Broccoli Cheese Appetizer

My son Loooves broccoli. It's so funny. I mean it's right up there with fruit snacks and dum-dums. I'm not going to tell him it's actually good for him. So, recently I've been trying to find recipes that have "brotly" in it, as he would say. And this recipe is in honor of him today. {he's two today!!}

This is one of the easiest and yummiest appetizers. But, I have to say, make sure you cook it until it's bubbling. I pulled it out a bit early because I was being impatient. Hey, you would be too if you knew what was coming! Enjoy.

{BROCCOLI CHEESE APPETIZER}
Click here to print this recipe 

1 pkg. (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1 envelope dry Italian Dressing Mix
1 pkg. (10-oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, well drained
1 pkg. (8-oz.) KRAFT shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Heat oven to 350°. Beat cream cheese, sour cream and dressing mix with mixer until blended. Add broccoli and 1-1/2 cups Cheddar cheese; mix well. Spread into 9-inch pie plate. Bake 20 min. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese; bake 5 minutes or until melted. Serve with crackers.

Creamy Zucchini Casserole

Before I met my husband, I thought the only thing you could use zucchini for was zucchini bread. True story. Oh wait, and maybe just steamed with salt and pepper. But this recipe is DELISH! It's truly a comfort-style casserole dish. It does take a little bit of prep time, but it tastes wonderful! Plus, it's another wonderful way to use up the zucchini growing all throughout your garden. I say, "your" garden because our TWO zucchini plants mysteriously died after giving us 3 zucchinis. What's that about?

Enjoy!

{CREAMY ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE}

6 c. sliced zucchini
¼ c. onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1 c. carrots, shredded
1 (8-oz) pkg. of Stove Top stuffing
1 ¼ c. water
1 cube butter

Fry zucchini and onion for 5-8 minutes. Prepare stuffing according to package. Mix the cream of  chicken, sour cream, carrots, and stuffing. Spread half of the creamy mixture in bottom of baking dish. Mix the zucchini with the remaining mixture and put on top. Cook at 350° for 30 minutes. 

BLT Wraps

I'm mad at these wraps. 

I almost lost a digit while cutting the dang tomatoes. I blamed my husband at the time, saying he "chose the wrong knife." But, I can humble myself now to say that I should have known better. I guess it's a miracle I haven't had an accident before now. I insisted on getting the sharpest knives possible, last Christmas. I love them...but I also love having 10 fingers. 

With that said, these wraps still tasted great. Thanks to the hubs for picking up my slack, and also for forgiving my dramatics. I think once my thumb heals, I might try this again! Until then, why don't YOU enjoy them. And practice safe tomato slicing!

Hmphh.

{BLT WRAPS}

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces (carefully!)

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

2-3 green onions, sliced

Soft flour tortillas, or wraps

Dressing:

1 tsp. sugar 

½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ c. mayonnaise
¼ c. salad dressing (miracle whip)

Mix dressing ingredients together. Toss with lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, and onions. Fill tortillas/wraps with salad. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Softy and Chewy Snickerdoodles

I'm picky when it comes to cookies. They have to be plump, chewy, and moist. I remember in college, I really went through a cookie slump. I don't know what it was, I couldn't make cookies to save my life. Plus, I always left the oven on afterward on accident. I was a great roommate.

Since then, I've worked really hard to find EXCELLENT cookie recipes. Especially for the classics, like snickerdoodles. I have to say, this is pretty darn near perfect. I love it. Save this for your classics. 

Enjoy!

{SOFT AND CHEWY SNICKERDOODLES}

1 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2  3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. salt

3 T. Sugar & 2 tsp. cinnamon, combined

In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening, sugar and eggs until light and creamy. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Combine with creamy mixture. Roll dough into large marble sized balls and roll into cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Peasant Rolls

This is a branch off my favorite bread. It is just SO simple to make and I love the texture of it. It's a little crunchy on the outside and a dense goodness on the inside. So, I decided to morph the bread into rolls. SUCCESS! It tasted PERFECT with my fresh apricot jam. Pure bliss. 

Enjoy!

{PEASANT ROLLS}

Makes 1 dozen

1 pkg. yeast
2 c. warm water
1 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 c. flour
Cornmeal
Butter, melted

Place yeast, water, sugar, and salt in a warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise one hour until doubled in size. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray and sprinkle with corn meal. Flour hands, remove dough from the bowl and divide evenly into muffin tins. Let rise an additional hour. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375° and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Remember how I love anything with lime, crushed tortilla chips, and cheese? Well, this has all of that, which puts this recipe in my top 5 favorites. This is always what I want when I'm sick. Forget about the traditional chicken noodle soup (ok, there is a time and a place for that too, especially with homemade noodles---another day, I promise!). But this tortilla soup is a cup full of chicken/veggie/brothy goodness. Did I just say that? I believe I did. 

