Cheddar Chive Biscuits

The southern girl in me is always happy with a plate full of biscuits and these were certainly no exception.  These biscuits plus a little spread of butter, yum! This recipe is from Crazy for Crust.

3 cups flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (plus 1 tbsp for brushing)
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp chopped chives

Heat oven to 425. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Cube the butter into small pieces and mix it in using a fork or pastry blender.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Mix until the dough comes together. Stir in the cheddar cheese and chives. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the biscuits and place on a lightly greased sheet pan. Brush with 1 tbsp of melted butter. Bake in the oven for 17-20 minutes.

Taco Crescent Cups

I love anything that is perfect for little kid hands! These taco crescent cups were a super easy dinner and also easy for my kids to eat! Everyone could top them with whatever they wanted and they made for a great quick dinner!

1lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
2 cans crescent rolls
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
toppings: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, tomato

Heat oven to 375. Brown the ground beef then drain off the grease and stir in the taco seasoning and water. Turn the heat down to low.  Open the crescent rolls and seal the edges together then cut into 8 squares. Grease a muffin tin then carefully put the crescent squares down in the muffin tin. Spoon the taco meat into each crescent up then top with cheese. Bake for 14-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan and serving.

Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

I just made these a little over an house ago, it was such an easy lunch! I had plans to make some fancy sauces but I was just tired so I pulled out the big bag of chickfila sauces and served those instead and they were great! This recipe is from Cassie Craves.

1 lb chicken tenderloins
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
oil for frying

Place the chicken tenderloins in a bowl a coat with buttermilk.  Let sit for 15 minutes. In a separate bowl combine the flour, seasoning salt, poultry seasoning and black pepper.  Coat the chicken tenders in the flour mixture. Heat about one inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken tenders until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let cool down before serving with your favorite sauces.

Garlic Herb Roasted Carrots, Green Beans and Potatoes

Does anyone else struggle with good sides? I feel like I'm constantly making the same things over and over. I'm sure my family would disagree with this assessment. I made these a few weeks ago with Pork Tenderloin and it was a great side! This recipe was adapted from Cooking Classy.

5-6 red potatoes (cubed into bite size pieces)
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup fresh green beans (trimmed)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400. Toss the potatoes, carrots and green beans together. Stir in the olive oil, dried basil, dried thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. 

Nutella Swirled Blondies

I made these one afternoon and they disappeared from my house way too quickly! Crazy easy recipe that will be a delight for any nutella lover! This recipe is from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts.

1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
3 tbsp nutella

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 8x8 baking dish.  Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract. Then stir in the salt and flour. Pour into the baking dish. Drop spoonfuls of nutella into the batter then swirl with a knife. Bake for 25-30 minutes then remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Crock Pot Black Bean Soup

Black Beans are a big hit at our house and when I saw this easy crock pot recipe I had to try it! It was so good! We topped it with a little cheese and sour cream and it was delicious.  It was still pretty warm out on the night I made this but it's going to be great for cold winter nights or snow days! This recipe was adapted from The Country Cook.

3 cups vegetable or beef broth
28oz can crushed tomatoes
4 16oz cans black beans
1 small onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water
4 tbsp cornstarch

Place the broth, crushed tomatoes, black beans, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in the crock pot.  Cook on low fro 5-8 hours. After cooking use a potato masher and mash some of the beans. In a small bowl whisk together the water and cornstarch then stir it into the soup and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Apple Brie and Honey Grilled Cheese

I love a yummy grilled cheese recipe and this is a copycat of one of my favorite sandwiches from one of my favorite food trucks, the big cheese.

2 slices of hearty bread
4-5 slices brie
4-5 thinly sliced granny smith apple
honey
1 tbsp butter

Place half the butter into a hot skillet then place one piece of bread down in the butter.  Place the brie on the bread then top with the apple and a drizzle of honey then the last slice of bread.  Let cook until the bread begins to brown then melt the remaining butter and flip the sandwich.  Cook until brown on both sides and the cheese is slightly melted.

Crock Pot Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

I was going to make a different recipe this night but I couldn't get one of the ingredients I needed at the grocery store and I just didn't have it in me to go to another store. I created this on a whim and it was a great recipe. The kids loved the sweetness from the brown sugar.

3-4 chicken breasts
1 cup bbq sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour the bbq sauce on top. Cook for 6-8 hours on low.  Shred the chicken in the sauce and serve on buns.

No Bake Cheesecake Pie

I needed an easy recipe to make for dessert one night when friends were coming over. I ended up doubling it which was perfect. I had an extra pie that I was able to give to some neighbors who had just had a baby.  This recipe is adapted from Life in the Lofthouse.

8oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 prepared pie cruse

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Slowly beat in the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.  Pour into the pie crust. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Cinnamon Apple Waffles

Waffles are always a good thing in our house! Both kids love it when they see the waffle maker come out.  This was a delicious fall recipe that everyone enjoyed.  The recipe is adapted from Cosmopolitan Cornbread.

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup finely diced apple

In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate mixing bowl whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and brown sugar together. Stir the flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture then fold in the finely diced apples.  Cook the waffles according to your waffle maker directions. serve with butter and syrup.

Greasy Rice

Growing up my grandmother made a recipe that we all called Greasy Rice. It was the BEST rice. Unfortunately no one every got her recipe from it but I've always wanted to try my hand at it and this recipe was it! It's so flavorful and reminds me so much of eating at her dining room table. My son said it was the best rice I've ever made and I absolutely agree. It's amazing.

1/3 cup butter
1/2 yellow onion (finely diced)
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Saute the onion for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Stir in the rice and coat with butter. Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for 15-18 minutes. Turn off heat but do not remove the pan from the stove and let cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from stove top and serve. 

Sloppy Joe Sliders

I was going to make these when we were getting together with friends but at the last minute that got cancelled so I just made them for dinner for my family.  There wasn't a single one left! They devoured them them all and my son was sad there weren't more.  My 2 year old called them "fluffy joes" which kept us laughing all through dinner too.  This recipe was adapted from Valerie's Kitchen.

1lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
8oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
12 slider buns
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Heat oven to 350. Cook the ground beef and onions in a skillet.  Drain off the grease. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, garlic powder and cumin.  Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Place the bottom half of the buns in a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon the sloppy joe meat onto each bun. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with the other half of the bun then brush with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 10-12 minutes.