BLT salad

I was researching salad recipes for a family birthday dinner when this caught my eye. We are ALL bacon lovers so immediately I knew this would be well received :). Let's just say I went back for seconds and it was GONE! And I'm just now realizing I forgot to add the croutons! So obviously they aren't a deal-breaker.

The original recipe called for added salt to taste. I didn't add any because the bacon already had enough salt in my opinion. Also, I doubled this for our family gathering but this would be a perfect amount for the four of us.

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 
  

• 1 head romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried and shredded
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups seasoned croutons

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat, turning frequently, until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, milk, garlic powder and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Season the dressing with salt.
3. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and croutons in a large salad bowl. Toss with dressing, and serve immediately.

Absolute Mexican Cornbread

I was searching for a side dish to go with this Chicken Tortilla Soup, when I came across this recipe. 
I'll be honest, the Mexican flavor was weak. But, this was the BEST cornbread I have ever made!
So, I am going to use at least one 4 oz. can of green chilies (or maybe 2) next time to get the "Mexican" flavor I was hoping for. And if you omit the chilies all together, it's just a darn good cornbread!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 or 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained (original recipe is 1/2 of 4 oz can)
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in cream corn, chiles, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of the pan comes out clean.

Recipe modified from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/24209/absolute-mexican-cornbread/

Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers

Coming off of a holiday season full of excess, we vowed to start the year off with a menu of healthier, low-carb meals to detox. I was a bit skeptical at first that this recipe would provide enough flavor since the recipe seemed so basic. Boy was this meal a nice surprise! Huge hit with the kids, quick & easy to prepare, and healthy!  Wins all around!

Ingredients

• 8-9 thinly sliced roast beef or any kind of cold cuts you like
• 3 large bell peppers
• 8 mushrooms, sliced
• 9 slices mozzarella cheese (I used Provolone and it was great)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper

Preparation

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms and garlic, and sauté until they are golden and all liquid is absorbed (about 20-25 minutes), stirring occasionally. Cut roast beef into thin strips and add to the mushroom mixture. Add salt and pepper. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Set the mixture aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Line the inside of each bell pepper with half a slice of mozzarella cheese.

Fill each pepper with mushroom-beef mixture until they are nearly overflowing.

Then top each one with a slice of mozzarella/provolone cheese and place them in a casserole dish.

Bake in the oven until cheese is melted and browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Serves: 4

Recipe: http://cookingandcooking.com/recipe.php?recname=Philly%20Cheese%20Steak%20Stuffed%20Bell%20Peppers