Cinnamon Honey Butter

This stuff is smooth, creamy, buttery, deliciousness. I seriously want to eat it on everything! But my favorite is eating it with 7 Up Biscuits. It's also so easy that you can whip it up in 5 minutes. Another fun idea is to put it in mini jelly jars and give as gifts!

CINNAMON HONEY BUTTER
Serves: 2 mini jelly jars
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions
1 In medium bowl, combine ingredients. Beat on medium until fluffy.

7 Up Biscuits

Are you one of those people who busts open a can of biscuits and throw them in the oven? Yah, I was too. Those days are long gone thanks to this amazing new recipe. Just a few ingredients and you'll have fluffy, buttery, delicious biscuits fresh from the oven. Try it with the Cinnamon Honey Butter recipe I posted! You'll be in Heaven.
Original Recipe from: Six Sister's Stuff

7 UP BISCUITS
Serves: 9
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-Up
1/4 cu butter

Directions
1 Cut sour cream into biscuit mix. Add 7-Up and mix. (It makes a very soft, sticky dough).
2 Sprinkle extra bisquick on board and pat dough out. Don't knead it or roll it, just pat it.
3 Melt butter in a 9x9 pan.
4 cut biscuits into 9 circles. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on the biscuits to make sure they don't burn.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta

Cheddar. Bacon. Ranch. Chicken. Pasta.
All in one dish? Seriously? This is the definition of comfort food. This recipe makes quite a bit- enough to feed me, 3 men, a hungry 5 year old and still have leftovers!

I think this would be even better with mushrooms!
Original recipe found at Cassie Craves

CHEDDAR BACON RANCH CHICKEN PASTA
Cook Time:
Serves: 6

Ingredients
1 lb. mostaccioli or other short pasta
6 strips of bacon, diced
1 Tbsp. butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 packet ranch dressing mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. diced green onions
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
1 Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
2 Meanwhile, cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels and dice. Drain all but one Tbsp. of bacon drippings from the pan.
3 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings, then add the chicken to the same skillet. Cook until tender, no longer pink and slightly browned.
4 Sprinkle the flour and ranch dressing mix over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the cheddar cheese and half of the diced bacon. Cook and stir until the cheese is melted.
5 Add cooked pasta to the chicken/cheese sauce. Serve with more crumbled bacon and diced onions on top.

French Dip Crescents

If you love traditional french dip sandwiches, you'll love these little French Dip Crescents. Not only are they yummy, they are easy! Get the kiddos involved to help you make them! These would also make a perfect appetizer for a Holiday Party!

FRENCH DIP CRESCENTS
Serves: 2-4
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
Package of refrigerated crescent dough (8 pieces)
1/2 lb. deli roast beef
4 pieces swiss or provolone cheese, sliced
Packet of Au Jus Mix

Directions
1 Unroll and separate crescent dough
2  place a 1/2 slice of cheese and a slice of roast beef on each piece of dough.
3 roll starting at the wide end first.
4 Place on cookie sheet and bake according to directions on crescent dough package. (Approx. 11-13 minutes at 375 degrees)
5 Prepare Au Jus according to directions on packet.

Spicy Dragon Noodles

Prior to making these, I read that they're addicting. Now I know why. I honestly ate 2 servings without a second thought! They are that good! The nice thing about this recipe is that you can adjust the spicy levels from having a little kick to "My insides are on fire"! This recipe is for somewhere in between. Just add or take away a little bit of sriracha to adjust to your liking!

SPICY DRAGON NOODLES
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients
2 chicken thighs cut into bite sized chunks
oz. chow mein noodles
2 eggs, scrambled
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
3/4 Tbsp. Sriracha (rooster sauce)
1 handful fresh cilantro
2 green onions, chopped

Directions
1 Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink and set aside.
2 While chicken is cooking, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.
3 Melt butter in small pan, add crushed red pepper and eggs. Cook until done.
4 For the sauce, mix together brown sugar, soy sauce and sriracha.
5 Mix chicken, noodles, eggs, sauce and green onions together. Toss until evenly coated with sauce.
6 Serve with fresh cilantro sprinkled on top.

Crockpot Honey Chicken

I'm a fan of crockpot meals. They are among the easiest and most delicous in my book. This is called Honey Chicken. It's similar to teriyaki chicken, so if you like that, you'll love this. It's delicious served over rice or with chow mein.

HONEY CHICKEN
Cook Time: 3 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients
4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into large chunks
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup chopped onion or 1/16 cup onion flakes
1/8 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions
1 Put chunks of chicken in crockpot
2 Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken
3 Cook on high for 3 hours

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I love Chicken Cordon Bleu. Chicken, ham and melted swiss cheese all rolled into one bite.. yum! If you've never had it, now is the time to try it. It's really not that hard to make, and you'll have dinner on the table in 20 minutes!

