Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

3 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, whisked
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350* and fill a cupcake pan with liners.
2.  In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3.  In another bowl mix together the eggs, zucchini, sugar, oil and vanilla. Pour into flour mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
4.  Pour batter into muffin cups until 2/3 full.
5.  Sprinkle topping on muffins. (optional but you want this!!!)
6.  Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

OPTIONAL TOPPING
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon

* These are AMAZING! No, really they are INCREDIBLE! My husband normally doesn't eat stuff like this and he couldn't get enough of them. He complimented them over and over and I made 3 batches within a couple weeks. My youngest consumed multiple in a sitting every single time and had these for a "treat" later instead of her usual candy craving. I froze some but all I could manage to save from my family were 2 but they unthawed great. I crave these! I will make these over and over.

* Recipe from I Heart Nap time
* Additional topping from Alexa Pack

Baked Crunchy Tacos

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup cheese, divided
1/4 cup salsa verde
15 crunchy taco shells
shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lime juice to top

1. Preheat oven to 400*.
2. Brown and drain meat.
3. Stir in tomatoes, taco seasoning, 1/2 cup cheese and salsa verde into meat mixture, dividing equally until all the meat is used.
4. Arrange taco shells standing up in a 9x13 pan. Fill each shell with the meat mixture, dividing equally until all the meat is used.
5. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the tops of the filled tacos and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cheese will be melted and the meat hot.
6. Top with the toppings and enjoy.

* I really didn't think these would be all that special compared to a normal taco but I was SO wrong! We have made these numerous times since finding this recipe becuase they are so flavorful and addicting! They have a much better flavor compared to your normal taco seasoned crunchy tacos. The hubby and I agree that fresh lime juice squeezed on top and fresh pico are MUST with this recipe!

* Recipe from Heather Likes Food
* Photo from Karrissa's Kitchen

Lettuce Wraps

1 lbs. ground chicken or ground pork (I use ground sausage from by the bacon.)
8oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanut, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into rounds
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 pkg Lee Kum Lee Panda brand sauce for Lettuce Wraps in the Asian section at the grocery store

Heat oil over high heat in a large frying pan or work. Add meat and stir fry for 3 minutes or until browned. (I personally don't use the oil because it adds way too much grease for our liking.)
Add all vegetables, peanut and water chestnuts.
Stir fry for an additional 2 minutes.
Add 3/4 pouch of sauce and bring to a simmer.
Add green onions and peanuts.
Scoot the mixture into a lettuce cup.
Drizzle the remaining sauce on top.

* We love lettuce wraps and these definitely didn't disappoint. There wasn't much talking going on between me and my man because we were too involved with eating these good wraps! I will be repeating this one again soon!

The Chocolate Cola Cake

Mix:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium heat stir this up good until it boils:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup coca cola (from bottle is best to me.)
1/2 cup buttermilk (I make my own:  1 1/2 tsp of vinegar to 1/2 cup of milk. Stir it & let stand 5 min.)

Now take off heat and add that to the flour mix & whisk until combined.

Then add:
2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix & put in 9x13 greased pan. Preheat oven to 350*. Bake for about 30 minutes. Don't OVERBAKE it!

When cake is nearly done, make the glaze by mixing in a saucepan:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup coca cola

Once that boils, remove and slowly stir in 4 cups powdered sugar until nice and smooth, then add in about a cup of chopped pecans (optional), and give it a stir.

Once cake is done and out of oven (toothpick should come out clean), pour the warm glaze right over the top of the hot cake!

Now, let it sit! Let it cool for a few minutes!

* I have very few words for this cake because when eating it, I can't stop shoving it in my mouth to speak. It's absolutely mouth watering scrumptious! It's probably the moistest cake I have ever eaten. I don't know anyone who has said they don't like this. No, it doesn't taste like coke. It's more live chocolate heaven!

