Goat Cheese Tomato Basil Puffs

I am always looking for fun little side dishes or quick and simple appetizers to make with dinner when I am having family and friends over.  This was one of my favorites from late summer that I made with fresh tomatoes from our garden.  While perusing the deli's cheese section of my grocery store I got inspired to make something using my fresh tomatoes and goat cheese.  I love goat cheese, especially the flavored ones and they just so happened to have it on sale.  I am a sucker for a sale so I bought a little log of Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese and set off through the grocery store to find my other ingredients.  I already had the tomatoes so I decided to grab some fresh basil and a package of crescent rolls.  I got home and began making these fun treats and realized I was onto something...I had found a super quick and yummy appetizer that was so simple to whip up!  I hope you enjoy it!

Goat Cheese Tomato Basil Puffs


What you will need:

1 pkg Crescent Rolls (I use the off brand reduced fat kind)
2 large Ripe Tomatoes (diced)
Fresh Basil
Goat Cheese (I used garlic and herb flavored)
Cooking Spray

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees

First, take the entire roll of crescents out of the package/tube.  Place it on a large cutting board and unroll it, try to not separate it even though they have already perforated it.  Next you will go along the perforated spots and try and pinch them together slightly so your end result will be one big sheet of crescent roll dough.  Next, with a sharp knife, cut the dough into small 3" X 3" squares or whatever size you prefer.

On a separate cutting board, chop your fresh tomatoes and set aside.  Now chop your basil leaves into small pieces.  Combine the tomatoes and the chopped basil together.

Next, spray Cooking Spray on a cookie sheet.  Place the crescent roll dough squares about 1-2 inches apart.  Top each square with a spoon full or so of the goat cheese.  Then layer on the tomatoes and basil mixture.

Place the cookie sheet on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.  You will want the pastry to be a little golden brown. After the pastry is done you can pull the pan out of the oven and set aside to cool.  After a few minutes, using a spatula remove the puffs from the cookie sheet and place on your serving dish and serve!  Super fast huh? Enjoy!

Chicken and Chips Casserole

I absolutely love throwing ingredients together in a pyrex dish and baking them which is one reason why I enjoy making this casserole so much!  Even though it is super simple to make, it tastes incredibly delicious! I love making this for dinner and then taking the leftovers to work for my lunch.  I always serve this with a side of black eyed peas or hoppin' john (which is jazzed up black eyed peas).  I hope you enjoy this yummy comfort casserole!

Chicken and Chips Casserole


What you will need:

11" X 7" Oven Safe Baking Dish
3 Boneless Chicken Breasts (cooked and shredded)
1 can Water Chestnuts sliced (you will chop them later)
1/4 cup Green Onions (chopped)
1/4 cup Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1-2 tbsp Dijon or Spicy Mustard (depends on which you prefer)
2 hearty scoops of Sour Creme...about 1/4 cup
4 hearty spoonfuls of Mayonnaise...about 1/2 cup (I use the kind with Olive Oil that is reduced fat)
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded...you can also use white cheddar or swiss
Lay's Potato Chips...the old school regular thinly sliced kind
Garlic Powder
Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
Black Pepper
Sea Salt

If you haven't already, you will begin by cooking your chicken.  For this casserole I prefer to boil the chicken in water for about 30-45 minutes.  If you cut the chicken breasts in half you can boil them for just 30 minutes.  Be sure to watch the water though because chicken has a tendency to get a little foamy and boil over.  After the chicken is cooked (it will have no pink in the center) you can pull the pieces out of the water and set them aside to cool.  After cooling, you will want to shred your chicken with a fork but leave it a bit chunky.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

After the chicken is cooked, you will want to rinse your green onions with water then place them on a cutting board and chop them into about 1/2 centimeter pieces.  Then de-seed your bell pepper and cut it into small pieces as well.  Next you will get your water chestnuts and chop them up into fourths.  You do not have to be precise about it because it is yummy to get some bigger pieces mixed in.

Next, place the shredded chicken in a mixing bowl along with the green onions, bell pepper, and water chestnuts.  Now you can get a spoon and scoop two hearty scoops of sour creme and about 4 hearty scoops of mayonnaise and add them to the mixture in the bowl.  On top of that you will add your mustard and Lemon Juice.  Next, sprinkle on a few dashes of garlic powder, Tony Chachere's, black pepper, and sea salt.

