Loaded Taco Potatoes

This was such a fun way to spice up a baked potato...or spice up taco night! A potato taco bar would be a great idea for a party too!  We enjoyed these so much! This recipe is from Six Sister Stuff.

6 baking potatoes
1 lb ground beef
1 taco seasoning packet
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
chopped lettuce
diced tomatoes
sour cream
guacamole

Bake the potatoes on 400 for 1 to 2 hours. Brown the ground beef, drain the grease and stir in taco seasoning.  Carefully open the hot potatoes and top with taco mean, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and guacamole.  

Cheesy Tortellini Crockpot Soup

I don't talk a lot about our family on the blog, mainly just food and what we thought.  I took all of December off from blogging because on October 7th our daughter was born via domestic adoption.  I tried to keep up but having a 7 year old and an infant was wearing me out.  But I'm back and excited!  This is a great and easy recipe for a cold winter night, slightly adapted from New Nostalgia.

16 oz frozen tortellini
1 small bag fresh spinach
2 cans (15 oz) Italian style diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 block (8oz) cream cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Place the spinach, tomatoes, broth and cream cheese into the crock pot.  Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Add the tortellini and cook for an additional hour to 90 minutes.  Serve with bread for dipping in the delicious broth. 

Our 2014 Favorites

2014 was a great year for food at our house and here on the blog. I began my journey to rephotograph many of the recipes here and made a huge dent in that project.  I also added 110 recipes to the blog! I took December totally off after having a skimpy October and November. On October 7th we welcomed our sweet baby girl into our family and the blog had to take a bit of a back seat while we settled into life as a family of four. But new recipes are coming in January and I hope that 2015 will bring even more deliciousness! For now enjoy our top 14 recipes of 2014!!!

14. Grilled Dill Red Potatoes

13. Homemade Donut Holes

12. Greek Meatball Gyros

11.Ultimate Loaded Baked Potato Soup

10. Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

9. Bacon, Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Sliders

8. Caramel Cupcakes

7. Garlicky Chicken Broccoli Stuffed Shells

6.Broccoli and Cheddar Grilled Cheese

5. Baked Buffalo Fries

4. Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

3. Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Puffs

2. Garlic Bread Pizza

1. Luscious Lemon Bars

Vegetable Pot Pie

I made this recipe up on a whim.  We eat a lot of meatless meals and sometimes you just need to mix it up and try something new.  We love chicken pot pie and a vegetable pot pie sounded like a great alternative.  We both thought it turned out well. It was a nice warm filling meal on a cold night.

2 pie crusts
3 cups red potatoes (diced)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
1 onion diced
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups veggie or chicken broth
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350.  Boil the diced red potatoes for 5 minutes.  Drain and stir in the corn, peas and carrots. Set to the side. Melt the butter over medium heat then saute the onions until translucent. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the broth and then the milk. Stir until it begins to thicken up. Pour over the vegetables and stir. Place one pie crust in the bottom of the pie plate.  Pour the vegetable mixture into the crust then top with the remaining crust.  Seal the edges and cut 5 slits into the top of the crust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Butterscotch Blondies

I love butterscotch.  It's one of my favorite things ever.  I needed to make a dessert to take to our small group the other night and I just had a craving for these guys.  This recipe is slightly adapted from A Bakers House.

2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
10 tbsp butter
3 eggs
1 cup butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 350.  In a mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In a pan melt the butter over low heat and cook for 5 minutes.  Turn the heat off and whisk in the eggs. Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together. Stir in the butterscotch chip.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the blondies are cooked through. 

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Puffs

These little guys were so easy to put together and they were so yummy! If you have a larger family you might want to double this recipe  This recipe is adapted from Mom on Timeout.

1 tbsp butter
1/4 small onion (chopped)
1 cup chicken (cooked and cubed)
3/4 cup chopped broccoli
2 sheets of puff pastry (thawed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400. Melt the butter and saute the onion for 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken and broccoli and saute for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and set to the side. Cut each sheet of thawed puff pastry into 4 squares.  Roll out each square into a rectangle. Spread the mixture evenly between each pastry rectangle.  Top with cheese then fold in half and press down to seal the edges together. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove and cool for several minutes before serving. 

Crock Pot Ultimate Potato Soup

I love potato soup.  And potato soup in the crock pot is an even bigger winner in my book! This soup was so creamy and delicious. You seriously have to try it!  This recipe is adapted from The Chic Site.

6 slices bacon (diced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 large onion (minced)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp all purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
3 pounds potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
green onions
extra shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Place the peeled and cubed potatoes into the crock pot, cover with 5 cups of chicken broth and set to low.  Saute the bacon and add the bacon to the crock pot while leaving the drippings in the pan.  Saute the onion in the bacon drippings for 8 minutes. Stir in the thyme and garlic and saute for an additional minute.  Add flour and stir for minute.  Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth then pour into the crock pot and stir well.  Cook for 6 to 7 hours.  Remove 3 cups of potatoes from the crock pot and mash, add the heavy cream and milk to the mixture to combine then pour back into to crock pot. Stir in the cheese and let cook for 15 minutes then serve topped with green onions and extra cheese. 

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

These pumpkin pancakes were divine!!! They made a nice batch and since only two of us would eat them we had some to heat up the next day!  This recipe is adapted from A Pretty Life in the Suburbs.

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp vinegar
2 cups flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl mix together milk, pumpkin puree, egg, oil and vinegar.  In a separate bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt.  Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.  Heat a skillet to medium heat and place 1/3 cup of batter down to make the pancakes. Continue until the batter is all cooked. Serve with butter and maple syrup. 

California Grilled Cheese

These were such a fun sandwich!  They were easy to put together making for the perfect quick dinner! This recipe is adapted from Lauren's Latest.

Bread
Butter (softened)
Tomato (sliced)
Sliced White Cheddar Cheese
Bacon (cooked)
Thinly Sliced Pepper Turkey Breast
Avocado (sliced)

Heat up a pan over medium heat.  Spread the butter on two pieces of bread.  Layer a white cheddar slice, turkey, bacon, tomato, avocado then another slice of white cheddar and top with another slice of bread.  Grill over medium heat until both sides are browned. Remove and serve. 

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Spinach

This pasta was so yummy! I loved the addition of the caramelized onions and the creamy sauce just made it great.  This recipe is adapted from Julia's Album.

2 tbsp olive oil
3 onions (sliced)
10 or 15 small mushrooms (sliced)
3 cups spinach
8 oz fettuccine pasta
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt

Heat 1tablespoon of olive oil over high heat and saute onions for 10 minutes while stirring constantly. Turn down the heat and cook for 10 more minutes, onions should be browning without burning. Add a dash of salt and cook for 10 more minutes over low heat. In a separate pan, while caramelizing the onions, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, add the mushrooms and a pinch of saute and saute over low heat for 15 minutes. Begin to boil the pasta. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the onions and stir in the spinach until it is wilted. Stir in the heavy cream, milk and parmesan cheese to the onion mixture, melt over low heat. Drain the pasta, toss in the sauce and serve.