Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Lately, I’ve been using my crock pot A LOT.  I hate cooking chicken, and throwing it in the crockpot makes my life SO much easier.

Anyway, I found this super simple recipe (sorry, not sure where, but I know there are a lot out there) for “taco chicken”.  I’ve made it twice because it is so easy and a huge hit with my boys (Alex, little brother, and his friend who lives upstairs).  So here it is (measurements not really important )

Crockpot Chicken Tacos:

Ingredients:

• Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast – I’ve done it with 1 pound and 2 pounds.  I prefer doing the 2 pounds because it feeds us longer.
• Jar of your favorite salsa
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (your choice of mild, medium, hot, etc)
• Crockpot

Throw all the ingredients in the crockpot (I usually throw my chicken in frozen, but I’m sure you can thaw it out beforehand…just adjust cooking time).  The original recipe I found said a whole jar of salsa, but I just eyeball it and make sure the chicken is covered.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high or 4-6.  (Obviously, just check it to make sure it is cooked through ).

Shred with a fork and serve with your favorite taco ingredients!

Butter Pecan Bars

This recipe is from a local magazine, however I am not sure of the exact reference.  My mom made these a while back and made me a copy of recipe, which of course has no information on it.  I will try and find the magazine next time I'm home and update so I can give credit where credit is due :). I am, however, typing the recipe word for word because I didn't have to make any changes :)

Anyway, these are super rich, and definitely not good for you,  but they are delicious and pretty easy to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 (18 oz) box butter pecan cake mix
• 1 stick of butter melted
• 1 stick of butter softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
• 1 (1 lb) box of powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Mix together cake mix, 1 stick of melted butter and one slightly beaten egg.  Press into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add softened butter, two eggs, and powdered sugar; mix well.  Pour over cake mix layer.  Top with pecans.  Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees for 1 hour.  Cool and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

A few years ago, I bought my first jar of Nutella.  One bite, and I was hooked.  When I needed a chocolate fix, I would just grab a spoon and the jar out of the cabinet and sneak a few bites.

I forgot about it for a while, and then one day I ran across it, and shoveled a spoonful in my mouth only to be disappointed.  It definitely didn’t taste the way I originally remembered it, so I just shoved it back up in the cabinet and forgot about it. 

Turns out, it had gone bad, hence the reason it didn’t taste how I remembered.  I thought it was like peanut butter and could last forever, but apparently it has about a 2 week shelf life after opening.

I was having a Nutella craving the other day, and convinced myself to buy a jar ONLY if I could find a recipe to use the majority of it.  I hit up Google and of course found a million different recipes, but since I already had the ingredients to make this one, I thought this was a good place to start.

Glad I did because they were yummy!

Sorry for the terrible quality, it was taken on my cell phone :) 

Recipe (slightly adapted) from Lovin’ From the Oven

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temp.
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

Directions

1. Mix together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.
2. Cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in egg.
3. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chocolate chips.
4. Chill for at least 1 hour.  (This is important because I made two batches and the second batch got a little warm before going in the oven and they didn’t turn out as well)
5. Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes until the edges look set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully remove to cooling racks.

I’m serving them to the fam tonight so I’ll see if they like them, but I know I did.

I found another recipe that used hazelnuts in it, so I may add those next time just for something different.  We’ll see though!

Let me know how they turn out if you try it :)

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Although my Alex will eat pretty much anything, my family (parents and brother) are EXTREMELY picky.

From my dad not liking tomatoes, my mom eating like a four-year old (macaroni and cheese, burgers, chicken fingers), and my brother who refuses to eat anything that might go in a salad, it is quite difficult to come up with anything that they will all eat.

I was at home for the weekend and needed a recipe that I could try that they all would eat.  I saw this while browsing my favorite cooking blog, and thought it would be a good recipe to try.

It was a hit!

Terrible picture, but it is from my cell phone.  I’ll fix it later though ;)  Visit the original recipe here for a better, more appetizing picture

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

serves 4-6

• 1 pound pasta (I used shells)
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 ounces grated monterey jack cheese (I used half a brick) + more for topping
• 1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese + more for topping
• 2/3 cup mild buffalo wing sauce (original calls for 1/3, but I added more for more flavor)
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste

for garnish: additional buffalo wing sauce  (She added additional garnishes on the original recipe found here)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until milk thickens. Add in grated cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Spray a baking dish (9x13) with non-stick spray. Add pasta and chicken, then pour cheese sauce over and mix thoroughly until everything is coated. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.  Drizzle with buffalo wing sauce.

