2010 Faves

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2010 FAVORITES

• Cheddar Broccoli Soup 
• Cheesy Tuna Shell Casserole 
• Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies 
• Hobo Dinner 
• Peanut Butter Lover's Candy Cookie Bites
• Oven Denver Omelet 
• Good & Garlicky Sweet & Sour Pork 
• Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken 
• Dirt Pudding 
• Skyline Chili Copycat 

• Banana Pudding 
• Man Dip
• Creamy Chicken with Noodles
• Cheesy Potato Bacon Packets for the Grill 
• Tatortot Hotdish
• Cheesy Garlic Pull-Aparts
• Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla Copycat  
• Oreo Muffins
• Tex Mex Pork Chops
  

Load 'n Go Gorp

Another thanks to Miss Crocker for this one :]

Better-than-Ever Cheesy Meat Lasagna

Update 3/1/13: I made this for an FRG meeting and it was GONE! Everyone loved it and I was really surprised that my husband, who knowingly ate it with cottage cheese in it, liked it. Both of us aren't really fans of lasagna anyways, so I'm excited to know that every blue moon when I am craving lasagna, he will eat this recipe of it.

Cowboy/Cowgirl Cookies *gift idea*

I did this for a couple friends and family members. I'm hoping to do it for a bunch more people next year :]
I also made one for myself, but I have yet to be able to make them. This is from bakerella.

Sunday Meatloaf

Picture Update: 3/3/13

Crunchy Mayo Pork Chops

Update 12/14/2012: So this was way overdue for an updated picture. Especially since the one I had on here for 2 years is ridiculously awful looking. So here you go - new picture :)

Chicken Enchilada Soup

OMG! Totally incredibly DELICIOUS - y'all HAVE to try this :] Big thanks to Kristi (she does Foodie Fridays on her blog and cute crafts too! http://bowlofcherrys.blogspot.com/)

Spinach & Ham Frittata

This breakfast egg bake is chock full of leafy green spinach plus ham and cheddar!

Way back when I made this, my oldest two kids looked at me like I was insane trying to give them something so green for dinner (breakfast for dinner). I think as I write this in late 2017 that when I do make this again to update the picture (it desperately needs it!), Matthew and Cami won't bat an eye. They eat spinach willingly and love frittatas. I think even Nick would gobble this up now too!

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken Breasts

It only takes six ingredients to make the juiciest, most tender chicken you'll ever eat

When I got this recipe, I knew I was going to have to wait until my husband deployed to try it out. He hates mayonnaise and if he knows it is in a food, he will straight up refuse to eat it. I, on the other hand, love mayonnaise. This recipe was amazing. The chicken was definitely melting in my mouth. It was so tender and juicy and I loved it.

Best Ever Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Who needs banana bread when you can have banana cake?!

This is the first recipe I was able to use my new Kitchenaid mixer for and I could not have been more thrilled! It was a great recipe that wasn't too difficult and turned out moist and topped with thick cream cheese frosting. The combination of the cake and frosting is wonderful together.

Tatortot Casserole

Cheesy broccoli is the perfect way to mix up classic tatortot hotdish!

This is a variation of tatortot hotdish (a classic dish from my childhood) that I found on Cafemom from Harleymama2008. I immediately thought of how AMAZING it sounded. Instead of cream of chicken, use cheddar cheese soup, and instead of green beans or corn, use broccoli! HEAVEN - especially for my family because all of us love broccoli! It was absolutely delicious.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte copycat

5 ingredients can make this lovely seasonal latte at home!

**NEW PIC TO COME**

My first Starbucks PSL was this homemade one. We didn't really have a Starbucks nearby at the time that I posted this recipe. New York had tons of Dunkin' Donuts and we even had a Seattle's Best Coffee in the Borders bookstore before it closed down. I really loved making this into a frappuccino too, which is honestly my favorite way to enjoy a PSL.

Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken

Who knew a zucchini could add so much to barbecue pulled chicken!

*NEW PIC TO COME*

This is probably my favorite pulled meat sandwich recipe - I love the addition of zucchini!

Cheeseburger Pasta

5 ingredients and one skillet will get you this delicious quick weeknight meal perfect for the whole family!

This is a really quick meal that the kids love..who am I kidding? I love it too! It's delicious :)

Fried Dill Pickles

Crunchy and sour makes for one of the best snacks ever!

