Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

Wow, these peppers were good! They were so incredibly tasty!  I wasn't sure if I should use red bell peppers (we are a red bell pepper household) or green (the original recipe uses green)......so I used one of each! My husband and I liked both colors equally - so, use what you prefer! The caramelized onions and mushrooms really put these stuffed peppers over the edge - WOW! Delish! I totally didn't miss the roll at all! Here's to a truly scrumptious low-carb dinner! Enjoy!

This recipe comes straight from the blog Quick n' Easy Recipes.

8 oz. thinly sliced roast beef (good quality from the deli)

8 slices provolone cheese

2 large green bell peppers (I used one green and one red)

1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced

6 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbl butter

2 Tbl olive oil

1 Tbl garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper – to taste

Preheat oven to 400F

Slice peppers in half lengthwise, remove ribs and seeds. Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese. 

Saute sliced onions and mushrooms over medium heat with butter, olive oil, minced garlic and a little salt and pepper.  Saute until onions and mushroom are nice and caramelized.  About 20-25 minutes. Remove onions/mushrooms from heat.

Slice roast beef into thin, bite-sized strips and add to the onion/mushroom mixture.

Fill each pepper with meat mixture until they are nearly overflowing.

 

Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown.  YUMMERS!

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

This recipe has been floating around Pinterest for quite some time. I finally made it and it is super delicious!! This dinner was as easy as you can get, tasted amazing AND my WHOLE family ate it! Yup, it was one of those rare moments, folks! All three kids LOVED this chicken!! I'm so excited! Now I want to make it again and again!! I must say I did NOT put the kids' chicken back into the crock pot after I shredded it - saturating it in the wing sauce would have been way too spicy for them! Remember that if you plan on serving this to your kids!!!

This spicy, shredded chicken would be great for so many things- in tacos, on nachos, on a baked potato, or served on a split bun (ooh, I'm envisioning coleslaw on top of that!!).  We ate ours in soft tacos. We topped it with shredded carrots, lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheddar and crumbled blue cheese (only the hubby and I ate the blue cheese)....the blue cheese really made it, I must say! I plan on using the leftovers to top some potato skins (recipe to follow later this week!).  Remember, you can easily double or triple the recipe and bring it to a pot luck or serve it at a party.

**Please note that I only made half of the recipe below (I used three chicken breasts, half a bottle of wing sauce and approx. 1/2 package of Ranch) and it served my family of five (but my three children are little).

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle of buffalo wing sauce (like Frank's or I used a brand I found at Whole Foods and it was great)
1 package of Ranch seasoning mix

Place chicken in a crock pot. Top with wing sauce and Ranch seasoning mix.  Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken from the pot and shred. If you plan to serve the chicken to your children, you may want to leave theirs out at this point (so it isn't too spicy). Return shredded chicken to the crock pot and let it soak in the sauce for another 30 minutes.

This is the freshly shredded chicken before I put it back into the crock pot to soak in the wing sauce

Serve with tacos, nachos, on a baked potato, on a bun or any other way you think sounds delicious!!

"Raw" Cookie Dough Bites

I love these! I just LOVE these! I didn't make them for my kids or for my husband; I made them JUST for myself and I am in heaven! Almonds, walnuts, oats & honey ground fine to taste like cookie dough?! Yes, please! Okay, let me make this clear....they do not taste exactly like cookie dough- I mean, there is no substitute for the butter and sugar and eggs- oh my! But, they do have a similar texture and they are sweet and satisfying and for goodness sakes people, these bites are health food!!! So, with that in mind (that these are actually full of fiber and nutrient-dense goodness) they are pretty pretty good! They definitely satisfy my sweet tooth! Enjoy!

This recipe comes straight from the blog A Dash of Compassion.

2/3 cup raw almonds
2/3 cup raw walnuts
2/3 cup raw oat flakes or old fashioned oats (I used the oats)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw agave nectar or honey (I used honey)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbl cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips (you know I used chocolate chips!)

In a food processor, process the almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt to a fine meal. Add the agave nectar (or honey) and vanilla and process to combine. Next, add the cocoa nibs (or chocolate chips) and pulse just to combine.

Roll the cookie dough into balls about 1 tbsp each (wet your hands if the dough is too sticky) and place them on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the freezer.

Less Loaded Potato Soup

Who doesn't love a giant baked potato loaded with sour cream, butter and bacon? I can't think of a soul! And then there is loaded potato soup - it has all the fixings just pureed smooth with lots of heavy cream! This comfort food is full of flavor as well as fat and calories!  What is a health conscious, yet potato-loving person to do?!

