Bacon & Avocado Grilled Cheese

The dogs got Cancy a panini press for his birthday so it's our go-to now for sandwiches. Any sandwich tastes better after a few minutes in the panini press.
This sandwich is something I put together combining some of out favorites. I hope you enjoy!

Bacon & Avocado Grilled Cheese

4 slices of bacon

1/2 of an avocado, sliced

4 slices of pepperjack cheese

bread

ranch dressing

Cook your bacon. Our favorite way is to set it on a foil lined cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. You can do this ahead of time and then just drain the bacon and roll it up in paper towels before placing in the fridge.

To Prepare Sandwiches:

Spread a thin layer of Ranch Dressing on both pieces of bread. 

Break the bacon in 1/2, placing 4 little pieces on each sandwich.

Top the other slice of bread with your sliced avocado.

Place the pepperjack on top of the bacon and close your sandwich so that the cheese is in the middle of all of the other goodness.

Grill in a panini press or in a hot pan for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is oozing out.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken & Potatoes

I love chicken & Cancy loves potatoes. We both like a little heat in our food.

This recipe from “My Baking Heart” turned out to be a hit in our house. The salsa is super easy to make. We’ve made the salsa several times since just to have on hand. J

Cilantro-Lime Chicken & Potatoes


 1-1/2 lbs Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed


3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted


4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, rinsed and pat dry


1 tbsp fresh lime juice


1-1/2 c reduced fat or regular Mexican blend cheese, shredded


1/2 c salsa (recipe below)


1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Add potatoes and spoon 1 tablespoon of the butter over all and toss gently to coat potatoes. Arrange in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and spoon the potatoes to one side of the baking pan. Arrange the chicken pieces on the other side of the potatoes in the pan. Combine the remaining butter with the limejuice and spoon evenly over the chicken.

Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

In a small bowl, combine the cheese, salsa, and cilantro. Spoon evenly over the chicken and potatoes.

Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. If desired, serve with additional lime wedges.

C’s Salsa

2 cans diced tomatoes, with liquid


1-1/2 md onions, chopped


3 to 4 Serrano peppers, sliced


1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped


2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped


Cumin, to taste


Pepper, to taste


Kosher salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. We like a thin salsa, but you can leave it chunky, as well.

Mexican Chicken with Jalapeno Popper Sauce

If you have ever eaten with my husband and I, you know we love spicy foods. This recipe showed up in my Google Reader and it seems like a few people have been enjoying this one. I followed the recipe from Krista's Kitchen, but you can check out the links she has back to the original.


What a fast meal. It came together in about 30 minutes. And this will score you Manly Points too. Cancy LOVED this dinner. Enjoy!!

Mexican Chicken with Jalapeno Popper Sauce

3 Chicken Breasts

A Sprinkle of Cumin per Breast

A Sprinkle of Chili Powder per Breast

A Sprinkle of Salt per Breast

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

3 Jalapenos, Seeded and Chopped

6-8 Oz. of Cream Cheese

2 Cups of Chicken Broth

3 Slices of Bacon

3/4 Cup of Shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack

1 Tbsp of Fresh Cilantro, chopped + more for garnish

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle chicken with seasonings while the bacon crisps. Add the chicken to the hot bacon fat in the skillet. Cook chicken, turning every few minutes, until juices run clear and no longer pink. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Add chopped jalapenos to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute more, until fragrant. Add chicken broth, deglazing pan. Bring to a boil. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Add in shredded cheese and bacon, stirring until the cheese in melted. Turn off heat and stir in cilantro. Serve chicken on a bed of Mexican or Taco rice and topped with sauce. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired. 

Texas Trash

I came across this recipe and knew immediately that we had to try it. It’s really not the greatest for you, but usually the tastiest things usually aren’t.

This recipe was perfect for Cancy since it’s like a summer salad version of one his favorites ( Frito Pie ).

This is also great for one of those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking. I stopped by a local barbecue place on my way home from work and grabbed some brisket, beans, & sauce. I got lucky when they also had the jalapenos & onions ready to go as well.

Give this little recipe a shot. Easy meal & a happy husband.


Texas Trash
(there are no measurements because you just pile it on your plate according to how much you feel like eating!)



Fritos

Chopped BBQ brisket (if you’re using leftover, make sure to heat it first)

pinto beans

BBQ sauce

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

black olives

pickled jalapenos

ranch or jalapeno ranch dressing

lettuce, chopped

Place the Fritos on a plate and top with remaining ingredients (however much you want!). Enjoy!

(Wasn’t that simple?!)