You better enjoy this one!

{CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP}

1 T. olive oil
½ c. diced white onions
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. diced jalapenos
8 c. chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
2 c. julienne carrots
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 c. diced tomatoes
½ c. diced red onions
1 tsp. salt

½ lb. chicken, cooked & shredded

Garnishes:
Mozzarella cheese
Corn strips
Lime wedge

Combine oil, onions, garlic and jalapenos in a soup pot. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a medium simmer for 5 minutes. Pour soup into individual bowls; top with corn strips and cheese. Squeeze lime over the top.

Perfect Sweet and Sour Sauce

I found this recipe when I was in my whole, "I can make ANYTHING from scratch" phase. Which really, I go in and out of that "phase" a lot. But this was the FIRST round. You know after I had the pita pocket epiphany?

Anyway, when I saw this recipe, I thought, "Now that can't be right. Is that all that goes in this?"

And then I started making it and I really got worried about this runny red sauce that was sitting on my stove. But sure enough, after a while it began to fill the house with the scent of sweet and sour goodness. It really tastes divine. It's perfect. Don't waste your money on those bottled versions...this is all you need.

I like to smother this on breaded chicken tenderloins. And the other night I bathed our leftover orange chicken in it. It was FABULOUS! I'll have to post the orange chicken another day. But look how yummy it was. Is your mouth watering yet? Oh, and do I even need to mention that this is to die for along side my ham fried rice? Yes, yes it is. Enjoy!

{SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE}

1 c. catsup
1 c. water
1 c. white sugar
1 c. white vinegar

Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour until thickened.

For more ideas with sweet and sour sauce:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

We should all have zucchini coming out our noses by now, right? And what do you do with this obscure vegetable? Well, I actually have a few ideas. One being the most perfect zucchini bread. But here's another idea...turn that green vegetable into a CHOCOLATE CAKE! Great idea, right? The zucchini in this cake makes it so soft and moist. And the chocolate chips and nuts on top are just wonderful. 

Enjoy!

{CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE}

1/2 c. margarine

1/2 c. oil

1 2/3 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. buttermilk

2 c. zucchini, shredded

1 (6-oz) bag semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat margarine, oil, and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir in margarine mixture, then add buttermilk and zucchini. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan. Sprinkle nuts and chocolate chips on top.Bake for 55 minutes.

The BEST Ham Fried Rice

Sigh. 

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It's SO-so simple. And it's just perfect. Perfect. You'll love it. I like to serve it with sweet and sour chicken. You'll just have to wait for the recipe for that one another day. It's amazing. You'll never need take-out again.

My little "cheater shortcut" for this? I use lunch meat for the ham. Yep, I do. I always have it on hand and it's just too easy. I cut it into little pieces and it works perfectly. Trust me.

Your kids will undoubtedly love this rice. Well, unless they're weird. Seriously. Enjoy!

{HAM FRIED RICE}

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ tsp. oil
¾ c. diced ham

¾ c. peas
¾ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. ground ginger
Dash Pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 ½ tsp. soy sauce

In a small skillet, cook and stir eggs in oil over medium heat until eggs are completely set. Remove and set aside. In same skillet, cook the rice, ham, garlic powder, ginger, pepper and chili powder until heated through. Stir in soy sauce and reserved eggs. 

Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Now this is one where I need to be honest. I didn't love it. BUT WAIT!!! My husband really did. And I thought it was one of the most colorful and beautiful dishes I've made. I mean, look at it. Isn't that impressive? 

So, if you are one that LOVES sweet potatoes, you'll love this. I actually think I might like this particular one on regular ole' spud. But, I'm still sticking with sweet potatoes for fries. YUM! Enjoy.

{SOUTHWEST STUFFED SWEET POTATOES}

4 medium sweet potatoes, baked

Taco Filling:

1 T. oil

1 1/2 c. onions, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 pkg. taco seasoning (or you can do 1 T. chili powder, 1 T. ground cumin, 1 T. ground coriander)

1 (28-oz) can. crushed tomatoes

1 lb. ground beef

Salt & Pepper

Garnishes: Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, and a lime wedge.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions about 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, jalapeno, and seasonings. Stir together. Add beef and cook about 5 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomatoes and cook 15 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated. Season generously with salt and pepper. 

