Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

Time for me to put in my oPINion again!

 I recently pinned a recipe for slow cooker cream cheese taquitos. (See it here!) I was skeptical since it seemed so simple, especially because some recipes seem a little bland to me, but I enjoyed it. They are perfect snack food, and both girls liked them too. I have already thought of a bunch of different ways to "kick it up a notch". I made the chicken the night before when I made chicken for dinner, and when it was done I put it in the fridge to use the next day, and it was very tasty! We dipped them in a salsa and a queso blanco dip. Yum!

I hope that you will give these a try and let me know what you thought either in a comment or on Facebook!

*UPDATE: I've made these a couple more times and we prefer the sharp cheddar cheese.*

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt + pepper
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ cup shredded colby or Mexican blend cheese (Next time I will use sharp cheddar)
• 12 6 inch corn or flour tortillas (we used flour)
• optional: cilantro, salsa, sour cream, or other toppings as desired (we like salsa or queso dip!)

How to:

Add chicken, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, cream cheese, and water to crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.
minutes before serving, remove chicken from crock pot, shred with two forks, and return to slow cooker. Give it a stir. Let it cook about 15 minutes longer.

Preheat oven to 400. Place about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture onto the middle of each tortilla. Top with 1-2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Roll tightly and place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, until tortillas are slightly browned and shredded cheese is melted. Serve with desired toppings and sauces.

Macaroni and Cheese- My oPINion

Hello again! Time for another oPINion! 

For Father's Day, Pants requested homemade, baked macaroni and cheese. I decided to check Pinterest and decided on a recipe.... it's from the Pioneer Woman, and I haven't had a bad recipe from her yet, so it was the lucky winner! (See the origial pin here!) I've made it a few times since then and it's a crowd pleaser in our house! In her post, she says "DO NOT UNDER SALT" and it's true, don't! This is yummy, and not too hard to make, and pleases both the adults and children! It's creamy and cheesy and the cheese crust on the top is bubbly, and gives it great texture. 

Give it a try, and as always, I'd love to know your thoughts either on Facebook or in the comments! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups Dried Macaroni
1 whole Egg Beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 Stick) Butter
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard (more to taste)
1 pound grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon Salt (More To Taste)
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (More To Taste, I used Lawry's)
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Cook macaroni until very firm and then drain. In a small bowl, beat the egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk,  and add ground mustard, whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt to taste.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Pour into a baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

It is good for dinner, and even better for lunch the next day! Yum!

Diet Coke Brownies-My oPINion

While browsing on Pinterest, (go figure!) I saw a pin for Diet Coke Brownies. See it here. They were made with brownie mix, and one can of diet coke. Sounds sooo easy, and people were saying good things, so I decided to try it, with regular Coke, not diet.



I had one box of traditional brownie mix, and one can of regular Coke. I mixed them together and poured into a 9x9 glass pan. I baked them according to the directions on the box.





They looked and smelled sooo good........BUT I didn't care for them. They were moist, and pretty sticky, and chocolatey, but I could tell they were a lower calorie brownie, and let's face it, if I'm going to eat a brownie, I want to enjoy every. single. bite! I'd prefer to eat less and enjoy it more! (Sidenote: Brownies are a weakness of mine) They aren't terrible though, and Goose liked them, Pants said they were "okay" but he didn't like the middle that it reminded him of pudding?

If you are a brownie lover, stay tuned for my truffle brownie recipe. It's fabulous!