Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteaks

We love all things buffalo in our house. We also love cheesesteaks.  Combine the two and it has to be the best thing ever...right?  Well let me answer that for you, right!  Gray and I both loved these!!!! The recipe is from Iowa Girl Eats.

2 tbsp butter
1 sweet onion (sliced)
1lb chicken breasts (sliced in thin strips)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
8 slices provolone cheese
4 hoagie rolls

Heat oven to 250.  In a skillet over medium heat melt the butter and saute the onion until tender, add the chicken and saute until it's cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper then add wing sauce and stir.  Separate the chicken into four different sections and top with provolone cheese. Cover until cheese is melted.  Place into hoagies, wrap in foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Football Friday: Black Bean and Corn Nachos

There is this little wine bar that Gray and I love to escape to when we get a date night.  It's pretty rare but this has quickly become one of our favorite places.  Great wine, awesome food and amazing atmosphere, pretty much a winner all around.  One of our favorite things to get is their black bean and corn nachos so I tried to recreate them at home.  Gray and I both enjoyed eating these while watching football the other night!

1 can Black Beans (drained)
1 can Corn (drained)
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
2 cups Colby Jack
Tortilla Chips
Diced Fresh Tomatoes
Salsa
Sour Cream
Guacamole

 In a skillet combine the corn, black beans, cumin and chili powder, cook until the mixture is heated through.  Layer tortilla chips in the bottom of a baking dish or pie plate. Top with the black bean mixture and cheese.  Place the nachos under the broiler until the cheese is melted.  Remove and top with tomatoes. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

BLT Pasta

This might be my new favorite pasta recipe!  I loved this combination and thought it had great flavor.  Gray really enjoyed it as well.  This recipe is from Let's Dish.


16 oz. dry pasta
12 slices bacon
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
4 ounces cream cheese (softened and cubed)
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes (halved)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook in a large skillet until the bacon is crispy.  Remove and place on paper towels to drain off the extra grease.  Leave about 1 tbsp of grease in the skillet.  Begin to cook the pasta in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the red pepper flakes and stir.  Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the cream cheese until it has melted into the broth mixture. Season with Salt and Pepper. Drain the pasta.  Add the bacon back to the skillet and add the pasta, halved tomatoes and parsley.   Stir and let cook for another 2 to 4 minutes.  Serve and top with Parmesan. 

New York Salt Potatoes

Have you ever had these out at restaurants? The perfect little red potatoes all smothered in butter and nice and salty!  Oh man, I love them!!! So does Gray so I decided to try and make them at home! This recipe is from Baked In.

3 lbs baby red potatoes (do NOT peel them)
2 quarts water
1 1/2 cups kosher or fine sea salt
6 Tbsp butter (Cut into small cubes)
Fresh herbs (I used a bit of chopped parsley)
Pepper to taste

In a large pot boil the water with the salt. Stir the water to dissolve some of the salt letting the rest settle on the bottom.  Add the potatoes and bring to a boil over medium hight heat. Lower the temperature and let the potatoes simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and let the potatoes rest for 3 to 4 minutes. Add back to the pot with butter, pepper and herbs. Serve warm. 

Football Friday - S'mores Bars

These are the perfect game day sweet treat! I adapted this recipe from 4 Little Fergusons.

16 oz Golden Grahams
8 cups mini marshmallows
6 tbsp butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat.  Add in 6 cups of marshmallows and stir was they melt.  Once they are fully melted remove from heat add in the Golden Grahams.  Stir until coated with the melted marshmallow.  Add in the remaining 2 cups of marshmallows and all the chocolate chips while stirring.  Pour into a greased 9x13 dish.  Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  Remove and serve at room temperature. 

BTAE Breakfast Sandwich

This is by far my favorite breakfast sandwich combination!  Something about the creamy avocado, salty tomato, runny egg and tomato just all works!!! This recipe makes 4 sandwiches.

1 Avocado (sliced)
1 lb bacon (fried crispy)
2 Tomatoes (sliced)
4 Eggs
8 slices Whole Wheat Bread
Mayo (optional)

Toast the bread.  Fry the eggs until the white are solid but the yolk isn't cooked through.  Spread a thin layer of mayo on 4 slices of bread.  Layer a piece of plain toast with bacon, avocado, tomato, egg and then the slice of bread with mayo.  Serve warm. 

Summer Lemon Vegetable Risotto

We love risotto in our house!!!  It one of my new favorite things to cook! This recipe is adapted from Joanne Eats Well with Others.

1 bunch asparagus (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
5 tsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 zucchini (cut into half moons)
4 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the asparagus and sugar snap peas for 3 to 4 minutes.  Drain then rinse with cold water and set to the side. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick pan, saute the zucchini until tender, remove from skillet and set to the side.  Bring the vegetable broth to a simmer in a medium pot.  Add the remaining olive oil back to the skillet and saute the shallots.  Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add in 1 cup of vegetable broth until it is absorbed.  Add another 1/2 cup of broth and stir.  Continue this process as each 1/2 cup is absorbed into the rice but reserve 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Add back the sugar snap peas, asparagus and zucchini. Stir the vegetables into the rice, remove from heat and add the remaining broth, parmesan cheese, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice and butter.  Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Apple Pie Muffins

I made these muffins on a total whim the other week.  They were amazing!!!! The house smelled just like fall and there is nothing better than fall in my book!  This recipe is from My Baking Addiction.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 cups Granny Smith Apples (peeled and chopped)

 For Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp butter (melted)

Heat oven to 375.  Fill a muffin tin with liners and set to the side.  In a large bowl combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and kosher salt.  In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved.  Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.  Stir in the chopped apple pieces.  Fill each muffin liner until 3/4 full.  In a small bowl make the topping by combining the brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon.  Pour in the butter and stir until it's mixed well.  Sprinkle over the muffins. Bake for 25 minutes or until muffins are cooked through. Let cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes then remove.