TACO BITES

TACO BITES

 http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.sg/2011/12/bite-sized-brilliance.html

Wonton wrappers

1 lb. ground beef, browned

1 pkg. taco seasoning

Toppings {optional}

Cheese

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Sour Cream

Cilantro

Before you do anything, I BEG YOU to spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.  I foolishly neglected to do so on my first go 'round with these little taco bites and I had to throw away my pan.  Dangit.  Once your pan is all nice and greased, place one wrapper in each cup.

 

Brown meat and drain.  Return to pan and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Scoop a tablespoon of taco meat into each cup.  I went ahead and added cheese to mine before putting them in the oven. 

Bake at 425 for about 8-10 minutes or until wrappers are golden brown around the edges.  Be careful though because those wrappers can burn if you're not paying attention!  I started watching them around the 8 minute mark and then took 'em out around 9{ish} minutes.  I know every oven is different, so just keep your eye on 'em so they don't scorch!!!!

Remove from pan and add toppings as desired!  I served these as an appetizer at one of our recent parties and set out all the toppings so our guests could choose what they wanted....sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, etc.  Whatever the heck you want.  I'm tellin' y'all, these are the PERFECT little bite-sized party food!  And with party season here in full swing, you might wanna add these to your arsenal of goodies....just sayin'.

PS:  If you're thinking these cups look a little scary, you're right.  They're *slightly* burnt, but after a few rounds of cocktails, our party guests didn't seem to notice ;)  Not a crumb left on the plate by the end of the night!

Baked Potatoes

Baked Potatoes...Sort Of

Twice Baked Potatoes in a Dish

Potato Skins with Sour Cream

Potato Skins

When I asked my husband what side dish he wanted with simple grilled chicken breast for dinner tonight, he wasn't sure, until I said, "How about twice baked potatoes?" 
"Yeah! That sounds great. Unless..."
"Yeah? What are you thinking?"
"Potato skins."
"Hmmm... I think I'll make both."

My mom makes these amazingly decadent twice-baked potatoes in a pan, but she normally uses red potatoes. I will have to make and post that exact recipe another time. 
For now, I'm really going over the top preparing these two potato sides. In the time it's taken me to type this recipe up, I've doubled the recipe and invited my sister-in-law and her family over for dinner. 

I'm making up the potato skins recipe based on what I remember eating at the Black Angus waaaaay back when I was a kid. I just remember them being crisp, greasy, cheesy, and bacony. Mmmm... I might be out of control.

The recipe(s) below can be halved if you're not serving 9 people like I am tonight.

Twice-Baked Potatoes in a Dish and Potato Skins

• 9 medium russet potatoes

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper 
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk (if potatoes are too thick)
• 1 jar bacon bits, or a half pound of bacon, fried and cut into bits, or cut into bits and fried
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• canola oil to fry in
• sour cream, if desired
• 3 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Scrub and pierce potatoes several times with a sharp knife. Bake potatoes at 350° for about an hour, or until potatoes give when squeezed gently with an oven-mitted hand.

When potatoes are done, cut in half and carefully scoop out insides, leaving about a 1/4-inch layer of potato inside. Set skins aside.

For the Twice Baked Potatoes in a Dish: 

Place potato insides in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix briefly to break potatoes down a little. Add cream cheese, sour cream, butter, chopped garlic, and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon or so of pepper. Beat until thoroughly mixed, but don't mix to the point of gumminess. If the mixture seems really thick, add up to 1/2 cup milk to smooth it out to the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread potato mixture into  the prepared pan. 

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 325°. 

Immediately after removing from oven, cover the top with 1 cup of cheese.  Then sprinkle with about 2/3 of the bacon and sliced green onions, if desired.  Allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving. The heat from the potatoes will melt the cheese perfectly.

Makes about 9-10 servings.

For the Potato Skins:

After scooping out potato insides, you should have 18 half skins. Cut each of those in half, so you have quarter skins.

Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a pan (about 325°). Fry potato skins in batches, careful not to crowd the pan. Once skins are a deep golden brown, remove to a paper towel-lined cooking rack to drain. 

Place fried skins, open side up, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each with cheese and a little bacon. Place in 325° oven for about 5- 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and green onions, if desired.

Makes about 9 servings.

Instant Mug o' Mac & Cheese in the Microwave

My daughter likes her organic boxed mac and cheese just as well much as the homemade stuff I make in the oven. The other day I went to make her our quick box version for lunch and we were out! I knew it was finally time to try something I’d always thought of but never attempted: making mac and cheese in the microwave. Since she only needed a small portion I knew a mug o’ mac and cheese would be just the right amount for her. I was thrilled when it worked out with my regular microwave — it was so easy! I made the recipe a few times to make sure it worked out for you. I have to say, now that we’ve gotten used to this I might consider skipping buying the boxes altogether. So, next time you need mac and cheese in a snap, simply pull out your mug and go for it!


Instant Mug o’ Mac & Cheese in the Microwave
1/3 cup pasta
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Combine the pasta and water in a large mug or bowl. Microwave on high for two minutes, then stir. A lot of times the water will overflow while it heats up. It is OK if this happens. If you don’t want it to overflow just make this in a very large microwaveable bowl. Repeat this for at least 2 to 4 more minutes, stirring at each 2-minute interval. The water should absorb completely and the pasta will be cooked through. If the pasta needs another minute it is okay to add one more teaspoon of water and microwave for another minute. My pasta cooked through in 4 minutes every time, but my microwaves tends to be very powerful.
Remove it from the microwave and stir in the milk and cheese. Microwave for another minute. Stir the cheese thoroughly into the pasta and eat up!

Crispy Parmesan Zucchini Fries

June 1, 2011 by Lindsay 

Zucchini fries are nothing new. You can find them here, here and here, just to point out a few recipes for ya! But they’re semi-new to me and sometimes that’s all that matters.
I had a vague recollection of making zucchini fries once before and not being too crazy about them. But after I same Georgia’s recipe yesterday day, I knew I needed to give them another try.
I started by slicing the zucchini into thin slices.
Then I seasoned some flour with paprika and garlic powder. I rolled the slices in the flour mixture, dipped them in egg and then dropped them onto a plate with panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and a little more paprika and garlic powder.

I put them in the oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, flipped them over and then put them in for 10 minutes more.

They browned up perfectly and got really crunchy. I served them with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

http://mommyimhungry.blogspot.sg/2011/08/cheesy-macaroni-and-cheese.html

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

I am going to call this our go-to mac and cheese. This has been the creamiest one I've made, and that's how I like it. Other baked mac n cheeses tend to come out dry and are horrible for leftovers, not this. I have to say I think it's the Velveeta in it, even though I'm not real keen on it, I'll use it for this recipe. I have made this a couple of times now and even the kids gobble it up. This recipe will make a big 9x13 pan, so I suggest halving it to fit either an 8x8 or round casserole for your side dish to dinner. Sadly I cannot give credit to where I found this, I always save the link in my Faves, but I can't find it there, and I had to hand write it since I don't have a printer now. SO, if I ever happen upon it, I'll add the link in.

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz macaroni pasta (any shape pasta you like, gluten free)
1/2 C unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C flour (gluten free blend)
3 1/2 C milk, warmed
1/4 C white wine (or sub w/chicken broth)
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 lb cheddar, cubed

Topping:
1/2 C panko bread crumbs
1 Tbl parsley
2 Tbl butter, melted

Heat 350' oven. Grease 9x13 glass dish ( 8x8 or round casserole, if making half the recipe).
Cook pasta for about 2-3 minutes less than called for, drain, set aside.
In a saucepan, melt 1/2 C butter, salt pepper, once melted add flour, stir until smooth. Let cook for 1 minute. Add milk, wine, bring to a boil, whisking. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Pour over cooked pasta and add to greased dish.

Combine the panko, parsley and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle macaroni with panko topping, bake uncovered 30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

Print

 

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

7 hours

Total time

7 hours 10 mins

 

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• - 1 cup sour cream (I used light & it is still very decadent)
• - 1 can condensed cream of potato soup
• - 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce (or A1 sauce for vegetarians)
• - 2 lb small red potatoes
• - 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheese blend (can double cheese to make cheesier, if calories are not an issue hehe)
• - ½ tsp paprika
• - 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives for topping

Instructions

1. Thinly slice potatoes and set aside.
2. Mix sour cream, can of potato soup and worcestershire sauce together in a large bowl.
3. Add thinly sliced potatoes to the mixture and mix until all potatoes are well coated.
4. Spoon ½ of the potato mixture into a crockpot sprayed with cooking spray.
5. Top with ¾ cup of shredded cheese.
6. Repeat layer with remaining potatoes and cheese.
7. Cook on HIGH for 3.5 to 4.5 hours (or on LOW 7 to 8 hours). Serve topped with a sprinkle of paprika and chives.

There are hardly any leftovers, but when there are, I love to top a scoop of these potatoes with a over-easy egg for a fun breakfast. Mmmmmm. This is a must try… and just in time for the holidays! hehe
XO Corey



Serves 12Here is what you need:
- 1 cup sour cream (I used light & it is still very decadent)
- 1 can condensed cream of potato soup
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 lb small red potatoes
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheese blend (can double cheese to make cheesier, if calories are not an issue hehe)
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives for topping

 

 

 

1. Thinly slice potatoes and set aside.








2. Mix sour cream, can of soup and worcestershire sauce together in a large bowl.

3. Add thinly sliced potatoes to the mixture and mix until all potatoes are well coated.

 

 

7. Cook on HIGH for 3.5 to 4.5 hours (or on LOW 7 to 8 hours). Serve topped with a sprinkle of paprika and chives. I did not have chives, so I used some parsley I had on hand… still very tasty!