Back in Minnesota, where my husband and I used to live, there's a little place known as the Mall of America. You may not have heard of it, but it's a quaint little place with shops and restaurants. One of the restaurants that we like to go to when we visit is The Rainforest Cafe. Without fail, every time we eat there my husband orders the Rasta Pasta. I have a salad that I order every time, but I usually sneak a bite or two of his because it is so delicious. It's a creamy, pesto-alfredo-broccoli-spinach-chicken pasta dish that tastes so good I can understand why he never orders anything else. Since we're far away from any Rainforest Cafes right now, and since I'm always looking for dinners that Devon will eat I decided to make my own version of Rasta Pasta. It's pretty close, and can be really easy to make if you use jarred alfredo and pesto. If you are familiar with this site you know how much I love making food from scratch, but every once in a while a semi-homemade meal helps get dinner on the table quickly.

Rasta Pasta

By HeatOvenTo350 Published 11/29/2010

Ingredients

• 14 oz box farfalle (bowtie) pasta
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 2 cups packed spinach leaves
• 1 large roasted red pepper (jarred is fine)
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 3 cups prepared alfredo sauce (light is fine)
• 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, and with 3 minutes remaining for the pasta cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the pasta pot to cook.
2. While pasta is cooking, saute the garlic in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until it starts to wilt. Add red pepper and grilled chicken and toss to combine.
3. Stir in alfredo sauce and pesto and cook until warm, about 5 minutes.
4. Drain pasta and add to the skillet. Toss to combine everything and serve.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min

Recipe Source: inspired by Rainforest Cafe and adapted from Food.com

Just Chicken Pot Pie

As the name suggests, this pot pie is filled with chicken, and chicken only. No peas, carrots, celery, or anything else. Just chicken. Okay, and a creamy sauce and a few green onions. That's it, though. I was a little skeptical before trying it, but after baking it a few times I can say I really don't miss the peas and carrots. It's rich and delicious and a great way to use leftover chicken, or if you happen to have any around (just a guess), turkey would also work great. You’ll have to re-name it to a “Just Turkey” pot pie, but I think you can handle it. 

Just Chicken Pot Pie

2 ½ lbs chicken (or 4 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded into bite sized pieces.)
Salt and pepper
1 stick butter
1 celery rib, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic minced
1/3 c flour
12 oz can evaporated milk
2 c low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 scallions chopped
2 unbaked pie crusts, your favorite recipe (Or Pillbury. I won't tell.)
¾ c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 large egg, beaten, for brushing

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. If using leftover chicken or turkey that is already cooked, heat oven to 350 and skip to step 3.

2. Heat oven to 400. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken registers 160 degrees, about 35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and shred into bite sized pieces. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute.

4. Stir in milk, broth, and zest and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain sauce into a large bowl (discard vegetables), stir in the chicken and scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the filling cool until just warm, about 30 minutes.

5. Press one pie crust into a 9" pie pan, spoon chicken mixture into pie shell and sprinkle with cheese. Top with remaining circle of dough. Trim all but 1/2” dough overhanging the edge of the pie plate. Press top and bottom of crusts together, then tuck edges underneath. Crimp dough evenly around the edge of the pie using your fingers.

6. Cut 4, 2” slits in top of dough, brush with beaten egg, and bake until crust is deep golden brown, 45-55 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.

Recipe Source: America's Best Lost Recipes

Parmesan Pretzel Rolls

These are a nice “twist” on regular dinner rolls. I know, I'm too punny. It’s true, though, that these pretzel rolls are a fun change from the usual bread and rolls offerings at the dinner table. Fun shape aside, they are easy to make and require minimal kneading. I also like that the mixing is done the day before, leaving just the shaping to be finished when you want to serve them. The dough is like a cross between a biscuit and a dinner roll, meaning it’s plenty buttery but still soft. You can mix some fresh herbs into the dough if you want, but usually a layer of parmesan is enough to make me happy. Asiago cheese is also a delicious choice to put on top.

