Easy Cream Cheese Sausage Mexican Dip

I thought this recipe looked similar to my "Not your average Rotel Dip" but with cream cheese.  This recipe was actually even easier than that one, and I think I like it even better.  It was a hit both times I've made it!  This would be perfect for a super bowl party!

Easy Cream Cheese Sausage Mexican Dip
From: Our Best Bites
Prep time: 5 Min
Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:
1 8 oz block cream cheese
1 cup jar Salsa
1 12 oz pkg Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage

Directions:
1.  Brown sausage in a large pan.  Drain fat if necessary.

2.  Add the cream cheese and salsa to the pan with the sausage and heat through until creamy. Serve hot with tortilla chips. (I transferred mine to a crock pot to keep warm for a party).

Salsa Verde Crock Pot Chicken

We have been on a salsa verde kick for the past few months ever since our friends Patrick and Laura brought some homemade salsa on a weekend trip we took together in September.  I've been a big fan of the regular salsa chicken and figured I could try making it with salsa verde.  I decided to add a little lime juice and cilantro for a little extra something and it turned out just perfectly.  I think I even like it better than the regular salsa chicken and it is almost as easy!

Salsa Verde Crock Pot Chicken
From: Elizabeth's Dutch Oven
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 hrs on low

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa verde
1 large handfull of cilantro chopped
1 lime

Directions:
1. Place chicken in the crock pot.  Pour salsa verde over chicken.  Squeeze half a lime and sprinkle chopped cilantro over top.

2. Cook on low for 8 hours.  Pull out chicken and shred.  Return shredded chicken to crock pot and stir into salsa mixture.  Keep on warm until time to serve.  Serve on tortillas or over lettuce with fixings of your choice.

S'Mores Bars

I made these a while back when I was wanting some type of s'mores dessert.  These were super easy and soooo tasty.  I used store bought cookie dough, but you could make your own if you wanted.  I served it warm, but didn't serve it with ice cream as was suggested, but it would probably be good with ice cream.  I made the bar part and added the marshmallows, but didn't brown them until right before serving it so they were warm when I served it at my in-laws.  I will definitely make these again!

S'Mores Bars

From: Say Yes to Hoboken

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ingredients:

Graham Crackers
Cookie Dough (I used store bought)
Hershey Bars
Mini Marshmallows

Directions:
1. In an 8x8 square pan make a layer of graham crackers

2. Spread cookie dough out on parchment to a thin layer to fit over the graham crackers, then place in the pan over the graham cracker layer.

3. Bake according to the cookie dough package for about 8 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and drop small squares of Hershey bars on top of the cookie layer.  (I think I used 2-3 bars, but use as many as you like).

5. Cover with mini marshmallows and bake for a few minutes until the marshmallows become fluffy and slightly brown.

6. Serve warm.  Can serve with ice cream.

What's For Lunch Wednesday: Healthier Egg Salad

I used to love having egg salad sandwiches for lunch when I was a kid.  I didn't love how it smelled up my locker and everyone looked at me funny when I pulled out the stinky sandwich, but it was worth it. This recipe still uses mayonnaise but at least it packs a little more healthiness with the greek yogurt. It was very tasty, although I may have pulsed the eggs a little too much, so next time I will do one or 2 less so that I have bigger chunks of eggs

What's For Lunch Wednesday: Healthier Egg Salad 
From: The Yummy Life
Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
6-8 Hard Boiled Eggs
Plain Greek Yogurt
Mayonnaise,
Dill
Salt and Pepper
Lettuce
Wheat Pita Pocket (or other roll)

Directions:
1. Place hard boiled eggs in food processor and give them a few quick pulses (7-12) until chopped (you don't want them pureed.

