Cheesy Ranch Dip

Matt and I were in the mood for a snack, but didn't have much on hand. Using what we had, we came up with this. It is now one of our favorite dips. Best with pretzels, but awesome with tortilla chips and crackers too.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 oz package dry Ranch Dip mix
1 cup shredded cheddar











DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together.
Eat right away (delicious) or let sit in fridge to blend the flavors together (even better!).

Crockpot Tortellini Sausage and Spinach

I feel like I say it often (mostly because I DO say it often!), but this is one of my favorite meals! Easy to make, not many ingredients, and super yummy, even as leftovers. We like it served with garlic bread, so that we can use the bread to mop up the sauce in the bottom of the bowl :)

You can also use refrigerated tortellini if you want, just don't add it in until the last 20 minutes or so, otherwise it will be overcooked.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground sausage

19 oz bag frozen cheese Tortellini

Baby Spinach (I used just over half of a 6 oz bag, but I think it would be good with the whole thing too)

2 14.5oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes (do not drain)

8 oz cream cheese, cut up

3 cups chicken broth

Garlic Powder (I didn't measure, just sprinkled over the top)

Parmesan Cheese for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Brown the sausage, drain the grease.

Put all ingredients in the crockpot.

 Cook on low for about 5 hours, stirring once in the middle so the melted cream cheese blends in.

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, if desired, and enjoy!

Tortellini Tomato Soup

This is a nice little spin on plain old tomato soup, with only a little bit more effort. In fact, it is the only way we eat tomato soup in our house anymore.  Delicious paired with grilled cheese! 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 10.75 oz cans condensed tomato soup

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups Chicken stock

1 cup milk

4 oz cream cheese, cut up

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1 9oz package cheese filled tortellini

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Saute garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except tortellini. Mix well and bring to a simmer.

After it is simmering, add tortellini and simmer until tender (follow package directions). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Pecan Tassies

I had never even heard of these until I met Matt. They are his favorite Christmas sweet, so I had to learn how to make them. Turns out, it isn't that hard haha. It definitely is time consuming, but worth it!

The wrappers are not necessary, but make clean up about a million times easier. It also makes making them go quicker, because you don't have to clean the pan between batches. I recommend having at least a couple mini muffin tins so you can get a batch ready to go while another is baking. This recipe makes roughly 90, depending on how thick you make the crust (they freeze well too!).

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups butter or margarine, softened, plus 3 Tablespoons melted

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 cups flour

3 eggs

2.5 cups brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.5 cups chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix 2 cups butter and the cream cheese. Beat in 1 cup of flour at a time to form the dough.

In another bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in pecans. 

Roll dough into small balls and press into mini muffin pans, spreading the dough up the sides.

Fill the crusts with the pecan mixture.

 Bake around 18 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and filling has puffed up.

Let cool for a few minutes and remove carefully from pan. Enjoy!  

Garlic Alfredo Sauce

This sauce is really easy to make and is done quicker than the time it takes to boil the pasta! You can adjust how garlicky you want it - we love garlic so we do a lot!

 INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs minced garlic

4 ounces cream cheese, cut up

1 cup milk

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Add milk a little at a time, whisking as you do it.

Add cheese, pepper, and salt. Stir until cheese is melted and everything is well mixed.

For a thin sauce, remove from heat immediately. For a thicker sauce, cook for a few minutes. Will thicken more as it stands. If it gets too thick, slowly stir in a little bit of milk.

Enjoy!

Marshmallow Lime Jello Salad

This has a lot of names.

Fruit Salad. Jello Salad. Pineapple Jello Salad. That green marshmallow stuff we eat at Thanksgiving.

No matter what you call it, it is good! :)

INGREDIENTS: 

1 cup boiling water 

2 small packs lime Jello

1/2 (10 1/2 oz.) bag miniature marshmallows 

8 oz cream cheese, room temp 

1 lb can crushed pineapple (reserve 1 cup juice) 

8 oz Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine boiling water and jello. Stir until Jello is dissolved. Add the marshmallows.

In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese and pineapple (excluding the 1 cup juice).

Stir pineapple juice into Jello mixture. Fold in cream cheese mixture and cool whip.

Pour into a 9x13 pan (or a very large bowl). Chill in fridge overnight.

