Loaded Potato And Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole:

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cubed (1")
8-10 medium potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
1&1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
6 Tbsp. hot sauce

Topping:
2 cups fiesta blend cheese
1 cup crumbled bacon
1 cup diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spray a 9X13" baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat. Carefully scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mixture as possible. Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy and browned on the outside. While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the left over olive oil/hot sauce mixture and stir to coat. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken. In a bowl ix together the cheese, bacon and green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mixture. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.
Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Tomato Avocado Salad

This is such an amazing salad! I use the vinaigrette on so many different salads. It's so much better than any bottled dressing you'd buy in a bottle.

Just whisk it together! So easy! And so delicious!

Drizzle over some cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, avocado and some feta cheese! So fresh and healthy!

Tomato Avocado Salad

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small cucumber, sliced

1 avocado, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

3/4 cup feta cheese

For Vinaigrette:

2 tsp apple cider vinegar1 tbsp lime juice

1/4 tsp ground oregano

3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp safflower oil

TO PREPARE 
To make the vinaigrette, pour the vinegar and lime juice in a small bowl. Add oregano, salt, sugar and black pepper. Pour the oils in a slow stream, whisking with a whisk or fork to emulsify. The vinaigrette can be made a day ahead of time, just emulsify before using. Pour over vegetables and toss.

Cheesy Cauliflower Bake

This is an amazing recipe. My husband and I have been watching our carb intake, and this is almost just like a creamy potato bake, but it's CAULIFLOWER, and it's delicious! And you can make it ahead of time and place it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Cheesy Cauliflower Bake

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower

1 8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

chopped greed onions

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cook cauliflower in lightly salted water until soft. Cook bacon until crispy and crumble into small pieces. Drain water from cauliflower, return to pot. Add cream cheese and butter and mash until creamy. Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with shredded cheese, chopped green onion, and bacon. Bake at 350 for 24-30 minutes.

Miss Cindy's Homemade Meatloaf Seasoning

Wednesday, April 22, 2015 10:44 a.m. by Cindy Rippe

This seasoning tastes just like the stuff you get in the package, but BETTER! No preservatives or additives and you'll save money, because you probably have most of these spices on hand!

Miss Cindy's Homemade Meatloaf Seasoning

Ingredients: (enough for 2 lbs. ground beef)

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Ingredients for the meatloaf:

2 lbs. ground beef

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup oats

1 cup ketchup or tomato sauce

meatloaf seasoning

1 small onion, chopped

1 small bell pepper, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ground beef, eggs, oats, ketchup, meatloaf seasoning, peppers and onions in a large bowl. Mix well with clean hands. Form into a loaf. Place in a baking pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, and spread ketchup all over the top and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken

Monday, April 27, 2015 10:44 a.m. by Cindy Rippe

This is such an amazing, rich and wonderful chicken recipe! My husband LOVED it! I used fresh grated Parmesan cheese, it just tastes better. It also makes a great dip if you leave out the chicken.

First start out by browning your chicken breasts in a little oil. You won't need to cook them all the way through, just brown each side. After they are browned, place in a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Add spinach (frozen, that's been microwaved or thawed, and all the water squeezed out) Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella, artichoke hearts, and mayonnaise. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread mixture over each chicken breast. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus 1/2 cup for topping)

1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (plus 1/2 cup for topping)

1 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large skillet, heat oil. Brown each side of chicken breasts. Remove and place in a lightly oiled baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, artichoke hearts, cheeses, and mayonnaise. Spread mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Miss Cindy's Stuffed Peppers (low carb)

Miss Cindy's Stuffed Green Peppers

These wonderful stuffed peppers are stuffed with ground beef, onion, mushrooms, zucchini, and topped with cheese!! SO tasty! And low carb,and gluten free!

Miss Cindy's Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

6 green, orange, red or yellow bell peppers

2 lbs. ground beef

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 8 oz. cans crushed tomatoes (reserving 1/2 can)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped finely

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 zucchini, chopped

8 oz chopped mushrooms

2 gloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups Velveeta Shreds (reserving 1 cup for topping)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove all the seeds and white stuff. Blanch peppers in a pan of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef, drain. Add onion and cook until onion is tender. Add 1 1/2 cans of crushed tomatoes (reserving remaining 1/2 can for later), oregano, basil, red wine and a little salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer on medium low heat for about 15 minutes. While sauce is simmering, in a separate skillet, heat olive oil to medium heat, then add garlic, zucchini and mushrooms. Saute vegetables until tender. Add vegetables and 1 cup Velveeta Shreds to the meat mixture. Mix well. Simmer for 5 more minutes, or until cheese melts. In a medium baking dish, pour remaining 1/2 can tomatoes into the bottom, spreading out evenly.

Stuff peppers with meat mixture. Place in baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes. Top with remaining Velveeta and bake for about 10 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Hummingbird Cake (Southern Living Magazine's Most Request Recipe)

Hummingbird Cake (The Most Requested Recipe In Southern Living Magazine's History)

Tuesday, April 07, 2015 10:19 a.m. by Cindy Rippe

When I came across this recipe, I just HAD to make it so I did, and I wasn't disappointed. It's been around for many years, and it is astonishingly delicious! It's probably the best cake that I have ever made. They say it got it's name because with every bite you want to "hum" with delight! It is similar to carrot cake, but made with crushed pineapple and bananas. It's super moist and super easy to make!

