Mexican Cheese Bread

As you know...we love soup year 'round in the SFFS house. I normally like to serve some kind of bread with our soup so I'm always looking for ways to jazz it up a little bit. So when I made a yummy enchilada soup not long ago, I wanted a bread to match it. A little spice...a little cheese. This bread is SO good! If you're not a fan of cilantro, and I know lots of people are not...just leave it out. A few diced green chilies sprinkled on would be really good or if you're the brave type, throw on some sliced jalapenos for extra heat. Super yummy, guys!

Mexican Cheese Bread 



1 loaf french bread ~ sliced in half horizontally
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheese
2 - 3 green onions ~ chopped
1/4 cup cilantro ~ chopped (optional)
1 cup cherry tomatoes ~ sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the mayo and the taco seasoning.

Add the cheese and stir. 

Divide cheese mixture and spread half on each loaf half.

Place sliced tomatoes on top and sprinkle with cilantro, if using. 

Place bread on a baking sheet and cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes until heated through.

Turn oven to broil.

Remove foil and broil bread until the bubbly on top.

Allow to stand for a few minutes before slicing.

 
Okay.....here we go!

 
Mix together the mayo and the taco mix.

 
Add the cheese, onion, and 
the cilantro, if using.

 
Divide the mixture in half and 
spread onto horizontally sliced bread. 
Place tomatoes on top. Place on a 
cookie sheet, cover with foil and bake.

 
See how yummy???

Mexican Chicken Salad

Anyone can throw together a salad but coming up with different ways to serve one is always fun. That's why I decided to use a taco mix to flavor the chicken for this salad and to use the remaining part for the dressing. IT Guy gave a HUGE thumbs up to the dressing. This salad would be great if you used steak instead of the chicken. Throw in all your favorite salad ingredients to make this your own....but we loved it this way! Think about keeping this in your rotation of cool summer foods!

Mexican Chicken Salad



1 bag Romaine lettuce (or two bunches, cut up)
2 large chicken breasts ~ sliced in half
2 - 3 Roma tomatoes ~ sliced
1 avocado ~ diced
1 red bell pepper ~ diced
2 - 3 green onions ~ diced
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cooked corn ~ optional
1/2 cup black beans ~ optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, salsa and the rest of the taco seasoning. Stir well. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1 - 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning.

Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until done.

Allow chicken to cool to the touch for a few minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl or small individual bowls, layer salad ingredients. 

Drizzle dressing on salad then top with a few crushed tortilla chips.


 

Let's make a salad!

 

Season your chicken with some of 

the taco mix and salt and pepper.

 

Bake, cool then dice.

 

Mix the sour cream, remaining 

taco mix and some salsa.

 

Chop up some veggies and make your salad!

 

Drizzle with the yummy dressing 

and you're good to go!

Buckeye Brownie Cookies

Chocolate and peanut butter go together like peas and carrots...haha!!! So when I made these I was pretty excited to try one since I love that combo. Chocolate and peanut butter, that is. Not peas and carrots. Especially peas. Yuck. This little recipe only makes about 2 dozen but you really don't need more than that since they are so rich! One cookie goes a long way! I gave my folks a few of these and the next time I saw my mom she asked when I would be making more and why was I so stingy in the first place, only giving them 4 cookies! My dad is a HUGE chocolate/peanut butter fan so maybe that's where I get my love of it, too...I don't know. But I DO know...you need to make these ASAP!!

Buckeye Brownie Cookies



1 19-ounce fudge brownie mix
1/4 cup butter ~ melted
4 ounces cream cheese ~ softened
1 egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
4 ounces Candiquick

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and the peanut butter. Form mixture into balls for as many cookies as you've made, which should be about 2 dozen. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese and the egg.

Scoop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake cookies for about 12 minutes.

Press one peanut butter ball on the top of each cookie, pressing down lightly.

Allow cookies to cool about 5 minutes on the pan then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Place Candiquick in a small microwave safe bowl and melt for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir to smooth.

Spoon a couple of teaspoons of chocolate over each cooled cookie and allow to set.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies. 


 

Let's go!

 

In a medium mixing bowl, combine 

the brownie mix, melted butter, 

cream cheese and the egg. Scoop and bake.

 

Combine the peanut butter 

and the powdered sugar.

 

Place a scoop of the peanut butter 

mixture on top of a hot cookie.

 

Allow to cool completely.

 

Place 3 sections of Candiquick into 

a microwave safe bowl and melt for 

about a minute, stirring after 30 seconds.

 

Stir until smooth,

 

Then poor some over each cooled 

cookie. Allow chocolate to set up.

