Barbecue Cola Meatballs

Barbecue Cola Meatballs adapted from Debbie Does Dinner
Adapted from Between the Lines
Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 1/4 cups bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 egg
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 (1 oz) package dry ranch style dressing mix
Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 barbecue sauce
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup cola
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green or red pepper, chopped
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:  In a large bowl, mix together the meatball ingredients until well blended. Shape into meatball and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 turning them over half way. Mix up the sauce ingredients in crockpot. Remove meatballs from baking sheet and place in sauce in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, then remove lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes before serving. Mine made 40 meatballs.

Total calories = 1922 calories 40 meatballs = 48 calories per meatball with sauce

Modifications:
-I used pre-made, packaged meatballs found in the frozen section.
-I used the entire can of cola and added extra dashes of bbq and apple cider vinegar.

Here's what you'll need:

Chop up the onion.  Place it with the wet ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Place the meatballs in a crockpot and pour the mixture over.

 

Our Thoughts:

I did not get an "after" photo because we were already at the New Year's Eve party and I didn't think about it.

 

These meatballs were super easy and really delicious.  The sweet soda mixed with the tanginess of the bbq and ketchup worked great.

 

Hope you enjoy!

April

West Texas Chipotle Chicken Wrap

West Texas Chipotle Chicken Wrap adapted from Kids Eat Right
½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
 ¼ cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
 ½ teaspoon diced chipotle pepper
 ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
3 cups cooked chicken, cut in ¾-inch cubes
1 cup chopped tomato
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6 flour tortillas

Directions:  Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, jalapeno, chipotle peppers, and salt in large mixing bowl. Place the chicken, tomato, avocado, and cilantro in a bowl with the mayonnaise mixture and toss lightly to coat. Top each of the 6 tortillas evenly with the chicken mixture. Roll.

Cooking Tip
This filling can serve as a cold entree, a wrap sandwich filling, or a tasty pasta salad (add 2 cups cooked orzo and increase the seasonings to taste).

Serving Size is 1 wrap.  480 calories, Protein 28g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Total Fat 20g (Sat Fat 4g), Sodium 820mg

Here's what you'll need:

I used this all-natural, pre-cooked chicken from Trader Joe's but you could always just use frozen, fresh or even rotisserie chicken.

Chop up the pepper and tomato.

Mix the mayo and sour cream.

Cook the chicken.

Mince up some cilantro.

Cut up the chicken.

Add the chicken, tomato, and pepper to the mayo/sour cream.

Warm your tortillas.  You can do this by putting two in two paper towels and microwave for 20-25 seconds.

 

Put the mixture onto the tortilla and roll.

 

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

 These little roll-ups were so easy to make and were totally finished in under 15 minutes.  Today was Sunday Funday so I just made these and sat them out on the table and everyone came by and grabbed them when they were hungry.  You can serve them hot or cold.  Although it was just our family today, I think these would be perfect to make and take to a gathering.

To make them even healthier, substitute 1/2 of the mayo and sour cream with Greek yogurt.

You also could roll them all up and put them in a microwave-safe dish, sprinkle with cheese and then microwave for 30 seconds or so.  Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.

These wraps had great flavor and with the creaminess of the mayo/sour cream, I didn't even need to dip them in salsa.  For a hotter version, add jalapenos or even a can of diced chilies.

Hope you enjoy!

April

Guacasalsa or Salsamole

OK, I cannot take credit for the title above.  Over the weekend I attempted to make guacamole and when it came up, my nephew and friend, JoAnna, came up with the names.

Anyway, I was going to make the PW'S guacamole but when I got to the step where I was supposed to add the avocados and I realized that they were really under ripe.  I tried to scoop them out and my spoon was bending so I decided to just throw everything into a food processor and pulse it a couple of times.  I'm sorry that I didn't take a picture but instead of the guacamole being a smooth, chunky texture all of the different components were in equal little bits. 

The texture was really interesting.  It was like a lot more like a pico with minced pieces of avocado mixed in.  It was so good that I had to make a second helping that same day.