After you have everything in the mixing bowl, be sure to mix it all through really well.  Now scoop the mixture into your 11" X 7" baking dish and spread it evenly. Top the mixture evenly with shredded cheese.  Next top the cheese evenly with the potato chips that you can crush with your hands over the casserole dish until you have completely covered the cheese and you have your desired amount of crunchiness :)

Put the dish in the oven and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes.  You want the chips to be golden brown and the mixture and cheese to be bubbling.  After you pull the dish out of the oven, let it sit for a few minutes then serve with black eyed peas.  Enjoy!

I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light's "Hot Chicken and Chips Retro"...below is the link

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/easy-chicken-recipes-00412000068136/page13.html

Easy Grilled Chicken Tacos

I love this recipe because it is such a great change from regular grilled chicken served with vegetables.   You get to have the fun of grilling the chicken outside on the grill mixed with the comfort food that is tacos.  We have a ton of beautiful days here in the south with nice temperatures and lots of sunshine so it is always nice to enjoy the weather and throw something on the grill and have friends and family over.  I can't think of many things I would rather do enjoy the day or evening outside with friends and family.

This recipe is also great if you have leftover grilled chicken as you can warm it up quick and add these ingredients and you are set.  I hope you enjoy these yummy tacos!  

What you will need:

Grilled Chicken (for this recipe you could do a dry rub of cumin, sea salt, Tony Chachere's, and garlic powder or you could marinate the chicken in lime juice and olive oil to give it a Tex-Mex flare)

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cilantro Lime Rice (*recipe on previous blog entry)

1 Tomato

Verde Salsa

Sour Creme

Flour Tortillas

What I love about this recipe, and really most taco recipe's that I make, is the simplicity of making it yet you get extraordinary taste results!  

Pull your chicken off the grill and set aside to cool.

Cut your tomato with a knife into small pieces and place them into a serving bowl.  Now shred your cheese.  I love sharp cheese so I usually use Extra Sharp Cheddar.  Other variations that are tasty are monterey jack, pepper jack, and colby cheese.

Next, put the Grilled Chicken on a cutting board and shred it with a fork.  You can either shred it finely or leave it chunky just whichever you prefer.

Now, arrange your tortillas in a stack and place them on a microwave safe plate.  Get a sheet of paper towel and run it under the faucet then ring it so it is damp.  Cover your tortillas with the damp piece of paper towel and microwave for about 20-30 seconds.  Depending on how many tortillas you are cooking you may want to flip the stack over half way through heating them.  

Now for the fun part:  Place your tortilla on a plate and layer on a layer of Cilantro-Lime Rice, Chicken, Tomatoes, Sour Creme, Cheese, and Verde Salsa.  Now you are ready to eat!  Enjoy!  

Cilantro-Lime Rice

  I absolutely love this recipe! It takes no time to make and is so simple! I have found myself using this over and over again for all sorts of things.  I have made this rice as a side dish for many of my mexican food entree's as well as have used in in other recipes.  One of my favorite ways I have used it in another recipe was with my Bean and Cheese Quesadilla's (recipe to come soon).  If you like spicy things then I think you will love this rice...if you do not like spicy you can simply omit most of the Sriracha sauce.  I hope you enjoy this yummy rice!

Cilantro-Lime Rice

What you will need:

1 bag of Instant Rice
1/4 cup Cilantro (finely chopped)
1 Lime (try to find a large one)
1-2 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
Sea Salt
Ground Chipotle Pepper
Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

Cook the Rice in a pot using the directions given on the box.

While the rice is cooking, chop your cilantro into fine pieces.  I prefer to only use the leaves of the cilantro and not any of the stems.  You can use a food processor if you'd like to get the cilantro really fine.

Next you will want to get a mixing bowl and squeeze your fresh lime on both sides to give you about 4 tbsp of fresh lime juice.  If you do not have a fresh lime you can substitute for 4 tbsp of concentrated lime juice.  Add the cilantro to the lime juice and mix it through.

When your rice is done cooking, add it to the mixing bowl with the cilantro and lime.  Next add about 1-2 tbsp of Sriracha sauce...less for mild, more for hot.  If you really like spicy go for the 2 tbsp.  Now, sprinkle a few dashes of Chipotle Pepper, Sea salt, Tony Chachere's, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.   Mix all of this thoroughly and serve.  Easy huh?  Enjoy!

