Baked Chimichangas

Baked Chimichangas

Ingredients:

1 lbs ground turkey1 medium onion chopped1 TBS chili powder1 1/2 TBS ground cuminSalt & Pepper2 cans of Rotel Shredded Cheese10 (8 in) whole wheat tortillasCooking spray

Directions:Preheat oven to 400 degreesspray a cookie sheet liberally
Cook the turkey and onion until meat is cooked completely. You may need to add a little oil to the turkey. Drain well after cooked. Stir in the Rotel and seasonings and cook for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
Spoon about 3 tablespoons of meat mixture on the tortilla and sprinkle cheese on top. 
Fold in two sides and then roll the other two sides in until completely closed. Place seam side down on the cookie sheet. Spray the tops lightly with the cooking spray. 
Bake about 20 minutes until the top is crispy and golden brown. Do not flip these.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups bread flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 tbsp half and half (or milk)

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 cups chocolate chips (bittersweet)

Directions:

1. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Continue to cook on low heat, stirring often, until butter is browned. Turn off heat and stir in white and brown sugars.

3. Scrape into a medium mixing bowl and use electric mixer to cream the butter and sugars together. Add half & half, lemon juice, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix in until well combined.

4. Add half of the flour mixture and incorporate into the batter with electric mixer. Add the rest and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be very soft and buttery. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until firm (an hour or two).

5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop up heaping Tablespoonfuls of cookie dough and use your hands to roll into balls. Place 12 balls on a sheet, keeping about an inch and a half between each ball.

6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, depending on how large you’ve rolled your balls.

Homemade Snickers Bars

Homemade Snickers Bars

[recipe from Nikki, who lightly adapted it from and old Taste of Home recipe]

makes one 9×13 pan

bottom chocolate layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Thoroughly grease you baking pan. Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into the baking dish and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

nougat layer

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup salted peanuts chopped, roughly chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved and bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in fluff, peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts, then pour over bottom chocolate layer. Let cool completely.

caramel layer

1 14-ounce bag of caramels

1/4 cup whipping cream

Combine ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Let melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth – this took about 10 minutes for me. Pour over nougat layer and let cool completely.

Top chocolate layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour over caramel and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving, then cut as desired. These can stay at room temperature, but they do get gooey. I like them refrigerated best!

Note: for best results, buy one of the half-sheet aluminum cake pans at the grocery store. That way, you can pop the entire square out and cut from there!

Paula Deen's Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

Paula Deen's Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni 

2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 1/4 cups about 

10 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 1/2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup sour cream

1 (5 3/8 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
3. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well.
4. Then add drained macaroni and stir again.
5. Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally

Sausage Stuffed Jalapeños

Sausage Stuffed Jalapeños

Ingredients:

1 pound ground Italian sausage (or regular pork or whatever appeals to you)

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (original recipe used parmesan)

1 pound jalapenos, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 green onion, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Place sausage in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease. 

3. In a bowl, mix the sausage, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and green onion. 

4. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeno half. 

5. Arrange stuffed halves in a baking dish. 

6. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.