Taco Pasta Toss

Oh Rachael Ray, your recipes make for a very content husband. Your meals fit our tastes perfectly. Cancy was excited for another recipe with a bottle of beer in it. I was just excited for another good Rachael Recipe. This Taco Pasta Toss does not disappoint.

Taco Pasta Toss
Salt and pepper
1 pound penne rigate or whole grain penne rigate pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 large onion, chopped
1 large jalapeño chile—halved, seeded if desired and thinly sliced crosswise
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder (about 2 palmfuls)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (about 1/2 palmful)
1 tablespoon ground coriander (about a palmful)
1/4 cup tomato paste
One 12-ounce bottle beer or 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups shredded cheddar, monterey jack or any Mexican semisoft cheese
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 head iceberg letuce or 1/2 small heart romaine lettuce, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add three-quarters of the onion, the jalapeño, garlic, chili powder, coriander and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir in the beer.

Add the sauce to the pasta and toss. Spoon into a serving dish, top with the cheese and tent with foil to melt the cheese, about 1 minute. Top with the remaining onion, the tomatoes and lettuce— just like tacos!

Pulled Pork Tacos

I found this recipe on Tricia’s site. Looks like it’s originally from Allrecipes.com. Regardless of where it comes from, it’s wonderful!!! I’m a big crockpot fan, especially on the weekends. Even better, this recipe only has 6 ingredients. You will love, love, love this. If you’re not a pork fan, I bet this recipe would work just fine if you subbed chicken breasts.

Pulled Pork Tacos
3 lb. pork tenderloin

1/2 tsp. salt

2 4 oz. cans of diced green chiles

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup taco sauce

1/2 cup water

Place roast in bottom of the crockpot. Season with salt. Place garlic and green chiles on top. Cover with taco sauce. Pour about 1/2 cup water around the edges of the roast. (Note: You may not need 1/2 cup, because after cooking, there was quite a bit of liquid left. Next time, I’ll probably only use about 1/4 cup.)

Cook on low for 7 hours. At end of cook time, remove roast from crockpot and shred. (At this point, drain some — but not all — of the liquid in the crockpot, if necessary.) Return shredded meat to crockpot and let sit for about 15 minutes, so that it can absorb some of the liquid.
Serve on tortilla shells with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!

Baked Jambalaya

Jambalaya is comfort food in our house. We love the cajun flavors. When I saw this recipe, with one step, i was sold. I had to give it a try. You will love it.

Baked Jambalaya

1 stick butter, melted
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1 can Rotel
1 can french onion soup
1 can beef consomme
2 lbs. uncooked chicken, turkey or peeled shrimp ( I used 1lb of Andouille sausage & 1lb of shrimp )
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cups uncooked rice
2 bay leaves
14 ounces (or 1 can) chicken broth
We added some Cajun Seasoning as well as some crushed red pepper to this before baking.

Mix all ingredients and bake in buttered casserole, covered tightly for one hour at 350F; stir and recover, then bake 30 minutes more or until rice is done.

Grilled Glazed Steak & Asparagus

We love Steak & We love Asparagus. This recipe from Epicurious was perfect for us. The glaze tastes great on both the meat & the vegetables. We ended up broiling the steaks and roasting the asparagus in the oven so we missed a little of the grill flavor, but the recipe works well done inside the oven as well.

Grilled Glazed Steak & Asparagus

1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1 pound medium asparagus, trimmed
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Prepare a charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas).

Stir together oyster sauce, vinegar, mustard, and red-pepper flakes in a large bowl.
Thread about half of asparagus crosswise onto 2 parallel skewers, leaving space between. Repeat with remaining asparagus and skewers. Brush asparagus with some of glaze, then brush steak all over with remaining glaze and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Oil grill rack, then grill steak and asparagus, covered only if using a gas grill, turning steak once and asparagus occasionally, until asparagus is tender and well browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes, and steak is medium-rare, about 10 minutes.

Let steak stand on a cutting board 15 minutes; put asparagus on a platter and cover. Thinly slice steak across the grain.

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger

We have been loving this local show called The Austin Daytripper. On the last episode we saw, he went to Bastrop, TX to a place called the Roadhouse. While he was there, they talked about about one of their burgers, called the Jalapeno Cream Cheese burger. That just sounds intriguing to both of us so we knew we had to come with our own version of that.

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger

1 lb ground beef
salt & pepper
Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp butter
2 good sized jalapenos, sliced
cream cheese
hamburger buns

Combine the beef, salt, pepper, & worcestershire sauce. Make 4 patties. Grill until done.

While the burgers are cooking melt butter in a pan and saute jalapenos until soft.

To put burgers together, place burger on bottom bun, spread with cream cheese, place jalapenos on top, and follow with the top bun. Enjoy!!

