Chicken Salad with Apples

Ingredients:

4 cups rotisserie chicken, diced

1 cup sliced almonds*

2/3 cup dried cranberries

2 cups finely diced apples (I use a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith.)**

2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

2/3 cup mayo

6 tablespoons sour cream

2.5 tablespoons honey

2.5-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2.5-3 Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

• Whisk dressing ingredients together (mayo to pepper) in a small bowl until smooth.  Set aside.
• Combine the salad ingredients (diced chicken to green onions) in a large bowl.  Coat salad with reserved dressing on top and toss well. Taste and adjust to personal preference. 
• Enjoy! Serve in sandwiches, on sliced apples, on lettuce boats, with crackers, etc.
  *Note 1: Buy toasted sliced almonds or toast your own.

  1. Place almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat.
  2. Stir frequently for 3–5 minutes until they’re lightly browned and fragrant.
  3. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to cool. Cool completely before adding to the salad.

  
  

  **Note 2: To keep apples fresh for longer, soak diced apples in cold, salted water (1 cup water to 1/2 tsp. salt) for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse well, and dry before adding to the salad. (I promise they don’t taste salty!)

*www.chelseasmessyapron.com

Chicken Gyro Marinade

Ingredients: 

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" even thickness

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 6 garlic cloves, minced (I used frozen cubes.)

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used Baker and Olive lemon-infused balsamic.)

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used one whole lemon.)

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon EACH cumin, dried basil, onion powder, sugar, salt

• 1/2 teaspoon EACH black pepper and paprika

• flatbreads, naan, pitas

• roma tomatoes

• cucumbers

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (I made mine pickled!)

• chopped romaine lettuce

• feta (or desired cheese)

• tzatziki sauce

Directions:

1. Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients (olive oil to paprika) in a shallow bowl or large freezer bag and add chicken. Marinate 4-8 hours in the refrigerator. Do not marinade longer than 8 hours.

2. Remove chicken from fridge and let sit at room temperature 20-30 minutes before grilling.

GRILL DIRECTIONS:

1. Grease and preheat the grill to medium-high heat, 400-450°F.

2. Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F.) Remove chicken from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. 
3. Top pitas with chicken and desired toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and tzatziki sauce.

*www.carlsbadcravings.com

Frito Pie!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef (I used 93/7 or 90/10.)
• 1/2 medium onion, diced (small)
• 1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (I won't use next time I make this.  I don't think it's necessary.)
• 2 (4 ounce) cans diced mild green chilies (I food processed them.)
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (I used Colby Jack.)
• 3-4 cups Fritos corn chips (See my suggestion in directions.)
• Suggested toppings: cilantro, tomatoes, sour cream, scallions/red onions, avocado, etc.

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and move the rack to the middle position.
• Cook the beef and onions in a large skillet for about 8-10 minutes/until browned, breaking the meat up as it cooks.  Drain excess fat if needed.
• Stir in the taco seasoning, chili powder (if desired), diced green chilies, beans, and enchilada sauce; let it warm through for a minute or so.
• Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish and spread it in an even layer.
• Top with cheese and an even layer of the Fritos.  Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, or until it's hot and bubbly.
• Serve with desired toppings and enjoy.
  *I would omit putting the Fritos on before baking, or simply put the Fritos on the amount you think your family will eat that night.  The leftovers will create soggy Fritos, so be mindful of serving sizes if you choose to add the Fritos before baking!
  *www.saltandlavender.com

 

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

This recipe makes 6, over-indulgent, Crumbl-sized cookies, or 12, "normal-sized" cookies.

 Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3/4 cup cake flour, spooned and leveled 
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk (no whites)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup mini M&Ms
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, dark, whatever you prefer)

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (all-purpose flour, cake flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).  Set aside.

3.  Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars.  Then add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.

4.  Gradually add in the dry ingredients, followed by the chocolate chips.  Turn off the machine.

5.  Stir in the mini M&Ms with a rubber spatula.

6.  Form the dough into 6 large (or 12 small) dough balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  (My large dough balls were in the 160-ish gram range, and my small dough balls were in the 70ish gram range.)  See picture below for how dough balls should look.  You want them to have a stiff peak.

7.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are golden brown.  

8.  Cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

*www.krollskorner.com

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

 

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast (can be frozen!)

• 1, 16 oz. bottle Herdez salsa verde

• ½ bottle Brianna's Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing 

• 1, 4 oz. can diced green chiles (undrained)

• ½, 4oz. can diced, fire roasted jalapeños (optional)

• tortillas (flour or corn...We like the street taco size.)
• taco toppings of choice (salsa, avocado, cheese, etc.)

Directions:

1. Place the chicken breasts in the crock pot. Top with salsa verde, dressing, green chiles, and optional jalapeños. Place the lid on the crock pot.

2. Turn the crock pot to low, and allow to cook anywhere from 6-8 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks.

3. Top tortillas with warm chicken mixture and your favorite taco toppings.

4. Serve immediately.

*www.foodnanny.com

"Veggie Pizza" Dip

(This can be prepared several hours in advance or even the night before.)

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
• a pinch of dried dill (I added to original recipe.)
• a heaping 3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• a heaping 3/4 cup finely chopped cauliflower
• a heaping 3/4 cup finely chopped broccoli
• a heaping 3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Colby jack...freshly grate it!!)
• sliced French bread, pita/tortilla chips, additional veggies (for serving)

Directions:

Using an electric hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning, (and dill) in a large bowl.

Before adding the veggies, set aside about 1 1/2 cups of the assorted chopped vegetables. Add the remaining veggies and shredded cheddar/colby jack cheese to the cream cheese mixture.  Stir to combine.

Add this mixture to a large shallow bowl. (I used a disposable round/pie pan; see above photo.)  Sprinkle the top with the reserved chopped vegetables.

Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until ready to serve.

(There are no rules on the amount of veggies you'd like to add to the dip.  The picture below is from the original recipe creator's site.  My dip was heavier on the veggies (more chunky/less cream cheese-based).

*www.inspiredbycharm.com

Fruity Pebbles Marshmallow Treats

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter
• 2, 10 oz. bags mini marshmallows
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 10 cups Fruity Pebbles

• ½ cup white chocolate chips
• ¼ cup nonpareils sprinkles

Directions:

• Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. Lightly mist with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a large pot, melt your butter over medium high heat. Once melted, continually stir until the butter just begins to brown. The butter should foam up and begin to give off a nutty aroma with an amber hue. Immediately remove from heat so the butter does not burn.
• Stir in the two teaspoons of vanilla extract. The hot mixture will bubble up, so continue to stir an additional thirty seconds until the sizzling subsides. Add salt.
• Add in one bag of marshmallows and mix until almost completely melted before adding the second bag.  Using a rubber spatula, stir until all of the marshmallows are mostly melted. Add in the Fruity Pebbles, 2 cups at a time, and lightly stir until combined. Continue to add the rest of the cereal until everything is evenly combined. If your spatula is sticking, spray with nonstick cooking spray!
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Lightly wet your hands and gently push into the pan to the edges. You don't want to crush it, so really be gentle with it!
• Add the white chocolate chips to a heat proof bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir repeat until completely melted. Drizzle white chocolate onto the treat and top with sprinkles. Let the chocolate harden and enjoy!
  *www.mymessykitchen.com