Cream Cheese Chicken Dip

This is David's favorite dip for parties or game-days. One of our good friends, the Perkins, makes it and we finally got the recipe to make on our own. You usually hear us talking about food from the Perkins home that is baked and full of sugar because Amy makes the most AMAZING cookies, cakes, and baked treats. But this is actually a Derek recipe, which I think is funny.




Cream Cheese Chicken Dip
Source: Derek Perkins

Ingredients:
Chicken - shredded (3 breasts or 2 cans)
1/2 c. Ranch Dressing
2/3 c. Hot Sauce (Taco Bell Brand - medium)
4 oz Cream Cheese
1 8 oz bag of shredded cheese (2 cups), any time - preferably Mexican blend.

Directions:
Soften the cream cheese, mix together without the chicken. Add the ranch and hot sauce. Mix in some of the cheese (about 1/2 the bag.) Pour into a pie pan/8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake at 375 until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Mexican Haystacks

I looove this dish. It's got all the flavors that we love, but it's freshened up in a different application. Plus, the addition of the mango on top of the taco meat and rice is so refreshing (don't skip this ingredient - the mango really makes it!) This isn't the prettiest picture because we'd basically eaten all of the food before I remembered that I needed to take a picture so I just added the few remaining things that I had - but we've made this at least 4-5 times and never gotten a picture - so I knew I just needed to take a picture to get it on the blog, because this recipe is a keeper for sure! (We've also made this when guests were over and it was a huge hit.)  

Mexican Haystacks

Source: Adapted from Whole and Free and The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked rice

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 lb ground beef
2 TBS taco seasoning (chili powder, onion salt, garlic powder, cumin)

1 onion, chopped
¾ cup water
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

salt & pepper to taste
2 cups salsa

Toppings: diced mango, diced avocado, black beans, corn, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa

Directions:
Start rice in a rice cooker. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and chopped onion. Add taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. When browned, add salsa and cream cheese. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer until cream cheese is melted. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.  In the meantime, chop the cilantro, avocado, and mango and prepare remaining toppings. When the rice is done, stir in almost all of the fresh cilantro, leaving just enough to garnish each dish. 

Plate with rice on bottom, then meat mixture, then any of the desired toppings. 

Cinnamon Raisin - Muffin in a Mug

Cinnamon Raisin Muffin in a Mug
Source: Adapted from Bigger Bolder Baking

Ingredients:
5 tbsp flour
1 ½ Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp salt

1 egg (or 2 Tbsp applesauce or mashed banana)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp raisins

Cream Cheese Icing
1 Tbsp Cream Cheese or Neufchatel Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp milk

Directions:
Combine first five ingredients (dry ingredients) in a mug. Add wet ingredients then whisk together with a fork until combined and nearly smooth. Fold in raisins.
Microwave mixture on high power for 1.5 minutes then check cake for doneness. If it is not fully cooked microwave for an additional 15 seconds.
Prepare Cream Cheese Icing by mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl by hand until smooth. (Make sure cream cheese is soft before combining.) 

Serve warm topped with frosting.

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos/Flautas

I saw these and knew that I wanted to try them. I find that I gravitate toward the same flavor of things, and thought that I'd give the "buffalo" flavor a try. In all honesty, I cut the recipe in half for my little family but forgot to cut the hot sauce in half so they were a little spicy for me. But we ate them and enjoyed them. I think that I would like them even more if I had used the right proportion of hot sauce. I also think that these would be yummy with some rice or corn in them to bulk them up a little bit more. Next time I think I will try that. I love the concept and we definitely enjoyed our meal.

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos/FlautasSource: Deal Wise Mommy  via Real Women of Philadelphia

Ingredients:

4 cups of chicken, cooked and shredded
12 flour tortillas
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
4 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup of Frank’s hot sauce
1/3 cup of milk
2 tbsp. of butter
1 tsp. of garlic powder
2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small sauce pot over medium low heat, melt butter. Add garlic powder. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and completely combined with butter and spices.
Wisk in hot sauce and milk and simmer for 5 – 8 minutes. Add salt to taste. Combine chicken and sauce. 