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
4-6 pieces thinly sliced chicken breasts (you can purchase them already sliced or do it yourself)
4-6 pieces deli ham
4-6 pieces sliced swiss cheese
Italian bread crumbs (I sometimes use Panko, too)

Directions
1 Lay a piece of chicken on a cutting board. Place a piece of ham on top and then a piece of cheese. If the ham and cheese overlap the chicken, trim accordingly.
2 Roll the chicken, jelly-roll style and secure with a toothpick
3 Roll it in the breadcrumbs.
4 Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
5 Spray all of the rolls lightly with cooking spray and Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle

Hummus Chicken Salad

So, Hubby and I are trying an all chicken diet. By all chicken, I mean no other kind of meat. We've also cut out fast food and most carbs at dinner time.It's only the first week, so wish me luck! It's our attempt at eating healthier. But, this also forces me to be more creative at meal time. I threw this together for a quick summer dinner and it was amazing! And it's so versatile. You can use whatever veggies you want to, whatever flavor hummus you want to and you can eat it a hundred different ways: On a sandwich, in a pita, with crackers, as lettuce wraps or on a bed of greens. Did I mention it's also Gluten Free?

Why hummus?
Only 60 calories and 3.5 grams of fat vs. the 180 calories and 20 grams of fat in Mayo.

Total calories of my version below: 275 for the entire thing!

HUMMUS CHICKEN SALAD
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1-2

Ingredients
1 (5oz.) can of chicken breast (or diced chicken, leftover rotisserie, etc.)
1/2 roma tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 avocado, chopped
2 Tbsp. hummus (I used Athenos Original)

Directions
1 Mix ingredients together.
2 Eat.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Even though it was 100 degrees today, I'm craving Fall. So I made this delicious Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup. The recipe called for sun dried tomatoes, but I knew my boys wouldn't like it, so I omitted those. They do, however, love pasta, so I doubled the amount of tortellini. Next time I think we'll add some sliced mushrooms. Yum!

Oh, and did I mention that it literally takes 10 minutes to throw together?

CREAMY TOMATO TORTELLINI SOUP
Serves: 6-8
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped OR 2 Tbsp. sun dried tomato paste (we left this out)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 package cheese filled tortellini (9 oz.) (we used a 19 oz. bag of frozen tortellini)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions
1 Saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot until golden brown.
2 When garlic is done, add tomato soup, tomatoes, milk, half-and-half, chicken stock and seasonings. Bring to a simmer.
3 Once simmering, drop noodles into the soup and cook according to package directions.
4 Ladle into bowls. Top with parmesan cheese and serve with french bread

Slow Cooker Ham & Beans

This is a comfort food. I remember eating this when I was a kid. Simmered on the stovetop and probably made from leftover Easter or Christmas ham. I cheated and made mine in the Slow Cooker and with a ham steak. Still delicious, much easier and yep... comforting! This would be a great dinner on a fall or winter night!

SLOW COOKER HAM & BEANS
Serves: 6-8
Cook Time: 8 hours

Ingredients
1 lb. package dried northern beans
Ham bone, hocks, shanks, or diced ham (approx. 1 lb.)
2 tsp. onion powder
6 cups water
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1 Rinse and sort the beans for any pebbles.
2 Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low for approx. 8 hours or until beans are tender.
3 Remove ham bone, shanks or hocks and pull off meat. Add meat back to crock pot and mix.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

I saw this recipe on Pinterest from Clean & Delicious and knew I had to try it. Not only did they look delicious, but they're healthy (only 132 calories per taco)! (and Gluten-Free for my family and friends who need that).  Beware, these are a little on the spicy side. I'm the girl who can only handle Del Taco's mild sauce, though haha. You can adjust the spice factor to your taste by omitting the cayenne pepper, but it does add that extra yummy kick!

SPICY SHRIMP TACOS WITH CILANTRO LIME SAUCE
Serves: 4
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb of frozen shrimp, defrosted, peeled and deveined
6 oz. fat free greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresth lime juice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
5 cups shredded cabbage
8 corn tortillas
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste (I used Garlic Salt and no pepper)

Directions
1 Mix yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, cayenne and salt in a bowl and set aside
2 Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a medium skillet and add cabbage. Cook for a few minutes until the cabbage is barely wilted and set aside.
3 Cut shrimp into thirds, so you have little bite size pieces. Saute in 2 tsp. olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne over medium heat until just done. This only takes a few minutes, so be sure to keep your eye on it!
4 Heat tortillas over medium heat in a dry skillet until warm and starting to form small brown spots. Build your taco with the cabbage, shrimp and cilantro lime sauce... enjoy!

