Homemade Mac N Cheese

1 pkg macaroni noodles

1 cube butter

6 TBSP flour

3 cups milk

Lots of cheddar cheese!

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles according to package directions. Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and mix until smooth and makes a paste. Slowly add milk. Bring to a boil, over medium high heat and cook two minutes stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and add cheese. I usually add a few handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Pour over noodles. Yummy! 

Crescent Roll White Lasagna

We had limited groceries moving in to our house last week, so I sort of made this up using what we had. We were both surprised by how good it was!

1 can crescent rolls

8 oz Alfredo Sauce (half a jar)

1/2 lb ground beef or sausage

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg

Sliced mozzarella cheese

Brown meat, drain. Return and add Alfredo sauce, and seasoning powders. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Mix together cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg. Set aside. 

Using half the can of crescent rolls, line the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish making a crust. Spread meat mixture on top, then cream cheese mixture, then top with sliced mozzarella cheese. Use the remainder of your crescent rolls for a top crust. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Corn Chowder

Here is another of our favorite fall soups!  This is also one you can throw in the crockpot in the morning.


4 medium potatoes chopped
2 cans cream of corn
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 medium onion chopped
8 oz cream cheese
1 cube butter
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cook low 8-10 hours, or high 4-6.

Cafe Rio Soup

Cafe Rio's Chicken Tortilla Soup is on the menu tonight! Yum! Its souper easy to make (see what I did there? ;))

Cafe Rio Soup

2 chicken breasts
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T. ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cups water
1 (16oz) jar Herdez Green Salsa 
1 can corn (drained)
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
chopped cilantro (I just toss a handful in)

Combine all ingredients in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken before serving. (I pull the chicken out and shred in my KitchenAid. Makes shredding so much easier!) Top with cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream, more cilantro, limes, pico de gallo and guacamole. YUM!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches

So I guess this is a really popular treat in Disneyland/Disneyworld??? I have never ever seen a chocolate peanut butter sandwich. However, I don't know that i can see anything past Reese's caramel apples, ice cream and giant cinnamon rolls. So of course when i saw the recipe I had to try it! And they are yummy. They remind me of a twix bar but with peanut butter. I'm trying caramel next time :-)

• 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 6 halved graham crackers
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

Melt chocolate and shortening over a double boiler, stirring to melt.  I use a small saucepan, boil water, reduce heat to low and place a heat proof bowl over the saucepan then add my chocolate, stirring until melted.

Dip each graham cracker into chocolate and let set up on wax or parchment paper.  Stick in the freezer for a few minutes to speed this up.  Spread a spoonful of peanut butter over the top of each dipped graham cracker then place in the freezer for 10 more minutes. Spread or drizzle the rest of the chocolate over the top of the peanut butter layer. Place back in the freezer for another couple minutes. I just left mine until we were ready to eat. Enjoy!

So much for the diet, right? :-) 

Olive Garden Four Cheese Ziti Copycat

This is my new favorite dinner recipe! It is so yummy, and SO easy. I got the original recipe from pinterest here, but made a few changes since i still have baby weight to lose! :-)

1 can/jar four cheese marinara sauce (i used Ragu)
1 jar alfredo sauce (i used Ragu garlic alfredo)
1 bag/box pasta (i used bowtie wheat pasta)
parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. In a 9x13 baking dish, mix the marinara and alfredo sauces. Add the pasta. Sprinkle desired amount of parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.

I tried to use reduced fat alfredo sauce, and it wasn't so great. I decided its better to have a small helping of REALLY good pasta vs a big helping of not so great pasta. :-)

I usually make this with cheesy biscuits or breadsticks. I posted the recipe Jeff and I like best below.

Cheesy Biscuits

(recipe adapted from Life as a Lofthouse)

1 large can refridgerator biscuits, or 2 small cans

3 tablespoons Butter, melted

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese

Lots of Mozzerella cheese :-)

Directions:   Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9 inch glass pie plate, mix together the melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the shredded mozzerella cheese evenly over the top of the butter mixture.

Place biscuits close together over the top of the cheese and butter mixture.

Bake biscuits in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and let stand for 3 minutes. Turn biscuits upside down onto a serving plate. Serve warm!

Zupas Copycat BBQ Chicken Salad

I decided to try and copy Zupas BBQ Chicken Salad...It is my favorite place to get soup/salad/sandwiches. Seriously, i could eat there every day. I made some changes, since i still can't really eat any kind of chicken, i made this without. Also, i didn't have any tortilla strips, so that was greatly missed too. Instead i added chopped avocado's. It was DELISH! Maybe not quite as good as Zupas, but still :) So here it is:

Copycat Zupas BBQ Chicken Salad

1 bag mixed greens or cut up some romaine lettuce (whatever you like!)
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1/8 finely diced red onion
1/2 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 diced tomato
sliced olives
1 cooked chicken breast, diced (again - i didn't use it, but i usually love the chicken :( )
tortilla strips

Dressing:
Ranch Dressing
BBQ Sauce
(I just try and use equal parts of both)

Toss salad ingredients together, and drizzle ranch and bbq sauce. Top with tortilla strips, and enjoy!! :-)

Reese's Cheesecake Brownies - YUM!

REESE'S CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Found recipe at: Pip & Ebby

• 1 fudge brownie mix (and anything it calls for)
• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 (12 oz) pkg Reese's Pieces
• 1 (12 oz) pkg milk chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp whipping cream
• 12 large Reese's Peanut Butter cups (chopped)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Prepare brownie batter according to its directions and pour batter into the 9x13 pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add in Sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter and beat until smooth. Stir in bag of Reese's Pieces candies.

Spoon Cheesecake mixture over brownie batter evenly.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set and edges are golden brown.

Let cool for 30 minutes then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a microwave safe bowl, add milk chocolate chips and whipping cream. Melt on high for 1 minute checking and stirring throughout so not to overcook. Heat until melted and smooth.

Pour and spread evenly over the top of brownies/cheesecake.

Sprinkle the 12 large chopped Reese's Peanut Butter cops over top.

Store Covered in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

My New Favorite Cookie!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 bag Oreo Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.