* Recipe from No Rules, Just Happy Crafting

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

5 lb russet potatoes 1/2 cup butter 8 oz cream cheese, cubed 1 cup sour cream 2 cups cheddar cheese, divided 2.8 oz jar real bacon pieces (or 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled) 4 green onions, sliced thin 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Peel and chop potatoes, place into a large stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Test a larger piece by piercing with a fork to make sure they're cooked through and tender. Remove pot from heat, drain potatoes and place back in pot. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Smash potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, it's ok if there are still chunks. 
Stir in butter and cubed cream cheese. Keep stirring until completely melted. Add in sour cream, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, 3 sliced green onions, salt, and bacon pieces (reserve 1/4 cup bacon pieces for topping). 
Spread into a greased 3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheddar, bacon pieces, and sliced green onion over top. 
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.
* I am actually not a fan of mashed potatoes but I couldn't get enough of these. I served these with the Monterey Chicken and they were a huge hit!
Recipe from Mostly Homemade Mom

Easy Parmesan Knots

1 tube (12oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/4 c canola oil
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (I used the green can stuff that you put on pasta)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1. Roll each biscuit into a 12" rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2" apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400* for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture.

* These were SO easy but looked and tasted like I made them from scratch. They were the perfect addition to our Chili's Monterey Chicken or just about any meal. They would be awesome with a pasta meal as well. 

Recipe & Picture from Real Mom Kitchen

Chili's Monterey Chicken

3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
5 dashes garlic
5 dashes salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
8 slices apple-smoked bacon
8 Tbsp BBQ sauce, of your choice

1. Mix the honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt together an place chicken breasts in it. Add enough water to bring the marinade up to the middle of the chicken breast.

OR

2. Mix together the marinade (as mentioned above) and place into a ZipLoc bag large enough for all the chicken breasts to fit inside. Add water until the marinade reaches the top of the chicken breasts. (This is my preferred method!)
3. Marinate for as close to 8 hours as possible.
4. To cook:
Bake, broil, grill or skillet fry. Anyway works well! Chili's grills. Choose your preferred method and cook until the breasts are done. (I usually grill them.)
5. While the breasts are cooking, fry up the bacon until CRISP!
6. When the chicken is done, top each breast with 2 TBSP of BBQ sauce, two strips of bacon and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.
7. Microwave the breasts (or broil) until the cheese is melted (I broil them!)
8. Serve!

*WOW! This was incredible! Even my pickiest eater ate her entire helping! The flavor is awesome! This si a new favorite in our house for sure! Pick a GOOD BBQ sauce for this. It makes a difference in how great the flavor is!

Recipe & Photo from Food.com & Lori Mama

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg

Add: 
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal

Spread in pan & bake 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, Put back in oven for about 1 minute to melt chocolate chips. Spread chocolate evenly over top. Freeze to set chocolate.

Frosting: 
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
about 4 cups powdered sugar
Enough hot water to make creamy frosting

Frost over frozen chocolate. That is it. The thickness of the cookie dough makes the treat chewy or crunchy. 

*We prefer these chewy so we make them a bit thicker in a 9x13 pan!


* From Melissa Williams/Ron Twitchell

* Picture from Ron Twitchell

Chicken & Red Potatoes

2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp crushed rosemary leaves
1 tsp minced garlic (You can buy this in a jar so it's much easier!)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 chicken thighs, (about 2lbs) (I just cut chicken breasts into strips.)
1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

Mix oil, all of the spices and salt in large bowl. Add chicken and potatoes; toss to coat well. Arrange chicken and potatoes in single layer on foil lined 15x10x1 inch baking pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray.

Roast, uncovered, in preheated 425* oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, turning potatoes occasionally.

*This is always a hit with everyone in the house. Mild flavors and very filling! You can buy this near all the spices and seasonings with the majority of the spices all in a package for this recipe. It's a McCormick Recipe Inspiration.

*From McCormick

Hev's Chicken

 * These are just estimates. I eyeball it.

3/4 c sugar
add soy sauce (this more than the vinegar)
add apple cider vinegar
squirt of honey

Add soy sauce till easy to stir but a little thick and goopy.

Fry chicken coated in egg & flour & cook with this sauce over the top. Bake @350 for 20 minutes on each side or until done.

* We combine this we Shauna's Coconut Chicken and it's pretty much to die for! When combining the two, I don't fry the chicken first. I follow the coconut chicken recipe and pour this over the top before the butter of the other recipe then cook it per the directions of this recipe or the sauce will burn.

Shauna's Coconut Chicken

 * These are estimates. I eyeball it.