Enter Cooking Light's recipe for Creamy, Light Potato Soup! This soup has all the flavor of Loaded Potato Soup with much fewer calories and extra nutrition to boot thanks to the roasted cauliflower! There is no butter and no cream, as well! You can add the cheese and bacon crumbles at the end if you so choose....if you want to save on the calories, then leave them off. The soup alone is delicious! Serve with a crusty bread - multi-grain, of course! Enjoy!

1 1/2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped (do not peel)
5 cups chicken broth
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 bay leaf
1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
3/4 cup green onion, chopped, divided
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, thyme, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes, stock, 1/2 tsp salt and bay leaf; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

While potatoes simmer, combine remaining 1 Tbl oil, cauliflower, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray or lined with foil; toss to coat. Roast at 450F for 30 minutes or until browned, turning ocne.

Place cauliflower mixture and milk in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening (to avoid slpatters). Blend until smooth. Pour cauliflower mixture into a large bowl. Add half of potato mixture to blender; pulse 5 to 6 times or until coarsely chopped (when potatoes get over blended, they become sticky and gummy- not a very nice texture for soup! So, please just pulse and leave soup slightly chunky). Pour into bowl with cauliflower mixture. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. Place cauliflower-potato mixture in Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp salt, remaining 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup green onions and light sour cream; stir until sour cream melts. Ladle soup into bowls. Top evenly with remaining green onions and cheese and bacon, if using. 

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

My friends, Sarah & Keli, have been raving about the blog Skinny Taste. They specifically told me I had to try the Chicken Taco Chili. Well, I made it today and it was super yummy!! It was crazy easy to make and healthy to boot!!! The whole family loved it! I can't wait to try more of her recipes!! Enjoy!

1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package frozen corn kernels (I used canned corn)
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies (I used a 28oz can of fire roasted tomatoes)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used only two breasts and there was a ton of meat)
chili peppers, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)
cooked rice (optional)

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers (if using), corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker.  Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred with two forks. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.  Serve chili over cooked rice, if desired. Top with fresh cilantro and sour cream and cheese, if using.

Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

My father made this yummy side dish when he and my mom were out visiting over the holidays. I just loved it! Mashed cauliflower is a healthy and delicious substitute for mashed potatoes when you are trying to eat less carbs or eat more veggies or both! Use light cream cheese, light sour cream and skim milk if you want to further the healthy benefits (that's taking it too far for me, however....I don't let anything labeled "light" enter my fridge - just sayin'......)! Enjoy!

1 large head of cauliflower, bottom cut off and chopped (this yields approx 8 cups)
2 Tbl cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbl sour cream
2 Tbl milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 to 1 tsp salt (to taste)
Pepper to taste
1/2 c. shredded cheese - optional (I used cheddar; you can use a shredded mix or pepper jack for a little spice)

Preheat oven to broil.

Steam chopped cauliflower for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender.  The way you prepare the mashed cauliflower depends on your texture preference. For a chunkier texture you can mash everything together with a potato masher. You can also put all the ingredients into the food processor (I used my Vitamix) to get a really creamy texture. This is your call. However you decide, combine the steamed cauliflower, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  If you are not using the cheese, your cauliflower is ready to eat!

If you are using cheese, spoon the cauliflower mash into a baking dish and evenly sprinkle cheese on top. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Crunchers Club Cracker Bars

This recipe for "Crunchers" is said to be one of the most pinned recipes on Pinterest. I have to admit, I was intrigued!  These bars are no bake - which is always nice! They were simple to make and they cut like a dream (the knife just glides right through the crackers yielding perfectly straight bars). Very tasty and I love the crunch! I also think the layers are really pretty! Definitely make these if you are looking for something different and yummy. 
Thank you to the blog Twirl & Taste for giving us Crunchers! 

80 Keebler Club Crackers (or a similar buttery cracker that has a rectangular shape.)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (very fine)
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butterscotch morsels

Line an ungreased 9 X 13-inch baking pan with foil, allowing foil to extend about an inch on either end. Line the foil with 1 layer of club crackers, cutting to fit if necessary.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly (begin timing 5 minutes from when you see the first bubbles).

Remove from heat and spread half of graham mixture evenly over crackers. Place another single layer of crackers evenly over graham mixture, cutting to fit if necessary.

Spread remaining graham mixture evenly over crackers. Top evenly with remaining crackers (so in total, you will have crackers, graham mixture, crackers, graham mixture and then finally crackers).

In a small microwave safe bowl combine peanut butter, chocolate morsels, and butterscotch morsels. Heat one minute and then stir. Return to microwave for another 30 seconds and stir; then again for 30 seconds and stir. At this point, everything should be melted. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top of crackers.

Cover, and chill for at least 1 hour. Use the foil over-hang to remove the bars from the pan. Use a large, sharp knife to cut the bars into squares. Enjoy!