Here's what you need:

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups oil

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple--do not drain

2 cups bananas, mashed (about 4 large bananas)

1 cup pecans or walnuts (I used pecans)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

2. Mix together with whisk. Add eggs, vanilla, oil, pineapple, bananas and pecans and mix until all ingredients are moistened.

3. Spray 3 (9 inch) round cake pans or one 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees, for 30-35 minutes until the cake center is done. Let cool thoroughly. Frost with cream cheese frosting and top with chopped nuts.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature

2 lbs. confectioners (powdered) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla together with a mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar until blended well. Ice cake and sprinkle with pecans.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Peppers

Pan Roasted Tomatoes and Peppers

Wednesday, April 08, 2015 10:21 a.m. by Cindy Rippe

I love the taste of oven roasted vegetables, it just brings the sweetness out of the peppers and tomatoes. This recipe is great paired with a nice juicy steak. You can serve them with just about anything. These roasted beauties have concentrated flavor that will turn any quick meal into something special!The longer they cook, the more concentrated the flavors will be. You can also freeze them and use later for a soup or pasta base.

Start with chopped yellow peppers, green peppers and plum tomatoes, sliced in half.

Drizzle with olive oil, minced garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Toss to make sure vegetables are coated.

Place in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until soft and caramelized.

Serve as a side or over chicken breasts or just about anything!

Ingredients:

6 plum tomatoes, sliced in half

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450. Place vegetables on a sheet pan, spreading them out evenly. Drizzle olive oil over the top. Sprinkle garlic, sugar, salt and pepper over the top. Toss vegetables. Spread out evenly on the pan. Roast about 25 or 30 minutes. Until they start to caramelize.

Serve warm.

Flash Fried Spinach Recipe

One of my favorite appetizers is flash fried spinach. It's so light and crispy and so good! You can sprinkle it with garlic salt and drizzle a little lemon over it to really make the flavor pop! Even if you don't like spinach, you should give this a try! So tasty and so HEALTHY!

Start out with some fresh spinach leaves. Heat your deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Add a handful of spinach to the basket.

After oil has heated, submerge spinach into oil for about 30 seconds.

Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel lined platter. Let them drain until light and crispy. Salt and pepper to taste. (drizzle with lemon juice if desired, or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Flash Fried Spinach

Ingredients:

4 cups peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)

1 10 oz. bag of fresh spinach

garlic salt to taste

pepper to taste

lemon juice squeezed from 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Place a large handful of fresh spinach in fryer basket, and submerge to cook for about thirty seconds. Drain spinach on paper towels, and repeat with remaining batches. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. (Or garlic salt and Parmesan cheese)

Deep Dish Italian Meat Pie

Deep Dish Italian Meat Pie

When I made this pie for my husband and he really loved it! He loved it so much that he had it for breakfast the next morning! When this pie comes out of the oven, it releases the most wonderful, irresistible aromas of the Italian meats and cheeses! It's SOOOO yummy! Here's

the recipe! Enjoy!

! 

Ingredients:

1 box of Pillsbury refrigerated (ready made) pie crusts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

6 cups packed fresh spinach

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 pound provolone cheese

1/3 pound pastrami

1/3 pound honey ham

1/3 pound hard salami

1 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry and cut into strips

1 egg, beaten

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3 minutes or until tender. Add spinach and basil; cook about 5 minutes more or until all the moisture is evaporated. Set aside. Unroll pie crust dough and place in a lightly greased 9 inch pie pan, fit into pan with edges overlapping. (reserve the other crust for the top) Layer one-third of the provolone cheese, one-third of the pastrami, one-third of the ham, one-third of the salami, one-half of the roasted peppers and one-half of the spinach mixture. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining meat and provolone. Unroll remaining dough and place on top of cheese. pinch dough together at the edges. Use any remaining dough to cut out dough leaves ( if desired.) Brush the top with the beaten egg. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Asiago Mushroom Chicken

This is a quick, easy and impressive recipe and ready in about 30 minutes! It is such a superb dish, my dinner guests raved on and on about how delicious it was!!! I can't wait to make it again! I paired it with a ceasar salad, served in a edible parmesan bowl, garlic mashed new potatoes and gift wrapped green beans.

Here's a look at the cute little edible parmesan bowls. You can make them up earlier in the day.

Click here to learn How to make parmesan baskets

It was so delicious!!! The sauce is so rich and creamy seasoned with fresh thyme!

Asiago Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients:

4 or 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup seasoned flour (recipe below)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)

1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Seasoned Flour:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika (or plain paprika)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pound chicken breasts between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap until meat is about 1/4 inch thick. Heat butter along with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Dredge chicken in seasoned flour. Add to hot skillet. Cook until chicken is golden brown on each side. (about 5 minutes per side) Remove from pan.

Add remaining olive oil to hot skillet, and saute' mushrooms and garlic until mushrooms are tender and begin to brown. Add white wine, scraping all of the browned bits that are in the bottom of the pan. With your fingers, remove the leaves from the sprigs of thyme and add to the mushroom/wine mixture. Add chicken back to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Slowly add cream and heat through. Add the asiago cheese, stirring constantly until cheese melts. Continue cooking until the sauce is reduced by half. Add chicken back to pan and heat through. Garnish with sprigs of thyme, and serve!

Makes about 4 servings.