Ooey Gooey Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Oh my goodness. These were divine. This picture truly does not do them justice!  I found this recipe over at Fifteen Spatulas.  I'm sure we will be making these again soon, these would be perfect for a Saturday night watching football!

3/4 pound strip steak
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 a softball sized onion (thinly sliced)
1 small green pepper (thinly sliced)  (we don't like peppers so I didn't use them)
8 oz mushrooms (chopped)
8 slices of provolone
salt and pepper
4 hoagie rolls, sliced in half about 3/4 of the way down

Place the strip steak in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This makes it much easier to slice.  Prepare your other ingredients while it's chilling. In a pan add the olive oil and butter. Add the onions with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until translucent. Add the peppers if using and cook for 15 more minutes.  Remove and add mushrooms to pan. Slice the steak now. Heat oven to 350. Continue cooking mushrooms until brown and soft. Add to the onion and pepper mixture. Add the steak to the pan and toss, letting it cook for about 30 seconds on each side. Turn the heat off and add the onions, peppers and mushrooms back to the pan. Divide into 4 sections and top with 2 slices of cheese per section.  Once the cheese is melted, scoop each section into one hoagie roll, wrap in foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes.  When they are done in the even remove from foil and enjoy. 

Orzo with Bacon, Spinach and Mushrooms

I love a good orzo dish!  I made this several weeks ago but it will be a great fall dish as well! The recipe is from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations.

1 tbsp olive oil
4 slices raw bacon (chopped)
1 sm onion (chopped)
 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
3 \mushrooms (chopped)
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup orzo
1/2 bag fresh spinach (roughly chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium high heat.  At bacon and saute until brown and crispy. Remove from pan.  Leave 1 Tablespoon of grease in pan.   Add garlic and onions and saute until onions are translucent.  Add mushrooms and continue to saute for 2 minutes.  Add wine and cooked until mostly absorbed.  Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo and cook until the orzo is done. Once the orzo is done stir in the spinach and bacon.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. 

Easy Chicken Pitas

I was going to make a different recipe this night but I pulled some chicken out of the freezer to thaw out and it was insanely freezer burnt. It was so weird because none of the other chicken previously was freezer burnt at all. Grrrr. And those were my last chicken breasts.  I got Gray to grab a rotisserie chicken on the way home and this recipe was created!

1 Rotisserie Chicken
1 Recipe of Tzatziki Sauce
1 Cucumber (cubed)
2 Tomatoes (diced)
1 Onion (sliced)
Feta or Mozzerella Cheese
4 Pitas

Shred the chicken and heat.  Toss with cucumber, tomato and onions.  Toss with Tzatziki using as much or as little as you desire. Warm the pita in the oven.  Top pita with chicken mixture and cheese. Serve right away. 

Pasta with Bacon, Zucchini and Cream

I made this recipe a few weeks ago and have thought of it several times since then.  I added tomatoes to the dish and we really loved that addition.  This was a great filling dinner with lots of leftovers (since only two of us eat what I cook) and we both were happy to have it again the next day!  Another winner from Cassie Craves.

1 pound rigatoni/penne/ziti
6 strips bacon (chopped)
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium zucchini (sliced into half-moons)
1 onion (chopped)
2 medium size tomatoes (diced)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta.  While boiling the pasta cook the bacon until crispy and remove.  Leave 1 tbsp of grease in the bottom of the pan. Add butter and saute the zucchini and onion. Season with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium high heat until zucchini is soft and onion is translucent. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add white wine and stir making sure to get everything off the bottom of the pot. When the wine has reduced add the cream and lower the temperature to medium.  Stir occasionally and cook until the mixture has thickened. Add tomatoes, parmesan cheese and bacon. Add the pasta to the sauce and serve. 

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, my friend Ashley kept telling me I needed to try this recipe. I'll be real here, chocolate chip cookies are not my favorite, don't judge.  If we are at a cookie store I am more likely to pick ginger cookies, molasses cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies or snickerdoodle cookies before I pick chocolate chip.  So even though they aren't my favs I gave this recipe a try and they were fabulous!!!! They really did stay soft for several days. The recipe is from Apple a Day.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  In your mixing bowl with your paddle attachment, mix together the unsalted butter and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt until fully incorporated.  Add the chocolate chips.  Use a table spoon to drop the batter onto a sheet pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not bake for longer than 10 minutes. The will still look doughy but they are done. Remove from oven and let them sit on the pan for 5 to 10 more minutes then remove from pan to cool.

Turkey Avocado Wrap

This is one of my favorite things to make for lunch. It's quick and easy to throw together and I can even make it earlier in the day and have it later if I know our day is going to get crazy.  This recipe makes 1 wrap.

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla
3 Slices of Turkey Breast
1 Slice of Colby Jack Cheese
Sliced Avocado
Diced Tomato
Lettuce
Onion
Mayo

Spread a bit of mayo on the tortilla. Place the cheese on the tortilla, then the turkey, then layer with the remaining toppings. Roll up the tortilla, burrito style and either wrap in foil for later or eat right away.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos with Black Beans, Beer and Cheddar

So it was a normal day then I saw this recipe over at Cassie Craves. And I was done. Sold. Wanted them that very night.  I waited and put them on the menu for the next week.  The day came and I put them in the crock pot and as it goes with crock pot meals, the house was smelling delicious hours before the meal was ready.  Finally dinner time rolled around and we DEVOURED these bad boys. Oh yum yum yum. Gray and I both thought these were just fabulous!!!!!

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup beer
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (15 oz) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup shredded cheddar
Flour tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, tomato, onion, etc.

Combine the beer with the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Place the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot and pour the beer mixture on top.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Without draining the liquid, shred the chicken and add the black beans to the mixture. Let cook for 15 more minutes the mix in the cheddar cheese, let cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve on top of tortillas with toppings. 

Chili Cups

This recipe is based off of the bbq cups recipe from the Country Cook!  We thought these little guys were awesome

1 cup Mrs. Kathy's Hot Dog Chili
1 Can of Biscuits
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar

Spray a muffin tin with baking spray. Press the biscuits down in the bottom and around the edges of the muffin tin.  Top with chili and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 until done.

Garlic Dill Dressing

I love homemade dressings, they are really a step above the bottled stuff but I rarely take the time to make them.   This dressing was so easy to throw together.  No one in my house but me eats dressing so this is 100% my opinion but I really enjoyed it.  It's heavy so I don't think I would make it a ton but it's a great creamy dressing.  It went well on my salad that was loaded with veggies and egg.  The recipe is from Sweet Basil.

3/4 Cup Buttermilk
2/3 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Light Mayonnaise
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1-2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
1/4 Teaspoon Dry Parsley
1 Teaspoon Dried Chives
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Dill
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Pinch of Pepper

Whisk together buttermilk, sour cream and mayonnaise.  Add all the seasonings and whisk more. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Best if made 24 hours in advanced. 

Chicken, Broccoli and Brown Rice Casserole

This is my own creation.  I made this a few weeks ago and then the other night I was going to make something similar but Gray requested that I make this again.  It is so easy and I love that it's all we need in a meal!  If you have a family larger than ours (2 people) you might want to double this recipe!

1 Chicken Breast (cooked and shredded)
1 Cup Brown Rice
2 Cups Broccoli (cut)
1 Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350. Cook the brown rice as directed on the box.  In a bowl mix together the chicken soup and milk.  Add the chicken, broccoli and rice once it is cooked.  Stir in 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar.  Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.