To serve, peel the skin off the sweet potatoes and slice into 1 1/2 inch slices. On your plate, layer potato and taco filling. Top with garnishes.

Chocolate Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

I have always had a weakness for rice krispie treats. I love the original. I love scotcharoos (I'll have to post that someday soon!). I love rice krispies make with Fruity Pebbles. I just love them.

And then it occurred to me last time I was making them...I can ADD to these. So I simply added chocolate chips and coconut. WOW! Success! Of course they are a little messy for young hands with the melted chocolate. But who cares?! They're awesome. Enjoy!

{CHOCOLATE COCONUT RICE KRISPIE TREATS}

1/4 c. margarine or butter

1 pkg. (10.5-oz) marshmallows

5 c. rice krispies cereal

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. coconut

Melt margarine or butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal (the original recipe calls for 6 cups of cereal but I do less, because I like them gooey...so just eye-ball it), chocolate chips and coconut. Stir until all combined and press into greased 9x13 pan.  

 

Smothered Garden Veggie Pasta

This is so beautiful with all the garden fresh veggies. And like I've mentioned before, I realize that not everyone has a garden with fresh veggies to pick from. But you can still make a beautiful pasta dish with your favorite veggies from a farmer's market or your local store. Or just come to my house. We have tomatoes coming out our ears!

This was so simple and hit the spot. This actually would taste wonderful with wheat pasta too! Enjoy!

{SMOTHERED GARDEN VEGGIE PASTA}

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 c. yellow squash, sliced

1 c. zucchini, sliced

1/2 c. green onions, sliced

16-oz pkg. egg noodles, cooked al dente

White Sauce:

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of nutmeg

2 c. Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Melt butter in a large pot or frying pan. Mix in garlic. Sprinkle flour over top and combine into garlic butter. Whisk in milk and seasonings. Stir until thickened. Sprinkle cheese and mix into white sauce until melted and thoroughly incorporated into sauce.

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread cooked noodles in the bottom. Sprinkle fresh veggies over pasta. Pour white sauce over all and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbling.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Another big HIT! Everyone loved this salad. I got it from one of my favorite food blogs. It's always so hard to find a fruit salad that's unique. This one is a cinch. And you've heard me say that anything with lime in it, I'm a sucker for! Maybe I should change the name of my blog to "Lovin' Lime."

Cause that's what I'm busy doing.

Enjoy!

{HONEY LIME FRUIT SALAD}

1 (20-oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well
1 can mandarin oranges, drained well
2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons
1 c. green grapes, halved
1 c. strawberries, quartered
Zest from one lime

Juice from half of zested lime

2 T. honey
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the lime zest, lime juice, honey, and poppy seeds and gently toss. Drizzle the dressing over the fruit and gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated. Serves 4.

Hot Dog Garlic Bread

Are you laughing? Because, I was when I made these the other night, with the Classic Chicken Cacciatore. I was craving bread with that dish, but I didn't want to go to the trouble of making anything from scratch. Yes, it's true, I have nights when I don't want to cook. Imagine that. (I'll admit that there are even some nights when I let my husband make "shanghai" which is a form of top ramen). 

I digress. We always-always have extra hot dog buns after I buy them for my toddler son. He just prefers the dog without the bun. The poor little extra buns usually get tossed after they sit on our counter for days. 

Not so anymore. I made these and we were actually negotiating over who got the last one. I believe my husband actually said, "I hope we always have extra hot dog buns."

Me too, darlin'. Me too. Enjoy!

{HOT DOG GARLIC BREAD}

Hot dog buns (however many your heart desires, we had 3.5)

1/4 c. margarine, softened

2 T. mayo

1 green onion, sliced

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 c. Monterrey Jack cheese, grated (or your favorite kind)

Parmesan cheese, grated

Beat margarine, mayo, green onions, garlic salt, and cheese together. Spread on hot dog bun halves. Broil for about 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned and cheese is bubbling.

Classic Chicken Cacciatore

This was so yummy. It seemed exactly like what you'd eat if you dropped in to visit your Italian grandmother. Sigh, I wish I had an Italian grandmother next door, who would cook for me each and every night. 

Since I don't, here's my version. And it's...you guessed it...DE-licious. Enjoy.

