Southwest Pasta Salad

With summer on the way, that means picnics and barbeques aren't far behind. This pasta salad would be a fun addition to just about any meal and is so easy to make! And who doesn't love a GOOD pasta salad??

Southwest Pasta Salad



2 1/2 cups Rotini Pasta ~ cooked
1/2 cup cooked corn (I used frozen that I cooked in the microwave for a few minutes)
1 can black beans
1 container cherry tomatoes
3 green onions
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 - 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
salt and pepper to taste
juice of one small lime
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey 

Combine cooked pasta, corn, beans, tomatoes and onions in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, salt, pepper, lime juice, apple cider vinegar and honey.

Pour over salad ingredients and toss to combine. Chill for several hours before serving.


 
The line up!

 
Combine the cooked pasta, 
tomatoes, beans, corn, and onion.

 
Then combine the stuff for the sauce. 
Pour over the pasta mixture and toss to combine.

 
Chill and serve!

Slow Cooker Chile Colorado Burritos

One of IT Guy's favorite things when we go out for Mexican food is Chile Colorado. He loves the deep, rich flavor of that dish. So I decided to make him happy by making these burritos. He was in heaven, I have to say. Not only did he eat his, he ate half of mine! There was plenty left over to pack in his lunch and I know that makes him happy. These were super good....super easy and made the house smell divine!

Slow Cooker Chile Colorado Burritos



1 3-pound chuck roast
2 10-ounce cans red chile sauce (I used Las Palmas brand. If you can't find red chile sauce, use red enchilada sauce. Enchilada sauce doesn't have that same rich, red chile flavor but it will do in a pinch.)
1 large onion ~ sliced
1 teaspoon chile powder (optional but recommended, especially if you're using enchilada sauce instead of chile sauce)
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese
Large, burrito size flour tortillas

Spray your crock pot with cooking spray.

Place sliced onions in the bottom.

Place roast on top of onions.

In a small bowl, combine the sauce and the seasonings.

Pour over the roast, reserving 1/2 cup of the sauce for later.

Cook on high 4 - 5 hours or until roast is tender and easily shredded.

Shred roast and remove any fat.

Heat flour tortillas and place desired amount of meat and grated cheese into each one.

Roll up burrito style and place into a baking pan.

Pour reserved sauce over burritos and top with more grated cheese.

Heat in 350 degree oven until hot and cheese has melted.

 
Okay...here we go!

 
Slice the onion and throw it the crock 
pot then place your roast on top.

 
Mix up the sauce with the seasonings.

 
Pour over the roast.

 
Allow to cook until meat is shred-able. 
I cooked mine on high for about 6 hours.

 
Shred the meat then place a scoop 
of meat and some cheese on a large 
flour tortilla and roll to make a burrito.

 
Pour reserved sauce over burritos 
and sprinkle with more cheese. 
Heat in the oven until the cheese 
has melted then enjoy!

Sausage Breakfast Hash

Back in December, IT Guy and I had our 40th wedding anniversary. I know what you're thinking....how on EARTH can someone put up with the likes of me for that long. The struggle is real...but he's managed. Anyway...we went to Ashville, NC to the Biltmore for a couple of days, thanks to our kids who combined their efforts and gave us that nice gift. The hotel where we stayed had a breakfast buffet which IT Guy thoroughly enjoyed and I tolerated since I'm not a big breakfast eater. One thing that was served was a really good hash type dish. I told IT Guy that I was going to go home and recreate it and I just now got around to doing it. Now, I don't know how the hotel made theirs, but mine was delicious! Not only was it good but it was so easy to make! Of course, we had ours for dinner, but this is so simple to make that fixing it for a Saturday morning breakfast would be nooooo problem. We had some leftover so I threw a little in a flour tortilla with some cheese and salsa for IT Guy to take to work! Give it a try...I think you'll really enjoy it!

Sausage Breakfast Hash



1 pound breakfast sausage
3 cups frozen southern style hash browns
1 medium onion ~ diced
2 bell peppers ~ diced
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet, cook the sausage in a little olive oil until done. Remove to a bowl.

In the same skillet, add a little more olive oil then add the hash browns, onion and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper then cook until hashbrowns are done and veggies are tender/crisp...about 10 minutes.

Stir the sausage back into the skillet with the hashbrown mixture and warm through.

Serve with eggs cooked any style!

 
Okay...let's go.

 
Cook the sausage then remove 
to a bowl. Then cook the veggies 
and potatoes in the same pan 
for about 10 minutes.

 
Stir the sausage back into the veggies mixture.

 
Serve with eggs for a great meal!

Pecan Cobbler

I usually only make pecan pie during the holidays and even then....it's iffy. It's not my favorite or even IT Guy's favorite but he does really like it. That's how I knew he would really like this. This "cobbler" is super-duper easy to make and once you read the directions on how it's made, you're going be like....what the what? And you get what? Yep...you get a really good dessert that's a cross between a pecan pie and a gooey cobbler. And make sure you've got some vanilla ice cream on hand...you're gonna need it. I promise.

Pecan Cobbler



6 tablespoons butter (no substitutions)
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 and 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cups hot water

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish and melt in the oven.

Sprinkle the pecans over melted butter.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir to combine.

Pour batter over butter and pecans but do not stir.

Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over batter but do not stir.

Carefully pour the hot water over the mixture but do not stir.
 
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with ice cream!

 
Okay....here we go!

 
Melt the butter in the pan in the oven.

 
Scatter the pecans over the melted butter.

 
Mix up the stuff for the batter.

 
Then pour over the pecans. DON'T STIR!

 
Then sprinkle with the brown sugar. DON'T STIR!

