Avocado Breakfast Bowl

What a great way to switch up your breakfast routine.  This breakfast bowl came out so good.  I can’t wait to make it again and experiment with different items added in.

 

Avocado Breakfast Bowl

Makes 2 Bowls

 

1 cup water

1/2 cup quinoa

2 eggs made to your choice, I used hard boiled eggs

 

Olive oil

1 Avocado, sliced

1/4 cup Onions, chopped

5 Cherry tomatoes cut in half

6 Spinach leaves ripped into bite size pieces

Cheese of your choice, I used Goat Cheese

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

 

Stir water and quinoa together, cook according to package directions

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat

Sautee onions, tomatoes and spinach

Cook Eggs to your choice

Add quinoa to bowl, top with veggies, eggs and cheese

Season with salt and pepper

 

* We added a little balsamic vinegar to our bowl

* This dish is a great starter.  Feel free to add any meat or vegetables you like to it

Tater Tot Casserole

 

Tater Tot Casserole

Serves 6

 

1 package frozen bite-size tots, divided (I used about half of a 5 pound bag)

1 pound ground meat

1 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons all purpose seasoning like Adobo

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of (Your Choice) soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

 

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spread 30-40 tots in a 13×9-inch casserole dish coated with cooking spray

Bake in preheated oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat

Cook and stir beef and onion in the hot skillet until meat is completely cooked, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease

Season meat mixture with 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper, remove from heat

Smash the warmed tots in the casserole dish to cover the bottom completely, I used a potato masher

Stir cream of (your choice) soup, milk, 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce into the meat mixture.  Pour mixture evenly over the mashed tots

Top with remaining tots (I used about 80 tots)

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes

Sprinkle 1 cup Cheddar cheese evenly over the tots

Place back in oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes

* You can also add vegetables to the meat mixture

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

 

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves pounded flat

 

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoon olive oil

 

3-4 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons garlic powder

6 tablespoons lime juice

 

In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley

Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts

Place chicken in refrigerator at least three hours before cooking

30 minutes before cooking, remove chicken from the fridge and let it rest

Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat

Sauté chicken until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes on each side

Sprinkle with minced garlic, 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice

Cook 5 minutes more, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce

Buttery Garlic Green Beans

Buttery Garlic Green Beans

 

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper

Sea salt to taste

Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving (optional)

 

Place green beans into a large skillet and cover with water; bring to a boil

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans start to soften, about 5 minutes

Rinse with cold water

Add butter to a large skillet, over medium heat

Add green beans and onion

Cook and stir about 2 to 3 minutes

Sautee garlic with green beans until garlic is tender and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes

Season with lemon pepper, garlic powder and sea salt

Enjoy!

Barbecue Beef Cups

I made these for lunch this week.  My Husband and I polished off almost all of them!  I will be making these again trying different fillings.

 

Barbecue Beef Cups

Makes 10 Cups

3/4 pound ground meat

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough, not Grands

1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease the cups of a muffin pan

In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, cook meat until evenly brown. Drain any excess fat.

Stir in barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic and brown sugar

Simmer for a few minutes over low heat

Flatten each biscuit, and press into cups of the prepared muffin pan

Make sure the dough comes to the top of the pan

Before filling cups, bake in oven 2-3 minutes to firm up cups for filling

Spoon a portion of the meat mixture into each dough cup, filling about 3/4 full.  I used the back of the spoon to press the mixture into each cup.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 3 more minutes.

 

You can also try these cups…

Pizza cups (meat, cheese, pizza sauce)

Breakfast (egg, cheese, bacon)

Buffalo chicken (shredded chicken, hot sauce mixed with cream cheese and ranch)

Dessert cups (replace biscuits with cinnamon roll dough and add apple pie filling)

Chicken in a Creamy Mozzarella and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Just another plate of comfort food that everyone enjoys. Have a great weekend, friends.

 

Chicken in a Creamy Mozzarella and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 small jar (3-4 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, sliced or 1/2 cup dry packed

Salt, pepper and paprika to taste

1 cup half and half

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Basil and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

8 oz penne pasta

 

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain and rinse the pasta and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking

Drain tomatoes from oil. Reserve 2 tablespoons of oil for sautéing (If using dry packed tomatoes, just add a bit of olive oil in place of the tomato oil)

In a large skillet, heat oil and add chicken

Season with salt, pepper and paprika, sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes

Add garlic & sliced tomatoes, sauté for about 1 minute until garlic is fragrant

Remove tomatoes, garlic and chicken from the pan

Whisk half & half and cheese to the skillet, bring to a gentle boil

Immediately reduce to simmer and cook constantly whisking until all cheese melts & creamy sauce forms

If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time to thin it out

Return tomatoes, garlic and chicken back to the skillet on medium heat

Stir in cooked pasta and simmer a few minutes to combine flavors

Add basil and red pepper flakes

Enjoy!

Mom’s Glazed Ham

My Moms Glazed Ham recipe.  Yes, I know its an easy recipe but it came from my Mom and that makes it special!

 

Mom’s Glazed Ham

Pre-cooked ham

Pineapple

Cherries

 

1 cup Lemon Lime Soda

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Place ham in a roasting pan

With a sharp knife, diamond cut the ham about 1/4 inch all around

Using toothpicks to secure, place pineapples and cherries all over the ham

Bake ham in preheated oven, uncovered for 2 hours

Remove the ham from oven and brush with glaze

Bake for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, brushing ham with glaze every 10 minutes

Remove from oven and let the ham rest 10-20 minutes before slicing

Enjoy!

Empanadas, Meat and Cheese

I have been making these for years.  They are great to snack on during the game or when you have friends over.  Feel free to mix up the fillings to your liking.

 

Empanadas, Meat and Cheese

 

1 pound ground meat

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning or any other seasonings you like

1 cup shredded cheese blend

1 (14oz) package Goya Discos, thawed (we use the orange ones)

Oil for frying

 

In a large skillet sauté ground meat until browned, about 10 minutes

Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes

Season with Adobe and remove from heat

Spoon about 1-2 Tablespoons of meat mixture into middle of each discos

Top with shredded cheese

Fold in half to form a half moon

Moisten edges with water and pinch to seal closed, or press closed with a fork

Fill a deep saucepan with oil to a depth of 2 1/2-inches

Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking

Cook Empanadas in small batches until crisp and golden brown, flipping once, 4 – 6 minutes

Transfer to paper towels to drain

Reheat leftovers in oven

Feel free to add any other ingredients to the recipe that you would enjoy

Smothered Chicken Breasts

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

8 strips bacon

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

 

Pound chicken flat and sprinkle with salt and lemon-pepper, set aside

Place bacon in large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes

Drain bacon slices on paper towels; reserve drippings

Cook and stir onion and brown sugar in 2 Tablespoons of the reserved drippings until onion is golden, about 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside

Add oil to pan, if needed, and cook the chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 10 to 13 minutes

Top chicken with caramelized onions, cheese and bacon

Cover for a few minutes so the cheese can melt

Serve with a side of honey mustard sauce