Parmesan Pretzel Rolls


3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, sliced
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
2 T granulated sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup half and half
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp salt
1 egg white, beaten until foamy
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese (not the stuff in the green plastic bottle)


1. Place flour in large mixing bowl. Cut in butter, with a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Cover and refrigerate. Sprinkle yeast and 1 T of granulated sugar over warm water in a medium mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 minutes until foamy. Add half and half, egg yolks, salt and remaining sugar; stir well. Pour over flour mixture and stir until flour is just moistened. Cover and refrigerate dough at least 12 hours.

2. Punch dough down. Roll out on lightly floured surface into 16-inch square. Fold dough over into thirds. Starting on the short side, roll dough out into approximately 10x20 inch rectangle. With a pizza cutter, cut 10-inch strips approximately 3/4 inch wide. Form each strip into a pretzel shape. Place parmesan cheese in a medium shallow bowl  Brush each pretzel with egg white and dip into bowl of shredded parmesan. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining pretzels. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Recipe source: HeatOvenTo350


How to shape the pretzels:

1. Take each dough strip and make a loop, like a breast cancer awareness ribbon.

2. Pick up the top of the loop . . .

3.  . . . and bring it down over the two "legs" of the ribbon.

Done!

Butternut Squash Soup

 Admittedly I'm not typically a fan of Squash soup. Most of the time I find it has kind of a "flat" taste. Nothing on the front end, nothing on the backend. Well I found a recipe that actually had cayenne pepper in it! So me, liking spicy (but not firey) foods, went to work! The framework of the recipe is from ourbestbites.com (love you gals!) but I found that once it was made, I personally liked a bit more heat, more caramelized onions, and of a little bit more sweetness. It was one of those soups that you make that every bite you think, "YUMMY!!" So for those of you who are squash skeptics, give this recipe a whirl!

Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup Carrots, sliced

2 stalks Celery, chopped

1 1/2 cup Onion, chopped

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

4 cups Butternut Squash, cubed (or your favorite squash)

2 cups Potato, cubed

32 ounces Chicken Broth (or 4 cubes chicken boullion)

1 1/2 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

3/4 teaspoon dried Sage

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1. Bring the olive oil and butter to a shimmer. Add the carrots, celery, and onions. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

2. Add squash.

3. Add chicken broth, potato, and sage, and cayenne pepper.

4. Let simmer on low for 30-40 minutes or until the squash and potatoes are tender.

5. Stir in the brown sugar.

6. Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender.

7. Let cool and serve with sour cream, bacon, croutons. Or just eat it plain, it's that yummy!

Smashed Potatoes

 

I hate peeling potatoes. I can't explain my aversion to it, since most peeling, chopping and other prep tasks don't bother me much. Potatoes, though? Not my thing. That's a big reason why I loved this recipe the minute I saw it. There's no peeling required. Just wash the potatoes and cook them whole! Plus, the red potato peels mixed in makes it look so pretty. You also don't have to worry about lumps, because the finished potatoes are intentionally lumpy. There is a catch, and that comes in the form of half a stick of butter and 1/2 cup of cream cheese, but I'm willing to overlook the health drawbacks since they taste so darn good.

Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes (about 16 small to medium ones. If you can only find large, increase cooking temp by 10 minutes)
Salt
1 bay leaf
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
Black pepper

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 1 inch cold water; add 1 tsp salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until a paring knife can be inserted into the potatoes with no resistance, 35-45 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the pot, discard the bay leaf, and allow the potatoes to stand in the pot, uncovered, until the surfaces are dry, about 5 minutes.

2. While the potatoes dry, whisk the melted butter and softened cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth and fully incorporated. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Using a rubber spatula or the back of a wooden spoon, smash the potatoes just enough to break the skinds. Fold in the butter-cream cheese mixture until most of the liquid has been absorbed and chunks of potatoes remain. Add more cooking water 1 T at a time as needed, until the potatoes are slightly looser than desired (the potatoes will thicken slightly with standing). Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Definitely do this. Potatoes are pretty bland and I've always had to add a little bit more at the end of the recipe.) Serve immediately.

Recipe source: Cook's Illustrated America's Best Side Dishes

Italian Rosemary Focaccia Bread

A few weeks ago one of my good friends offered me a Focaccia bread recipe that she assured me was hands down the best and easiest Focaccia recipe ever! Well as I've mentioned before I love cooking/baking with yeast because of the chemical reaction and all. But what I didn't tell you is that some of the specialty breads, Focaccia, Brioche, Artisan, etc. etc. sort of intimidate me. So I tucked the recipe in my cookbook and thought hmm, maybe one day?!? Well as I was trying to decide what to serve with the world's best Butternut Squash Soup (here) I thought OK today's the day. Well guess what--Focaccia bread is ummm 100 times easier than even your standard sandwich bread. Yeah that's right, I said it, way easier! You mix it all, let it rise, pour it into a greased 9X13, top it with whatever you like, and that's IT!!!!!!! So don't be a scaredy cat like I was, try this recipe. I promise you'll be making it a LOT more than what you'd ever think!

Italian Rosemary Focaccia Bread

2 cups Warm Water

1 package Dry Yeast

1 tablespoon Sugar

4 cups A.P. Flour

2 teaspoons Salt

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

2 pinches dried Rosemary

3 tablespoons Salted Butter, melted

Garlic Powder, for sprinkling on top

Parmesan Cheese, for sprinkling on top

1. Dissolve yeast and 1/2 cup of the warm water, let sit for 10 minutes.

2. To the yeast mixture, add the rest of the warm water, sugar, flour, salt, Italian Seasoning, and Rosemary. Mix Well.

3. Cover with a greased plastic wrap.

4. Let rise until the dough doubles in size.

5. Pour dough into a greased 9X13" pan. The dough will be VERY sticky so butter up your hands and push the dough out to the edges.

6. Let rise for 20 minutes.

7. Poke several indentations into the dough and pour melted butter all over the top.

8. Top with garlic powder and parmesan cheese.

9. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

10. Let cool for 10 minutes and eat your heart out.

Apple Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

I think this pie covers the best of all worlds - a simple, no bake pumpkin cheesecake topped with a homemade apple pie filling. Who says you have to decide between pumpkin and apple pie? Have both. I like this recipe because it it simple, and each step can be made ahead when you have time. I blind bake my crust one day, make the apple topping another, and throw everything together on yet another day. Plus, it's sinfully delicious and has just enough pumpkin and apple flavor. You know when your pumpkin pie-hating brother asks you to bring this to Thanksgiving, it's no ordinary pie. (Also, thanks to said brother for the beautiful pictures of this pie!)

Apple Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts, pressed into the bottom of a 9" deep dish pie pan, baked and cooled.

Pumpkin Cheesecake filling:
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened. (Sorry, low fat won't work here.)
1 can (15 oz) canned pumpkin (not the pie filling)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1-2 cups whipping cream (depending on how fluffy you want your cheesecake.)

Apple Pie Topping:
4 cups Granny Smith apples, chopped medium
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin and spices. Cream together. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are formed. Fold whipping cream into cream cheese mixture and spoon into cooled pie crusts, dividing evenly between the two. Refrigerate at least 8 hours.

2. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Pour water into a large saucepan over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 4-5 minutes. (Or until apples soften and taste "cooked" rather than raw.) Remove from heat, let cool and chill in the refrigerator until cold.  

To serve: If serving the whole pie immediately, pour 1/2 of apple pie topping on each pie and spread with a spatula. Alternatively, pass the apples separately and let guests serve themselves.

Recipe source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Traditional Rice Krispy Treats

Ok, I know that Halloween is a few days back but I absolutely have to post this recipe. First because I actually used some adorable cookie cutters that I had to show you all. Second, I bought the generic rice krispies and when it came time to make these sweet little treats, there was no recipe on the box! Isn't that standard? Well not for the generic brands, only for the Kellogg's brand. SO I'm posting this for those of you (and me) who are trying to cut corners by purchasing the "better buy" but still want the yummy recipe.