Cheeseburger Soup

This recipe comes from D*Lightful. It is so weird how much this soup smelled just like a cheeseburger. We made this more out of curiosity but it actually turned out to be pretty good. Be Brave, Try it, You’ll like it. :)


Cheeseburger Soup

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 cup onion, diced
½ cup carrot, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon cumin
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups 2% milk
2 cups of 2% grated Mexican blend cheese
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 small handful of spring mix lettuce
Salt and pepper to taste


Brown beef in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until the meat begins to brown, then add the onion, carrot, bell pepper and garlic. Saute about 10 minutes.

Stir in the broth and cumin; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until veggies are tender.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes, then add the milk, whisking until smooth, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the milk mixture to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add cheese, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper, stirring until the cheese is melted. Stir in lettuce at the end and serve.

Cheddar Ale Spread

I've had this recipe save for awhile. Peabody is one of my favorite foodie bloggers. This is a great appetizer to make if you are rushed for time. The ingredients in this recipe are things I typically have on hand at any time so it’s easy to put together. We used carrots, celery, garlic crisps, & pretzels for dippers.

Cheddar Ale Spread

8 oz cream cheese

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 ½ cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

2 TBSP heavy cream ( I used FF 1/2 & 1/2 )

¼ tsp Tabasco sauce

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup beer ( I used Corona )

2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley ( I used 1 Tbsp dried parsley )

Combine the cream cheese, mustard, Cheddar, cream, Tabasco, and salt in a food processor.

Process for about 30 seconds, add the beer, and continue processing until very smooth.

Pulse in the parsley until just dispersed.

Corn Dog Casserole

This recipe showed up my Google Reader and for whatever reason, I was curious. I’m not ashamed to admit that I like a good corn dog every now & then... But a casserole? I had to try it. Like most casseroles, it’s not necessarily the prettiest of dishes. I don’t know if I’ll ever make this again but for curiosity's sake, it was worth trying. :)


Corn Dog Casserole

2 cups celery, sliced
1 cup onions, chopped
1 1/2 pounds hot dogs ( I used a 1lb package of jalapeno beef hot dogs )
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon sage
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
18 oz. cornbread mix ( I used a package of Jiffy cornbread mix. I think it was about 8 oz. )
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook celery and onions until tender. Place in a mixing bowl; set aside. Cut hot dogs into quarters, then into thirds. Place in a skillet, cook until lightly brown. Fold into celery mixture; set aside. Reserve one cup mixture. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, sage, and black pepper. Fold in hot dog mixture. Stir in cornbread mix. Add on and a half cups cheese. Spread mixture into a greased 3 quart dish. Top with the reserved hot dog mixture and cheese. Bake uncovered at 350F until golden brown.

Cuban Sandwich

We had a bunch of leftover Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork) so we thought we’d make some yummy Cuban Sandwiches. This was a great quick dinner before heading out to the Hockey Game the other night. You can use a sandwich press, a George Forman grill, or just a regular pan to make this. Enjoy!

Cuban Sandwich


Crispy crust bread loaf
Pernil leftovers
Swiss cheese
ham
yellow mustard
mayonnaise
sweet butter pickles

Heat sandwich press.

Slices bread to desired length, spread with mayonnaise and yellow mustard.    Stack Swiss cheese, pernil, ham and pickles, top with bread.

Brush sandwich press with melted butter, place sandwich on press and brush with butter.  Press for 1 – 2 minutes, until cheese begins to melt, then turn and press for another 1 -2 minutes. 

Enjoy hot off the press.

Crockpot Burrito Soup

I usually go to Elly’s site when I’m craving lamb or something else Greek. I stumbled across her Burrito Soup & knew that this was a must-do.This was a really nicely seasoned and easy dish to make. Always on the lookout for crockpot ideas, this would be great for a crowd if you are having people over to watch “the game”. Or if you just want to make a hearty soup and have some tasty leftovers.

Crockpot Burrito Soup

2 tsp. canola oil

1 large onion, diced

1 lb. extra lean ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

5 cups beef broth

2 Tbsp. aleppo (or any) chili powder)

1 Tbsp. cumin

2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2/3 cup corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup uncooked rice (or, cook rice separately)

Heat a large  heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add oil. Cook the onions for a couple minutes before adding the beef. Brown the beef with the onion and drain if necessary. Put  back on the heat and stir in the garlic, just until fragrant.

Pour the beef mixture into the crockpot and then add the tomato sauce, beef broth, spices, corn and black beans. Cook on low for…however long you’re gone.
Increase temp to high and add the rice, just until cooked. Alternatively you can put the cooked rice in bowls and ladle the soup over it.