My friend Cassie is the person who should get all the credit towards me finding this recipe - she started talking about fried pickles and I was like WHAT? I HAVE TO HAVE THOSE. Only took me forever to actually make the recipe, but I digress...

Crispy Chicken Fingers

These simple chicken fingers are super crunchy, crispy, and addictive!

I know I have been trying a lot of different chicken finger/tender recipes, but I've been trying to find the one that my kids and I like the most. So far this has been our favorite.

Macaroni Salad

This classic side dish is the perfect addition to a holiday spread, cookout, or potluck meal

**PIC TO COME** 

Ahh :) I was so excited to have my mom and grandma visit me from Minnesota last week. We did an early Thanksgiving and my mom made me something I hadn't had in years. I'm sure you can safely assume what I'm talking about from the title. Macaroni Salad was made at EVERY holiday in my family.

Sweet Potato Casserole

No marshmallows here, this casserole dessert is covered in a streusel topping!

Let's begin with this: I hate sweet potatoes. I had only ever eaten them one time willingly when my Aunt Lisa had made her casserole. Then last Thanksgiving, I watched my friend Jaime make hers and she told me that I had to try it. I did and I fell in love. This will be made for years and years to come :) I omitted the nuts from the struesel topping because we are unsure if Matthew has a nut allergy or not.

Perfect Roast Turkey

A classic recipe to make for Thanksgiving dinner with fresh herbs and lemon

This recipe comes straight from Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa. I would have to say that the lemon is a really really nice touch. You only get a hint of it when you actually eat it, but it's that hint that really makes the turkey great :) Next year I am getting an actual roasting pan plus rack. I mean, I'm going to do Thanksgiving every year, right?

Completely From Scratch Pumpkin Pie

This homemade pumpkin pin is velvety smooth and no store bought pie can even come close to how amazing it is.

I decided for my second Thanksgiving to make pumpkin pie from scratch because I had seen sugar pumpkins at Walmart and researched what the heck that meant. I then discovered sugar pumpkins were for pumpkin pie and that was that. It wasn't too hard and the end result was the most incredible pumpkin pie I have ever eaten. The texture of fresh pie filling was so velvety smooth and melt-in-your-mouth that I don't think anything will ever top it.

Chicken & Pepper Pasta Bake

Baked ziti has nothing on this rigatoni bake with chicken and bell peppers!

This probably my most favorite of the recipes I've made so far. It's just absolutely delicious :)
Mad props to Kraft.com for this one because the cheeses and sweet peppers are so good with a red sauced-pasta bake.

Meatloaf Cupcakes

This fun version of meatloaf is sure to make your kids excited for dinner!

I have never had an issue getting Matthew and Cami to eat meatloaf, so this recipe wasn't necessarily made to "trick" them into into meatloaf, but rather because I thought they would be tickled pink about a cupcake made from meatloaf and mashed potatoes!

Kinda Like Chik-fil-A Sandwiches

If you love Chick-fil-A, you will now love me for sharing this awesome copycat recipe with you!

Finally got new pictures of this one too. This time I made it with chicken breasts that I sliced in half to "thin" and then trimmed down to a burger bun size. It's one of our family favorites and we eat it regularly. Of course, we always eat it with waffle fries!

Grands! Taco Melts

Make these mini taco calzones with refrigerated biscuits - easy peasy!

**NEW PIC TO COME**

I initially made these and folded the rolls over the top and crimped them to seal. It turns out that the biscuits don't like to cook evenly that way. I went to the Pillsbury site and discovered they were more like calzones. The recipe definitely goes over a lot better if you do it the right way ;)

Crockpot Chicken Tacos (with Pico de Gallo)

This slow cooker chicken is seasoned perfectly for tacos and cooked with fresh pico de gallo!

I don't make a whole lot of chicken recipes for Taco Tuesdays and I especially don't make many chicken taco recipes because I had never really liked chicken tacos until I tried this recipe. It was also my first time making and eating pico de gallo which is now my new favorite thing. The pico makes the chicken super juicy and slow cooking the chicken locks in all the flavors!

Chicken Fried Steak

This Southern classic is wonderfully complex despite the simple ingredients

While watching Good Eats late one night, I became immediately infatuated with the idea of making Alton Brown's Chicken (Country) Fried Steak. I've never had it before and it looked incredibly delicious even though I hate gravy. I was not disappointed. My only regret is that my husband wasn't here to enjoy it with me since he is currently deployed.