Mocha Coconut Frappucino Cupcakes

Earlier this summer, I found the Mocha Coconut Frappucino on the menu at Starbucks and I tried it.

Bad.idea.  I could seriously drink them every day, all day (which is saying a lot because I never finish an entire Starbuck’s drink and I slurp these down).

Anyway, it got me on a coconut kick and I purchased boxes of Keurig (yes, boxes.  They are a limited edition so I stocked up), coconut creamer, and anything else “coconutty” I could get my hands on.

When this recipe popped up on my favorite cooking blog, I couldn’t get to the store fast enough to buy the ingredients.

They were more amazing than they sounded, and even my non-sweet loving boyfriend couldn’t get enough of these (another item he requested for me to make again for him and/or his parents).

So without further adieu, here is my recipe, slightly adapted from the original here at How Sweet It is (She uses dark chocolate – I used milk - and takes gorgeous pictures so definitely visit her blog and check out the original recipe!)

Mocha Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, then stir in sour cream. Fold in chocolate chips and mix. Line a muffin tin with liners and using a 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

Coconut Frosting (Note:  This makes a lot of frosting.  Since I like light frosted cupcakes, I had a TON left over.  Next time I will play with halving this to see if I can reduce the amount :))

• 2 sticks of butter, softened (1 cup)
• 3 2/3 cups powdered sugar + more if needed
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons of coconut extract
• 1-2 tablespoons of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Cream butter in the bowl of an electric mixture until completely smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar slowly. Gradually increase mixer speed and add vanilla and coconut extracts, then beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl. Continue to whip for another 4-5 minutes, continuously scrapping. If frosting is too thick, add coconut milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar gradually until it thickens. Fold in shredded coconut and mix until just combined. Frost cupcakes, then sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

Mocha Coconut Drizzle

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1-2 teaspoons coconut milk

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add in one teaspoon of coconut milk. Really mix to combine, as you want it to be glaze-like and easy to drizzle. If too thick, add a drop of coconut milk and stir again. If it accidentally gets too thin, just add a bit more powdered sugar and mix.

Linguine with Clams Casino

Alex was coming into town and I was determined to try out a new recipe on him while I had him here.  I ran across this recipe and between the bacon, pasta, and clams, I knew it was perfect (and fairly reasonably priced, which made my financial analyst boyfriend love it even more ;))

We actually ended up cooking it together (because Alex can’t stay out of the kitchen), but it was really easy and it tasted AMAZING!  Alex even went as far as to say that I will have to make it again so far, and maybe even for his parents (both requests are a big deal coming from him).

I served it with a store-bought tomato basil focaccia (sorry, only one new recipe a night ;)), and had planned on adding a salad, but forgot to pick up the salad ingredients.  Oh well, just more room for pasta ;)

Recipe from How Sweet It Is (my new favorite cooking blog ;))  I didn’t make any changes to it and wouldn’t change a thing!

Clams Casino Linguine

serves 3-4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans minced clams in clam juice, 13 ounces total
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1/2 pound whole wheat linguine
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese + more for garnish
• freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Boil a pot of water for pasta and cook according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add chopped onions and peppers with a pinch of salt and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in both cans of clams + juice and bring the mixture to a boil. Add white wine and let mixture simmer for about 5 full minutes. Stir in butter.

Turn heat down to low and add cooked linguine. Toss to allow the noodles to soak up the sauce. Add in parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon and parsley.

Serve with additional parmesan and crusty bread.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

In honor of St. Patrick’s day today, I thought I’d share my recipe for my Irish Car Bomb cupcakes (I made them for Alex’s b’day and they were a huge hit!) :)  I’ve never had an Irish Car Bomb so I don’t know if they taste the same, but they were inspired by the Irish Car Bomb ingredients :)

Time (Including Prep and Cook Time):  Approximately 1 hour

Yields:  24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 cup Guinness
• 1 stick, plus 1 tbsp, unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet cocoa
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Icing

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup Irish cream (the original recipe calls for 1/3 cup of milk, so you can do that if you prefer :))

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350; butter a muffin tin if not using cupcake liners.

• Combine the Guinness and the butter, chopped into 1-inch chunks, in a large sauce pan, and heat to melt the butter.
• Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa and sugar.
• In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then add to the beer mixture. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter. Pour into muffin molds and bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin, and cool completely on a rack.

Using a mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth, sift in sugar, and beat. Add irish cream, and beat until smooth. Spread icing over cooled cupcakes.

PS:  Let the icing soak into the cupcake a little while before serving…it makes the cupcake much more moist :)

ENJOY! :)