Cream Cheese Cupcakes

8 ounces cream cheese

2 egg whites

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine cream cheese, egg whites, and oil until fluffy.

2. Add cake mix, water, and vanilla.

3. Mix for about 3 minutes

4. To tiedye, put equal amounts in bowls and add food coloring (I think the gels work best). Put each into bag and add one color at a time to each cup.

5. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 bag powdered sugar

BBQ Chicken Salad

(I know this picture doesn't look too appetizing, but it's the best I could do!)

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 bottle BBQ sauce

1/2 cup water
2 bags romaine lettuce
3-4 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 or 2 cans black beans
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla strips

1. Put chicken, water, and BBQ sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken and refrigerate.
2. Combine chicken with remaining ingredients when ready to serve.

You can top with ranch dressing if you want, but I usually just toss the salad with a little extra BBQ sauce or use some of the BBQ sauce/water that the chicken was cooked in and use that as dressing.

Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 onion, chopped
2 T. chili powder
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8-10 corn tortillas
3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
avocado
sour cream

Brown meat with diced onion over medium heat. Add chili powder, black beans, tomatoes, and cream of mushroom soup. In a 9x13 pan place a small amount of mixture on bottom (so tortillas don't stick). Place a layer of corn tortillas down (I tore some so they filled in the empty spots), then a layer of the meat mixture, and sprinkle on half the cheese. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, a layer of meat mixture and top with remaining cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and avocado.

browning meat and onion

Everything thrown into the pan. Looks very appetizing right now

Viola!!

Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C. butter,softened
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 C. flour
1/4 C. cornstarch
3/4 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
chocolate chips ( I use a full bag of the Guittard brand)

1 - Preheat oven to 350
2 - Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.
3 - Add flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in choc chips
4 - Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. (I use a cookie scoop and get about 36 cookies).

Broccoli Cheese Soup and Rolls

Broccoli Soup:

1 Cup onion, chopped fine

1 cup celery, diced

2 cups potatoes, diced

3/4 cups butter (real butter makes it soooooo much better)

3/4 cup flour

1 quart half & half

1 1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of pepper

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 jar cheese whiz

Put all vegetables in a large sauce pan. Add enough water to barely cover and simmer, covered, over medium heat until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Melt butter, add flour and blend and cook a minute or two. Add cream and cook and stir until smooth and thick, using wire whisk to blend. Add undrained vegetables and heat through. Add cooked broccoli and cheese whiz and stir til combined. I usually put the cheese whiz in the microwave for about 30 seconds just to loosen it up a little.

*This is actually my sisters clam chowder recipe tweaked into broccoli cheese. For clam chowder, add clams and clam juice with vegetables and leave out the broccoli and cheese whiz.

*Also, I always grate my vegetables in my kitchen aid. I don't like onion or celery chunks so I like everything grated.

Hot Rolls

2 yeast cakes, dissolve in water

1 cup warm water

4 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup butter or margerine, melted in milk

6 cups flour (or a little more)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. sugar

Add yeast to warm water and let dissolve. Scald milk then pour it over butter in mixing bowl and mix on low speed to melt. Add salt and sugar, then add eggs and mix well. Add water and dissolved yeast and mix well. Then add flour one cup at a time mixing well between. Leave dough soft and slightly sticky. Cover and let rise until double in size. Shape into rolls and brush tops with milk. Let rise for another 45 minutes or until rolls are ready. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

*this recipe came from Kim's grandma!

Chicken soft tacos

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 cup sour cream
6-8 flour tortillas

Place chicken in greased slow cooker (I never grease mine) Pour salsa over the top. Cover and cook on high heat 6-8 hours or on low heat 10-12 hours.
Shred chicken by pulling apart with two forks.

Pour chicken back into crockpot

During the last hour of cooking, stir in sour cream.

Fold chicken mix inside warm flour tortillas with lettuce and grated cheese, if desired.

I heard at a pampred chef party the other night that uncooked flour tortillas are the best. We're going to try them tonight!

Four Cheese with Bacon Mac

Four Cheese with Bacon Mac

1 box (1 lb) noodles (I used the wheel kind and the kids loved them)

6 slices of bacon (diced)
1 T. Butter
3 T. Flour
2 cups 2% milk
1/2 t. onion flakes
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 C. shredded colby-jack cheese (4 oz)
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
8 slices american cheese

1 - Heat oven to 350. Grease a 3 qt. broiler-safe baking dish (I used a cake pan because it's all I had) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2 - Cook noodles 8 minutes in boiling water, then drain. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towel. Pour off drippings, returning 2 T. back to the pan. Add butter.

3 - Whisk in flour until smooth. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. In large bowl, toss together cheddar, colby-Jack and mozzarella.

4 - Remove milk mixture from heat; whisk in American cheese and 1 1/4 cups of the cheddar mixture. Toss bacon pieces with remaining shredded cheese.

5 - In pasta pot, combine cooked pasta and cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared dish. Sprinkle with a generous cup of the bacon-cheese mixture. Repeat layering.

6 - Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Increase oven temp to broil and broil 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.