I then decided to make the dish again on the 4th of July while watching fireworks and I got tons of compliments on it again.  I did it the exact same way and the avocado were still not very ripe.

Bottom line, while I love the traditional guacamole this stuff was great!  Don't let those "green" avocados scare you!!



Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells Adapted from Sugar Crafter
1 package 12 oz. jumbo shells
13 oz. cooked and shredded chicken breast
3/4 cup hot sauce, I used Franks
3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded, part skim
3 oz. parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, part skim
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, light
1/2 cup ranch dressing, light

Directions:  Prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Mix all the ingredients except for the shells in a large bowl. Stuff each shell with as much filling as it will hold. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place in a dish sprayed with cooking spray. I put these in a 9 x 13 and an 8 x 8 casserole. Top with green onions if desired.

Modifications:
-I used Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce
-I added extra chicken and cheese on top of the shells.

Here's what you'll need:

Put the chicken in water to cook.  Also, cook the shells according to the package directions.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the wing sauce, cream cheese, ricotta, and cheeses.

Take the chicken out and shred it.  Add it to the wing sauce mixture.

Drain the shells and place them in a greased baking dish.

Spoon the mixture into the shells.

I decided to add a bit more chicken and cheese to the top of the shells.

Into the oven for about 10-15 minutes (that's my pizza stone underneath the dish) 

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

Scott and I both really like hot wing dip so I was interested to try this recipe.  It had great flavor and the shells really added the extra texture like chips normally do.

While we do like hot wing dip, we didn't really like it as our meal.  I think this would be perfect as an appetizer but as a meal it was just a little too much.

I individually stuffed all of these shells but I think that it would be much easier to cook the shells and pour them into a baking dish.  Then, mix the rest of the ingredients per the recipe but just pour it over the shells.  You can still add extra chicken and cheese if you choose or maybe even drizzle with extra Ranch dressing.  The flavor would be the same but the process would be easier.

Hope you enjoy!

April

Cowboy Caviar

I found this recipe several years ago and I have made various editions throughout the years.  Such an easy appetizer and healthy, as well.

Cowboy Caviar from allrecipes.com
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup Italian salad dressing
3/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:  Mix beans, peas, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers in a large bowl. Season with garlic salt. Add dressing and cilantro; toss to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until ready to serve.

Modifications:
-I omitted the jalapeno.

Here's what you'll need:

Drain and rinse the beans, peas, and corns.

Dice up 1/2 of a green bell pepper.

Dice up 1/2 of an onion.

Drain a can of diced tomatoes.

Mince up 1/4 cup of cilantro.

Add 1 cup of Italian dressing.

Mix together and sprinkle some garlic salt on top.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

This has been a go-to recipe for years.  I love the different texture of the beans, corns, and peas combined with the crunch of the green pepper.  The Italian dressing is tangy and the tomatoes really soak up that flavor.  You can serve this with chips, crackers, or even celery.

This is also so easy because I usually have most of the ingredients in the pantry.  If you do not have fresh cilantro, you can use dried cilantro.  Or, if you have fresh parsley you could use that, too.

Hope you enjoy!

April

PW's Guacamole

After making the Pioneer Woman's pico de gallo, I wanted to go ahead and make her guacamole so I added 4 ripe avacados.

Here's what you'll need:  (Click on the above link for the pico)

Cut around the avacado down until you hit the pit.  Twist the avacado open and pull out the pit.

Scoop out the meat of the avacado.

Use a fork to mash up the avacados.  You can make it as smooth or as lumpy as you prefer.

Add the mashed up avacados to the pico and mix.

Here's what you'll end up with:  (I sprinkled with a little more coarse salt to finish)

Our Thoughts:

I could go on and on and on about this guacamole.  It was fantastic.  NEVER buy store-bought or pre-made guacamole again.  It is way too easy to make this fantastic recipe.  Seriously awesome!

Hope you enjoy!

April