Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

I LOVE LOVE LOVE a good recipe of enchiladas!  This was so good!  J likes them, but said that I should only make them every once in awhile.  Which means that they're good, but not for picky eaters.

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 cans enchilada sauce (I used Macayo's brand)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (or use 2 cans of precooked chicken like I did)
• 1 can corn, drained (or 1 C. frozen corn, thawed and patted dry)
• 4 oz. diced green chiles (Optional: I did not include this since J doesn't like them usually)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (Optional: Onions are not used at our house--remember?)
• 8 8-inch flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.
In the bowl of your mixer cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 of the enchilada sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup of each type of cheese.
In a second bowl toss together the chicken, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, green chiles, and half of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and combine well.
Spread about half of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
Spoon the filling into each tortilla, roll the tortilla up, and place in the baking dish with the seam down. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the filled tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve.

White Chili

I got this recipe from my friend Stephanie McKay! Thanks Steph!

White Chili

2 cans cooked chicken Breast
2 cans white beans (Great Northern)
1 can corn (you can use white or yellow--I used yellow because that was all I had on hand)
1 can green chili
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped (optional: We don't add onions at my house--this is from the original recipe!)
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional: I did add this when I made, but Stephanie never does)

12 oz. sour cream
2 C. Monterey Jack cheese

Put everything but sour cream and cheese in a crockpot (at least a 4 qt. crockpot) and let it cook all day.  About 1/2 hour before serving add the sour cream.  Top with cheese (and eat over chips if desired).

Corndog Muffins

I love corndogs!  However, corndogs are much more expensive than this recipe (especially if you buy your hotdogs with a coupon) and much more fattening!

Corndog Muffins
adapted from World's Best Honey Cornbread from Money Saving Mom

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 1 tsp. salt
• package of hotdogs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream sugar and butter. Add in eggs, honey and milk and mix well.
Mix together flour, baking powder, corn meal and salt. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients carefully. Do not overmix. Batter will be lumpy.

Chop hotdogs in small rounds.

Grease a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Pour a small amount of batter into each muffin space and then add a round of hotdog to each.

Bake for 5-10 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges. 

Enjoy!

***If you prefer you can also add some cheese to the batter. 

IF YOU WANT TO JUST MAKE CORNBREAD:

Make batter the same as above.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour batter in greased 11×14-inch baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Caramel Butterfinger Cheesecake

All Ears.Net does it again! I have made this twice already! I made minor changes to the recipe to make it even more delicious!

Caramel Butterfinger Cheesecake adapted from Sunshine Seasons, The Land - Epcot

Crust Ingredients:
18 graham crackers, crushed
3 Tbsp. salted butter

In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan that has been lined with parchment paper (just the round bottom portion should be lined) and then sprayed with cooking spray.

Cheesecake Ingredients:1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
5 each eggs
3/4 cup Butterfinger, crumbled
1/4 cup caramel (I used the caramel you get in the produce section to dip apples in)
Butterfinger pieces for garnish
caramel for garnish

Directions:1. Place powdered sugar in mixing bowl with cream cheese and sour cream and mix until smooth.
2. Add eggs, one at a time.
3. Mix until smooth.
4. Add Butterfinger pieces and caramel and mix well.
5. Pour cheesecake mixture over graham cracker crust.
9. Bake 275 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
          
***I always set my springform pan on a large cookie sheet before placing in the oven. Once the cheesecake is in the oven,  I pour warm water on the cookie sheet so that it surrounds the springform pan.  Don't worry!  It won't get in your cheesecake!  But, it will keep your cheesecake from cracking!
10. Check by taking internal temperature with a probe thermometer.
11. Internal temperature should reach 160 degrees.
12. Cool on the counter until barely warm and then cool overnight under refrigeration.
13. Remove cake from pan and garnish top of cheesecake with drizzled caramel and Butterfinger pieces.

Chicken & Biscuit Casserole

Thanks CVERNSMITH/Allrecipes.com for the recipe! J can't stop raving...seriously!

