Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Bites

I'm am SO obsessed with these little appetizers because they are so refreshing and summery and they are a great way to use up all the fresh basil that grows in my herb garden. I make these for summer parties because when you put them on the toothpick they are so convenient for everyone to snack on. It's a really easy recipe too, you can adjust it depending on how much you have of each ingredient, just sprinkle a dash of the balsamic vinegar and olive oil enough to coat the tomatoes and mozzarella. YUM!!

Ingredients
Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh mozzarella (the little mozzarella balls call "Bocconcini" work perfectly)
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Pepper
Toothpicks

1. In a bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes and the diced mozzarella (or the Bocconcini if you have it).

2. Sprinkle a dash of the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil enough to coat all of your tomatoes and mozzarella, but not too much. Also sprinkle a little bit of pepper on the mixture at this point.

3. On toothpicks, alternate the marinated tomatoes and mozzarella with small pieces of the fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!!

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Homemade Mac & Cheese

Be a kid again and make this homemade macaroni and cheese for yourself! It's really easy and has minimal ingredients, just noodles, cheese and half can of evaporated milk. What are you supposed to do with the other half of the evaporated milk can?!?! I don't freakin' know! Figure it out for yourself, man!

Ingredients
1 box of elbow macaroni noodles
1 block of sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 can of evaporated milk
Salt & Pepper

1. Cut the cheese (hehe) into slices. Cook the macaroni noodles in boiling water until they are fully cooked.

2. In a greased baking dish, layer macaroni noodles, cheese and salt & pepper on each layer until you reach the top of the pan.

3. Pour a half can of evaporated milk over the top of the entire casserole dish.

4. Bake at 250 for 1 hour.

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Grilled Stuffed Chicken

This is the perfect summer dish to throw on the grill...and it's great for entertaining too because it looks really impressive! Unfortunately...the night I wanted to grill this, it started raining so I busted out the ol' grill pan (if you don't have one of these, I highly recommend it) and grilled them inside. Equally delicious! I absolutely LOVE anything involving goat cheese so I really like this combination of chicken, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese and fresh basil. Definitely a great summer grill dish!

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts
Sundried tomatoes
Goat cheese
Basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
2 TBS. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
A few toothpicks

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts open (unless you buy them butterflied already).

2. Layer 2 basil leaves, a few sundried tomatoes and a little bit of goat cheese inside the chicken breast.

3. Close up and secure with 2 toothpicks so everything doesn't fall out.

4. Marinate the chicken breasts in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper.

5. Place on the grill, cook evenly on both sides until fully cooked. The timing really depends on how thick the chicken breasts are.

(Note: If the chicken doesn't look fully cooked when you take it off the grill, you can place them on a pan and finished them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so)

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Black Bean Burgers

I discovered how much I like black bean burgers when I first joined Weight Watchers.  I like the store-bought frozen brand, but was looking for a recipe I could make at home and keep in the freezer.  If you want them more spicy, I suppose you could add some hot peppers in the mix as well.

I double this recipe and freeze the burgers.  They are great thrown on the grill when you want a meatless meal.  I take them in my lunch sometimes with grilled vegetables or rice instead of a bun.  

INGREDIENTS (makes 4 patties)
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed (set 1/4 cup aside)
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/3 to 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup or BBQ sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1.  Use a potato masher to smash the beans.  
2. Add all other ingredients, including the 1/4 cup beans you set aside, mix well

3.  Form into patties and cover.  Place them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm

4.  Cook on grill about 5 minutes each side or fry in a large skillet lightly greased.

4.  Serve on a bun with onion and avocado if desired.

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Broccoli & Cheese Casserole

I originally tried this recipe at one of my friend's house and loved it! I repeatedly asked her for the recipe (just kidding, I only asked twice) and finally decided it was time to try it out on my own. The only problem...the recipe was so hard to follow! I don't know what she was thinking (or drinking) when she typed it up but it gave little direction on how to actually assemble the dish. No worries, I tackled the recipe anyways and made it easier for all of you! The recipe she gave me called for rice instead of the orzo pasta...but I didn't have rice in my house for some reason so I swapped out the rice for orzo and it worked out great. Either would be good, but we really liked it with the pasta. This casserole tastes like broccoli cheese soup and was a big hit at our house. You could also add some cornflakes or french fried onions to the top of the casserole to make it a little crunchier.

Ingredients
1 box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 8 oz. package velveeta cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup dried orzo pasta
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup milk

1. Thaw the frozen broccoli in a microwavable dish and set aside.

2. Cook 1 cup dried orzo pasta (or 1 cup rice) in boiling water, drain and set aside.

3. In a skillet, add the chopped onion and saute until tender.

4. When the onions are almost finished, add the can of soup, milk, and velveeta cheese (cut the cheese into slices so it will melt easier).

5. Gradually stir the mixture on medium heat until everything is blended and cheese is fully melted.

6. In a large bowl, mix together broccoli, cooked orzo pasta and the soup/cheese/onion mixture.

7. Place mixture in a casserole dish and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

(Optional: In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add some cornflakes or french fried onions to the top of the casserole for added crunch)

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Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

In a land far far away, long ago before blogs were even invented and before Facebook was a way of life, we used to share recipes at work with friends. Imagine that!  We actually talked to each other and didn't stare at our phones and computers.  This archaic practice is how I originally obtained this recipe; from my friend Dawn.  (You know who you are!)  It is very delicious because of the Swiss cheese, stuffing and creaminess of the soup.  Now I happen to like a lot of "sauce", so IF I was making 6 chicken breasts I would use two cans of soup.  For just the two of us, I only use three chicken breasts, with 1 can of soup.

INGREDIENTS

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

pepper and garlic powder to taste

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 or 2 cans cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

2 cups prepared stuffing ( I use Pepperidge Farm)

1/2 stick butter, melted

1.  Grease 9 x 13 pan and place chicken breasts in bottom (I used a smaller pan, because I was only making 3 breasts).  

2.  Sprinkle each chicken breast with garlic powder and pepper.  Place one piece of swiss cheese on each breast.  (The chicken breasts people, unless placing swiss cheese on your own breasts is something you feel compelled to do!)

3.  In a separate bowl, mix soup and milk together and pour over chicken.  

4.  Sprinkle dry stuffing mix over top the chicken, drizzle melted butter over stuffing.

5.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  

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Redneck Caviar

Thanks to my freeend Vicki fer introducin me ta Redneck Caviar.  It don't make no cent thit a niiiiice laaady from out West in Indianer would be givin me a redneck recipea, but she did an it had done become one of my kin's favorite snacks.

Now this recipea makes a crapload (that is redneck for a lot!).  So you could cut it in half I reckin.  But it do keep in the icebox for a month if you caint eat it all up in one sittin.

INGREDIENTS
3 Cans black-eyed peas (drained)
2 Cans Shoepeg corn (drained) see note below
2 Cans Rotel tomatoes
2 Tomatoes (diced)
2 Green Peppers (diced)
1- 16oz. bottle of Italian Dressing (I use fat-free)

I had never heard of Shoepeg corn before this recipe;
I'm sure regular white corn can also be used.

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Steps

1.  Mix all ingredients together
2.  Eat with your fingers or corn chips 

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