BBQ Chicken Dip

This dip was seriously delicious!  I had to refrain from licking the bottom of the bowl.  It is similar to a buffalo chicken dip that I have made in the past, but the BBQ sauce instead of Franks hot sauce makes this dip even better!

Source: Plain Chicken Blog
Ingredients:
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
4oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup bbq sauce
1/8 cup ranch dressing
1/8 cup sour cream
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 green onion, chopped

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixing bowl combine chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Pour mixture into a small lightly greased baking dish. Top the dip with chopped green onion and remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Steak and Stewed Tomatoes

This recipe is incredibly easy!  It only has 2 ingredients and takes less than 30 min.  I remember eating this growing up and now I know why my mom liked to make it on a school night.  I usually serve it with a baked potato.  Enjoy!

Source: My Mom
Ingredients:
10-16 oz beef steak (I usually use strip steak)
1 can Stewed Tomatoes

Instructions:
1. Slice the steak into thin strips

2. Heat a non-stick skillet on med-high add steak and brown the meat on both sides.  Then add the can of stewed tomatoes and simmer on med-low for 20 minutes (or until the meat is tender). 

Crostinis with Brie

Crositinis are great quick and easy appetizers!  The combination of creamy brie with crunchy french bread and the sweetness of caramelized onions...yum.

 

Brie & Caramelized Onion Crostini

Ingredients:

1 loaf of French Bread

Brie - 1 oz per crostini

Caramelized Onions (see my post)

 

Instructions:

Slice the bread thin, then layer with brie and onions.  Place on a pan in the oven on broil for just a minute or two until the brie starts to melt.

 

I also made another variation - Brie with Pear and honey.  This was one of those moments when you open up the fridge and seek creativity.  I chopped the pear into small pieces, removed the core and placed on the brie, drizzled with a little honey and put it under the broiler for about a minute.  It turned out great!

 



Pear & Gorgonzola Pizza

I am seriously addicted to the Pear & Gorgonzola pizza at California Pizza Kitchen.  So, I decided to try making it at home to see if I could could make it just a little bit healthier.   It turned out great, so I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 (16 ounce) package refrigerated pizza crust dough - I used the Whole Foods multi-grain

4 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese

1 pear, thinly sliced

1 caramelized onion ( 1/4 cup of pre-made caramelized onions)

2 Tbs. chopped hazelnuts

1 ounce Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (split between pizza and salad)

spring greens, tossed in Ranch dressing ( I used Bolthouse Ranch made with yogurt)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

Roll/Stretch crust out on baking stone and drizzle with olive oil. Bake crust for 6 minutes.

 

Remove and  layer with Provolone cheese. Top cheese with pear slices. Sprinkle with walnuts, caramelized onions and Gorgonzola cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 6-8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned. Remove from heat. Top with mixed spring greens tossed in Ranch dressing.

Meyer Lemon Chicken

This recipe was on the cover of Cooking Light - January 2013.  I knew as soon as I saw the magazine that I had to make it.  Great lemon flavor!

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1/2 pound small red potatoes, quartered

1/2 Meyer lemon, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices and seeded

1/8 cup finely chopped shallots

2  garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson), divided

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

1 tablespoons butter

 

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper; coat with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan, cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over until fully cooked (chicken registers 165°).

 

2. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Discard pan drippings (do not wipe pan clean). Add 1/2 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add potatoes to pan; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook potatoes 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove potatoes from pan. Add lemon slices to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Remove lemon from pan. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine and chopped fresh thyme; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

 

3. Return potatoes and lemon slices to pan. Add 1/3 cup stock, season with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Combine remaining stock and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and butter, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat; serve.

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1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; coat with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan, skin side down; cook 6 minutes or until skin is golden brown and crisp. Turn chicken over. Place pan in oven. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 165°.

3. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Discard pan drippings (do not wipe pan clean). Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add potatoes to pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook potatoes 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove potatoes from pan. Add lemon slices to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Remove lemon from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine and chopped fresh thyme; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

4. Return potatoes and lemon slices to pan. Add 2/3 cup stock, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 2 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Combine remaining 1/3 cup stock and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture, bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and butter, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat; sprinkle with parsley.

Caramelized Onions

This weekend, I made another big batch of caramelized onions.  I realized that I had blogged about them enough that they deserved their very own post.  Yes, I love caramelized onions!  I almost always have some in my fridge or freezer. 

It is a bit of a time commitment to make them, so make a bunch! 

Ingredients:
Yellow Onions (I usually will make 3-12 onions at a time)

I slice each onion in half - lengthwise.
Then slice each 1/2 round thinly and toss in a great bit pot. (I use a dutch oven)
Once you are finished slicing...at this point I am usually crying in my kitchen from the onions.
Drizzle olive oil over your onions and heat the pot to medium.  Stir every few minutes and cook on medium for 30 minutes.

Then reduce heat to med/low (about 3 on a 10 point heat scale).  Cook for another 30 minutes continuing to stir every few minutes.

After an hour of cooking the onions are nice and golden brown. 

Here are just a few of the recipes where I have used caramelized onions!

Rigatoni D
Caramelized Onion Gruyere Quiche
Garlic Onion Tortilla Stack

I'm sure there will be more to come.  After you make a big batch of caramelized onions, use the label section on the right side of my blog - click on "caramelized onions" label for recipes that use caramelized onions!

Rigatoni D

 

I recently had a family dinner at Maggianos and like usual I ordered their "Famous Rigatoni D".  After sampling all the plates at the table the Rigatoni was still my favorite.  So, I decided to try to make it at home.  With a rotisserie chicken and caramelized onions in the fridge it was actually a quick week night dinner and absolutely delicious! 

Source: My version of Rigatoni D from Maggianos
2-3 Servings

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 oz.  sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup caramelized onions (see my post)
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 rotisserie chicken - remove the breast meat and roughly chop
1/2 oz white wine (I used chardonnay)
3 oz. Marsala wine
4 oz. of Chicken broth
4 oz. of heavy cream
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. fresh basil chopped - plus more for garnish
4 oz. rigatoni pasta
Small amount of shaved Parmesan cheese for topping
Salt & Pepper

Instructions:
Remove the breast meat from the rotisserie chicken and roughly chop into pieces.  

In a large pot on medium heat, combine the oil, mushrooms, garlic puree, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and brown lightly.

Add chicken and caramelized onions to the pot.  Cook for 2 min.

Add the white wine, Marsala wine and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced half. (About 15 min.)

While this is reducing, add rigatoni to a pot of boiling salted water and cook 10-12 min.   Then drain.

Add cream and basil bring to the chicken pot and bring to boil while stirring, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 min.

Add the well-drained rigatoni to the chicken pot.  Mix together gently. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and basil leaves. 

Brie & Raspberry Stuffed Croissants

 

 

A girl at work brought these to a holiday potluck in December and they were SO good that I had to make them!  Bonus- they only have 3 ingredients and are super easy!

 

Source: Becky from work

Ingredients:

8 Crescent roll tube (I used Pillsbury)

1/4 cup Raspberry jam/preserves

8 oz Brie

 

Instructions: Unroll the crescents and make each long rectangle (2 crescents) into 2 squares (see picture below).  You will need to press the perforations together from where the crescents were originally cut. Spread the raspberry jam on 1/2  of the square and place a 1 oz piece of brie on top.  Then fold over and press closed.  Bake at 375 for 14-18 minutes.