{CLASSIC CHICKEN CACCIATORE}

2 T. olive oil

1 lb. chicken, cooked & shredded

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

8-oz. pkg. mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 T. fresh Italian parsley, chopped

2 (14-oz.) cans fire-roasted tomatoes, diced

14-oz jar Italian pasta sauce with vegetables

6-oz. pkg broad egg noodles, cooked al dente (no mushy stuff, please)

Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat olive oil in a large fry pan. Add onion, pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are softened. Add chicken. Season with oregano, basil, and parsley. Add tomatoes and pasta sauce and mix together. Serve over noodles and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Strawberry Ice Cream Brownie Cake

I was in charge of dessert at a big family gathering, and I had the CUTEST idea to make brownie cupcakes (I saw it on a darling food blog). 

Yep. It was a complete DISASTER!! They seriously imploded while they cooked. I don't know WHAT happened. But I was feeling a little bit of pressure to come up with something outstanding, cute, and delicious for this party...and time was running out.

So, I improvised. I used my sister-in-law's DELICIOUS brownie recipe (why haven't I posted this before now?). Then I covered it in softened strawberry ice cream. Finally, I topped it with a simple chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries. 

Guess what.  IT WAS A HIT! Relief. 

{STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM BROWNIE CAKE}

Brownies:

1 c. melted margarine

4 eggs
1/3 c. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. sugar
1 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla

Blend all ingredients together. Prepare a large jelly roll pan (I call it a cookie sheet) by spraying it EXTRA well. (I lined mine with wax paper and it made serving extremely difficult). Pour batter into pan and cook at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Watch it closely so you don't overbake!

Allow to cool COMPLETELY. And then stick in your freezer for about 20-30 minutes to harden. 

Strawberry Ice Cream:

1 gallon of strawberry ice cream (I bought 2 half gallons)

Allow ice cream to soften on your counter for about 10 minutes. Pour into large bowl and mix with a large wooden spoon. Spread softened ice cream on your frozen brownies until it is completely covered. 

Put the ice cream cake back in the freezer for at least 1-2 hours. 

Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream

Fresh Strawberries, sliced

Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the cream evenly over the chocolate, let stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth with a rubber spatula. If the ganache is too thin, allow it to stand at room temperature to cool and become more easily spreadable. Once the ganache is thick but still pourable, scoop it by the teaspoonful on top of the ice cream cupcakes and spread over the tops. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices.

Apricot-Basil Pesto Chicken

It's apricot season!! And the reason this makes me so happy, is because I get to make apricot jam! My FAVORITE! I was lucky enough to be invited to pick apricots at a friend's house today. Ever since my parents decided to sell my childhood home and move to the prettiest, greenest valley in the state (so selfish! just kidding, I wish I could live there too), I haven't had access to apricots. I was so excited today as I picked, that I almost fell off the ladder....TWICE. True story. But I survived. And I can't wait to make the jam.

But for now, we decided to enjoy fresh apricots in this dish. YUM! This apricot-basil pesto, is AMAZING. I was actually eating it plain. 

And this dish, is quite impressive. So feel free to entertain with it. Just serve it with some rice, cooked in chicken broth, and a green veggie, like steamed asparagus, and you're set. Enjoy!

{STUFFED APRICOT AND BASIL CHICKEN}

1 c. loosely packed fresh basil leaves

2 fresh apricots, pitted (or you could use dried, if it's out of season)

1/4 c. chopped pecans

2 T. Parmesan cheese, grated

2 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, quartered

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. apricot preserves, melted

For pesto:  Combine fresh basil, apricots, pecans, olive oil, and garlic in a blender. Blend with several on-off turns until a paste forms. Be sure to scrape down the sides, to incorporate all the goodness into the pesto.

Prepare the chicken: Place each chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the edges, pound with a meat mallet to 1/8-inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle chicken with salt. Spread pesto on each chicken breast. Fold in sides of each piece and roll up into a spiral, pressing edges to seal. Fasten with toothpicks. 

Place chicken on grill and cook directly over medium heat for 18-20 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink (165 degrees). Turn once half-way through grilling time to ensure all sides are cooked evenly. Brush with apricot preserves the last 5 minutes of grilling.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Did I mention that I really like muffins? Especially the home-made variety? Yep, I do. These are really good, especially right out of the oven. 

My proof of this? It was that my almost 2-year-old kept saying, "Mmmm gud" after every bite. It absolutely made my day. We ate about half and then I froze the other half to be able to enjoy for weeks! Because, let's be honest, I'm not a morning person and gourmet breakfasts don't really happen around here.

Enjoy!