Chicken & Biscuit Casserole

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped baby carrots
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 ounce) can peas, drained
• 4 cups diced, cooked chicken meat (I used 2 cans of canned chicken)
•  
• 2 cups buttermilk baking mix
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2/3 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in butter until tender. Mix in the flour, sugar, salt, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and pepper. Stir in broth, and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, boil 1 minute, reduce heat, and stir in peas. Simmer 5 minutes, then mix in chicken. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the baking mix and 2 teaspoons dried basil. Stir in milk to form a dough. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 balls. On floured wax paper, use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball of dough into a circular shape; place on top of chicken mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cover with foil, and bake for 10 more minutes. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over biscuits.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Thanks Marian Collins/Allrecipes.com for the great recipe! J really loved it!

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 skinless chicken thighs (or tenderloins, or breasts)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.

Crepes

This recipe is from Erin Nesbit/Allrecipes.com! Thanks guys!

Crepes

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 pinch salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a blender combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and oil. Process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter into pan, tilting to completely coat the surface of the pan. Cook 2 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

The Girl Who Ate Everything is amazing! Thanks for the recipe! I will be changing my crust to the crust I have listed below for the next round because I think I will like it much better.  If you're interested in the original crust, use the link above!  Also, I found that this tasted the best after sitting in the fridge for 1 day. 

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

For the crust:1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons of softened salted butter, cut into 1/4″ cubes (1 1/2 sticks)

Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel topping, recipe follows

1/2 cup caramel topping

Line a 9″ x 13″ pan with enough parchment paper to go about 1″ up on all sides. In a bowl mix the flour, rolled oats, powdered sugar, and salt. Then add the vanilla.  Next, cut in butter with a fork until the dough looks like pea sized gravel. Sprinkle the dough evenly over the parchment lined sheet and use your fingers to press the dough into a uniform sheet of dough that goes about 1/2″ up all the sides. Put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the crust from the freezer and put in oven and bake for around 20-25 minutes, or until it is golden brown and fragrant.

 

While crust is baking, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugarin a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

 Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Combine it by using clean hands to thoroughly combine the butter into the mixture.

Steak Rub/Marinade

Thank you All Ears.Net for this delicious recipe!  I will definitely be trying more from this site!

Flank Steak Marinadefrom Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingdom

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons rosemary, fresh, chopped
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons coriander
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons oregano, dried

Method:
Combine all ingredients then store in a sealed container. Rub steak with marinade and let sit in cooler for at least one hour. Steak can marinate for 24 hours in advance.

Easy Pumpkin Crumble

Thanks to Our Best Bites for this recipe! I ended up making the thicker version with more pumpkin, but the thin version would be delicious, too!

Easy Pumpkin Crumble
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 boxed yellow or white cake mix
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions)
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping

*This makes a dessert about an inch thick or less. That’s because I like a high topping-to-pumpkin ratio. If you’d like it thicker, use a large can of pumpkin and double the rest of the filling ingredients (Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices). Leave the rest of the recipe the same.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it’s in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9×13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers.

Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.

Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you’re putting on.

Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You’ll have 3 distinct layers now:

For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you’ll need 6 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top.

Pop it in your 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so.

A knife should come out without globs of pumpkin on it and the topping should be nice and golden.
You can eat it warm, at room temp, or chilled!

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe has been posted ALL OVER blogs and such.  I tried this recipe as it was published on The Sisters' Cafe about a year ago and felt that something was seriously lacking.  Thanks to my sister, Camilee, this recipe is now TOP NOTCH!

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

6 Tbsp. Honey
4 1/2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

2 Cans Chicken (the pre-cooked variety--make sure you shred it into small pieces after opening the can)
Flour Tortillas
Colby or Moneterey Jack Cheese, shredded
Large can of green enchilada sauce (I prefer either Macayos brand or 2 bottles of Trader Joe's Salsa Verde salsa)
Sour Cream

Mix first 4 ingredients together and toss with the canned chicken.  Let it "marinate" for at least 15 minutes. 

Mix the green enchilada sauce with some sour cream (the amount of sour cream you add will depend entirely upon your taste preference). Pour some of this sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. 

Fill flour tortillas with chicken and some of the shredded cheese.  Place rolled enchiladas in the pan and cover with the rest of the sauce.  Sprinkle with more cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Put it under the broiler at the end to make the cheese brown and crispy on the top.


***If you decide to use fresh cooked chicken instead of canned, add a little bit of salt to the Honey-Lime mixture.