 
Then pour on the hot water. DON'T STIR!

 
Bake until golden brown.

 
Serve warm with ice cream!

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Bacon and potatoes.....potatoes and bacon! These little guys are stinkin' good! Who doesn't love a tot wrapped in sweet and spicy bacon? These are super fast to put together and you can make as many or as little as you like! They reheat great in the microwave because the bacon gets a little more crispy. Not sure it gets more delicious, though!

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots



1 package bacon ~ cut in half
Tator tots to equal bacon pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper ~ more or less to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place a cookie cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl, combine the brown sugar and the cayenne pepper.

Lay a bacon half on top of the sugar mixture then roll a tot up inside.

Secure with a toothpick. Place on rack.

Continue until all bacon and tots are used.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

 
This is it! All you need 
for these fun little bites!

 
Combine the brown sugar 
and the cayenne pepper.

 
Cut the bacon in half then place it 
in the brown sugar mixture. 
Add a tot and roll!

 
Secure with a toothpick and place 
on a rack with a baking sheet underneath.

 
Bake 'em up!

 
Serve at your next party or family fun night!

Lemon Poke Cake

When IT Guy and I were newly married we lived about 2 hours away from his folks...who lived in a teeny town in south eastern Arizona. They didn't have much in the way of grocery stores, so every time his folks came to visit us, his mom would hit the grocery store in Tucson, where we lived. And if she knew we were coming, she'd ask me to go to the store to get her something she knew she couldn't find in their small town. Well, one day, when she knew we were coming to visit, she asked me to pick up her favorite lemon cake mix. Which I was fine with. Until she asked me to buy 10 boxes. Well...I was shy back then and easily embarrassed so I was pretty sure that if I went into a grocery store and bought 10 of the same cake mix, I'd be laughed out of the store. I just couldn't make myself do it and apparently my hesitation was enough for my mother in law to ask me if I was uncomfortable doing that. I don't remember exactly what I said but stammered out enough words for her to catch on that it was out of my comfort zone. That little story has been a source of great amusement in our family over the years and I've grown quite a bit since then and have told her that if she ever wants 10 of ANYTHING, I'm her girl! This cake is super good and super easy but the memory it brings of a shy newlywed makes me happy. 

Lemon Poke Cake



1 yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients to make it)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons lemon juice ~ divided use 
2 teaspoons lemon zest ~ divided use
1 8-ounce package cream cheese ~ softened
3 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding in 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Bake according to the directions on the box. 

Immediately after cake is done, poke holes all over with a wooden spoon handle. 

In a small bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice.

Immediately pour the sweetened condensed milk mixture over the holes and allow the cake to cool. You may need to press the mixture down into the holes but it's okay if some of it is on top.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and remaining teaspoon of lemon zest.

Slowly beat in powdered sugar.

Frost cake with cream cheese frosting and place in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

 
Here's the stuff for the cake and frosting.

 
Make up the cake according to 
the box directions except add 
some lemon juice and lemon zest.

 
Bake it up then poke holes all over it.

 
Mix up the sweetened condensed 
milk and the remaining lemon juice.

 
Immediately pour over the cake 
and press into the holes. It's okay 
if some of it sits on top of the cake. 
Allow to cool.

 
Mix up the frosting ingredients.

 
Frost the cooled cake then chill.

 
Eat every bite!

Cheesy Hawaiian Pull-Apart Bread

Pull-apart bread is so great. Usually made with a round loaf of sourdough, there are just so many options to use to make it. Since IT Guy's not a big fan of sourdough, I decided to use King's Hawaiian instead. The sweet taste of the bread with the onion and the savory cheese makes a great side with spaghetti or lasagne...or even soup! Serve as an appetizer, too!

Cheesy Hawaiian Pull-Apart Bread



1 round loaf King's Hawaiian Bread
1 small red onion ~ finely diced
1/4 cup butter ~ melted
2 cups grated Monterrey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Leave bread in the foil pan in comes in and make slices 1 inch apart in a grid pattern. Let the foil pan be your guide as to how far down to cut but slice down into the middle of the bread so the pieces will come out easier.

Force the bread pieces open then drizzle the melted butter over the loaf.

Sprinkle with onions.

Scatter cheese onto the loaf, pressing some of it in between the slices then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Set the pan on a baking sheet and cover with foil. 

Allow bread to cook for 30 minutes until cheese is melted.

Remove foil, pull apart and eat.

 
The cast of characters for this yummy bread.

 
Slice...drizzle with melted butter 
then add the onion and cheese.

 
Cover and bake!

 
Pull apart and eat!

Tex-Mex Ranch Potatoes

So, so, SO good! That's what these are! One really nice thing about this dish is you can make a little or a lot. Even though potatoes aren't a traditional side dish with Mexican food, it's great to serve instead of rice or beans. This served 4 people with some leftover or 4 really hungry people could polish off the whole thing with no problem!

Tex-Mex Ranch Potatoes



1 1/2 pounds potatoes ~ cut into bite sized pieces (I used small red potatoes but any kind will work)
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
2 tablespoons taco mix
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Place cut potatoes in a medium sized bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the Ranch dressing and taco mix. Add salt and pepper, if desired.

Pour Ranch dressing mixture over potatoes and toss to coat potatoes.

Spread potatoes in the pan and cover with foil.

Cook for 30 minutes then remove foil.

Bake another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Sprinkle cheese over potatoes and cook another 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

 
Let's go!

 
Mix the ranch dressing and the 
taco seasoning. Add salt and 
pepper if you want.

 
Stir in the cut up potatoes to coat.

 
Spread into a pan to bake.

 
Then top with cheese 
and bake a little bit longer.

 
Serve it up!