Crockpot Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

This consistency of this is similar to potato soup, but the taste is a lot different!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
black pepper
32 oz Chicken Broth
32 oz bag frozen Ore Ida hash browns
16 oz Velveeta, cubed 
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
small can diced green chilies
3 oz bag bacon bits (the real bacon kind, not imitation), plus more for topping if desired
8 oz cream cheese, room temp and cut into smaller sections
french fried onions for topping, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Brown ground beef along with onion in skillet. Season with black pepper. Transfer to crock pot when done.
Add the chicken broth, hash browns, velveeta, tomatoes, green chilies, and bacon bits to crock pot. Cook on low for about 5 hours, stirring a few times to prevent cheese from settling at bottom.
Add cream cheese. Cook on low for another 30-60 minutes.
Serve with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Crockpot Black Bean Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

I think this recipe needs a shorter name haha. I don't actually call it all that, I usually something more like "Its chicken with some other stuff. Eat it." Do not judge it based on appearance. It is one of those that don't look very appealing at all but taste yummy! It is a little on the runny side so we eat it over rice the first day. The leftovers (if you have any!) are still good over rice the next day but also work well on a tortilla since it thickens up in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (I use a 2.25 lb bag and dump it all in, still frozen)
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can corn
15 oz can Rotel
1 pack dry Italian Dressing mix
8 oz cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken in crockpot. Top wtih beans, corn, Rotel, and dry Italian mix.
Cover. Cook 4-6 hours, stirring a couple times throughout.
Once chicken is done (and about 30 minutes before you want to eat), shred the chicken and add cream cheese. Mix in until well blended. It will probably be soupy. Keep cooking on low, but leave the lid off to help thicken.
Serve over rice or pasta (or however else you want).

Adapted from HERE

Artichoke Spinach Dip

We have made a few different versions of artichoke spinach dip, but this is the best by far! The amounts are not exact, so make it how you think you would like it best!

INGREDIENTS:
Small amount of Olive Oil
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
16 oz cream cheese
Spinach (fresh or frozen, as much or as little as you want)
Parmesan cheese (roughly 1/4-1/2 cup, but again as much or as little as you want)
Minced Garlic (about 1.5 teaspoons, more or less to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low.  Brown garlic.
Add cream cheese. Stir frequently. Once melted, add in spinach. Cook for a few minutes, then add artichokes and Parmesan Cheese. Taste and add more garlic if desired.
Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, toasted bread, or whatever else sounds good!

NOTES:
I used about 4.5-6 oz frozen spinach. If using frozen, be sure to squeeze out all excess liquid before putting in skillet.

Chile Colorado Burritos

These are so easy, and taste so yummy! If you are craving some Mexican food, you definitely need to try these out!

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lbs stew meat
2 10oz cans mild Enchilada sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can refried beans
Burrito size flour tortillas (about 5, depending on how you fill them)
1-2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream and black olives for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Place meat, bouillon cubes, enchilada sauce, onion, and garlic into slow cooker. Cook on low for about 8 hours, until meat is super tender and falling apart.
When meat is ready, heat up refried beans in microwave.
Spread desired amount of beans on a tortilla and top with beef (use a slotted spoon to drain the sauce).

Roll tortilla up burrito style (folding in both sides). Top with sauce and cheese.
Heat in 300F oven for about 4-5 minutes, until cheese is melted. 
Top with sour cream and/or black olives if desired.

adapted from HERE

Taco Bread

This stuff is good! And the best part about it is that it's good fresh out of the oven, at room temperature, cold from the fridge, or reheated in the microwave! My favorite is reheated and Matt's is cold....but we usually end up eating most all of it as soon as its out of the oven.

The recipe calls for French bread, but I had to use Italian this time thanks to the awesome commissary here ;)

INGREDIENTS:
1 loaf french bread
8 oz cream cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 pack taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheese (I have used cheddar and mexi-blend, both are good)

DIRECTIONS:
Cut loaf of bread in half. Scoop out the bread on one half (I never manage to cut it in half, so I usually scoop the bigger side).  Spread cream cheese on the bread.

Brown the burger. Add taco seasoning (no water) and mix until burger is evenly coated. Add about 1/2 cup of cheese, stirring until melted.
Spoon meat onto the bread. Top with remaining cheese.

Put top piece of bread on. Wrap in foil. Bake @350 for 35 minutes, or til heated through.

Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup

Really quick to throw together and very yummy! Can also be made without the ham (thats actually how I made it the first time and it was just as good).

INGREDIENTS:
32 oz bag frozen hash brown (like Ore Ida shredded has browns)
3 14oz cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp black pepper
1.5-2 cups cooked ham, diced (I didn't measure, I just used up our leftover Easter ham)
8 oz cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients except for ham and cream cheese into the crock pot. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Add in the cream cheese (room temp or warmed up in the microwave so it melts better) and ham. Continue to cook on low for another hour. Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, or whatever else sounds good!

Tortilla Pinwheels

This is definitely one of our favorite snack foods. The hardest part is having to wait for them to chill in the fridge! 😊

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz can green chilies, drained
2.5 oz can chopped black olives
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup shredded cheddar
garlic powder and seasoned salt to taste
5 10 inch flour tortillas
salsa for dipping

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together (except for tortillas, obviously haha).
Spread evenly among tortillas, getting close to the edges. Roll tortillas up tight (but not too tight so filling doesn't all squish out). Wrap each one with plastic wrap. Refrigerate a couple hours or overnight.
Unwrap and cut into 1 inch slices. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burgers

I am not normally a huge fan of burgers, but this one is delicious! It makes 6-8 burgers, depending on the size you want them.

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs ground beef
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup finely diced jalapeno peppers
burger buns

DIRECTIONS:
Mix the cream cheese and jalapenos together until well-blended.
Divide the burger into 6-8 sections. Divide each section evenly and make patties (so you will have 12-16 patties).
Spread the jalapeno cream cheese on half of the patties in the center, leaving a border around the edge. Top with another patty. Make sure to press edges together to seal the cheese inside the patty.

Cook in skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat til done, flipping once. Don't push down on the burger or filling will ooze. Flip carefully or the 2 patties with separate.

Spread extra jalapeno cream cheese on bun, if desired. Enjoy!


NOTES:
This could be cooked on a grill, but make sure it is well oiled. If burgers stick, the patties will most likely separate.

Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Soup

I love this soup. Matt, who claims to hate cooked broccoli, loves this soup.  The kids...well, they tolerate it haha. It is pretty quick and easy. Good with rolls or sandwiches.

After adding the water. Don't add more than this, or soup will be too thin (this is almost too much even, in my opinion)

 Ready to eat!

INGREDIENTS:
14oz  frozen broccoli
14oz  frozen cauliflower
8 oz cream cheese, room temp and cut up
8 oz shredded cheddar
1 can cream of chicken soup
Half and Half (or milk), no more than 1 qt
Black Pepper (optional) 

DIRECTIONS:
Put veggies into pot (non-stick is best), fill with water just to the top of the veggies. Heat to boiling, cook til tender (only a couple of minutes after they start boiling)
Turn stove to low. Add cheeses. Cover and heat til melted (stirring frequently or cheese will stick to bottom of pan)
Add cream of chicken soup. Add half & half, to desired consistency.
Serve, topped with fresh ground pepper if desired.

NOTES:
This soup is so much better with half and half. Milk works, it just isn't as creamy.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

When I saw this recipe, I knew we would love it! I made a few small changes to suit our tastes. It is definitely going to be a common meal in our house! Makes excellent leftovers as well. I made how many we would eat for supper, then saved the rest of the mixture to make more for lunch the next day.

The jalapeno cream cheese we used is just a block of regular cream cheese, with jarred jalapenos chopped and mixed in by hand. Since the boys usually don't like spicy foods, I didn't put the cream cheese on theirs. Instead, I used sour cream. They both really liked it. Matt tried one with just sour cream and he said it was really good too...I will continue to stick to my cream cheese though!

The tortillas we used were on the smaller side (they say burrito sized, but I have seen bigger burrito sized ones), so we were able to make about 9 wraps (I put less in the kids, more in matts, so it all just depends).

The filling:

 The Jalapeno cream cheese:

Ready to roll:

 All rolled up:

Ready to eat:

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cup cooked brown rice, warm or at room temperature
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 green onions, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
shredded cheese (at least 2 cups)
flour tortillas
jalapeno cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add chicken, beans, green onions, and green pepper. Spread desired amount of cream cheese over tortillas. Top with cheese, leaving small border around edges. Spoon chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, folding in edges like a burrito. Spray top and bottom with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Put 2 wraps at a time, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes per side. Enjoy!