Foodie Fridays : Chili Colorado Burritos , Frozen Banana Bites

Is it just me or is stew a hearty fall meal ? I had stew meat in the freezer the other day and was totally not into stew so instead I figured I'd try making Chili Colorado . Mmmm mmm good! I basically threw it together so bear with me on the measurements .

Ingredients : 

2 pounds if stew meat

19 oz can of enchilada sauce 

1 tablespoon of cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 - 2 teaspoons of chili powder depending on how spicy you want it 

2 beef bullion cubes

2 tablespoons of flour 

Shredded cheese 

Directions : 

1. Combine all ingredients except cheese and flour in a crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours 

2. When meat is fully cooked thicken the sauce by sprinkling flour into sauce and stir well . Make sure you sprinkle it on top instead of dumping the flour in by the spoonful to avoid lumps of flour .

3. Full tortillas with meat mixture and shredded cheese . I also put beans in mine as well but it's totally up to you . 

4. Top burrito with sauce and cheese and melt cheese on top .

These chocolate covered banana bites hit the spot when I'm craving a sweet treat. Although they are covered in chocolate for some reason I feel slightly less guilty eating these since fruit is included lol

Ingredients :

2 bananas

1 cup dark chocolate meltables 

Cookie sheet lines w wax paper 

Directions : 

1. Slice bananas into about 1/2 inch thick rounds 

2. Melt chocolate in the microwave according to package . A good rule of thumb is about 30 seconds, stir , and repeat until chocolate is fully melted 

3. Dip bananas into chocolate and place of wax paper lined cookie sheet.

4 . Place cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes or more until chocolate and bananas are semi frozen 

Hope you enjoy the recipes! Let me know what you think :) While you are here check out the awesome BEAUTY BAG GOODIE SWAP Boy oh Mamas Boys! and I  are hosting ! This is round two of our beauty bag swap and we are looking forward to meeting some new ladies and reuniting with our first beauty bag goodie swap friends !Hurry sign ups end on Sunday!

   

As always, its Friday and time to Back That Azz Up with Whit. This week in honor of my birthday tomorrow I've gotta go with a club classic!Although this bday will be low key and spent at home, I will always be in da club at heart hahaha

Foodie Friday: Turkey Meatballs, Churro Cupcakes

I'm not the biggest fan of ground turkey because I find it to be dry and bland. Forgive my fat lovin' self but I would much rather have a juicy hamburger full of all the unhealthy stuff . But since we had some ground turkey in the freezer I thought I would make do with what we had and throw together some turkey meatballs. These actually turned out really good and juicy because of the broth that they are cooked in. These are a tasty , healthy alternative to traditional ground beef meat balls.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey
3/4 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg (whisked)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 clove garlic(minced)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 small onion chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl whisk egg and add in all remaining ingredients
2. Make sure all ingredients are well incorporated and form a large ball with the meat mixture. Form small meatballs 
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet on med-hi heat and add meatballs to skillet
5.Cook meatballs until browned on all sides ( total about 8-10 minutes)
6.Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth. cover and turn heat to low. cook until liquid is almost completely absorbed about 7-10 minutes. add remaining 1/2 cup of broth and turn heat up to medium high . cook uncovered until liquid is almost all absorbed 

Churro Cupcakes

Last week when I shared the recipe for the Reeses cupcakes that I made for my brothers birthday I got I few requests for the Churro cupcakes that I also made for last weeks festivities. So , as promised, here it is :)

Ingredients 

Cupcakes

2 egg yolks + 1 egg at room temp

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter (softened)

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Frosting

5 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup salted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Cupcakes
• 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2.Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and mix in butter , vanilla, and sour cream
• 3.In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir ingredients
• 4. slowly add in dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix for about 1-2 minutes or until filly mixed
• 5.Pour batter into cupcake liners and bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes clean. Do not over bake! Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting
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• Frosting 
• 1.Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth 
• 2. Slowly add in powdered sugar and continue to mix.
• 3. Add in vanilla and cinnamon and continue to mix until smooth and creamy.
• 4.Frost cupcakes and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. If you don't have premixed cinnamon sugar you can combine one tsp of cinnamon and one teaspoon of sugar together and sprinkle on top.

I hope you get a chance to try these recipes out and when you do let me know what you think !

Now it's time to break it down with Whit on this lovely Back That Azz Up Friday ! This weeks song Katy Perry Dark Horse. I start envisioning choreography every single time I hear the first beat drop. The breakdown is so perfect for a large group dance . Excuse my hip-hop obsessions once a dancer always a dancer.

   

Foodie Friday: Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, Lemon Meringue Cookies

              Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

What screams rich,creamy, delicious comfort food more than Chicken Pot Pie? This recipe is for a casserole style pot pie, throw it together , add the crust, pop it in the over and voila chicken pot pie on the fly! This meal tasted as good as I imagined.I recommend making a second batch of plain crescent rolls to eat along side the casserole so you can have something to dip in your saucy mixture

Ingredients

2 cans (10.75 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 large breasts worth of cooked shredded or diced chicken
2  cups frozen mixed vegetables I used the mix with corn ,peas,and carrots-defrosted so your mix doesn't get watered down
2 cups southern style cubed frozen hash browns -defrosted to avoid  a watery mixture
1 can (8 ounces) crescent rolls (I bought a second can to cook on the side just for extra bread to dip in my pot pie casserole )

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350 .In a bowl whisk together soup, milk, sour cream,chicken stock, black pepper, parsley and thyme.