{BANANA OATMEAL MUFFINS}

1 c. rolled oats

1 c. boiling water

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 c. milk

3 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

Place oats in a medium bowl and poor the boiling water over all. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix eggs, sugar, oil, milk and bananas. Stir in oats. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to banana mixture. Pour into muffin tins with paper liners. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

German Chocolate Waffle Brownies

You can't get more delicious than this. If you ever have a bad day, this is the treat for you. The base is a waffle brownie, you guessed it, made on a waffle iron. The middle is my mom's yummiest coconut pecan frosting. And then to top it off, just a little dollop of easy chocolate ganache.

Now don't be scared away quite yet, because this tasty morsel is quite simple to put together. Let's be real here, I hardly ever try anything too challenging. So take my word for it. 

Let me know if you try it, because I'm coming over if you do. It's QUITE delicious. Enjoy!

{GERMAN CHOCOLATE WAFFLE BROWNIES}

Waffle Brownies

Mix together:
1 cube margarine, melted
7 T. cocoa
4 eggs, beaten

Combine:
1 ½ c. white sugar
2 c. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Add to chocolate mixture. Add nuts if desired. Drop by teaspoonsful onto hot waffle iron. Close and cook for one minute.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

3 egg yolks

1 c. sugar

1 c. evaporated milk

½ c. butter or margarine

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 c. flaked coconut

1 c. chopped pecans

Combine egg yolks, sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes.  Add coconut and pecans.  Beat until thick enough to spread.  Makes 3 cups.

Chocolate Ganache 

Put your favorite chocolate frosting in the microwave for about 30 seconds until it's soft and almost runny. Put a dollop on top. 

Here's my favorite Chocolate Frosting Recipe:

3 ¾ c. powdered sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. butter

1/2 c. cocoa

Combine all ingredients in mixing bow. Beat with electric mixer or with heavy spoon until smooth and creamy; scrape bowl often. If too stiff to spread easily, beat in a few drops of milk.

Fiesta Rice

That's right, TWO posts this week that begin with FiEsTa! Obviously we had a Fiesta night and served this rice with the Fiesta Lime Chicken. I'm sorry you missed it. You'll just have to make it for yourself. You'll love it! 

I had a version of this rice at my Aunt's house, years ago. But I couldn't find the recipe, so I just made my own. It tasted GREAT with the sauce that went with the Fiesta Lime Chicken.

Enjoy!

{FIESTA RICE}

2 c. uncooked basmati rice

3 1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. carrots, shredded

1/2 c. onion, chopped

3/4 c. corn

Zest & juice from one lime

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

In a large skillet, cook the carrots, onions and corn for about 5 minutes until translucent. In a large rice cooker, combine rice, broth, and vegetable mixture. Cook until cycle is completed. Season cooked rice with the lime zest, juice, and seasonings. Serve.

Fiesta Lime Chicken

I'm liking the "copy cat" recipes. So much in fact, I've started a new category of copycat recipes on my blog. I'm hoping to add to them, so feel free to send me your favorite copy cat recipes to try.

This is the meal I order whenever I go to Applebees. And since that doesn't happen too often, I found a recipe to match. And it is YUMMY! I love this, especially when it's done on the grill. And that's for a couple reasons: 1) Because chicken grilled on the BBQ is delicious and 2) it means my husband is the chef for the night.

Other things that I'm a sucker for: lime and meals that include crushed tortilla chips. So, when I came across this dish, I was immediately hooked. Enjoy!

{FIESTA LIME CHICKEN}

1 c. water
1/3 c. teriyaki sauce
1/2 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 lb. chicken breasts
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
2 T. spicy, salsa
1 T. milk
1 tsp. cajun spice
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1/8 tsp. dried dill weed
1/8 tsp. cumin
1 c. shredded cheese

Whisk together the first 7 ingredients, coat chicken in mixture, and marinate for at least 2 hours. Whisk together the next 9 ingredients, cover, and chill until needed. Grill the marinated chicken breasts for 3-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Discard marinade. Brush grilled chicken with reserved dressing, sprinkle with cheese, and broil until cheese has melted. Serve the chicken over a bed of crumbled chips.

THE DELICIOUS STORE

A lot of changes have been going on around here. I've opened The Delicious Store, where you'll find even more designs for your own personalized recipe cards.

Now you have the option to print a matching back on your recipe cards, complete with your own personalization. These would make organizing your kitchen a joy. They'd also make for a very unique gift for a birthday, mother's day, or wedding.

These are cute, original recipe cards, personalized JUST for you. I hope you enjoy them!

Take a look at The Delicious Store and let me know what you think. 

Here are just a few of the designs available. To see all the cards with prices, click here.