Pizza Quesadillas Recipe

These pizza quesadillas are one of the easiest and quickest types of quesadillas you will ever make. There is not much involved in this recipe, just a tiny amount of prep work and then frying the quesadilla itself. These quesadillas have your favorite pizza ingredients such as pizza sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and sliced black olives. You can add whatever types of pizza ingredients you like such as chopped green pepper and onion. You could also add some cooked Italian sausage if you would prefer. Another good option would be to sprinkle a little Italian seasoning on these quesadillas for even more flavor. This recipe is perfect for an appetizer or for a dinner any night of the week. It is also a great option for a game day party. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
½ cup pizza sauce
6 (7 inch) flour tortillas
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup sliced pepperoni
3 tablespoons sliced pitted black olives
butter

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Lightly butter one side of each flour tortilla. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Place the tortilla into the pan butter side down. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on half of a tortilla. Sprinkle a layer of cheese over the pizza sauce. Top with pepperoni and black olives. Cook until the cheese has melted and the bottom has browned.
Step 2: Fold the tortillas in half and press down the edges gently.
Step 3: Remove from pan. Repeat until all of the quesadillas are cooked. Slice each quesadilla into three triangles.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Chicken Grilled Stuffed Burrito Recipe

One of my favorite things to get from Taco Bell is their chicken grilled stuffed burrito. When I came across this recipe and I saw that it was very similar to the burrito I get at Taco Bell, I knew I had to give it a try. What makes it so similar is that the burrito is cooked on both sides in the frying pan until it is browned. This burrito is loaded with ingredients such as shredded chicken, rice, black beans, and sour cream. You can add additional ingredients as well, some good options maybe be guacamole or pico de gallo. You can adjust the amount of heat in these burritos by the spiciness of the salsa you choose. I personally prefer my burritos not to be too spicy so I just used mild salsa. These burritos are very easy to make and are perfect for dinner any night of the week. Enjoy. Adapted from Elizabeth Lou & Company. 

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked chicken (shredded)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
juice of 1 lime
½ cup salsa
½ tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
4 large flour tortillas

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a sauce pan mix cooked brown rice together with chili powder and garlic salt. Add cooked shredded chicken, salsa and black beans. Cook until heated through. Sprinkle cheese over the tortillas, leaving ½ inch border around the edges. Add dollops of sour cream over the cheese.  Arrange some of the chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Bring the sides of the tortilla toward the center of the filling. Fold the bottom of the tortillas up over the filling and continue to roll until the burrito closes. Spray the seam side of each burrito lightly with cooking spray.
Step 2: Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Place wraps into the skillet seam-side down and cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, turn over and cook until golden brown on the other side (about 2-3 minutes per side).
(Makes 4 Servings)

Jalapeno Popper Rolls Recipe

These jalapeno poppers rolls are a delicious appetizer that consist of jalapeno popper ingredients rolled up inside of wonton wrappers. They are very similar in appearance to small egg rolls. This appetizer is extremely easy to prepare in large batches for game day. If you are using a deep-fryer you should be able to fry several of these at a time. Some of the filling ingredients in this recipe include jalapeno peppers, Monterey jack cheese, cream cheese, green onions, and bacon bits. I used cooked crumbled bacon instead because I prefer the flavor a little better. It does require a little time and effort but roll the cream cheese mixture into each wonton wrapper but it is well worth it. If you love jalapeno poppers give this recipe a try. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened)
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
1 (4 ounce) can jalapeno peppers (diced)
1 teaspoon fresh garlic (minced)
3 green onions (diced)
1 tablespoon bacon bits (or more, to taste)
ground black pepper (to taste)
1 (16 ounce) package wonton wrappers
1 egg
1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese, Monterey jack cheese, jalapeno peppers, garlic, green onions, and bacon bits. Season with a little black pepper.  Beat an egg in a small bowl.
Step 2: Place about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper. Fold over the left and right corners to the middle. Using a brush or the bottom of a spoon, brush the beaten egg on the edges of the wonton wrappers. Finish rolling up tightly and secure to make sure there are no leaks. Repeat until all of the wonton wrappers are used or the cream cheese mixture is gone.