White Chicken Chili

This four ingredient one pot chili is ready in under 30 minutes - it's the perfect dinner when you're in a pinch.

This is my own twist on White Chicken Chili after much experimentation. I've combined three different recipes to get to this one. This is one of our very favorite recipes and one I make often. It's a great chili for a cold night with just the right amount of bite.

Grandma Jane's Honey M&M Cookies

These cookies were such a huge part of childhood and the touch of honey is my grandma's special ingredient!

As a child, I was always at my grandma's house. I loved being there. I used to run around my grandma's house with two or three cookies at a time. She makes the BEST cookies in the whole wide world and it finally donned on me that I could get the recipe if I just asked. It was definitely a trip down memory lane to be able to make and eat these suckers and it made me really happy because the aroma is just what my grandma smells like. They made me so homesick.

Broccoli Chicken Braid

The filling of this braid is mouthwateringly good loaded with chicken, broccoli, cheese, and dill.

I love recipes made with crescent rolls and this one has a good mixture of ingredients in it. I especially love the addition of dill to the mixture. That tang is just a really needed flavor. I love that it's cheesy and has broccoli in it too. Cheesy broccoli is always a win.

Loaded Potato Soup

Soup night just got so much better with all the fixings of a loaded potato put into the crockpot in soup form!

This potato soup was the first potato soup I had ever made and it kind of ruined all other potato soups for me because it's simple yet so addictive. Minus sour cream, it has all the elements of a loaded potato that I love plus it has all the elements of a good soup base that I love (carrot, onion, and celery!). I have made it so many times. Sometimes I serve it in a bread bowl, other times I just serve it in a regular bowl. Regardless, it never ceases to amaze me just how tasty it is!

Bread Bowls

These easy edible bowls will make your soup night memorable to everyone!

These were so incredibly delicious! I was eating the bowls while I waited for my soup to finish because I could not keep my hands off of them. I am so glad that I was brave enough to try them out because they really aren't super hard or take a lot of expertise to make.

Andes Grasshopper Cake

Amp up your chocolate cake mix with fluffy frosting and Andes mint garnishes!

This was a huge hit at Thanksgiving last year. We did a big shindig at one of our friends' houses since most of the military families around don't get to visit their actual families for the holiday. I personally really really loved this. I'm a huge fan of Andes mints..a huge fan of chocolate. I could/would eat this every day for the rest of my life for every meal if I could :)

Three Envelope Pot Roast

 A flavorful slow cooker pot roast that just takes 3 envelopes to make!

I finally got around to getting a new picture and it was about time. I have made this pot roast too many times to count and it was the first successful pot roast I had ever made, so it was a big deal back in the day. When I was first married (back in 2006) and attempted my first pot roast, I ended up with a dry, overcooked roast on the outside and a completely raw roast on the inside. How I did this...I'm still not sure. My grandparents gifted me a crockpot for my birthday and I braved trying to make a pot roast once again. This recipe seemed simple enough and I knew it was going to be okay. You take three envelopes of seasoning mixes. I always vary whether I use onion soup mix and Italian dressing mix, but it always turns out so well. I don't always put vegetables in the slow cooker with the roast but you absolutely can, if you want to.

Allergy-Free Meatloaf

This recipe came in handy when my oldest went through an elimination diet!

**NEW PIC TO COME**

I stumbled upon this recipe in, if I remember correctly, Food Allergies for Dummies. Matthew was on an elimination diet at the time but it became one of our go-to meatloaf recipes. It can be made egg free and gluten free!

Italian Pineapple Chicken

Pineapple belongs on pizza and it belongs on Italian marinated chicken too!

I remember being extremely skeptical when I found this recipe - pineapple on chicken?! That's about as strange as strange gets. But I figured I would give it a shot because I thought if the pineapple didn't go with, we could just eat it on the side and the cheesy chicken would be fine on its own. I don't think I've ever made this chicken without pineapple and I've made it countless times. It's something I could make with my eyes closed. I've been known to cube my chicken and pineapple and serve it over rice too.

Wendy's Spicy Chicken Filet Sandwich

This classic spicy fast food sandwich is so easy to make at home!

Copycats are one of my very favorite things because the fast food restaurants we have locally near base aren't the most reliable. Furthermore, when the snow hits, I am not brave enough to go far enough to go get the better fast food. These are the biggest reasons why I love making copycat recipes at home. I find that the quality is better and I rarely mess up my own food, so that's a plus.

