Taco Cups

I have said this at least a dozen times... One thing that our family can all agree on eating is Tacos!  Here is another way to change up the regular old tacos and an even better way to serve them at a party!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• Your FavoriteTaco Seasoning
• Refried Beans
• 48 Wonton Wrappers
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salsa
• Sour Cream

Makes 24 Taco Cups

Cook the ground beef and add taco seasoning according to season packet.  Preheat oven to 375.  Place one Wonton wrapper in each space of a regular size muffin tin.  Smear (now that is one word I have NEVER used when writing a recipe lol) about a tablespoon of refried beans on top of each of the wrappers.  Sprinkle about a tablespoon of the taco meat in each cup, then sprinkle a little cheddar cheese on top of the meat.  Add another Wonton wrapper and gently press down.  Add a little more meat and cheese.

 Bake for about 10 minutes or until Wonton wrappers are golden brown.  Remove from oven and top with shredded lettuce, sour cream, and salsa.  I placed mine on a small bed of cilantro rice, but you could easily add the rice before the lettuce.  These little taco cupcakes are perfect party food or dinner time!

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Pepperoni and Cheese Monkey Bread

The original recipe for this was one of the VERY first things that I pinned and actually accomplished from Pinterest.  I am not sure where the original recipe came from, so I am sorry to the original pinner.  I make it totally from memory now so it was hard to actually measure for this one.  Oh wait...I didn't keep track of the actual amount of pepperoni or cheese that I used, so I guess I didn't as good of a job as I thought that I had.  Sorry!

Ingredients:

• 1 (28 oz) Package of Frozen Pizza Dough (thawed)
• About 3 Tablespoons of Butter
• Minced Garlic
• Pepperoni Slices (less than a package)
• Mozzerella- cut into cubes
• Pizza Sauce for dipping

Melt butter and stir in garlic.Break off a piece of the dough (a little smaller than a golf ball), flatten it out just a bit, and place a piece of pepperoni and mozzerella inside.  Fold the dough around it forming into a ball.  

Roll ball in garlic butter and place in ungreased bundt pan.  Repeating until all dough is used.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Turn pan over onto plate and serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Cheddar Broccoli Bites

I am always looking for new ways to try to get my youngest son to eat vegetables.  I serve vegetables for dinner every night but he still won't eat them.  Even though he won't eat these, the rest of us loved them so they are going to go in the "keep" box.  

Ingredients:

• About 3 Cups of Broccoli (chopped into bite size pieces)
• 2/3 Cup of Italian Bread Crumbs
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salt and Pepper

Makes about 10 pieces

Serves about 5 people

Steam broccoli, but be careful not to over cook it because it still goes in the oven for 25 minutes.  

In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well.  After broccoli has cooked rinse with cold water to cool it and drain well.

 Add in broccoli and combine.  Form ingredients into small patties.  You don't have to press together just form them loosely.  Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 375.  Flip the bites after 15 minutes and finish.

Remove from oven and serve hot.

I served with Pretzel Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken and Parmesan Pilaf. 

This recipe was featured on our 30 Days of Dinners June Menu, Make sure to check out all of the other great recipes on this month's menu!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

I have been going through my mother-in-law's (Connie) recipe boxes.  I have been focusing on the recipe cards that look like they have have been used a lot.  You know the ones with the finger prints, bent edges, and food stains.  Gross I know, but I can feel the love on them!  This one took me by surprise because my MIL doesn't like mushrooms at all!  I can't believe she would even have this recipe, let alone it look like one that got used a bunch.  These are so simple, but taste OH SO GOOD!
These mushrooms can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish just adjust the ingredients as necessary.

Ingredients:

• About 15 Whole Mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 Pound of Sausage
• 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese

Brown the sausage and remove meat from skillet and place in a small colander to drain the excess grease.  While sausage is cooking remove stems from mushrooms.  Be careful to keep the cap in tact.  Place mushrooms in baking dish.  

Chop stems in to tiny pieces.  Place mushroom pieces in skillet.  You don't have to clean the skillet, what ever drippings were left in the skillet will help to cook the mush room pieces.  Cook for about a minute over medium heat.

 Preheat oven to 375.  Add the sausage back into the skillet.  Mix the mushrooms and sausage together.  Turn heat to low.  Add in the bread crumbs one tablespoon at a time.  This will help the mixture stick together a little bit.

 Add in 1/4 cup of Mozzarella.  Stir to combine all ingredients.

 Fill each mushroom cap with the sausage mixture and place in baking dish.

Top with remaining 1/4 cup of Mozzarella and bake for about 10 minutes.

This recipe was featured on our 30 Days of Dinners June Menu, Make sure to check out all of the other great recipes on this month's menu!

Jalapeno and Bacon Cheesy Bread

I love spicy, I love cheese, I love, bacon, and I love bread.  Put them all together and it is a dream come true!!!  This bread could be a meal all in itself but it goes perfectly with soup, salad, chicken, whatever.  I think I might even serve it at our next football party.  But it is only May and there is no way I am going to wait that long to make this again!  