Sassy Chicken Won Ton Tacos

When I first read the recipe, I was a little skeptical. BBQ sauce, sesame ginger dressing, cilantro... the flavors just weren't something I'd think to put together. But, once you take the first bite and get all of the flavors combined- YUM! In fact, I inhaled 4 of them. The only thing I'd change for next time is to leave th cole slaw crispy instead of softening it in the microwave. Otherwise, these are a winner! They'd be a perfect appetizer at your next dinner party, too! I found the original recipe at Hungry-Girl.

SASSY CHICKEN WON TON TACOS
Serves: 8 mini tacos
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
8 small square wonton wrappers
1 cup dry coleslaw mix
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. Lite Sesame Ginger Dressing ( I use Newman's Own)
4 oz. cooked skinless chicken breast (shredded or finely chopped)
2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2 Spray the inside and outside walls of a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly drape the won ton wrappers diagonally over the walls, making triangle shaped "shells". Bake until just crispy enough to hold their shape. (Approx. 3 minutes)
3 Remove pan from oven, but leave oven on. Carefully remove wontons and gently open to form "taco shells". Set aside.
4 In a microwave safe bowl, combine colesaw mix, cilantro and dressing. Mix well. Cover and microwave until slightly softened (Approx. 1 minute). Set aside.
5 In another bowl, mix chicken and bbq sauce together.
6 Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly distribute the chicken among the shells, followed by the coleslaw mix. Lay the filled shells on their side on the baking sheet.
7 Spray the shells lightly with non-stick spray and bake for 5 minutes or until crunchy.

Cowboy Casserole

This is not one of those fancy dishes you bust out for entertaining guests. This is one of those yummy, homemade, pure comfort food casseroles. The kind that kids eat second helpings of. Yes, it does kind of resemble dog food (as noted in "The Cutting Edge of Ordinary"), but we never have leftovers.

COWBOY CASSEROLE
Serves: 6-8
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey (sometimes I substitute 1/2lb. of meat for ground sausage)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (13.5oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbsp. sour cream (I use light sour cream)
1 bag (approx. 30oz.) frozen tater tots

Directions
1 Brown meat, onion and garlic in skillet. Drain and set aside.
2 In a small bowl, combine soup, milk and sour cream. Add to hamburger mixture and stir until combined.
3 Stir in corn and 1 cup cheddar cheese.
4 Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Layer 1/2 of the the tater tots on the bottom, pour hamburger mixture on top, then the rest of the tater tots. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
5 Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown and crisp.

Chicken Rollatini

I love it when I can sneak vegetables in to my boy's food. They are usually fans of corn and green beans. That's it. But, I found that if I incorporate it in to the main dish to combine flavors, then I can get away with more. Like this recipe with Spinach. I mean, it did help that I called it Popeye food and claimed that it would give them big muscles. (This speech worked on LC, not so much on the hubby, but he still ate it and loved it). Even better news? It's low calorie and healthy for you. Yes!

CHICKEN ROLLATINI
Serves: 4
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
4 thin sliced chicken breasts
1/2 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. egg whites or egg beaters
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of any liquid
6 Tbsp. part skim ricotta cheese
4 slices part skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil non-stick spray
1 cup marinara sauce

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 450. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray
2 Combine breadcrumbs and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese in one bowl. Put 1/4 cup egg beaters in a seperate bowl
3 Combine shredded mozzarella cheeese, remaining parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, spinach and 2 Tbsp. egg beaters
4 Spread spinach-cheese mixture onto pieces of chicken. Loosely roll each piece, keeping seam side down
5 Dip Chicken in egg, then coat in breadcrumb mixture and place seam side down in baking dish. Lightly spray with olive oil
6 Bake 20-25 minutes. Topp with sauce, then cheese. Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is just melted.

Healthy Cheesy Chicken Rice Bake

Casseroles are always comfort food- and this one is healthy for you! Chicken, Brown Rice, Black Beans, Corn... and NO sour cream, condensed soup or mayo! Put this one on your must try list. Both hubby and LC loved it. The original recipe can be found on Tasty Kitchen.

HEALTHY CHEESY CHICKEN RICE BAKE
Serves: 4-6
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 can (15 oz.) corn
1 can (15oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 can (4oz.) diced green chiles
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus extra for topping)


Directions
1  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Make sure the cheese and yogurt is mixed throughout.
2 Transfer to casserole dish and sprinkle with extra cheese.
3 Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until warmed throughout.

I used instant rice and chicken thighs and it turned out yummy! If you like your food spicy, you can use hot salsa and chiles. Enjoy!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

 I originally saw this recipe made with a packet of dry Italian Seasoning. When I went to make it, I found out that we didn't have any. So I substituted the oregano, basil and garlic salt. Definately going to try the Italian Seasoning next time!