This rice saves well in the refrigerator.  Just be sure to put it in a tupperware with a lid.  When you are ready to serve it again you can just add a bit of water and microwave for about 30-45 seconds then mix and serve.

Tex-Mex Pizza!

I made these Tex-Mex Pizza's last night and they were amazingly delicious!  I got inspired to make mexican style food and was going to make some simple tacos but decided to spice things up and do something different.  After a little thought, I decided I would make Tex-Mex Pizzas!  I had so much fun picking out ingredients and throwing a little of this and that together to get this full of flavor dish.  These are super fun because they are individual sized and so you can personalize them with different toppings.  If you are a lighter eater, you will find that you can split one pizza and save the rest for later.  I served this with a side of spicy corn and it was an all together fabulous Sunday dinner!  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Tex-Mex Pizza's


Here is what you will need:

A food processor that is able to hold at least one can of black beans.  I have a mini Cuisinart that is fantastic!
1 package  (usually around a lb) Ground Turkey...you can use ground beef but the turkey is healthier :)
8 Flour Tortillas (fajita/taco sized)
1 can Black Beans (drained)
1 can Red Enchilada Sauce
1 can Diced Tomato's (drained)...I used the no salt added kind
1 packet Taco Seasoning
1/3 of a White Onion (chopped)
4 Green Onion's (chopped)
1/4 cup Cilantro
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
4 tbsp Lime Juice
Sriracha Sauce (a spicy chile sauce)
Spices--just a few dashes of each of these to your liking:
   -Garlic Powder
   -Onion Powder
   -Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
   -Black Pepper
   -Sea Salt
   -Ground Chipotle Pepper

**If you are not a lover of spicy food you may want to omit the Sriracha Sauce, Ground Chipotle Pepper, and go light on the Tony Chachere's seasoning.

First you will want to chop about 1/3 of a white onion into small pieces.  Now put the ground turkey into a sauté pan.  Top it with a few dashes of garlic powder, Tony Chachere's, Black Pepper, and Onion Powder.  Begin browning your meat on medium/low heat.  Add the chopped onion.  Be sure to stir and mix often so the meat makes small pieces and doesn't burn.

While the meat is browning, add the can of drained black beans to your food processor.  Add about 1/2 tbsp of Sriracha sauce.   You may want to omit the Sriracha if you do not like spicy food.  Next add your cilantro, 4 tbsp lime juice, a few dashes of Garlic Powder, Sea Salt, and Tony Chachere's.  Process that until it is smooth.  Now put that mixture into a small sauce pan and let it sit.  You do not need to heat it until later as it heats up really fast.

Preheat your oven to 365 degrees

In another sauce pot, add the Red Enchilada Sauce and your drained Tomato's.  Mix in a few dashes of Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Tony Chachere's, and Ground Chipotle Pepper.  Mix all of that together and then heat on low/simmer.  You will need this last so just heat it, stir it occasionally and let it simmer.

Your ground turkey should be browned now.  Be sure to drain the grease from the meat.  I use a strainer over an old coffee can so I do not clog up my drains and so it is easy to discard.  After you have drained the meat, return it to your pan and add the Taco Seasoning and follow the directions on the packet.  The only directions on there not to follow are when it tells you the cook time.  You can omit that and just turn the meat on low/medium and let it cook and mix together while you do everything else. 

Turn your black beans onto low and stir often as they like to stick to the pan.

* If you are doing the side dish of Spicy Corn you will want to put them on to cook now as well..

Take your tortillas and poke a few holes in them using a fork.  This helps them to not bubble up while they bake and makes it easier for you to do the layers with them.  Now put them straight onto the oven's top rack and let them bake for 6-8 minutes.  You will want to check them and make sure they don't burn.  You want them to be crispy and a little golden brown.

If you haven't already, now is a great time to chop your green onions and shred your cheddar cheese.
While the tortillas are cooking, make sure to stir your meat, beans, and sauce.

When the tortillas are nice and crispy, pull them out of the oven and set on a plate or cooling rack.