Mix together:
1/2 cup flour
salt & pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1-1 1/2 cup coconut flakes (this should be more than anything in the mixture)

Mix up an egg.
Dip chicken in egg & then in flour mixture.
Coat very well. (I press extra on top of the chicken once in pan.)
Place in greased glass pan.
Melt a stick of butter and dump over the top of the chicken.
Bake @ 400* for 20 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

*Optional:  Mix 4 parts apricot jelly to 1 part dijon mustard as a sauce.

* We like to combine this with the sauce for Hev's Chicken!

Kaeloni's Potato Bacon Soup

8 slices of bacon
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
2 tablespoons parsley (she usually leaves this out as do I)

Fry bacon till crisp. Sautee onions in bacon grease. Strain fat. Put potatoes in water till boil. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in soup and sour cream. Gradually add milk and seasonings. Add onions and bacon. Heat.

*From Kaeloni Wamsley

Lemonade Bundt Cake

For the cake:
1 (18.25 oz.) package lemon cake mix
1 (3 oz.) package instant lemon pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water

 

For the glaze:

1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed  (Most cans are 12oz so either use half or double the powdered sugar.)
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.  Combine the cake mix, lemon pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil and the water. Mix until smooth. (I did 30 seconds on low then 2 minutes on medium and it was perfect.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cake cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack while you make the glaze.  Combine the lemonade concentrate and 1 cup of the powdered sugar.  Stir in additional powdered sugar until glaze reaches desired consistency.  Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake.  Dust with additional powdered sugar, if desired.

* This has the best lemon flavor! It has a huge burst of spring in every bite! The cake was so moist and flavorful and the glaze adds the perfect pop of lemon to it. I love the look of the extra dusting of powdered sugar on top. My husband and I were so impressed with this cake!

Recipe from Let's Dish

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 cup sunflower seeds 
1 (16 oz) bag coleslaw mix 
2 packages Beef Top Ramon dry, save the packets 
1 bunch green onions chopped 
2 cups cooked and diced/shredded chicken (I refrigerated this after I cooked & shredded it until it was cold.)

SAUCE
1 cup peanut oil 
1/2 cup sugar 
1/3 cup white vinegar 
2 packets beef seasoning from Top Ramon packages listed above

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss sunflower seeds, coleslaw, chopped green onions and chicken.
2. Smash Top Ramon packets with fists until they are crushed into small pieces. Reserve beef packets for sauce. Add Top Ramon pieces to salad and toss to evenly distribute.
3. In blender, combine peanut oil, sugar, vinegar and beef packets. Blend until evenly mixed.
4. Toss the dressing and salad together until coated with dressing and you reach desired flavor.

* This was amazing! My husband and I both could not get enough of this salad! The flavor was perfect and this was a super easy recipe. The most time consuming part was boiling and shredding the chicken. There was a small portion leftover that I refrigerated and ate for lunch the following afternoon and it was still just as good. I can't wait to make and eat this one again!

Recipe from Chef In Training
Photo from Amber's Delectable Delights

Baked Oven Fries

3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste (I used regular salt and didn't measure it they were still delicious!)
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste (I didn't measure)

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

* These fries were wonderful! My family could not get enough of them including my 2 picky eaters! They take a bit of time but are totally worth it. We make these a couple times a month now cause they are just too good.

Recipe & photo from Annie's Eats.

Baked Fried Chicken

 Place thawed chicken breast tenderloin strips in a bowl of milk. Let soak for 20-30 minutes. (I cut up chicken breasts into strips and let it soak for 5-10 minutes due to time.)

Mix in a gallon size ziploc or large bowl:
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp season all (I just used seasoned salt that I had)
3/4 tsp pepper
1 cup flour
2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1/2 stick of butter into a few pieces and place in a 9x13 pan. Melt butter in pre-heated oven.

Spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the pan, if needed, to make sure that there are no dry spots.

Shake excess milk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix. You can either shake the chicken in the bag, until coated, or dip each piece in the bowl until coated.

Place each piece of chicken in the pan.

Cook for 20 min. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 20 more minutes, or until cooked through. 

