Diced pineapple

Jalapeno’s halved and de-seeded

Softened cream cheese

Chopped green onions

Shredded mozzarella cheese

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Bacon slices

Brown sugar

1. Cut each jalapeno in half and discard the ribs and seeds.

2.  Mix softened cream cheese with the chopped green onions, chopped garlic and shredded mozzarella.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of brown sugar into a shallow dish with some salt and pepper.

4.  Add one piece of pineapple inside the jalapeno and spoon cream cheese mixture over top just enough to fill up the jalapeno.

5. Once all jalapenos are filled wrap each one in a piece of bacon and then dip into the brown sugar.

6.  Line the poppers onto a broiling pan.  Bake at 425 degrees until crispy.

Ok can I just be honest and say that 90% of the time I hear the word ‘meatloaf’ I immediately think of the scene from A Christmas Story where Randy refuses to eat his meatloaf and mashed potatoes and by the end of the scene he’s eating off his plate like a pig.  Ok sorry for that visual but I do. But really, that meatloaf looked boring. Meatloaf doesn’t have to be boring.  As old and as traditional as this recipe may be its various possibilities are endless. Knowing that you can’t ever go wrong by adding sriracha to anything I may or may not have stumbled upon this recipe after a few whiskey’s.  Good thing I wrote it down afterwards because its one of our favorites!

1 lb ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Fresh parsley (eyeball it)

1/2 onion, grated

3 pieces day old white bread, crumbled

Milk

Salt and pepper

1 egg

Worcestershire sauce

Honey

Ketchup

Sriracha

1 carrot, minced

1. Crumble up day old bread into small pieces in a small bowl.  Cover with a small amount of milk, just barely enough to cover the bread.  Set aside and meanwhile the bread will be soaking up the milk.
2. Mix together turkey, grated onion, egg, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, carrot, 2 dashes of worcestershire, 2 squirts of honey, bread and milk mixture.  Go ahead and add 1-2 T of sriracha depending on how spicy you like your food.
3.  Once well incorporated (don’t over mix) place into a bread pan or mold into a meatloaf shape onto a roasting pan.
4.  Mix 1/3 cup of ketchup with 1/3 cup or sriracha in a separate bowl and spread over the top of your meatloaf.
5. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes.  Amazing!
6. 

3 whole artichoke’s

6 garlic cloves

Whole basil leaves

1 lemon

Evoo

Salt and pepper

1. Trim artichokes well.  Cut off the top and the end, then the tips of the leaves.  Cut each one in half and remove the “hairy” center or choke part of the artichoke.
2. Fill a large bowl with cold water, a few ice cubes and a lemon chopped up.  The lemon water helps the artichokes from turning brown while you are preparing them for the oven.
3. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and preheat you oven to 400 degrees.
4. Place each artichoke half onto your baking sheet and drizzle each one with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. Place one whole garlic clove and one basil leaf into the center or each artichoke.
6. Wrap each artichoke with foil and roast for 40 minutes.

Frozen chicken breasts (1 per sandwich)

1 package ranch seasoning

Buns

Chopped green onions

Mozzarella cheese

1 block of cream cheese

1 container of spreadable cream cheese, I used bacon flavor, or course you can use any flavor you want

Cooked bacon, crumbled (for toppings, optional)

1. Place chicken, cream cheeses and ranch seasoning into your crock pot or slow cooker.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

2.  Shred up chicken with two forks and stir to incorporate all ingredients.

3. Mix in shredded mozzarella cheese, as much as your heart desires.  Add the chopped bacon too if you used bacon flavored cream cheese.

4.  Toast your buns and top them with any ingredients 🙂  I add a little lettuce and some hot sauce.

 

 

Chicken. Pot. Pie. Where do I begin? Besides the fact that the title itself contains three great things on their own 😉 Just kidding…. maybe.   But for realllllllll who doesn’t like chicken pot pie? Its the all time comfort food for cold weather.  I love chicken pot pie and all the various ways it can be construed.  Its delicious no matter what and by that I mean you can’t go wrong.  Anyone can make this recipe and by ANYONE I also mean my sister Keri who once cooked a frozen pie without removing it from the package! Sorry Ker, but ya did it.  With that being said I hope this recipe comes with ease and warms your soul on a cold day.

4 chicken thighs bone in, skin removed

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, halved and chopped

1 large onion chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

4 thyme sprigs

1 sprig rosemary, chopped

4 T butter

Frozen peas (eyeball it)

Frozen corn (eyeball it)

Salt & Pepper

1/3 cup of 1/2 & 1/2

4 T flour

Prepared pie crust

 

1.  Start with a large pot with a tight fitting lid or your slow cooker.  Add the chicken thighs and cover with water.  Simmer on low for 4-5 hours or up to 12 hours.  Remove the chicken and once cooled shred it up and set aside.  Skim the fat off the top if the broth best you can and save the broth.
2.  In the same pot (if you didn’t use a slow cooker) add the butter on medium heat and saute carrots celery and onion until soft.  About 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper.  Stir to cook about 2 minutes more.  Add the flour and stir to get everything in the pan evenly incorporated.
3. Add 1 cup of broth at a time to the vegetables stirring as you pour.  The mixture will thicken slowly and you can use as much broth as desired.  I use about 3 1/2 cups.
4. Once everything has thickened add the 1/2 & 1/2 just to make it creamy and come together.
5.  Stir in your frozen peas and corn to warm.  Taste and season if needed.
6. Prepare your crust into a pie pan. I promise to have a pie crust recipe soon!
7. Pour mixture into crust and top with remaining crust creating two slivers in the top with your knife.
8. Brush your pie with egg wash and bake at 400 degree for about 25 min or until golden brown.
9.  Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting into! Very important or it will run and spill out.
   

   

Soup is for sure one of my favorite things to make.  So versatile and comforting you can never go wrong on a cold or rainy day with a big bow of soup.  So here is my recipe for Cody’s absolute favorite, my French onion soup!

Ingredients:

Assorted onions, 2 sweet yellow, 2 red, 3-4 shallots, all sliced

Fresh thyme

1 T butter

3 T evoo

2 tsp. sugar

1 cup red wine

Broth (I use chicken or vegetable)

Toasted cubes of bread

Swiss or gruyere slices

Parmesan rind

Salt and pepper

1. Turn a large pot onto medium heat and let it warm up.  Add evoo, butter and onions.  Stir to coat all the onions with the butter and oil.  Season with salt, pepper, thyme and sugar.  The sugar and butter will help with the caramelizing process.  The key is low and slow and occasionally stir.  This will take about 40-45 minutes.  It looks like a lot of onions to start but it will reduce by more than half.
2. Meanwhile keep your stock warm in a separate pot on low for when your ready to use it.  Chop the garlic super fine and add it to the onions the last 3 minutes.
3. Add wine to the onions and let it bubble up and cook off while you stir and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan.  That’s the good stuff!  Cook about 3-5 minutes until the wine is reduced.
4. Add as much stock to the onions as you prefer.  Boil and turn to low.  You can add the lid and simmer for as long as you like or serve right away.
5. To serve transfer soup to oven save bowls or dishes.  Top the soup with toasted bread cubes and then sliced cheese.  Broil until cheese is crispy and bubbly.

Why is macaroni and cheese just the best food ever? How do you go wrong with cheese and pasta.  The possibilities are endless when it comes to mac and cheese I believe.  Sometimes it needs to be fancy! Traditional stove top kind is delicious too and lets be real, every once in a while your mac and cheese needs some bacon.  In this case for whatever reason I end up making this particular mac and cheese during Christmas time for the past three years and plan to keep it a tradition 🙂  I guess that’s how I named this recipe and well the colors are pretty festive.

Ingredients:

1 lb. elbow macaroni (or a small cut pasta)

2 T Butter

1 jalapeno, diced fine and no seeds

1 red pepper, diced

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1/2 T red pepper flakes

1 T cornstarch

Salt and pepper to taste

1 and 1/2 blocks of grated cheddar

1 can of evaporated milk

1.  Boil a pot of salted water for your pasta.  Meanwhile, saute the chopped peppers in butter in a large pot until soft about 8 minutes on medium heat.
2. Add garlic and salt and pepper and cook an extra 2 minutes.
3. Turn heat to low and add milk.
4. Toss the cornstarch in a bowl with the cheese so they are incorporated together.
5. Drain pasta and add to milk and pepper mixture, stir together.  Add cheese mixture and stir until melted off the heat.  Season if necessary and serve right away.