Sauce for dinner. I love fish, but am not terribly confident at making it at home, so I manipulated asked for a little help with the preparation of this meal.

The Verdict: This was a great week day dinner. The sauce takes about 5 minutes to make and is rather tasty for something that includes healthy ingredients like greek yogurt, dijon mustard, and fresh dill. You'll even have time to pair the fish with a Greek Salad if you wrangle in an assistant. Mike says the key to cooking the salmon is to keep it moving in the pan for the first few minutes (and yes, you must have your shirt ridiculously unbuttoned as well to ensure success). I plopped the sauce directly on top of my fish, while Mike kept his on the side for dipping. You can't lose either way!

If you're looking for a little added oomph the next time you cook up some fish, pin this one to your dinner board and head over to Annie and Maggie's blog for the recipe.

Mini Corn Dogs

My first project from Pinterest comes from the blog brandyscraft. I thought my initial post should represent who I am and what I'm all about, so the decision was obvious: Mini Corn Dog Bites! I'm a little silly and a little corny and I love everything and anything in miniature form. I originally pinned these suckers back around the Super Bowl when salty snacks were getting a lot of love on Pinterest. What I loved about this recipe was it seemed easy, but impressive.

The Verdict: These were great. They were easy enough to make for a weekday meal, as long as you have a cute assistant and a wiener dog to help you out (see bottom two pictures). I suggest using mini cheese filled cocktail dogs and adding a little extra milk to the batter for easy dipping. Pair these with your favorite dipping sauces and fries (or veggies if you're feeling lame/guilty). Definitely head over to Brandy's blog and pin this one!