Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo

Erin,

This recipe is amazing. And also, easier than I expected. The roasted red pepper and goat cheese come together to make an incredible alfredo sauce to serve over pasta. It almost reminds me of vodka pasta, it's creamy and delicious! I served the sauce over linguine but next time, I might try ravioli. It's so versatile, I think it'll go great on almost anything ;)

Ingredients:

2 whole red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half & half
4 oz. garlic & herb goat cheese
2/3 cup grated parigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place red peppers on baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes until peppers are charred. Remove from oven and cover with foil 10 minutes.
2. In the mean time, saute onions and garlic in olive oil 7 minutes or until tender. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.
3. Uncover peppers, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. (The skin will literally fall off as will the stem, and the seeds are easy to get rid of)
4. Chop into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan cheese.
5. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat. Pour sauce into food processor and puree, or use an immersion blender.
6. Place back into hot pan and toss with cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with more parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and parsley, if desired.

Easy Green Chili Enchiladas

E,

I've been obsessed with the Pioneer Woman lately! I found this recipe for green chili enchiladas and I couldn't believe how easy they were to make. Like, seriously easy. And they were so fantastic! Sam was raving about them all night. I will definitely be making these again. (Photo courtesy of the pioneer woman :))

Ingredients:

1 whole Onion, Diced
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 can (15 Ounce) Green Enchilada Sauce
2 cans (4 Ounce) Chopped Green Chilies
12 whole Corn Tortillas
2 cups Freshly Grated Cheddar (or Any Cheese You'd Like)
Sour Cream
Salsa
Pico De Gallo (optional)
Guacamole (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small skillet, saute onions with the butter over medium-low heat until the onions are nice and golden brown.
2. In a small saucepan, combine green enchilada sauce with green chilies and heat until very warm.
3. In the oven (on a baking sheet) or microwave, melt cheese all over the top of each tortilla so that it covers most of the surface area.
4. To serve, stack three cheesy tortillas (I only stacked 2) on top of one another. Spoon green sauce over the top and add salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo, and cilantro as needed.

Queso Smothered Chicken

Erin,

I'm not going to lie to you.. this recipe is not very healthy. But, it's delicious. There is nothing not to like about this recipe. I will make it over and over and over again! Just look at how yummy it looks! (Picture courtesy of plainchicken.com)

Ingredients:

1 bottle Lawry's Baja Chipotle 30 minute marinade (or Mesquite)
4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup orzo
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp chili powder
8 oz Velveeta, diced
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies

Directions:

1. Pour Baja Chipotle Marinade over chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. When ready, grill chicken until done (165 degrees). While the chicken is grilling prepare the orzo.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add orzo. Cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned.  Stir in Southwestern Seasoning or chili powder, tomato paste and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

3. Combine Ro-tel and Velveeta in a medium bowl.  Heat on HIGH in the microwave in 30 second intervals until cheese is melted.

4. To assemble the Queso Smothered Chicken - place 1/4 of the orzo on a plate, top with grilled chicken. Pour 3-4 Tbsp cheese dip over chicken and orzo.

Cocktail Meatballs

Another gem from my Oscar party. These little cocktail meatballs were super tasty and easy to put together. They cook in the crock pot for about an hour and then I served them right out of the crock pot (on warm) with toothpicks.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 (8oz) can jellied cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 cup of chili sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion. Roll into small meatballs.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.

4. In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.

"Funeral" Sandwiches

E,
Sorry I haven't posted in so long! I made these "funeral" sandwiches for an Oscar watch party that we had a few weeks back and they were delicious! I found the recipe floating around Pinterest and I just couldn't resist. They are pretty simple to make but oh my, they are delicious. They practically melt in your mouth! Next time you have a get together, make this dish! :)

Ingredients:

1 package of King's Hawaiian Rolls
1/2-1 lb. good ham deli meat
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 T. worcheshire sauce
2 T. mustard
2 T. brown sugar
dash of onion powder

Directions:
1. Cut the rolls in half and line the bottom of a baking pan with the bottoms of the rolls. Layer the ham slices, then cheese and place the top half back on.
2. Mix together the butter, worcheshire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour the whole works over the buns, drenching each one. Cover tightly and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered, or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden.