Cream Cheese Strawberry Crescents

So recently I went to someone's house for a get together. I wanted to take something, but it was kind of last minute, so I needed to make do with what I had in the kitchen. Lucky for me, I had a roll of refrigerator crescent rolls. You can make so much with those things, seriously.

I then looked to see what I could find to stuff inside these lovely rolls. I found cream cheese and strawberry jelly. Perfection.

These were the result of the experiment. I will say they made a lovely sticky sugary mess on my baking sheet, so next time I might do things a little differently, but they were still good. You could do these with a full crescent roll instead of cutting them smaller like I did, too. I was just trying to make smaller treats. :)

Ingredients:
-refrigerator crescent rolls
-About 1/4 of a block of cream cheese
-About 1/3 cup jelly

Directions:
Preheat oven according to package directions.

Lay out the crescent roll dough on a baking sheet. If using the full rolls, just separate them. If cutting into smaller bits, cut and separate (I didn't separate very well, and it made it harder to roll them around the filling).

Spread a little cream cheese on each roll.

Spoon a little strawberry jelly over the cream cheese.

Roll the crescent dough around the filling and evenly space them on the baking sheet.

Bake according to package directions, until golden brown and yummy.

Remove from baking sheet before they cool, especially if the jelly oozed out and made a mess. Once it cools, it's almost impossible to get the rolls off without mangling them. Serve and enjoy.

Yum!

Taco Dip

Can I just say that some days, I just want to snack all day? Meals are no fun, and I just want to munch. That was why this ended up on the menu. However, it is full of such great stuff it could totally make a meal. Haha. My husband and I were totally satisfied eating this for dinner. Cause we're cool like that.

This would also be a great dish to take to a party, or to have at your own. It's super easy, and it's great cold or room temperature, so no worrying about keeping it warm. So I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Ingredients:
-1 can refried beans
-1 lb ground beef
-1/2 cup water
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1 teaspoon onion powder
-2 tablespoons chili powder
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1/2-3/4 cup red enchilada sauce
-1.5 cups guacamole* (homemade recipe below)
-1.5 cups sour cream
-1 cup shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack)
-tortilla chips, for dipping

Directions:
Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium/high heat until no longer pink. Drain and return to skillet. Add the water, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to incorporate well.

Reduce heat to medium. Let the water start to simmer, and stir occasionally. When the water has mostly evaporated and the meat has absorbed most of the flavor of the spices, it's done. Set aside.

In a square baking dish (approximately 9 by 9 inches), spread the refried beans in an even layer.

Add the ground beef as the next layer. Spoon the enchilada sauce over the beef in as even a layer as possible.

It won't be perfect, but that's ok.

Next, spread the guacamole* over the other three layers.

The next layer will be the sour cream,

and then the shredded cheese.

And you're done!

Serve with tortilla chips for dipping and dig in!

*Homemade guacamole:
Ingredients:
-2 avocados
-1 lime
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1 teaspoon onion powder
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro

Directions:
Cut around the pit of each avodaco. Gently twist the two halves apart. One half should contain the pit. Insert your knife blade into the pit, and gently turn it. If you do it right and you have a good avocado, it should twist right out. Discard the pit. Using a spoon, gently remove the avocado from the skin. Rough chop the avocado and place in a food processor, or a large mixing bowl.

Sprinkle with the juice of one lime. This will help to keep the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown, as well as adding a fresh flavor to the guacamole. Pulse the avocado (or mash with a fork if you don't have a food processor) until it reaches the desired consistency. For me, that's pretty smooth with few chunks, but feel free to leave it a little chunkier if that's your thing. Add the spices and pulse or mash to combine and incorporate well.

Once that's done, your guacamole is ready for consumption. Enjoy!

Grilled Burritos

Once again, I’m making food based on what’s left in my pantry and fridge. These grilled burritos would be easy to throw together on a busy weeknight. Super easy and pretty yummy.
I usually have some tortillas in the pantry. They’re so versatile that they can make a decent meal in a pinch…quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, etc. So I had quite a few in my pantry. I also pretty much always have chicken in my freezer. We eat a lot of chicken. Chicken is also very versatile.
So I looked at the remaining ingredients in my kitchen and came up with this recipe. I think it turned out pretty well, and it’s not totally crazy. Haha. I made enough for my husband and I to each have 3 or 4 burritos because my tortillas were smaller. If you’re using bigger tortillas, you won’t have as many burritos. I also made about a cup of cooked chicken, just to gauge how much this made. Anyway, enjoy.

Ingredients:
-chicken breast, cooked and shredded (about a cup)
-1/2 can whole kernel corn, drained
-1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 cup shredded cheese (I used Colby jack)
-tortillas, enough to feed everyone

Directions:
Combine the chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese in a large-ish bowl. Stir to incorporate everything evenly.

Spoon a little of the filling in the center of a tortilla.

Fold one edge (the “bottom” of the tortilla) slightly toward the center.

This will keep the filling from falling out as you eat it. Next, fold the two “sides” in to the center to create the burrito.

I used my counter top grill to grill the burritos. I just placed them on the grill, closed the lid, and let them grill for a couple minutes until they were golden brown.

You can also bake them for a few minutes. Either way, heating them up is ideal. Serve immediately.

Yum! I told you it was easy!

Chicken Bacon Quesadillas

Ok, so quesadillas are so super easy to make. I make them when I don't feel like cooking. Most of the time they're really simple, like just cheese or something. But occasionally I like to spice things up a bit. This time, I used chicken, bacon, and cheese. Super easy, and quick. Dipping these in ranch dressing is pretty tasty too. MMM. You can also make these as an appetizer or snack, or as a full on light meal. Very adaptable.