Traditional Rice Krispy Treats

3 tablespoons of Margarine (if you want the gooey texture use margarine, if you want a more crispy texture, use butter)

1 bag of regular marshmallows or 4 cups of miniature marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies

1. In a medium saucepan (or a big microwaveable bowl) melt butter.

2. Add marshmallows and stir until melted.

3. Add Rice Krispies and stir until the cereal is all coated.

4. Pour into a greased 9X13" pan (or a jelly roll pan if you are using cookie cutters).

5. Let stand for 15 minutes.

6. Enjoy and good luck stopping at just one. ;o)

(Here are the cute little cutters that I used..I LOVE them!)

Chicken Corn Chowder

 

This is one of my favorite soups because it is so thick with corn, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach. I begged the recipe off a friend of mine after she gave me some of the leftovers of a batch she had made to submit to a soup cook-off at work. (The soup won, by the way.) It's flavorful and filling, and the porcini mushrooms give it a unique flavor. I have to admit it, the first time I made the soup myself I was worried about using the mushrooms because in their dried form they don't smell appetizing. (Think fish food.) They are delicious in the soup, though, so don't skip them. You can often find them in larger grocery store near the bulk spices. I usually buy some when I find them at the store and keep them for a nice snowy evening when this soup is just the perfect thing to warm me up.

 

Chicken Corn Chowder

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
Water
2 slices of bacon
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, diced
2 russet potatoes, chopped
2 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 packed cups baby spinach leaves
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence (If you have this, use it. I've never put it in because it's difficult to find and often $5 a bottle when I do.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
 
1. Place mushrooms in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Set aside 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook bacon 5 minutes, turning once, in a nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Crumble; set aside.
2. Add onions to Dutch oven; cook 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chicken; cook, stirring often, 4 minutes until it turns white. Add potatoes, corn, broth and tomatoes. Cook 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, slice spinach leaves into thin strips; add spinach, bay leaf, thyme, herbs de Provence, salt, pepper flakes, allspice and black pepper to chowder. Carefully drain mushrooms; add to chowder.
Increase heat to medium-high. Cook 10 minutes until potatoes are tender. Adjust seasoning. Stir parsley and cilantro into chowder. Garnish with bacon. Makes 6 servings.

Recipe Source: The Chicago Tribune

Rosemary Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

 

My sister and I were roommates for a year and a half before she got married and I have many fond memories of that time. A lot of those memories have to do with food because we both enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. We had this little pumpkin crescent roll recipe that we made countless times when we were living together. They were so fast to make, they were soft and tasty and neither of us could get enough of them. This is that same recipe, but I decided to mix things up a little while ago and tried some fresh rosemary in it. I wasn't sure if an old favorite could get any better, but it did.

Rosemary Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp fresh rosemary minced (or 1/2-3/4 tsp dried rosemary)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 T brown sugar

1. Heat oven to 400. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, rosemary and salt.

2. In a small mixing bowl combine the pumpkin, oil and brown sugar. Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture, stirring with a fork (or mixing with your hands if you don't mind getting messy like that.) until combined. Form into a ball.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough gently for 10 to 12 strokes. Divide dough in half. Roll each half to a 10-inch circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. To shape, begin at the wide end of each wedge and loosely roll toward the point. Place point sides down, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Curve ends of rolls slightly.

4. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Make-Ahead Tip
These rolls don't keep very well, so if you don't have time to make them the day you plan to serve them, prepare, bake, and cool rolls ahead of time. Freeze in a freezer container or bag up to 1 month. Wrap frozen rolls in foil and thaw at room temperature for 2 hours; reheat in a 375 degree F. oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

Recipe source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Cranberry Walnut Salad with Feta

 

I might have said the Apples and Greens salad I posted on a little while ago was my favorite fall salad. In that case, this one is a close second. I'm not normally a walnut fan, but with the sweet/tart dried cranberries, the salty feta and the cranberry dressing they provide a nice crunch and flavor to the salad. The finished salad is a pretty, colorful addition to any fall meal, and the best part is that there is minimal chopping. Who can't enjoy that?

 

Cranberry Walnut Salad with Feta

Salad:

1 lb mixed salad greens

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and cooled
 

Cranberry Dressing:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup sweetened, dried cranberries

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 T sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons water

In a large bowl, mix salad ingredients. Add dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over salad mixture and toss.

Recipe source: dressing adapted from allrecipes.com

Mom's Favorite Pound Cake

Okay, I'm admitting it. I dream about food. A few nights ago I was having a restless night of sleep (which I will NOT blame on my husband staying up until all hours of the night watching TV shows on his laptop in bed.) and in one of my half-awake/half-asleep moments I remembered a pound cake that my mom used to make that was delicious and moist and had a hint of nutmeg. The next morning I had no idea if I had dreamed up the recipe, or if my mom actually had it. I e-mailed both my mom and sister to see if it was a dream or reality. My sister was fairly certain I was crazy. My mom called later that night, though, with the good news that she did have the recipe, I wasn't dreaming, and that it was every bit as good as I was remembering. She listed off all kinds of occasions where she had served it and the rave reviews it had gotten. She also reminded me of this wonderful fact - it is a light recipe. The best news of all was that she had already sent the recipe to my e-mail and it was there just waiting for me. I downloaded it, made the pound cake that day and I was not disappointed. It has a touch of nutmeg that gives it a special, unexpected flavor. It reminds me a little of egg nog in bread form. You know, without the thick liquid texture.

Mom's Favorite Pound Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour (or substitute with 2 cups, 2 T all purpose flour and 2 T cornstarch.)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 3 T powdered buttermilk)
3 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1. Heat oven to 350. Coat a 9"x5" loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. (If using powdered buttermilk, add 3 T here.) In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk (3/4 cup water if using powdered buttermilk) egg whites and vanilla extract.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Alternatively add flour and egg white mixtures, in two additions each, beating on a low speed between additions. Spoon into prepared pans.

4. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove the cakes from loaf pans and cool completely.

Recipe source: Jeanne Jones' Homestyle Cooking Made Healthy

Skillet Tortilla Dish

I have mentioned before that my husband is a picky eater. Sometimes food just doesn't appeal to him for no good reason. The problem is, I love trying new recipes and that means I sometimes get winners, and sometimes recipes strike out completely. There's always a moment of suspense when we sit down to dinner. Take the conversation we had when I first made this dish, for example:

Husband: What is this?
Me: It's a Skillet Tortilla Casserole. It's got ingredients that you like in it, see? Cheese, chicken, chips . . .
Husband: You shouldn't call it a casserole or I won't eat it.
Me: Okay, it's a Skillet Tortilla Bake.
Husband: Bake means casserole.
Me: Alright, how about Skillet Tortilla Dish?
Husband: Okay, now I can eat it.

Pause.

Husband: It's good. You can make it again.

This one was definitely a winner for both of us. Whatever you want to call it, it is easy to make, uses many ingredients that are probably already in your cupboard, and tastes fresh and not greasy or heavy. It was originally written as a lighter recipe using light cheddar cheese and baked chips, but since I never want to buy special ingredients for it I end up using real chips and real cheese.

 

Skillet Tortilla Dish

1 T canola oil
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (optional, but I highly recommend it.)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 (15 oz) can pinto, kidney or black beans
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 T lime juice
5 cups roughly broken tortilla chips

1. Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler

2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and tomatoes with their juice, scraping up an browned bits, and bring to a simmer.

3. Stir in the chicken and beans and cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup of the cheddar, 3 T of the cilantro and lime juice. Stir in the tortilla chips and toss until all pieces are moistened (the skillet will be quite full but will shrink down as the chips soften.)

4. Sprinkle with the remaining cup cheddar and broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with the remaining T cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe source: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

Cheesecake Cookies

 Cheesecake? Good. Cookies? Good. Cheesecake cookies? Amazing. Yes, they are a bit of work, but it's so worth it. I'm really out of words to describe the cookies so I'll just let pictures do the talking.

 

 

Cheesecake Cookies

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cans (20-ounce) cherry pie filling (or your favorite kind.)

1. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.

3. Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll the balls in graham cracker crumbs. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a tablespoon measure, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Place 3 cherries in the dimple. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for five minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Source: Cook’s Country