Saturday, March 30, 2013

My Goodness, My Guiness (Drunken Cupcakes)






Beer and dessert? Yes please. Desserts are one of my most favorite things to make. I like to try new ones. Last year I made Irish Whiskey Brownies for St. Patrick's day. They were good, just a little strong.

This year, I ended up not cooking for St. Pat's day, but I was asked to bring dessert for Easter.  I found the recipe for these babies and decided that I had to make them. They are really good, although they don't have much of a beer flavor. They actually taste a lot like gingerbread. Enjoy


Drunken Cupcakes

* 1 box devil's food cake mix
* 1 T. ground cinnamon
* 1 t. ground nutmeg
* 2 c. confectioner's sugar
* 1 can Guinness

Prepare cake per directions on box, only swap the water for beer. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake according to box.

For icing. Boil 1 c. Guinness until it is 1/2. Add 2 T. at a time to confection's sugar until you get a thick icing. Spread on cupcakes and enjoy!




Thursday, March 28, 2013

Update to Chicken Taquito post

I posted the recipe for the Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos March 14, right after we ate them. I made them about a week later again, and Hubby just asked me last night for them again...... This is impressive since he gets burnt out on food very quickly. He will eat left overs for lunch the following day, but usually not more than that. These he ate for at least 2 days after we had them and then was bummed when they were gone. These really are a winner!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Cheeseburger Casserole

I got this yummy dinner from my good friend Alisa. I was impressed that my two light eaters asked for seconds.  Those two hardly ever do. I was also that my one son ate it since it is full of tomatoes. He ate it and wanted more. This is easy and has few ingredients that are usually on hand.  Next time I think I will add some veggies to it but it is fine the way it is.


Cheeseburger casserole  

 * 1lb ground beef  
 * 1 medium onion, chopped  
 * 1 28oz can diced tomatoes 
 * 1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce  
 * 1 tsp dried oregano   
 * 1/2 tsp garlic powder  
 * salt & pepper to taste  
 * 12 oz med-wide egg noodles  
 * 2 cups shredded cheese 
 
 Brown hamburger with onions. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
 
Cook Noodles according to package. Combine and stir in cheese. You could even add a little cheese to the top and toss it in the oven until it gets melty. 
 
I know this may sound weird, but I added just a bit of pickle juice to my serving. Tasted just like a cheeseburger. :)

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Winner Winner Chicken......Taquito....

This will be added to my easy and often list for sure! Hubby even said it tastes like something you would get at a restaurant. Wooot! It is so incredibly simple that it just shouldn't taste that good!



Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos.

* 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
* 12 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
* 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
* 1/2 packet dry Ranch Dressing mix
* 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
* 20 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Salt
Non-stick cooking spray
 
* Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
* Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
* Mix together cream cheese, chicken, bacon,cheese and ranch mix. Mix well.
* Spoon the chicken mixture into a flour tortilla and roll it up.
* Place taquito seam-side down on the baking sheet.
* Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until edges and tops are golden). Let cool for a couple of minutes.

I served these with Salsa Ranch. Equal parts salsa and ranch dressing. Sounds gross, but so good!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Pineapple Upside Down Martini

I had one of these last weekend. I was pleasantly suprised how good it was. It tastes exactly like a piece of pineapple upside down cake. The bartender said the secret is Marshmallow vodka instead of vanilla, which is what most people use. I agree. :)



Pineapple Upside Down Martini

* 2 oz. pineapple juice
* 1 oz. marshmallow vodka
* small splash Grenadine

Put ingredients in a shaker with 2 ice cubes. Shake and enjoy. 

Ham and Cheese Sliders

I had these sammies at a baby shower a couple years ago. People went nuts over them. They were good and something different. I found them again while surfing on Pinterest and thought that Hubby would like them. I was right.

The original recipe calls for Swiss cheese, but we prefer Provolone. These are simple, quick and a big hit all around. Great for a week night meal, or make a big batch for a party.


Ham and Cheese Sliders

* 24 dinner rolls
* 24 pieces ham
* 24 half slices Swiss or Provolone cheese
* 1/4 cup mayonaise
* 1/4 cup miracle whip

Sauce

*1/2 c. melted butter
* 1 T. poppy seeds
* 1 1/2 T. mustard
* 1 T. onion flakes
* 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

*Combine mayonnaise and miracle whip.
*Cut rolls in half. Spread mayonaise-miracle whip mixture on each side of the roll.
* Put a piece of ham and a piece of cheese on each roll. 
*Place rolls close together in a greased 9x13 pan until pan in completely full.
*Mix together all ingredients of Poppy Seed Sauce. Spread evenly over the tops of all the rolls.  *Cover with aluminum foil and Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!