2. Mince the dill (not stalks). Combine in a bowl with some yogurt, mayo, salt and pepper (all ingredients to taste)

3. Add chopped eggs and stir with a fort, using a light touch.

4. In a pita, roll, or some bread and fill with some egg salad and lettuce if desired.

Mexican Tortilla Soup

My brother and sister-in-law showed me this soup, and since the sent a picture of their bowls, I couldn't stop thinking about making it.  It doesn't include tortillas, and that is the one thing I hate about tortilla soup, so I knew I had to make it asap. So this afternoon I got to work making it.  Other than having to chop a bunch of veggies very small, it comes together very easily. I was skeptical about using 3-4 jalapenos, so I used 2 instead and it wasn't overly spicy, so I think next time I will go for 3 or 4.  It was really tasty, and a perfect light but tasty and filling soup!

Mexican Tortilla Soup (without tortillas)
From: Tasebook
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook time 35 min

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
3-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Toppings: avocado (sliced), shredded cheese, cilantro (chopped), sour cream

Directions:
1. Bring broth to boil in a large saucepan over medium heat; keep warm

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and garlic and cook until the chicken is nicely browned, 5-6 min.

3. Add cooked chicken, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and jalapenos to the stock. Return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.  Add the salt and black pepper to taste.

4. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with sliced avocado, cheese, cilantro, and a spoonful of sour cream.

Snowmen Cake Pops

We have tons of snow here right now (and negative teen temps!) to make a snowman but these snowmen are way more delicious!  I made these for Christmas treats, but they could easily be a winter treat too!  They are pretty easy to make (at least as far as cake pops go) and I liked the added treat of the reese's cup with the cake pop!

Snowmen Cake Pops
From: Elizabeth's Dutch Oven
Makes 30-40 pops

Ingredients:
Cake Mix flavor of your choice (and eggs, and oil according to directions)
One can frosting of your choice
1 lb white candy melting wafers
Orange tic tacs
black food safe marker
Sucker sticks
Mini Reese's peanut butter cups

Directions:
1. Bake cake according to directions in 9x13 pan.  Let cool completely.

2. Crumble cake very small into a large bow.  Add about 2/3 can of frosting and mix together with hands until evenly moist.  May need to add a little more frosting if needed, but should not be overly moist.

3. Shape mixture into balls and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet.  Freeze for 15-30 minutes.

4. Melt the white wafers.  Stick sucker stick through the center of the mini reese's cup and repeat for all the sticks to make hats.

5. Remove balls from freezer and dip end of sucker stick in melted chocolate and then in the ball.  Then dip ball into the melted chocolate and completely cover. Lightly tap to remove excess.

5. Place cake ball back onto cookie sheet and push down reese's close to the ball.  Lightly push one orange tic tac in the center of one side of the ball that will be the face.  Repeat until all the balls are done.

6. When chocolate is dry, take edible food-safe marker and draw on on eyes and mouth.

*** You can also make with out reese's cups if you don't want them to have hats. :) ***

Kale and Gouda Eggs on an English Muffin

My brother and his wife sent us some tomato jam they had canned this year from their garden and he suggested having them with eggs.  So on New Year's Day I spread some of it on an english muffin and whipped up some eggs with kale and gouda (because that's what we had in the house) to put on top.  The whole concoction turned out tasty!  The tomato jam adds a little sweetness to the salty which I liked, but you could definitely eat these without the jam.

Kale and Gouda Eggs on an English Muffin
From: Elizabeth's Dutch Oven
Prep Time 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:
4 eggs
Handful of kale, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup green peppers, chopped
1/4 cup half and half (or milk)
Gouda, a small chunk, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
English Muffins cut in half (we used whole wheat)
Tomato Jam (optional)
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. In a pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions, green pepper and garlic. Heat for a few minutes until onions and green peppers soften.

2.  Add kale and saute over low heat for a few minutes more.

3.  Meanwhile, beat eggs and half and half and add in salt and pepper to taste.

4. After Kale is wilted, add eggs and cook, stirring occasionally.  When eggs are almost cooked, add in gouda and melt into eggs.

5. Toast english muffins.  Spread with tomato jam (optional), and top with egg/kale mixture.