2. Stir in chicken, veggies and potatoes. Spray  a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and pour mixture into dish

3.Unroll your crescent rolls (pinch perforations together so that it's seamless) Use a pizza cutter to cut 1/2 strips.Lay them in a lattice pattern on top of your mixture

4. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

                Lemon Meringue Cookies

Have you ever tried a meringue cookie and loved it but you were too intimidated to try making them? Ya, that was me.The just look so pretty and complicated but I finally gave it a shot and they were pretty simple .I used fresh lemons that needed to be used up but you could use any flavor that you like . I am slightly ashamed yet impressed that my family ate this whole batch in one day haha

Ingredients

4 egg whites at room temperature

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 cup sugar

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 large lemon

Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2.Beat room temp egg whites and salt for 2 minutes until they are frothy. If your using a Kitchenaid ,use the whisk attachment. If not beat with an electric mixer

3.Add sugar in one tablespoon at a time while mixer is on med -high

4.Add lemon juice and vanilla extract

5.Turn up the mixer to high and beat for about 7 minutes until mixture holds stiff peaks.

6.Gently fold in lemon zest until combined.

7.Spoon meringue mixture into pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe meringues onto a parchment lined baking sheet.TIP: DO NOT FILL BAG TO THE TOP! The meringue is full of air and when you squeeze the piping bag the mixture will expand and spill out of the top, I learned this the hard way ....duh Brittany!

8. Bake for 2 hours at 200 .At the end of the 2 hours turn the oven off and let the cookies sit for about 15 min in the oven until the meringues are dried out and have reached the perfect crispy texture

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You can find these recipes and other great blog posts on The Freedom Fridays Link Up

Foodie Friday: Crock-Pot Carnitas , Panini , Snickerdoodle Cookies

                       Crockpot Carnitas

This recipe for crock-pot carnitas is one of my families favorites. When I was working I would season and brown the roast at night, stick it in the fridge and put it all together in the morning , come home from work, shred the pork and voila dinner is served! We usually use the carnitas to make tacos or burritos but it would also make good quesadillas or enchiladas. Lime and cilantro are good toppings for these tacos the flavors compliment the pork very well.

Ingredients

2.5 lb pork roast ( trim all the fat off)
6 cloves of garlic cut in half
Cumin
Dry adobo seasoning
Garlic powder
1 cup chicken broth
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce ( omit if your family doesn't like spicy)
2 bay leaves

Instructions

1.Season pork with salt and pepper
2.Heat oil in a skillet and brown all sides of the roast ( usually about 10 minutes total)
   remove from heat and allow to cool
3.Season the pork with adobo, cumin, and garlic powder-I season pretty generously and then rub into the meat
4.Cut holes with the tip of the knife and insert the halved garlic cloves into the slits all over the roast
5.Add chicken broth, peppers, and bay leaves to the crock pot and set the roast on top cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours
6.Shred the pork using two forks
7.Remove the bay leaves and peppers and adjust seasoning as needed
8.Cook for an additional 15-30 minutes

             Last Minute Meal :Panini

Being stuck in a hotel for two weeks means a lot of eating out and frozen foods. We are stuck in the hotel for the next few days due to a crazy ice storm brrr!Rather than resorting to 3 days of hot pockets I whipped up a little panini for lunch. I have made these for dinner before with whatever ingredients I can scrounge up .
Earlier this week we bought some artichoke dip and pita chips so I substituted the dip for the pesto that I usually use. I have also used Italian dressing in the past when I was out of pesto. This is an easy meal and there are about a thousand different variations you can come up with.

Ingredients

Bread

Provolone cheese

Sliced tomato

Italian Seasoning

Pesto

Deli Meat ( I like chicken or turkey from the deli)

Instructions

1. Butter two slices of bread

2. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the buttered side of the bread

3. Spread pesto on each piece of bread ( un-buttered side)

4. Place one piece of bread ( butter down ) in a skillet

5. Layer bread with provolone cheese,tomato, meat bread

6. Cover the bottom of a smaller pan with foil and place the pan directly on top of the sandwich ( this is your     make shift panini maker)

7. Cook for a few minutes until bread is golden brown then flip sandwich and cook until golden brown

              Snickerdoodle Cookies

 I love snickerdoodles and this is the best recipe I've tried so far.They are nice and chewy and the cinnamon sugar balance is perfect !

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For rolling:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth
2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt ,and baking soda
3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well
4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator
5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping
6. Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies
7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more.The cookies may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be soft and chewy in the middle

Thank you for checking out this week's Foodie Friday post. If you try any of these recipes be sure to leave me a comment and let me know how you like it:)