Step 3: In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat (these can also be cooked in the deep-fryer at 375 degrees). Drop 3-4 of the rolled wontons into the oil at a time, and quickly fry, turning once until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all of the jalapeno popper rolls are fried.
(Makes 15 Servings)

Taco Tater Tot Bake Recipe

This taco tater tot bake combines tater tots into a Mexican style casserole that makes a delicious meal for any night of the week. During the winter months casserole dishes are among my favorite things to make for dinner. This specific casserole consists of ingredients such as taco meat, green chilies, corn, black beans, and Mexican cheese. The casserole also gets a lot of its flavor from enchilada sauce. If you would prefer you can add additional toppings to this recipe, some good options might be salsa and sour cream. This taco tater tot bake is extremely easy to prepare if you are short on time. Enjoy. Adapted from Cullys Kitchen.
Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 small onion (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 small can black olives (sliced)
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen corn
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies (diced and drained)
1 (12 ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (16 ounce) bag shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (16 ounce) package frozen tater tots
1 (10.5 ounce fluid ounce) can enchilada sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add ground beef, garlic, and onion and cook while breaking the meat apart with a spoon or spatula until the ground beef is completely browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add taco seasoning mix, green chilies, frozen corn, and black beans to the ground beef. Cook until heated through.
Step 2: In a large bowl combine ground beef mixture, ¾ of the Mexican cheese blend, and all of the tater tots. Stir well to combine.

Step 3: Pour about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add the tater tot mixture to the baking dish and lightly pat the mixture down into a solid, even layer. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tater tots.
Step 4: Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. During the last few minutes of baking, top the casserole with the remaining Mexican cheese blend and the sliced black olives. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe

This avocado chicken salad makes a great lunch or dinner that is easy to prepare. There are many ingredients in this recipe that blend together well to give these sandwiches a delicious flavor. The avocado dressing really makes this recipe great. The dressing is avocado based, but also has the flavor of mint in it. The chicken mixture itself uses ingredients such a celery, shallot, avocado, parmesan cheese, and dry ranch dressing mix. You can cook the chicken any way you like, but what I did was bake the chicken breasts and then sliced them into small chunks. This recipe is a great way to use up any leftover cooked chicken you may have. If you are looking for a great recipe for chicken salad sandwiches, give this one a try. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
Avocado Dressing-
2 avocados (peeled, pitting, and sliced)
1 cup buttermilk
1 green onion
¼ cup fresh  parsley (packed)
¼ cup fresh mint leaves (packed)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup water
salt and pepper (to taste)
Chicken Salad-
3 ¼ cups shredded cooked chicken (about 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts)
2 celery stalks (finely chopped)
1 large shallot (finely chopped)
1 avocado (peeled, pitting, and diced small)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Hidden Valley  dry ranch dressing mix
¾ cup Avocado dressing
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 large sliced of sourdough bread (toasted)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a food processor or blender combine 2 avocados, buttermilk, green onion, parsley, mint, lemon juice, water, and salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth. This will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Step 2: In a medium bowl combine chicken, celery, shallot, 1 avocado, mayonnaise, dry ranch dressing, and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Serve on toasted sourdough bread. You can use the leftover avocado dressing for a spread on the sandwiches.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Twix Brownies Recipe

One of my favorite things to prepare for a snack or dessert is brownies. When I saw this recipe for Twix brownies, I knew I had to give it a try. What I found great about these brownies is that there are very few ingredients and that they look incredibly moist. I am not a big fan of dry brownies and these brownies did come out with a very moist texture. Chopped Twix candy bars are layered right into the batter mixture in the pan. For even more amazing and sweet flavor and caramel sauce is poured over the brownies for serving. Even if you didn’t want to make the caramel sauce, the brownies would still be delicious even without it. It is important to make sure that you allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting them because they are very moist. Also, the caramel sauce should be served over the brownies immediately. These Twix brownies are perfect for the upcoming Holidays. Enjoy! Adapted from My Baking Addiction.
Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (coarsely chopped)
¾ cup unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
12 Fun Size Twix Bars (each cut into thirds)
Caramel Sauce-
10 individually wrapped caramel candies
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a large microwave safe bowl add chocolate and butter. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 3-4 minutes or until the butter has melted. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Gradually add flour, stir until just combined.
Step 2: Spread ½ of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Add an even layer of the chopped Twix candy bars and pour the remaining brownie batter over the Twix. Place into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Make sure to not over bake the brownies.
Step 3: Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool completely. Just before serving, cut the brownies, and prepare the caramel sauce.
Step 4: To make caramel sauce- Unwrap the caramel candies. Place the unwrapped caramel candies and heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments until the caramels begin to melt. Stir frequently. Continue microwaving and stirring until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Drizzle over each brownie and serve.

