Crock Pot Cheesy Ravioli

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   Pasta is a big deal in my house. We all love it, especially my kids (what kid doesn't love pasta?) and it can be made so many different ways. This Crock Pot Cheesy Ravioli is so delicious. It is family-friendly, comfort food at it's finest!

   I especially love that it's cooked in the crock pot, so my oven is free for other use ( like baking my favorite Carrot Cake for our weekly cheat-treat! )

   This recipe can be made with any type of ravioli. I think the meat one would be awesome to use instead of the cheese version, or you could try the spinach and mozzarella ravioli from Costco. Have you ever tried it? It is really, really good!

  
Crock Pot Cheesy Ravioli

1 large jar (45 ounces) of pasta sauce
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (10 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 bag (25 ounce) frozen ravioli
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese


Directions: Spray the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. In a separate bowl mix together the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, cheddar cheese soup and garlic. Mix until combined.

Spoon 1/3 of the sauce mixture into the crock pot. Top with 1/3 of the ravioli. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheeses over the ravioli. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with the cheese.

Cover with lid and cook on High for 3-4 hours.

Serves 6-8

 *Every crock pot heats differently, so watch the time. Mine was done perfectly at 3 hours.








Recipe from: Barns and Noodles

Seven-Layer Dip

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   Seven-layer dip is the greatest dip of all time. Well, I think so anyway. I am a Mexican food fanatic, and can never get enough of it. Whenever I'm around this dip, I usually have to ask someone to pry me away from it because I could eat it all in one sitting  : / 
Seriously.
   I like to use the 'freshest' ingredients possible when I make this. I use this homemade salsa for the salsa layer, and I recommend using fresh, grated cheddar cheese. Not the pre-shredded packaged stuff. I've never made my own guacamole (which is on my to-make list) so I use my grocery stores fresh guacamole they make daily. It is really good!


Seven-Layer Dip
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning1 1/4 cups fresh guacamole1 (8 ounce) container sour cream3/4 cup fresh, chunky salsa1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 small can sliced olives, drained2 green onions, sliced
Tortilla chips, for dipping

Directions: In a small bowl, mix together the refried beans and taco seasoning until combined. Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch glass deep dish pie plate or a 8x8 glass baking dish.
Spread the guacamole evenly over the top of the beans. Then spread the sour cream evenly over the guacamole.
Use a slotted spoon to drain any excess liquid from the salsa, and then spoon salsa over the top of the sour cream. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the salsa. Sprinkle the olives and green onions over the cheese. Cover with saran wrap and place in fridge for at least 2 hours to chill, before serving.
Serve dip with tortilla chips and enjoy! ♥

    

Mini Tomato and Mozzarella Tarts

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   Looking for a knock-the-socks-off-your-party-guests appetizer? Than look no further, friends! These Mini Tomato and Mozzarella Tarts are finger-food party perfection, and will without a doubt impress.

   I planned on making these for our family's New Years Eve party, but my hubby was still sick, so there was no partying for us that night :(   Instead, I made them for lunch the next day and was in utter and complete bliss as I ate them. They were amazing!

   After I inhaled a few, I called my Mom and told her to get over to my house immediately, so she could try one. She declined because she didn't want Kale getting her sick, so we planned to have a family dinner soon, so I could make these for it.

  Our family dinner is this Sunday and I am SO excited for everyone to try them! That is, if I don't eat them all before we get there.....


Mini Tomato & Mozzarella Tarts

1 package (17.3 ounce) puff pastry dough, defrosted
olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 Tablespoons chicken broth
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Roma Tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a very lightly floured, clean surface. Roll out into a large square (about 10x10 inches). Using a 1 1/2 -inch biscuit cutter, cut 9 circles out of one sheet of pastry dough. Repeat with second sheet of pastry dough. You should have 18 circles of dough total.

Place the dough circles onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onion, and minced garlic. Saute for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and no moisture remains in the skillet.

Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the chicken broth and thyme to the onion mixture in skillet. Stir and continue to cook another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4 inch wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with a fork and sprinkle a teaspoon of Parmesan cheese on each circle, staying inside the scored border.

Place one Tablespoon of onion mixture on each circle, on top of the Parmesan cheese. Place one tomato slice on top of the onion mixture, in the center of each tart. Brush with olive oil and then sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper. Place one cube of Mozzarella on top of each tomato. Repeat with all tarts.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy! ♥


Recipe adapted from: Barefoot Contessa

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Surprise Virtual Baby Shower!

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   Surprise! Some of my favorite blogging friends and I are throwing a Surprise Virtual Baby Shower for our friend Mandy, who blogs over at Mandy's Recipe Box. Mandy is due with her 4th child in just a few weeks, so we all wanted to celebrate and share some delicious food in her honor.

   I adore Mandy and am so happy I've got to know her through the yummy food blogging world. We first 'met' 2 years ago, when I came across one of her recipes over at Tasty Kitchen. I clicked on the link to her blog and instantly fell in-love with it! She had so many recipes I wanted to make.

   I decided to comment on one, and soon after we both started commenting back and forth on each others blogs. We became friends on Facebook and the rest is history! We have lot's in common. We both have 3 children. 2 girls and 1 boy (excluding her bun in the oven) and both named our youngest daughters Emma. We also share the same sense of humor, love of food, and religious beliefs. I know if Mandy and I lived closer to each other we'd be real BFF's  :)

   So to you, Miss Mandy, I want to say Congratulations and wish you the best of luck when your little one arrives. I wish we lived closer so I could help you out, bring you dinners, and babysit when you need a break... or a nap! ♥


Now, let's party! I brought the cookies....





Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields about 3 dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
6 Tablespoons vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon red food coloring
1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips, divided


Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Add butter, shortening and sugar to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and mix on medium speed until very fluffy, about 3 or so minutes. Add egg, egg yolk and mix until combined. Then add vinegar, vanilla and food coloring. Mix until well blended.

Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips. Scoop dough out by the heaping Tablespoonful, and roll into balls. Place balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Gently press about 4-5 more white chocolate chips into the top of each ball. Being careful not to flatten the balls.

Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Enjoy ♥



Recipe adapted from: Cooking Classy





Below is a list of the other bloggers celebrating Mandy's baby shower:



Brandie @ The Country Cook
Amy @ Shugary Sweets
Jocelyn @ Inside Bru Crew Life
Nikki @ Chef In Training
Stephanie @ Back For Seconds
Ashton @ Something Swanky
Dorothy @ Crazy For Crust
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel
Stephanie @ Macaroni and Cheesecake
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos

BBQ Chicken Nachos

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   The Super Bowl is this Sunday and everyone, well most everyone, is trying to find the perfect appetizers to serve. If you're still undecided, you should give these nachos a whirl. They are unbelievably good.

   One of my Facebook friends asked me a while back, what kind of cheese sauce I would use on BBQ Nachos?  My first thought was, 'BBQ Nachos?'.. That sounds like the yummiest thing in the world!' And then my next thought was...  'Google'.

   I typed in 'BBQ Nachos' and the first recipe that pulled up was Bobby Flay's. That man is a genius. I scoped out his recipe and loved everything about it. The sauce sounded amazing, so I responded back to her question on Facebook, and gave her the link to Bobby's recipe.

  When I was done, I quickly printed the recipe off for myself, and knew I would be making them ASAP. I made a few changes to the original recipe, and we totally loved the outcome. We were scarfing these down like animals! YUM!



BBQ Chicken Nachos
8-10 servings


2 pounds Corn Tortilla Chips
1 1/2 pounds cooked, shredded Chicken
1 pint BBQ sauce
1 quart Nacho Cheese/ Queso Sauce, recipe below


Nacho Cheese/ Queso Sauce:

1 pound pasteurized cheese (Velveeta)
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, chopped (for topping)


Directions: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Stir until melted.

For Nachos: Arrange tortilla chips on a large serving platter, or on individual plates. Cover with the shredded chicken. Top with BBQ sauce, then smother with the Nacho Cheese/Queso sauce.  Enjoy! ♥

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Alton Brown's #10

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Everyone has their favorite recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. Me, I have recipes I like for certain reasons. Yes, I have a couple that I go-to most often, but I can't say that I have the *one*.  My friend Julie says her chocolate chip cookie recipe is the best.   Now, I have not seen the recipe or tried a cookie (let me give the caveat right now that Julie is an excellent cookie baker. Every cookie I have had of hers, is excellent), but I know if it is cakey, I won't think it is the best. I like a chewy, chocolate chip cookie. I like it soft, not crunchy when I bite into it.  
Most often, I go back and forth between this cookie, Alton Brown's #10 and Alton Brown's The Chewy.  While the cookies are similar, they are a little different too. In the directions for this cookie, there is no chilling time. I always add chilling time.  Then again, I usually chill the cookie dough before baking regardless.  I have friends who chill the dough 48-72 hours before baking, after making these cookies from Jacques Torres that was published in the New York Times. I have made them, and they were very good, but when I get a craving for chocolate chip cookies, I don't want to wait 2 or 3 days. 
Back to the cookies at hand. These are rich, chewy, chocolatey. Alton Brown's #10 uses ingredients everyone has in their pantry. This recipe is from his  book I'm Just Here for More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking. This recipe uses the muffin method, so you combine the dry, add them to the mixed wet, then stir in your add-ins. The cookies come together quickly. 
I also take my cookies out on the earlier side so I can ensure they are chewy.



Chocolate Chip Cookie #10 from I'm Just Here for More Food - Alton BrownMix and set aside:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt
Now mix together the wet ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar3/4 cup brown sugar1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 2 large egg yolks1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Now add the dry to the wet and mix gently with a wooden spoon. Do not over mix!!  While there is still some flour showing, add 2 cups chocolate chips and mix the rest of the way.Bake 10-11 minutes or until golden at 375º. 

Stroganoff-Style Spaghetti 'n' Meatballs

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This is a true 30-Minute Meal. I had to work late, yada, yada, yada, you know the story. I needed to get something on the table, and fast. Luckily, I remembered this recipe that I saw in a Taste of Home magazine while at my parents. I pulled it up on the computer and had dinner in about 20 minutes. We keep meatballs, turkey and/or beef, in the freezer for times like this. Since the meatballs are pre-cooked, this dish takes as long as it takes for water to boil and spaghetti to cook.
This recipe is great just because we keep these ingredients in the pantry/freezer and it was seriously quick.
The boys really liked this. C requested it be on the "Make Forever" list. It was also a nice change from red sauce spaghetti.
This dish isn't the most photogenic. I will add, there was a nice green veggie on the plate but that got eaten before I remembered to take a picture of the plate.



Stroganoff-Style Spaghetti 'n' Meatballs Recipe
Adapted from Taste of Home


1/2 pound uncooked spaghetti
1 package (12 ounces) frozen fully cooked Italian meatballs
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used less)
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/4 cup 2% milk
1teaspoon beef base
1/8 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream



Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the meatballs, onion and garlic in oil for 4-5 minutes or until meatballs are browned. Stir in the soup, milk, beef base and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.


Gradually stir in sour cream; heat through (do not boil). Drain spaghetti. Serve immediately with meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.