 

* This was a huge hit in our house! I was in desperate need of going grocery shopping but had not found the time so I was low on ingredients and a friend suggested this great recipe. It was super easy and I already had all the ingredients at home. The best part by far was how much my family enjoyed it. My husband was sold instantly and even my 4 year old ate hers all gone which says a lot on it's own! We love adding different side dishes to it like vegetables and rolls or mashed/baked potatoes. It really goes with anything! This will become a staple meal in our house.
Recipe & photo from Our Life Uncommon

Chicken Tamale Bake

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, grated

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (14.75 oz.) can cream-style corn

1 (8.5 oz.) box corn muffin mix

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles

1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce

1 pound cooked, shredded chicken

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the cheeses in a small bowl. In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of the combined cheese, the milk, egg, cumin, red pepper, corn, muffin mix, and green chiles.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes or until just set.  Remove the cornbread from the oven and pierce all over with a fork. Pour the enchilada sauce over the corn bread. Top with the chicken and remaining cheese. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.

* I absolutely love tamales. If you have never tried them, be brave and try them! I remember not wanting to try them out the first time they were offered to me 7 years ago and I was so delighted and surprised at how amazing they are after my first bite! You could call me obsessed now. Seriously! It's was no surprise to my husband that I found this recipe and HAD to try it. This tasted just like a tamale! WOW! My husband and I could not get enough of this delicious and simple recipe. Add a squeeze of lime over the top of your serving... AMAZING!

Recipe & photo from Let's Dish.

Crock-pot BBQ Chicken

Frozen chicken breasts
18oz BBQ sauce
water (if desired)

Put frozen chicken breasts in crock-pot and cover with BBQ sauce. If you desire to have the flavor a bit more tame (my daughter doesn't like straight BBQ sauce, you can fill the bottle up to half full of water and pour that in to water it down slightly. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Shred the chicken and use on rice, sandwiches, or just as is!

* I left the house right before dinner for a meeting for several hours and when I got home my husband asked, "What in the heck did you make because it was so good I had for plates!". When I told him the time and ingredients I put into it, he was stunned and told me we would be making that again next week. This was a favorite for me because everyone loved it and it was probably the easiest homemade dinner I have ever made whcih = WINNER!

Recipe from Wendy Glass

Photo from Lex's Life As a New Wife

Mexican Casserole

1 box Rice-A-Roni "Whole Grains Spanish" Blend

2 cans chopped tomatoes, drained

1 can sweet yellow corn, drained 

2 big handfuls of fresh spinach

mexican blend shredded cheese (maybe 2 cups total)

1/2 package taco seasoning

1/2 package ranch seasoning 

1 lb ground turkey or ground beef

corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350*. On the stove top, follow the instructions for the Rice-A-Roni and prepare your meat and rice. If you don't want to use the Rice-A-Roni, simply brown your meat of choice. When the meat is browned (and the rice is cooked according to the box directions), add 1/2 packages of taco seasoning and ranch seasoning. stir and allow to cook for a little bit longer, and then set aside for layering.

In a medium-sized casserole dish, begin with a layer of corn tortillas. I had to cut one in order to make sure the entire bottom of the dish was covered.

Next, start adding ingredients layer by layer. add 1 cup of shredded cheese, followed by the meat and rice mixture, spinach, tomatoes, corn, etc. start another layer with more corn tortillas, and continue through the above ingredients. you'll have two layers total.

Cover the casserole in loose foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, take the foil off and bake uncovered for 3-5 more minutes just until the cheese is nicely melted.

*note: On the back of the Rice-A-Roni  box, there are optional instructions if you want to add meat (ground turkey or beef). Please follow those directions! or, if you're a vegetarian, just make the rice according to the regular instructions.

* This was super, super simple and so pretty with all the colors! My husband loved how filling it was and how easy it was to adapt different flavors even after it was cooked like using hot sauce, salsa, sour cream, etc. This will become a new regular on those busy nights when we still want to eat something homemade and delicious.

Recipe & photo from Just Cook Already

Emily's Sugar Cookies

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Dough will be very sticky. Transfer dough to plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, if possible, overnight.

Roll dough out to desired thickness on a very well floured surface. Bake cookies on an oiled cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 6 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

* This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe now! Picture a thick, soft, melt in your mouth cookie from a gourmet bakery and that is exactly what these taste like. I do not enjoy how sticky the batter is and I was shocked how much flour it really takes just to roll these out but it's worth the extra work. I will not be using another recipe for sugar cookies going forward. We used these at a church function for a dessert with a cream cheese, whipped topping and sugar frosting with tons of different cut up fruits to make tarts and they were amazing. You will not be disappointed with this recipe!

Recipe from Emily Brady
Photo from Yummy Fun