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

Chuck's Favorite Mac & Cheese

Ingredients;

• 1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

 

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
2. In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden
4. 
   

Recipe: www.allrecipes.com

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

I'm always a sucker for a good slow cooker recipe, but what really drew me to this was the added garlic and lime juice.

Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts- cut in half
• 2 tbsp. taco seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic- diced
• 1 lime
• 1 can Rotel- drained

Add half the peppers and onions to your slow cooker. Layer the chicken and coat all sides with taco seasoning. Top with garlic, drained tomatoes, and lime juice from one lime.
Add the remaining peppers and onions, cover, and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Remove chicken and cut/shred into slices. Return the sliced chicken tot the slow cooker to marinate in the juices for about 10 mins on LOW until ready to serve.
(If there is too much liquid, you can remove until there is a desired amount before serving.)

Serve with:
Tortillas, Cheese, Sour Cream, and Guacamole

Recipe: buzzfeedtasty.com

Mozzarella-Stuffed Slow Cooker Meatballs

This recipe came from one of those amazing videos off of Facebook. Before this, I had never "cooked" meatballs in the crockpot...only warmed them up, so I was a little hesitant to try it. I'm so glad I did because not only were they delicious, they were cooked perfectly and a huge hit with the family.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. Italian sausage (hot or mild depending on preference)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped parsley (I used 2 tbs. of dried instead)
1 block mozzarella cheese- cut into 3/4" cubes
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Roll golf ball sized balls with the meat mixture. Squish mozzarella cube into the center and pull the edges of the meatball around it until it's a new ball again.

Arrange meatballs in slow cooker and cover in spaghetti sauce.

Cook on high for 2 - 2.5 hours.

Recipe: buzzfeedtasty.com

Stuffed French Bread

When I found this recipe months ago, it turned into an automatic hit. Kids and husband both really like it. And it makes great leftovers!

Ingredients

• 1 loaf french bread
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

• 1
  Preheat oven to 350° F. Slice the french bread in half, lengthwise, so you have two equal pieces. Scoop out the bread in the center of each piece. Place bread in a large bowl and tear into small chunks. Set the two halves of french bread onto a large baking sheet. Set aside.
• 2
  Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Drain any grease. Add the celery and garlic to skillet. Cook a few minutes until celery is tender. Next, add soup, milk and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook mixture until heated; another 5 minutes or so.
• 3
  Add the beef mixture to the bread in the large bowl. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into the center of one half of the french bread. Spread out evenly. Top the mixture with the shredded cheese. Top with the other half of bread.
• 4
  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

6 servings

http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/