Garnish with your favorite toppings.

Drunken Charro Beans

Last weekend, we went to a friends house for a day of BBQ & Football. I needed something manly & easy that would feed a group of hungry guys. This was a hit. Most men seem to love anything cooked with beer so this was an easy winner.

You can definitely adjust the seasonings to your taste and maybe you have another favorite beer. Most anything should work. Enjoy!!


Drunken Charro Beans

1 32oz pkg of dried pinto beans
1 lg onion, chopped
3 jalapenos, seeded & diced
1 Can of Rotel (you can use whatever level, but we used the Hot)
1lb pkg of bacon
2 C chicken stock
1 Tbsp each...garlic salt, jalapeno salt, pepper
2 bottles of Corona

Rinse the dried beans in a colander. Drain and then place beans in the bottom of the crockpot. Layer Rotel, onion, jalapeno, and bacon over top.

Pour 1/2 of the chicken stock in and then sprinkle your seasonings. Add 1 of the Coronas now. Turn crockpot on high heat for about 4 hours. No Peeking.

About 4 hours into it, stir everything together. Add the remaining chicken stock as well as the last bottle of Corona. Put the lid back on and leave on low for another 4-6 hours.

Salisbury Steak... It's not just for TV Dinners

I think Salisbury Steak has a bad reputation. The only time I remember ever hearing about it is on a tv dinner package. This recipe came up on Amy’s blog and I thought I’d reconsider since it looked like something Cancy would like. I’ve gotta’ say, it wasn’t bad. It went perfect with mashed potatoes. Try this, and you’ll end up with a very content husband.

Amy’s Salisbury Steak

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper. Shape into 6 oval patties.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties. Pour off excess fat.

In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth. Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder. Pour over meat in skillet. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Grown-Up Hamburger Helper

This is a dish made for Cancy. He went through his fair share of Hamburger Helper before I met him. The Dijon & Colby cheese are what pulled me in. This recipe comes together super easily. I would recommend that you prep your ingredients before you start just to keep things moving along. Although this is originally a Rachael Ray recipe, I followed Shelly’s version because she cut the serving size down.

Grown up Hamburger Helper

2 cups pasta (I used orrichette shaped pasta)

1/2 pound ground beef (To help cut some calories & fat, I used ground turkey)

2 big tablespoons of grated onion

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 cup of half and half (We used fat free 1/2 & 1/2)

1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 1/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese

Garnish:
chopped dill pickles
diced tomatoes or salsa (We didn't use this)

Boil a pot of water and add the pasta, cook per the box. Don't drain until the rest is ready.

In a large skillet brown the meat. Add the onion and worcestershire then some salt and pepper. When fully cooked, remove to a paper plate and get rid of the grease.

In the same skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in the half and half and the chicken stock. Bring to a bubble and cooke for a few minutes until it thickens up. Stir in the dijon. Add the cheese and keep stirring until all melted into gooey goodness. More salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce skillet along with the meat. Serve with the dill pickles and tomatoes/salsa if you wish.

Frito Pie

This is probably one of Cancy’s most favorite “man foods”. He says it’s just part of being from Texas. He made this for me when we were dating in Minnesota. It isn’t made very often around here, but it is a nice occasional guilty pleasure. Truly nothing good for you in here at all, but thats not the point. :)

Frito Pie

1 full bag of Fritos corn chips
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
1 bag of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 large can of Hormel Chili, no beans

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread 1/2 cup of Fritos in a baking dish. Spread 1/2 the chili or the Fritos. Sprinkle half the onion/jalapenos and half the cheese over the chili. Repeat for 1 more layer

Bake for 15 or 20 minutes and cheese is bubbly. Serve hot.

A Manly Meal...

Every so often, Cancy grows tired of experimenting and longs for some simple man food. He's a good taste tester for my experiments more often than not, so when he requests simple, I've got to give in.



Steak & Loaded Baked Potato

For our steak marinade, we tend to use a random combination of the following:

Worcestershire, Soy Sauce, Liquid Smoke, Beer, salt & pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Grill it up and you have a man pleasing meal.

Grilled Beer Brats & Sauerkraut

This isn’t really much of a recipe, but more of an easy weeknight meal when it’s nice enough outside to grill. This is how we do beer brats...


Beer Brats & Sauerkraut

1 package of beer brats
1 large jar of sauerkraut
1 white onion, chopped
1 can of beer

In a large pan bring beer to a simmer, adding onions and sauerkraut. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set beer brats on the top of the simmering sauerkraut and cover again for another 20 minutes.

Remove brats and replace the lid. Grill the brats until nicely marked. Serve on top of sauerkraut/onions and add some mustard for a little extra flavor.