Lay out a tortilla; fill with about ¼ – 1/3 cup chicken and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese. Tightly roll up taquito and place on a greased baking sheet; repeat until chicken is gone. Brush taquitos with vegetable oil on all sides. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes; rotate them every 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with Kraft Blue Cheese Dressing and celery sticks.

**Note: Next time I want to try to add rice or corn into the mixture to bulk them up a little bit. 

Creamy Ranch Pizza

It's no secret, David and I love Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. We are even shooting to be spokespeople for them in 30 years after we've taken hundreds of photos of us with out family enjoying our Ranch dressing (ala Jared & Subway). This is just one more way that HVR brings so much joy and deliciousness into our lives. 

Creamy Ranch Pizza
Source: Hidden Valley Ranch

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Toppings such as roasted red pepper strips, olives, green onions, bacon, etc...
Pizza dough for a 12" pizza crust.

Pizza Dough:
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

Directions:

In mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
Add salt and stir. Add about half of the flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out pizza crust and poke holes with a fork. Place in oven to pre-cook for 5-10 minutes or until slightly (slightly) golden brown. Combine dressing with cream cheese and tomato paste. Stir in chicken; spread mixture on crust. Arrange toppings on pizza; sprinkle cheese over all. Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Can you tell which pizza is David's and which is mine?

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is one of my all time favorite party appetizers. I love the taste and texture. It's delicious with toasted baguettes or tortilla chips. The only sad part is that David doesn't like it - so I only really make it to take to a party where there will be other people who enjoy it as well. However, I just learned that it freezes really well, so I may just start making a batch and then freezing it in small portions so I can eat them whenever I'm in the mood. There are a million recipes out there but this one is fairly simple and so so good. (Also, I sometimes replace the mozzarella with cheddar if I want to keep my costs low.) 

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Source: Adapted from My Epicurean Adventures

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
14 oz marinated artichokes, chopped
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
* You can also saute fresh spinach and garlic instead of using frozen spinach.

Directions:
Chop artichokes and spinach. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and transfer to baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, uncovered.

Jalapeño Stuffed Chicken

One of my big accomplishments this month was chopping and freezing a bunch of Anaheim and Jalapeño peppers. We had a bunch left over from when we bottled homemade salsa with my family in Morgan. So, I decided that I needed some good jalapeño recipes and after searching around for a bit, we found this one. The original recipe called for 3 jalapeños, but it was a little too spicy for us (we are kind of wimps when it comes to spicy things). I adjusted the recipe down to one pepper, and I think that will be much better for our mouths. The recipe has a great flavor though and we will definitely be making it again. 

Jalapeño Stuffed Chicken 
Source: Adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes (admittedly, I removed pretty much everything that made this "skinny" - but the recipe really is so good!)

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz shredded cheddar jack

2 tbsp chopped green onions
8 thin sliced skinless chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs olive oil
salt and fresh pepper

non-stick spray

Directions:
Wash and dry chicken cutlets, season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Combine cream cheese, cheddar, green onions, jalapeño and bacon crumbles in a medium bowl.

Lay chicken cutlets on a working surface and spread 2 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one. You may secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent the cheese from oozing out, or just tuck the ends over carefully.

Place breadcrumbs in a bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Dip chicken in lime-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down on a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray.

Bake 22-25 minutes, serve immediately.

Creamy Chicken Fajitas

I originally made this recipe using Philidelphia Cooking Creme. However, the last time I went to the store they didn't have any of the Sante Fe cooking creme. So, I decided to improvise and I actually liked the end result even more when I made it myself! I'm not surprised, because we typically like these flavors and ingredients - but I am happy, because anytime I can make something from scratch instead of paying money for a pre-packaged good I'm all for it. I will probably never buy the cooking creme again because I can save money making it this way and it was de.lic.ious.

Creamy Chicken Fajitas
Source: The Peaden Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, sliced
1 green or red bell peppers, sliced
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8tsp onion powder
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

Tortillas
Sour Cream
Cheese
Avocado
Lettuce

Directions:

Cut chicken into strips and cook in olive oil in a pan. When chicken is cooked, add peppers and onion and saute until soft. Season with chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add cream cheese and sour cream and stir until melted and heated through.

Serve in tortillas with cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

I'm not sure why, but I really have a thing for stuffed shells. I just like the idea of them. Such a fun way to make a meal unique. We've had chicken stuffed shells a few times in the past year, but I wanted to try something new. These Mexican Stuffed Shells fit the bill perfectly. They are really similar to my very favorite Taco Pasta, but in stuffed shell form. So good. 

Mexican Stuffed Shells
Source: Adapted from The Girl with the Wooden Spoon, sourced from The Way to His Heart

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

2 Tbs green onions

15-16 jumbo pasta shells

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and place on paper towel until cool enough to handle.

Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. After a couple of minutes, add the onions, peppers, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook thoroughly. Add the cream cheese and stir until well combined. Remove from heat and add in 1 1/4 cups of cheddar cheese. Stuff each of the shells with the meat mixture and arrange in the baking dish and bake 20 minutes. Top the shells with the remaining cheddar cheese. Put back in the oven and bake until cheese is melted.

Sweet Surprise Cupcakes

I got this recipe from the Foods I cookbook that the other Foods teacher at Westlake uses. We worked out a system where were were on the same schedule. Valentines Day was one of my favorite cooking days, because each lab did a different recipe and then we all shared for a fun Valentine party. This was a delicious recipe. I made it again the other day for a football game treat - which is what this picture is of. Yellow cake mix and blue filling. However, i've posted the recipe as it is found in Mrs. Wilson's Foods I recipe book.

Sweet Surprise Cupcakes 

Ingredients:
Devils Cake Mix
Cream Cheese Surprise Filling
Chocolate Frosting

For Cream Cheese Surprise Filling:
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
6 drops red food coloring
24 cupcake liners

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mike Devils Cake mix according to package directions in
kitchen aid mixer bowl. Remove better attachment and scrape
bottom and sides of bowl to blend all ingredients.
3. While two students are doing step one two students will do the
following in another kitchen aid bowl.
4. Blend together cream cheese, egg, sugar, food coloring until
smooth and creamy set aside. Place liners in muffin tins
5. Fill each muffin cup ½ full of cake batter. Place dollop of cream
cheese mixture in center of each cupcake.
6. Fill with remaining cake batter scrapping down the sides of
mixer bowl with rubber scraper.
7. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center
comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan 5 minutes then remove
to cooling rack to cool completely for the next class to frost.

To decorate cupcakes:

While your cupcakes are baking you will decorate 24 cups for your
class to eat.
1. Frost each cupcake with prepared chocolate frosting. Sprinkle
white, pink or red candies on top. Place on serving trays for
the buffet line.

Taco Pasta

I love tacos. I love pasta. I really really love Taco Pasta. It's got a rich taco flavor that combines beautifully with texture of the creamy sauce, diced tomatoes, and pasta shells. This is probably my favorite new dish. Yum!

Taco Pasta
Source: Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef (This is great to use that leftover hamburger.)
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells 
1/4 small onion, chopped 
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (I don't drain this)
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the onions are cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. 

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Italian Chicken

This is a Peaden Family Favorite. Warm, creamy, tasty, and oh-so easy! This is the perfect Sunday dinner and we really love it. 

Creamy Italian Chicken
Source: Sue Peaden

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. dry italian dressing mix
1/4 c. water

1 pkg. cream cheese

1 c. milk (to consistency)

Directions:

Mix italian dressing with water. Place chicken in crock pot and cover with water/dressing mix. Cook on low for 3 hours. After those three hours are up, soften the cream cheese and mix with cream of chicken soup. Add milk to until you have reached a good consistency. (David and I like it a little thin - you don't have to add any milk if you don't want to.) Cook for one hour. Serve over rice.