I bake my quesadillas most of the time, but you can grill them too. Either way, the inside is hot and melty and yummy, so do what you will. None of the ingredients have measurements because I just throw things together. Make enough to feed everyone, and just assemble at will. Let's go!

Ingredients:
-chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (you can season them if you want, depending on what flavor you're going for)
-bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can cheat and use store bought bacon bits)
-shredded cheese (I used colby jack)
-tortillas (I used flour. I think they work better for quesadillas)

Directions:
Sprinkle a layer of the cheese on one half of one of the tortillas.

Add the chicken and bacon.

Sprinkle another layer of cheese on top. Fold the tortilla over the filling.

Use a toothpick to hold it closed if necessary. Place on a baking sheet

and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, turning over halfway through. The tortilla should be slightly crispy and slightly browned.

Cut the baked quesadilla into wedges

and serve. Ranch dressing for dipping sauce, and you've got a winner.

Yum!

Chicken Quesadillas

I've made quesadillas a million times, and I've made several different kinds-beef, chicken, cheese. They are SO easy, and so yummy. I've shared a beef quesadilla recipe on this blog before. This time, I'm sharing the chicken kind. Super simple. Super easy. Supper wonderful. This can be a light meal, an appetizer, or a snack. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-Chicken breast, cooked and shredded (enough to feed everyone; I used two)
-1/2 cup water
-1/4 teaspoon cumin
-1 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
-shredded cheese, (I used colby jack), about 1/4 cup-ish per tortilla
-tortillas, enough to feed everyone

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium skillet, heat the water, and mix in the spices. Add in the shredded chicken,

and cook, stirring frequently, until the water has dissipated, and the chicken has taken on the flavor of the spices. Remove from heat and set aside.

Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese on one half of a tortilla.

Add a little of the chicken. Sprinkle a little more cheese over the chicken.

Fold the tortilla over so it covers the filling.

If necessary, poke a toothpick through it to keep it folded over. Place on a baking sheet.

When all the quesadillas are made, place in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, turn over, and bake for another 5 minutes, until the tortilla is a little crispy and the cheese is melted and everything is yummy.

When the quesadilla is heated through and a little crispy, remove from the oven and cut into wedges (3 wedges per tortilla).

Serve with dipping sauce of your choice...sour cream, salsa, queso, whatever. Enjoy!

Homemade Tortilla Chips

I love eating tortilla chips with some sort of dip. It is one of my favorite snacks ever. I decided since I like them so much, I might as well try to make some at home. I used store bought flour tortillas. Adjust as desired. :)

Ingredients:
-1 package flour tortillas
-cooking spray
-salt, if desired

Directions:
Turn on the broiler setting to low on your oven. Let it pre-heat.

Cut the tortillas into wedges. I used a pizza cutter and cut a few at a time. I got 8 wedges from each tortilla.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay out the wedges in a single layer, making sure they don't touch or overlap.

Spray the wedges with cooking spray. Place under the broiler until toasted.

Just stand there and watch them. It won't take long. Flip the wedges over and return to the oven until that side is crispy as well. Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt, is desired. Serve with the dip of your choosing.

Yummy!

Southwestern Eggrolls with Avocado Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

I have seen versions of these done several different ways and in many different places. This is my version, and I came up with a yummy dipping sauce to go with it. These are pretty easy to make, and they're so.good. You can do these as appetizers at a party, or you can make them as a meal, which is what I did. Either way, they are amazing.

I will make a confession. I forgot something in mine, so the pictures won't really show that one ingredient, but just pretend that it's in there. It's the cheese. I know. It's sad that I could forget the cheese, but I did. So...don't forget the cheese. I'll give the recipe the way it's supposed to be, so just follow it. :) Yum!

Ingredients:
For eggrolls-
-1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (I put mine in my food processor)
-1 can whole kernel corn, drained
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
-1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
-1 tablespoon onion powder
-2 tablespoons garlic
-1 teaspoon cumin
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 package soft taco sized tortillas

For Dipping Sauce-
-1 avocado
-3 tablespoons sour cream
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1/2 tablespoon onion powder
-1/4 teaspoon cumin
-1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, corn, beans, spinach, cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder.

Stir to evenly distribute all the ingredients.

Preheat the oven the 400 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for about 10-20 seconds. This makes them pliable. Scoop some of the chicken mixture into the center of the tortilla.

Fold two sides of the tortilla in toward the center,

then roll it into a burrito type shape

and place it seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Repeat for all the tortillas.

Spray cooking spray on the tops of the rolled tortillas, so that the whole tortilla roll has a light coating of oil (the greased baking sheet on the bottom, cooking spray on top).

Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the eggrolls over and bake another 10 minutes. The tortillas should get crispy and slightly browned.

If they don't get crispy enough, you can stick them under the broiler on low for a couple minutes to crisp them up. Remove from the oven and serve hot. I always cut them in half. It makes them a little easier to handle in my opinion.

While the eggrolls are baking, make the dipping sauce. To start, cut the avocado in half, working your knife around the whole avocado around the pit. To separate the halves, gently hold the avocado in both hands and twist gently.

One side should break free of the pit and allow you to pull apart the halves. To remove the pit from the other half, stick your knife blade into the pit,

then gently twist it until it breaks free.

Discard the pit. To scoop out the avocado, take a spoon and work it right inside the peel all the way around the half.

The inside should come out in relatively one piece if you do it right. Discard the peel. Roughly chop the inside of the avocado and place it in a food processor. Process it until it's relatively smooth. Add the sour cream and the seasonings and process it until it's well mixed together.

Serve with the hot eggrolls as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!