Baked Chimichangas Recipe

I love frying chimichangas but they are also great when they are baked in the oven. Frying in hot oil can be dangerous and time consuming and this recipe eliminates all of that by using the oven to cook these delicious chimichangas. What’s also great about this recipe is that it uses ground turkey instead of ground beef. If you have never made chimichangas before, they are not very difficult to prepare. A seasoned turkey mixture is rolled up into small burritos with refried beans and cheese. If you are not a big fan of refried beans, it is okay to leave them out. After you have finished rolling the chimichangas, they are brushed with butter and then baked in the oven. There are a lot of good options to use for toppings such as salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and tomato. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs ground turkey
1 (1.25 ounce) packet taco seasoning
1 ¼ cups water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons fresh oregano (chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
2 cups shredded Coly-jack cheese
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
6 large flour tortillas
4 tablespoons melted butter

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet add ground turkey and brown over medium high heat. Add the taco seasoning and stir. Add the water and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has reduced by 2/3.
Step 2: Add cumin, oregano, cilantro, green onions, and green chilies. Simmer until the rest of the liquid has evaporated.
Step 3: In a small saucepan heat the refried beans until warm, smooth, and easy to spread. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Lay a tortilla onto a flat surface (such as a cutting board), spread a thin layer of refried beans into the center of the tortilla, top with the meat filling mixture, and sprinkle some cheese over the meat. Roll up the tortillas while tucking in the sides. Place onto a lightly greased baked sheet, arranged so that they are not touching. Repeat until all of the tortillas are rolled.

Step 4: Brush the chimichangas on the tops and sides with melted butter. Place into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. During the last few minutes of cooking top each tortilla with remaining Colby-jack cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Buffalo Chicken Bites Recipe

These buffalo chicken bites make a great appetizer for game day and for parties. This recipe does take a little bit of work because you need to bread all of the bites individually. The process to making these chicken bites includes rolling the chicken and a few other ingredients into a ball and then coating them with a breading mixture. The great thing about this recipe is that the chicken bites are baked in the oven and not fried. You can adjust the amount of heat to your taste by how spicy the hot sauce is that you use. If you do not like much heat you will probably want to use a mild hot sauce. These buffalo chicken bites go great served with blue cheese dressing. Enjoy.Adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen.

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
¼ to ½ cup hot sauce (to taste)
3 ½ ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 ¾ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs (lightly beaten)
3-4 cups crushed cornflakes

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix together chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, cheddar cheese, and green onions. Roll a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into a 1 ½ inch ball and place onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture.
Step 2: Add flour to a shallow dish or pie plate. In another shallow dish add the eggs and in another shallow dish add the cornflakes. Roll each chicken ball first into the flour, then dip in the egg mixture and then roll in the cornflakes until evenly coated. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the chicken balls are coated.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with blue cheese or ranch dressing.
(Makes 48 Bites)

Breakfast Pizza Recipe

This is what I would consider a meat lovers pizza breakfast style. This pizza uses three different types of meat—sausage, bacon, and ham. To make things even better the sauce is a country-style gravy. You can use the powdered mix in the packet, buy it premade in a can, or even make your own sausage gravy! This delicious breakfast pizza is also topped with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese. This pizza is great served for breakfast but also makes for a great dinner as well. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 pre-baked refrigerated pizza crust (at room temperature)
1 (2 ½ ounce) package country gravy mix
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 cup chopped sausage links (fully cooked)
1 cup chopped ham (cooked)
1 cup cooked crispy bacon (crumbled)
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine
8 eggs
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sauce pan add the water and milk. Whisk in the gravy mix and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat and allow the gravy to cool slightly.
Step 2: In a large bowl beat together the eggs with milk. In a large skillet melt margarine over medium heat. Add the beaten eggs to the skillet and scramble until set and in small chunks.
Step 3: Place the pizza crust onto a lightly greased pizza pan or baking sheet. Spread the gravy evenly over the top. Sprinkle the cooked sausage, cooked ham, and cooked bacon over the top of the gravy. Sprinkle the scrambled eggs over the meats. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the eggs.
Step 4: Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted and browning. Allow to cool slightly and cut into wedges.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Slow Cooker Chicken with Cashews Recipe

You can prepare countless types of meals in the slow cooker, including Chinese chicken with cashews. This recipe does require a little work because you need to brown the chicken in the pan first. If you wanted you could just add the chicken raw into the slow cooker, but the sauce may not be as thick when it has finished cooking. The sauce uses delicious Chinese flavors such as soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic and ginger. The process to preparing this recipe is very easy—the chicken is first coated with flour, browned in the wok or frying pan and then placed into the slow cooker with the sauce and cooked on low for 3-4 hours. This dish goes great when served over white or brown rice. Enjoy. Adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking.