LEMON GARLIC SHRIMP

Ingredients
raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 lemons
1 stick butter
1 Tbsp. Oregano
1 Tbsp. Basil
Garlic Salt

Directions
1 Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 pan in oven
2 Slice lemon into thin slices and place in bottom of pan
3 Place shrimp on top of lemon and butter. Sprinkle with oregano, basil and garlic salt to taste
4 Bake for 15 minutes or until pink

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

I'm not a fan of pork chops- at all. In fact, I've been known to cook them for the hubby and then cook a separate meal for myself. And then I tried these. 4 ingredients. So simple.... and SO YUMMY! Not only did I like them, but I've added the recipe to my faves!
Don't let the photo deter you. It was late and taken with my phone. I only had wafer thin boneless chops on hand, but I recommend a little thicker.

HONEY GARLIC PORK CHOPS
serves: 4-6
cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1/4+1/8 cup honey (so, 3/8 cup total)
3 Tbsp soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 boneless pork loin chops

Directions
1 In a shallow dish, whisk together honey, soy sauce and garlic
2 coat both sides of the pork chops
3 place in baking dish and top with left over sauce
4 Bake at 375 for 30 minutes (longer if using thicker pork chops)

The sauce is so versatile that it can also be used for chicken. Whatever meat you choose can also be marinated in the sauce and then grilled (using left over sauce for basting).

Blueberry Banana Bread

I picked a pint of beautiful, delicious blueberries from Temecula Berry Co. last week (read about our experience at their farm HERE) and was looking for a way to use them. Well, this may be one of my favorite new recipes! So moist- a perfect combination of banana bread and blueberry muffins. Not to mention, my house smells divine!

BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD
Cook Time: 65 minutes
Servings: 2 loaves

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 tsp. vanilla
3 large bananas, overripe and mashed
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
4 Tbsp. brown sugar

*Buttermilk Substitute: Bring 1/2 cup milk to room temperature. Add 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes

Directions
1 In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add in vanilla, buttermilk and bananas
2 Mix dry ingredients together and mix into wet ingredients until just blended.
3 Stir in blueberries.
4 Divide the mixture into two greased and floured loaf pans. Sprinkle brown sugar down the center of each loaf
5 Bake at 325 degrees for 65-70 minutes.

Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken

Looking for a new way to cook chicken? How about one that only takes 5 ingredients? Sounds good to me!

This is my first time making this dish and my photos didn't quite turn out like theirs, but the taste is amazing! The brown sugar carmelizes and creates a sweet, garlicky sauce underneath the chicken. Definitely worth a try! And the fact that it only takes 30 minutes and you probably have all 5 ingredients on hand? Bonus!

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onions

DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat oven to 500 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish
2 In a small pan, saute the garlic and onion with the olive oil until tender
3 Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar
4 Place chicken breasts in the baking dish and pour brown sugar mixture over the top
5 Add salt and pepper to taste
6 Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes

Hubby likes onions, so we added extra

Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls

Hubby loves Cinnamon Rolls- especially from Cinnabon. And me? Well, I've always been intimidated to make them. But, when I saw this recipe, I thought it looked fairly simple and I'd give it a go. The results? Hubby walked in from work, straight to the kitchen, picked up a fork and ate them straight from the pan. I made a half batch (12 rolls) and intended on sharing them with friends. But, to be honest, there's none left!

The original recipe is from Love From The Oven. She has amazingly creative baking ideas for every occasion! I halved the recipe because there's only 3 of us and changed the frosting a bit because Hubby loves cream cheese frosting. The recipe below is for a full batch and will make 24 rolls.

CAKE MIX CINNAMON ROLLS
Servings: 24 rolls
Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours (includes time for dough to rise)

INGREDIENTS
1 box white or yellow cake mix
2 packages dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
5 cups flour

FILLING
2 cups brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened
cinnamon

FROSTING
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
1 Mix yeast and warm water until dissolved
2 Combine cake mix, flour and salt in large bowl
3 Add warm water/yeast mixture and vanilla to cake mix/flour mixture. Mix well. This may require kneading with your hands to completely combine ingredients.
4 Cover tightly. Let rise for one hour. Punch down and let rise for another 30-60 minutes.
5 On a floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle shape, approx. 1/4" thick.
6 Once dough is rolled out, brush with softened butter.
7 Sprinkle with brown sugar. Sprinkle with cinnamon- use as little or as much as you like.
8 Starting at end opposite from you, roll the dough towards you until all of the dough is in one long piece.
9 Slice the dough into 24 equal size pieces
10 Place rolls in two 9x13 greased pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
11 Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown
12 Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
13 Prepare frosting. cream the butter and cream cheese together and gradually add powdered sugar. If you like your frosting to melt into your rolls, frost them after 10-15 minuts of cooling. If you like your frosting to sit on top of your rolls, wait to frost them until completely cooled.