Southwestern Egg Rolls {from Lynnie}

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 10 Egg Rolls

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing

·         1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts – diced

·         1 medium-large onion, minced

·         1 cup frozen corn

·         1 (14.5)oz can black beans, rinsed & drained

·         2.5 cups fresh baby spinach

·         1 tablespoon cumin

·         1 tablespoon chili powder

·         3.5 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

·         salt & pepper to taste

·         10 taco sized flour tortillas

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium. Add in the chicken, season with salt & pepper to taste, & saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the diced onions & cook until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the spices, black beans, corn, & baby spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted. Remove from the heat, and stir in the pepper jack cheese.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of filling (we used more) into the center of each taco sized flour tortilla, and roll up like a burrito (folding in the sides). Brush each side with a good coating of olive oil, and place in a baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy. (ours took longer)

Serve with Cilantro Cream Sauce, if desired.

Cilantro Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients

·         1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

·         2 tablespoons sour cream

·         1 (7oz) can tomatillo sauce or salsa (same thing, different companies label them different)

·         1 teaspoon black pepper

·         1 teaspoon celery salt

·         1 tablespoon taco seasoning

·         6 cloves garlic

·         1 bunch fresh cilantro

·         the juice of half a lime

Instructions (make day ahead so flavors can gel)

Combine all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight fitting seal, and refrigerate for up to 1-2 weeks. 

Cheese Blintzes {from Lynnie}

4 eggs
1 c. cottage cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. flour

Beat eggs, add cheese and cream. Blend. Add dry ingredients. Cook like pancakes.

Serve with 1 spoonful of cottage cheese, 1 spoonful of raspberry or strawberry jam, and a dollop (or two or three) of whipped cream. Yum!

*If you don't have homemade jam, use fresh fruit. I like to puree raspberries, then mix them with whole raspberries. Blackberries work, too.

{the best ever} Glazed Banana Bread {from Meg}

This is my friend Kiera's recipe. It is so ridiculously good that Ryan eats it--and he's allergic to bananas!

Mix together:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Add and mix:
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. melted butter
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 c. oil

Mix well. Add and mix:
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 mashed, overripe bananas

Mix well.

Grease and flour pans. Bake at 350* for 1 hour.

Glaze:
In a small saucepan, combine
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbsp. butter
Heat on stove to melt together. DO NOT boil. Pour directly on warm bread loaves from stove.

Crunchy Choco-Caramel-Corn {from Lynnie}

(If you like crunchy caramel corn, you could increase the sauce a teeny bit and stop after step 3. I personally prefer mom's amazing gooey caramel corn, but for crunchy, this recipe is pretty tasty and would be good with  just the popcorn.)

4 cups popped kettle corn

1/4 c brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp corn syrup

1/8 tsp baking soda

¾ c mini marshmallows

¾ c m&ms

¼ c chocolate chips

¼  c butterscotch chips

¼ c creamy peanut butter

1.       Pour measured popcorn into large microwaveable bowl.

2.       Line cookie sheet with waxed paper

3.       In small microwaveable bowl, microwave brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup uncovered on high for 45 seconds, stir, and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over popcorn, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, stir, microwave 45 seconds, stir, microwave 45 seconds, stir. Spread on cookie sheet. Cool. Break into bite-sized pieces.

4.       Sprinkle marshmallows and m&ms over popcorn.

5.       In small microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate and butterscotch chips for 50 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. If close to being melted, add pb and microwave another 20-30 seconds. Stir. Continue to heat if needed, until chips and pb and completed melted and mixed well. Drizzle over popcorn.

6.       Chill in fridge until set.

7.       Break apart and store in tightly covered container.

Smoky Mac & Cheese {from Lynnie}

3 cups uncooked shell pasta

2 ¼ c whipping cream

1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)

¾ tsp course (kosher or sea) salt

2 cups shredded cheese

½ c shredded cheese

¾ lb ground sausage, cooked and drained

¾ c diced onions and green peppers, sauteed

1 or 1 ½ cans diced tomatoes, drained

¼ c sliced green onions

½ c grated parmesan

½c bread crumbs

2 tsp olive oil

1. Cook pasta. Drain, return to saucepan, cover to keep warm
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375*. Spray 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray.
3. In saucepan, heat whipping cream, mustard, salt, and red pepper to boiling. Reduce heat and stir in 2 c cheese with whisk until smooth. (We couldn’t taste the red pepper, so we might just leave it out next time…or ad more.)
4. Pour sauce over macaroni. Stir in tomatoes, green onions, sausage, and onion/pepper mixture. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle ½ c cheese on top.
5. In small bowl, mix parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Stir in oil (opt – I didn’t use this). Sprinkle over top of macaroni mix.
6. Bake uncovered 15-20 min or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown

Grace's Cheese Ball

16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 package of Italian Seasoning (dry mix)
Mixed Nuts

Combine cream cheese with the seasoning. Mix well. Place in plastic wrap. Cover with wrap and form a ball. Place in refrigerator until firm. Put nuts in bowl and roll around cheese ball until covered with nuts. Place on plate and serve with ritz crackers.

Broccoli & Cheese Casserole {from Grace}

2 bags frozen broccoli
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 c. margarine
1 pack of ritz crackers crumbled

Cook broccoli in microwave until edible. Drain water, put into a 9x13 pan. Melt cheese and margarine together over med/low heat. Drizzle cheese on top of broccoli. Sprinkle crackers on top. bake for 15-20 minutes, at 350 degrees, or until bubbling.