Southwestern Slow Cooker Chicken

• 1 - 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can reduced sodium chicken broth
• 8 oz. frozen corn
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
• salt

Spray your slow cooker with spray.  Combine the first 10 ingredients and stir to mix well.  Season the chicken with salt and lay on top of the rest of the ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Take the chicken out and shred it using two forks.  Put shredded chicken back into slow cooker and mix well.

Serve with your favorite toppings such as cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, black olives, avocado. 

Enjoy!

Grilled Cheddar Ranch Burgers with Grilled Vegetable Foil Packets

For the Burgers:

• 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
• 1 cut reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 - 1 oz. package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well with your hands.  Divide into 4 equal parts and form into patties.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to grill.

For the Vegetable Foil Packets:

• Zucchini, chopped
• Yellow Squash, chopped
• Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• Yellow Onion, chopped
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Seasonings, to taste
• Butter
• Olive Oil

Mix together a selection of your favorite veggies.  Lay out a heavy piece of foil and pour the veggies out in the center of the foil.  Season with your favorite seasonings (I use salt & pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne) and sprinkle with olive oil and a few dabs of  butter. Fold the foil over the top of the veggies, closing it up to make a packet.  Cook on the grill for 10-15 minutes until everything is cooked to your liking.

Enjoy!

Housewarming Party Spread

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

• 12 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
•  1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 7 slices bacon, cooked well and crumbled, divided
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
• Paprika

Slice the eggs in half, lengthwise.  Remove the yolks, putting them into a bowl.  Place the whites on a serving platter.

Mash the egg yolks with a fork.  Add the mayo and mustard and mix well until it is a smooth texture.

Mix in the jalapenos and 6 slices of the bacon.   Spoon the mixture into the egg whites, sprinkle with Paprika and crumble the remaining one slice of bacon over the top.

Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

• 2 - 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 2 tsp. Sriracha
• 2 roasted red bell peppers
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil

Put the garbanzos, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, sriracha and roasted peppers into a food processor.  Process until the mixture is coarsely pureed.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and continue to process until it is the consistency you desire.

Serve with fresh vegetables, chips and crackers.

Beau Monde Dip

• 2/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 1 tbsp. chopped green onion
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. Beau Monde seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.
 
Guacamole Stuffed Mushrooms with Pancetta

• 1 - 24 oz. package baby bella mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 - 4 oz. package chopped Pancetta
• 1 - 8 oz. package guacamole (or make your own!)
• Olive oil
• Salt

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place cleaned and dried mushrooms, gill side up, on a baking sheet.  Brush each with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in a saute pan until crispy, about 5 minutes.

Let the mushrooms cool and move them onto a dry surface, patting the liquid out of the center of each with a paper towel.

Fill each mushroom cap with about a tbsp. of guacamole and sprinkle with pancetta.

Mini Italian Meatballs 

For the meatballs:

• 1 - 20 oz. package lean ground turkey
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh minced basil

 Spray a crockpot with cooking spray and add all the sauce ingredients.  Mix well.

Combine all the meatball ingredients except for the basil in a bowl and mix well using your hands.  Form small meatballs with your hands and drop them into the sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  When they are done, stir in the fresh basil and serve.

Cucumber Cups with Smoked Salmon

• 1 large English cucumber
• Whipped cream cheese
• Smoke Salmon
• Green onions, white and light green parts, minced

Wash the cucumber and peel stripes using a vegetable peeler.  Cut into 1/2 inch rounds.  Using a melon baller, remove the flesh from the inside of the cucumber round.

Spoon about 1 tbsp. of whipped cream cheese into each round, sprinkle with a few minced green onions and top with a small slice of smoked salmon.

Crock Pot Chicken Supper

• Garlic infused olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 - 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained

Drizzle the inside of the crock pot with olive oil.  Lay the chicken breasts out and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Sprinkle the basil and garlic powder over the top.  Add the onion and bell pepper and top with the beans.  Pour the tomatoes with their juices over the top.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Sausage and Gruyere Baked Frittata

• Olive Oil, to drizzle pan
• Butter, to grease pie plate
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb. sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
•  8 large eggs
• 1/3 cup reduced fat milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425F.  Butter a 8 inch pie plate.

Drizzle a saute pan with olive oil and heat over medium.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and salt and season with black pepper.  Add the red bell pepper, parsley and 1 cup of the Gruyere. 

Sprinkle the onion, sausage mixture into the pie plate, spreading it out evenly.  Pour the egg mixture over the top and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Gruyere over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes and cut into wedges.

Enjoy!

Simple Grilled Burgers

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 1/2 tsp. ketchup
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. chopped garlic

Using your hands, mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Divide into four equal balls and make into patties.

Grill to your liking and serve with desired toppings.

Easy and Delish!