Ingredients:
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove (minced)
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup cashews
½ cup green onions (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1:  Add flour and pepper to a large sealable food storage bag or  sealable container. Shake to coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Heat canola oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown for 2 minutes of each side. Remove from the pan and place the chicken into the slow cooker.
Step 2: In a small bowl combine soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Step 3: Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Once the chicken has finished cooking add cashews and stir. Serve over rice and top with sliced green onions.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Snickers Cheesecake Recipe

If you love snickers candy bars you are sure to enjoy this delicious and rich cheesecake recipe. This cheesecake has such an amazing flavor it will be hard to stop eating. Snickers cheesecake is basically just what the name says—a cheesecake topped with chopped snickers bars, peanuts, and caramel syrup. I came across this recipe on My Baking Addiction and it looked so amazing I had to give it a try. The original recipe called for a water bath but I decided not to use it. Unfortunately the cheesecake ended up cracking in several different spots. I didn’t really mind because the snickers topping will cover it up anyways. If you do not want to cheesecake to crack I would suggest using the water bath. If you are confused about the water bath process, there is a great video on My Baking Addiction demonstrating it. This cheesecake makes an excellent dessert. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
Crust-
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick unsalted butter (melted)
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake filling-
4 (8 ounce) sticks cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Topping-
20 Mini Snickers bars (cut into fourths)
1/3 cup roasted peanuts (chopped)
¼ cup caramel syrup

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap a 9 inch spring form pan tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil to prevent leaks when using the water bath. If you want to take extra measures to prevent leaks you can place the foil wrapped spring form pan inside an oven bag while baking. Lightly spray the spring form pan with cooking spray.
Step 2: In a medium bowl mix together the crust ingredients until well combined. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the spring form pan. Place into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Step 3: Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath. In a large bowl combine cream cheese and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time (while mixing) until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl with spatula in between each egg. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Step 4: pour the batter over the prepared crust in the spring form pan. Place the spring form pan into a larger pan and pour the boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.
Step 5: Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes, at this point the edges will appear to be set but the center will still have some jiggle to it. Close the oven door, turn off the heat, and let the cheesecake rest in the cooling oven for one hour. After one hour, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place it into a cooling rack to cool completely. Once it has cooled, place it into the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
Step 6: Top with Snickers bars, peanuts, and caramel syrup.

Orange Peel Shrimp Recipe

This is apparently a recipe that is very similar to the orange peel shrimp at PF Changs. I love making Chinese shrimp dishes because they usually have incredible amounts of flavor and are easy to prepare. What I liked the most about this recipe was the orange sauce, the sweetness and tanginess of the sauce went perfect with the shrimp. The sauce is nothing more than a combination of orange juice, soy sauce, orange zest, and sugar. If you have problems with the sauce not becoming thick, just mix a little cornstarch in with a bit of orange juice and it should be fine. I like this serve this recipe with egg rolls and brown rice. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 egg (lightly beaten)
½ cup cornstarch
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 1/2lbs medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
oil (for frying)
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
4 green onions (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large sealable bowl or plastic shaker bag. Add cornstarch along with salt and pepper to taste. In another large bowl mix the shrimp together with the beaten egg. Remove shrimp from the bowl with a slotted spoon (draining off any excess egg) and place into the bowl with the cornstarch. Seal the bowl or bag and shake until the shrimp are coated with the cornstarch.
Step 2: Heat a deep-fryer to 365 degrees. Cook shrimp in batches for about 5 minutes per batch or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels (This can also be done in a skillet by heating ¼ cup of oil over medium-high heat and cooking the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side).

Step 3: In a large skillet or wok add the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil until syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup (about 4 to 5 minutes). Place shrimp into the skillet, add green onions and cook until heated through and coated with the sauce (about 1 minute).
(Makes 4 Servings)