Ingredients:

• French Bread Loaf
• 3/4 of a Cup of Shredded Pepperjack Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1/2 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/3 cup of Bacon Cooked and Crumbled
• 2 Tablespoons of diced Jalapenos (the kind from a jar)
• 2 Tablespoons of Green Onions (finely chopped)
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic

Melt butter in small skillet.  Lightly saute the green onions and garlic.  Preheat oven to 375.  In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients.  Add in the garlic and onions and mix together.  Spread the mixture evenly over each side of the loaf of bread.  

Bake for about 6 minutes.  Turn oven to broil for additional 3 minutes or so.  Make sure you keep a close eye on the bread and remove it when the cheese starts to bubble and turn brown.  Slice and serve right away.  YUM!!!!!

BBQ Chicken Potato Skins

When I think of potato skins I think of the days when we used to go out for happy Hour after work.  Now there is no time for Happy Hour  and it is often frowned upon to bring your kids to a bar so we have to make due at home:)  That's okay with us though because these potato skins are even better!  I even serve them with a salad and call it dinner!

Ingredients:

• 4 Potatoes
• Chicken ( I used a leftover grilled chicken breast from the night before and made 8 potato skins)
• About a cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• A Tablespoon or so of Chopped Green Onion
• About a 1/4 Cup of Your Favorite BBQ Sauce (I used Best Darn BBQ Recipe)
• 3 Pieces of Bacon Cooked and Crumbles (or Hormel Real Bacon Pieces)
• Homemade Ranch Dressing

Makes 8 potato skins

Scrub outside of potatoes with vegetable brush.  Pierce potatoes multiple times with a sharp knife.  Cook in microwave for about 7 minutes turning over halfway through.  Cooking time varies because of potato size and the number you are cooking.  You can stick a knife in them to see if they are done.  If the knife goes in easily then they are done.  

Let them cool for about 10 minutes.  Cut them in half lengthwise.  Carefully scoop the insides of the potatoes out.  Make sure to keep the skin intact.  

Place potato insides in a bowl and save for another recipe (I will share my great idea for breakfast with you later).

 Preheat oven to 350.  Dice chicken and toss with your favorite BBQ Sauce.

 Load up your potato skins with chicken and bacon.

 Top with cheese and onions.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  I like to serve them with Ranch Dressing for dipping.

This recipe was featured on the Magical Moms' July Menu.  Be sure to check out all of our monthly menus



Lots of AMAZING recipes on the Magical Moms' June Menu, Marvelous May Menu, Appetizing April Menu, and March Madness Menu.

Oven "Fried" Zucchini Fries with Spicy Garlic Dipping Sauce

This is one of my new favorite side dishes!  Okay I have lots of new favorites.  Usually I just make zucchini on the grill or deep fried.  This is SO good I am sure I will be making it often!

Ingredients:

• 2 small Zucchini (enough to serve your family each zucchini is easily cut into 9 pieces)
• About a 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• About a Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
• Pepper to taste
• Salt
• A Pinch of Garlic Powder
• 1 Egg
• A Pinch of Basil 
• A Pinch of Oregano
• 1/4 cup of flour

Sauce

• 6 oz of Plain Greek Yogurt
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1 teaspoon of Chili Garlic Sauce
• 1/8 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Horseradish (Start with less you can always add more for spice)
• 1 Tablespoon of Mayonnaise (for even less fat and calories leave this out) 

Combine all sauce ingredients and stir.  Add spicy ingredients slowly to desired spice level.  Refrigerate until you are ready to use.  

**About an hour and a half before you want to eat the zucchini complete this step!!

Cut the zucchini into the desired size pieces.  I usually cut my zucchini in 9 pieces lengthwise.  Place in colander and sprinkle with salt.  Place a plate under the colander and place it in the fridge until ready to start the breading process.  The salt will pull out the water in the zucchini and make it more crisp after it  it cooked.  

When you are ready to bread the zucchini remove it from the fridge and place it in a ziploc bag with 1/4 cup of flour.  Seal it and shake it around until all zucchini is covered.

Preheat oven to 425.  Next, beat an egg in a long shallow bowl (or whatever the zucchini will fit in)- set aside.  On a plate combine Panko, parmesan, garlic powder, pepper, a pinch of oregano, and a pinch of basil.  Individually dip each piece of zucchini in the egg and then roll it in the crumb/spice mixture.  Place each piece on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until breading is a golden brown color.

Strawberry Nutella Bruschetta

My youngest son, Nathan, is obsessed with what he calls "chocolate bread sandwiches."  It's really just Nutella on whole wheat bread.  If I would let him, he would probably eat it for lunch everyday!  I don't want to eat the same thing every day so I thought he would appreciate a little change  This is what I came up with.  It is a perfect after school snack or a new lunch time favorite!

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Bread Slices
• Strawberries
• Kiwi
• Nutella

You can make as many or as few as you would like just adjust the amount of ingredients used accordingly.  

 Preheat oven to 375.  Cut bread into desired shape.  I use a couple different sized shot glasses to get my desired small round shapes.

Place bread on baking sheet and put in oven for about 2 minutes or until lightly toasted

Dice fruit.  Spread Nutella onto toasted bread and sprinkle with fruit pieces.