Now you can pull this all together.  Take one tortilla and put it on a plate.  Next put a layer of black beans and cover the whole tortilla only leaving about a half inch of tortilla showing.  Now put about 1 1/2 scoops of the meat on top of the black beans, leaving the same 1/2 inch border.  Put another tortilla on top.  Pour about a cup or more if you'd like, of the Red Sauce on top of the Pizza.  Layer on cheese and green onions.  Repeat these steps with the other tortillas.  Yields 4 hefty servings.  Enjoy!

*I served this yummy dish with a side of Spicy Corn.

Spicy Corn


2 cans Whole Kernel Corn (un-drained)
Tony Chachere's
Sriracha Sauce

Pour the undrained corn into a sauce pan.  Add a few dashes of Tony Chachere's and a squirt or two of Sriracha Sauce.  Mix together well.  Cook on medium/high heat.  Stir occasionally.  You can cook this for anywhere from 10-15 minutes, just watch it to make sure that you don't cook it so long that the liquid boils completely out.  Be sure to use a slated spoon so the corn doesn't make your Pizza soggy.  I served the corn in a separate serving bowl on the side.

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili in the Crock Pot!

I saw a similar recipe the other day online and it sounded delicious!  I used that recipe as an inspiration for this one, and in my usual style I changed it up a bit and added a lot of yummy spices and other ingredients.  I put everything in the crockpot around 11am and it smelled great all day while it cooked slowly.  We finally sat down to eat at about 7pm and the chili was perfect!  I topped it with white cheddar cheese, which I love because it is so strong, and it made the chili that much better!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

What you will need:

Crock pot (4-6 quart sized works best)

2-3 chicken breasts (uncooked)
1 10 oz can Whole Kernel Corn (undrained)
1 10 oz can Black Beans (undrained)
2 cans Rotel (undrained)
1 10oz can Navy Beans
1 can Green Chile's (diced)
1 block of Cream Cheese (you can use the Neufchatel that is 1/3 fat to make it healthier)
*secret ingredient
1 tsp Onion Power
1 tsp Tony Chachere's seasoning
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Chipotle Pepper
1 tsp Sea Salt
a few dashes of Ground Cayenne pepper (to your liking but be careful b/c it can get spicy)

First you will need to spray the inside of your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray (Pam works well).  Then place the two-three uncooked chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot.

Next pour the undrained cans of corn, black beans, Rotel, navy beans, and diced green chile's on top of the chicken.

Sprinkle all of your spices (onion powder, cumin, chili powder, chipotle pepper, sea salt)  and the *secret ingredient on top.  Then mix that together with the beans, rotel, etc but do not move the chicken from the bottom of the pot.

Next you will put the entire block of cream cheese on top of the beans, etc.  Do not mix it in.  It will melt slowly throughout the cooking process.  Don't worry, because even a few hours into cooking it may still appear to not have melted.  You will mix it all together at the end right before you serve it.  Because I like things spicy, I added a few dashes of Ground Cayenne Pepper on the top :)

Now let it cook on low for 4-7 hours and then mix in the cream cheese.

Serve with sharp white cheddar cheese on top.  Cabot makes a good one.

Hope you enjoy!!

7 Layer Mexi-Dip

This is one of my go to dips to take to parties, tailgates, and to make at home for guests.  I love anything with a mexican food flare so this dip always satisfies that craving.  It is easy and is always devoured by everyone and since it is in layers you can eat around the things you don't like or just dig in and get all the flavors if you'd like.  I prefer to get  a big chip and dip down to the bottom and get all of the flavors, making sure I get a jalapeño on top to finish off the bite.  It even makes good leftovers, that is if you have any left ;)  I hope you enjoy this recipe!  


I usually make this in a 13" X 9" casserole dish but you can make it in anything that is similar depth and size.  I have also made this in a larger tupperware (it was about 11" X 7" and probably 5" deep) so I could transport it easily, throw it in a cooler or refrigerator and then pull it out to serve when needed.  This recipe will definitely serve plenty for a party of 10-15.  I like to prepare it in advance, up to the night before so it is nice and chilled.  Letting it sit in the refrigerator also helps thicken it up since the Rotel, no matter how well you drain it, seems to still want to be a bit runny.  Do not worry though if you do not have time to chill it, it still serves up great immediately.