 

Serve with ice cold milk!

Beefy Enchilada Soup

Serve this soup anytime....make it as spicy or as mild as you want. I used a mild enchilada sauce but you can always kick the heat level up a notch if you want. And instead of using diced green chilies, you can use chopped jalapenos. This is a super good and really easy soup to make. The leftovers are great and it freezes well too! What more could you ask for?

Beefy Enchilada Soup



1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic ~ minced
1 32-ounce container beef stock
1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can Pinto or black beans
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup rice

In a large stock pot, saute the onion and garlic with a little olive oil about 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef and cook until done.

Pour in the beef stock, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, beans, green chilies, cumin and salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook about an hour. 

Add rice the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Serve with sour cream, crushed corn tortillas and shredded cheese on top.

 
This is easy! C'mon!

 
Cook your ground beef with 
the onion until done.

 
Pour in the beef stock, enchilada 
sauce, tomatoes, beans, green chilies, 
cumin and salt and pepper.

 
Stir and simmer! Add the rice
the last 20 minutes!

 
See? I told you it was easy! 
It's delicious, too!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

Sweet breads are one of my favorite things. Also? Cream cheese. So when the two are combined, I'm all about it. This yummy bread isn't overly sweet...but just sweet enough. Great lightly toasted and spread with...what else? A little butter and some strawberry jam! This is great for a quick out-the-door breakfast or throw some in a lunch for a treat.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread



1/2 cup butter ~ room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese ~ room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups strawberries ~ rinsed, dried, and diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat until fluffy.

Mix in eggs, one at a time then mix in vanilla.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently mix until just blended.

Fold in strawberries.

Pour dough into prepared pan. Bake 45 - 50 minutes until done.

Cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

 

Let's makes some bread!

 

Combine the butter, cream cheese 

and sugar. Beat until fluffy. Mix in 

eggs, one at a time.

 

Mix in the vanilla.

 

Gently mix in the flour, baking 

powder, baking soda and salt.

 

Add the buttermilk.

 

Fold in the berries.

 

Place the dough into a greased and floured pan.

 

Then bake!

 

Cool and slice.

Smoked Paprika Parmesan Pasta Sauce

I was looking for something to serve alongside some chicken the other day and decided to whip up some pasta with cheese sauce. As I was looking through my cabinet for some inspiration, I ran across my little jar of smoked paprika. I'm a pretty big mac & cheese fan but sometimes I like to spice things up a little bit and this turned out perfect! Not too spicy....just a little bit to give it some kick. Super good!!! I used this with cooked pasta but you could ladle it over chicken and it would be great!

Smoked Paprika 
Parmesan Pasta Sauce 



1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Whisk in the flour and stir for 1 - 2 minutes.

Add the milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in the smoked paprika and salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted.

Pour over cooked pasta.

 
Here's what you need for this easy sauce!

 
Melt the butter then whisk in the 
flour and cook for a few minutes.

 
Stir in the milk and let it thicken.

 
Add the salt, pepper and smoked paprika.

 
Stir in the cheese.

 
Serve with pasta or chicken...or both!

Crock Pot Cajun Rubbed Chicken

Okay guys....summertime is comin' and you know what that means?? Yep...time to rock the crock pot! After you combine all the seasonings for this yummy chicken and massage it into your bird, your crock pot will magically turn this into something super flavorful. The ease of it all is incredible for the result you get. Ladle a little of the cooked juice over the sliced meat for extra flavor!

Crock Pot Cajun Rubbed Chicken



2 large chicken breasts ~ on the bone, with skin
1/2 cup water or chicken stock
1/4 cup butter ~ room temperature
Cajun Spice Rub ~ recipe follows

Crumple 5 pieces of foil and place in the bottom of your crock pot.

Pour in the water or chicken stock.

Rub each piece of chicken with butter on both sides, including under the skin.

Sprinkle a little seasoning under the skin and rub.

Sprinkle each breast with a couple of teaspoons of the rub and massage in.

Place chicken on top of foil balls.

Cook on high for 4 - 5 hours or on low for 6 - 8 hours.


Cajun Spice Rub

2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine all spices into a small bowl. 

Makes enough rub for 4 - 6 chicken breasts.

 
Here's all you need for this EASY dish.

 
Throw together the seasonings.

 
Butter the chicken....under the skin, too!

 
Massage the spice mixture all over 
the chicken...and under the skin, too!

 
Place the chicken on top of foil 
balls in your crock pot. Add some 
chicken stock.

 
Cook and slice and eat! So easy!