Cheesecake Pancakes

Graham cracker cream cheese pancakes topped with strawberry syrup!

OMFG!!!!!!! YES, I SAID CHEESECAKE PANCAKES!!! Thanks to Mrs. Crocker :]

Sunny Day Rainbow Cake

Any day is a great day to celebrate with this fun, bright layer cake!

**NEW PIC TO COME**

As I am updating my old posts in late 2017, I'm realizing how bad my baking skills were back in the day and how bad my pictures were. I think it's so strange that I posted them to the blog. I hope to make this over again and grease and line my pans, so my cakes don't stick to the bottom and fall apart. Plus I will let them cool before I move them. I literally had a frankenstein's monster cake. It was crazy. Especially for how stunning this cake is when done correctly!

Juicy Burgers

These burgers have never failed to impress at a cookout!

 

*NEW PIC TO COME*

When I want a flavorful burger, this recipe is my go-to. I love seasoning my burgers with just salt and pepper, but sometimes you really need some garlic and smokey flavors and that's why I turn to this recipe.

Tex Mex Pork Chops

These pork chops are the perfect Taco Tuesday dish with as much kick as you want!

These pork chops are definitely a family favorite. My husband isn't huge on pork chops, but he devours these like they are a big fat juicy steak! I typcally serve these with Spanish rice and refried beans...sometimes I serve them up with corn as well. I love how all the elements work together and I especially love the cheese complimenting the salsa and chillies. You could choose a mild salsa or a hot one. The kick is up to you!

Oreo Muffins

Get a glass of milk and grab yourself one of these rich chocolatey muffins!

Picture Updated 12/13/2013
These muffins are the perfect breakfast to enjoy with a glass of milk. Nick actually dunked his in a glass of milk. The original recipe called for the muffins to be baked at 400 but I found they worked better for me baking at 375. I found it didn't dry them out and they are just seriously magnificent.

Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla Copycat

No need to leave the house when you have a perfect copycat recipe on hand!

I love Taco Bell Chicken Quesadillas so much. It used to be my go-to combo meal to get and I've made this recipe over and over again. I think I finally got it to where I liked it, so I have adjusted the old recipe from 2010 to reflect the changes I've made. I combined the old sauce recipe with another person's recipe and then tweaked it a little by what I felt tasted more authentic.
 
Update 7/15/16: In the near future, I am hoping to update the sauce recipe. I made it with Greek yogurt to appease Nick (he hates mayonnaise) and it tasted a lot closer to the sauce Taco Bell uses.

Update 12/14/12: Made these again. Somehow the sauce was a little too sweet, so we will try again next time to mess with the sauce. But here are some newer pictures, not taken by my cell phone. :)

Cheesy Garlic Pull-Aparts

A perfect side dish for spaghetti or serve it as an appetizer with pizza sauce!

I love cheese and I love garlic. Add it to carbs and you've made yourself a lifelong friend in me. :) I've made this recipe many times, but never as an appetizer. It occurred to me that with the option of serving it with pizza sauce, it would be a great appetizer. I always make it when I make spaghetti because Nick and the big kids love to dip it into their spaghetti sauce.

Tatortot Hotdish

I grew up eating this Minnesotan casserole regularly and make it often now as an adult.

I don't think I talk about it too often on the blog, but I was born and mostly raised in Minnesota. I spent just short of 12 years there and loved every minute of it. Even though I don't plan on moving back to the small town I grew up in (population around 300), I do love to make foods that remind me of home. Tatortot Hotdish is a staple of a Minnesotan childhood. The word hotdish I think throws people off, but it is a casserole. This is something that I make often because it takes few ingredients and it's failproof. I've never messed up this hotdish. Ever. It very well may be the first thing I learned how to cook on my own. I always eat mine with ketchup. It's how my mom ate hers and I followed suit. Nick likes to top his with buffalo sauce. Honestly, top it with what you want - or don't top it with anything. I won't judge!

Chicken Fiesta Salad

When you want something different for Taco Tuesday, try this salad with fajita seasoned chicken and veggies!

I love tacos and make them at least once a month, but it's so nice to have something different and usually I alternate beef and chicken on Tuesdays. I love chicken fajitas, but I do like salad a whole lot too. I think I finally convinced Nick and the kids to be okay with salad for dinner, especially when it has a lot of protein on it and is fairly filling.