7 Layer Mexi-Dip

You will need:

1 13"X9" casserole dish or dish of your choosing (see above)

1 can fat free refried beans, I have also used the refried black beans and they are yummy, just whichever you prefer

16 oz container of sour crème (I usually use the reduced fat one or fat free)

1 pack of taco seasoning

1 pack quacamole seasoning (at my grocery store it is usually on the side of the little display that holds the avocado’s in the produce section)

2-3 ripe avocados (you will need to squeeze them slightly and you want them to be a little soft, not hard, but not squishy…kind of the consistency of a banana)

1-2 small cans sliced black olives (if you really like them then use 2 cans)

Pickeled Jalapenos (at Kroger they do make some that are Kroger brand that are No Heat, I use these sometimes if I don’t know if they people like spicy)

1 2 cup package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, you can also use a block of cheese and shred it yourself to make it a bit healthier because less preservatives

2 cans rotel (be sure to drain it well before you use it in the dip)

2 bags of chip (tortilla chips work good and so do frito scoops, sometimes I do one bag of both)

**If you don’t want to make guacamole or can’t find ripe avocados you can buy the premade guacamole in the deli area by the cheeses and dips. 

Okay now that you have all of your ingredients.  You will need to get your dish out that you are going to use for the dip.  You do not need to grease it or anything.  Spread your can of beans onto the bottom of the dish using a spatula.  Try to make your layers flat and even. 

To make the guacamole that is the next layer, you will need to get a little mixing bowl, sharp knife, fork, and a spoon.  Cut the avocado in half (remember there is a big seed in the center)  and pull it apart so you are looking at two halves, one with the seed and one without.  To get the seed out, you can hit the seed with a sharp knife's blade, please do not have your fingers anywhere close holding the avocado, just let it rest on the counter/cutting board and when you hit it with the sharp side of the knife it will hopefully cut into the seed a bit and then you can turn your knife clockwise and it will loosen the seed and you can pull up on the knife and the seed should come right out.  Then go to the trash and you can hit your handle of the knife on the side of the trashcan so the blade doesn’t touch, gross, and then the seed should shoot off into the can.  If you don't feel comfortable doing that, you can simply grab the spoon and dig the seed out and then discard it. Then go back to the avocado and get a spoon and go around the inner edge of the avocado’s skin to extract the avocado from the shell.  Put it in a bowl and discard the skins (be sure that the stem does not come out into your avocado and stays with the skins). Add the guacamole mix to the avocado and mash it together with a fork.  This will make you a semi chunky guacamole.  Be sure to mix the guacamole mix in well.  Now spread the guacamole on top of the beans lightly by dropping dollops of it all over the beans to it will spread and not mix together.  Use a spatula for best results.  It is okay if you miss spots.

Next, get your sour crème and your taco seasoning.  Right in the container that the sour crème is in, using a fork, make a dip in the middle of the sour creme and then put your taco seasoning in and mix it around so then you end up with taco seasoned sour crème.  Then spread that mixture on top of the guacamole, using the same dollop method as before as not to mix but to spread. 

Now get your shredded cheese and spread a thin layer on top of the sour crème. 

Next you will get your drained rotel and spread it by spooning it over the cheese, you will want to kind of shake the spoon so it doesn’t mix in with the cheese and sour crème below.  Next you will do the same with your sliced black olives by shaking them over the entire dish but not mixing them with the other stuff, it is okay if it kind of mixes with the rotel.

Now do another layer of cheese, this time make it thicker and cover the whole dish with it so you can still kind of see the below ingredients but not super well.  Now spread the drained jalapeno’s on top of the casserole in whatever fashion you prefer.  I have done it where I cover every single inch with them but have also done them sparsely as well.  People tend  to love them though so I usually opt for the more is better method.

If you have prepared this in advance you can just cover it with saran wrap and stick it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. 

Serve with chips. 

**I sometimes put out small plates and a spoon by this because it can get kind of messy when people try to dip straight out of the dish because the chips sometimes break with the denseness of the dip.  I hope you enjoy it!!  I love this stuff!  Usually when I make it people clear the dish, and if they don’t it does keep well to snack on for a couple of days as long as you cover it back up and refrigerate. 

It's Been a Long Time...Hello Again!!!

Hello Again!  I am back!  I am excited to share tons of recipes and adventures from this past year with you!  I have been cooking a ton and venturing into new kinds of foods and I am so excited to share them! Lots of great recipes and ideas to come soon!