Noah's Fries Chicken Fried Cheeseburgers

Here's Noah's out of control cheeseburger idea, and it was a hit around here, as well as a hit to any diet ;).  Noah wanted an over the top cheeseburger, and he partly got the idea from one of our favorite restaurants around here, Mama Burger.  They put fries on their burgers, and Noah wanted to do that too.  Anyway, Aaron wanted another one of these, the boys and Aaron gave this a perfect 10, and I gave it a 9, because it was too much for me :).  Each burger is about 700 calories with everything on them.  We chicken fried the seasoned hamburger, topped it with cheese and fries, then made our burgers with toppings to taste.  Here's what we did:

1 lb hamburger meat
soy sauce, onion, powder, garlic salt and salt to taste

1 c flour
salt
dash of cayenne
1/8 t baking soda

1/2 c buttermilk
1 egg
salt

Oil for frying

curly fries, baked
sliced cheese

Toppings such as tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, hamburger buns, and condiments as desired

Heat the oil in a deep pot or a deep fryer to 350.  In two separate bowls, mix together the flour, salt, cayenne, and baking soda, then the egg, buttermilk, and salt.  Make the hamburgers with seasonings to taste, then form them into patties.  We made six burgers.  Dip each patty into the flour, then the buttermilk mixture, then the flour again.  Fry for about 5 minutes, then flip to the other side.  Place each patty on a hamburger bun, then top with cheese, fries, and desired toppings.  Serve!

Picky Palate's Ultimate Queso Bean Dip

I found this fun recipe at Picky Palate's website, and although it was fun and easy, I would've liked more cheese.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, just using refried black beans rather than refried pinto beans, and milk rather than cream.  Each serving was 247 calories, and we gave this an 8.  Try it for a fun and easy dip!

Nacho Cheese Mac N Cheese

So this was one of Noah's ideas, he loves to think of fun foods.  We weren't sure how this would come out, but the end result was yummy and interesting.  It looks like mac n cheese, but it has a nice kick to it.  The sauce wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good, and we really liked it with chips, so that was a nice plus, because I love me some nacho cheese :).  We all gave this an 8, and each serving was 415 calories when divided into 8 servings, and that will leave some nacho cheese left over.

2 c elbow macaroni, cooked until al dente
1 T canola oil
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 t cumin
about 2 T Rotel
3 1/2 c milk
3 T cornstarch
6 c grated cheese, I used a mixture of pepper jack, cheddar, and Monterey Jack


Mix the cornstarch with the grated cheese.  Heat the oil, then add the jalapeno, tomato, cumin and onion.  Season the veggies and cook until they are tender, stirring often so they don't burn.  Add in the milk and Rotel, stir it well and make sure the milk is warm.  Remove the pan from the heat, add in the cheese, and stir well until the sauce comes together.  Use about 3 cups (more or less) of the sauce and mix it with the macaroni, then serve.

Yammie's Noshery's Cheddar Bacon Stuffed Pretzel Buns

We found this cool idea at this website, and although I had to adjust the ingredients a little to make the recipe work for us, these were still a delicious, fun treat.  I always love how creative Yammie is, and I love her photography.  Anyway, this pretzel bun recipe was good, but I added way more flour to make the dough come together, like 6 cups at least rather than 4 1/2 c of flour, but other than that, this worked out well.  I would also place these on parchment paper rather than on greased sheets, but those are just my thoughts.

Follow the top link to this fun recipe, each bun is about 450 calories with the extra flour.  We gave these an 8.

Chorizo Breakfast Pizzas

So we found a recipe for breakfast pizzas in our Flour, Too cookbook, but we didn't want to make them the way the recipe said :).  Instead, we made them using Flour's brioche recipe, which can be found here, or more easily here.  Anyway, I used half of this batch and made 8 pizzas out of this.  Each pizza was 530 calories, approximately, and Aaron gave this a perfect 10, Noah and I gave this a 9, and Owen gave it an 8 because he doesn't like chorizo :).  Here's what we did:

1/2 batch of Vicki's breakfast burrito meat, minus the egg (chorizo and potatoes)
2 onions, sliced very thinly
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1/2 batch of brioche
1/4 c sour cream, divided (we used a little less)
2 oz grated Monterey Jack cheese

Toppings of choice, we used avocados and tomatoes

Follow the directions for the brioche, and after proofing it overnight, begin making the pizzas.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Melt the butter in a pan, and caramelize the onions for about 30 minutes, seasoning well.
Cook the chorizo and potatoes with the caramelized onions and the egg.
Cut the brioche into 8 segments, then shape them into circles with a rim, like little mini pizzas.  Cook for 10 minutes on parchment covered cookie sheets.  Remove the brioche from the oven, then place around 1 T of sour cream in the bottom (or less) of the brioche, then top with the chorizo mixture.  Top with grated cheese, and cook for about 20 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't over bake.  Serve hot.

Owen's Apple Turkey Burgers

Here's the burger we had with our apples, and if you talk to Owen and Aaron, you should have those caramelized apples on top, although Noah and I just had our apples on the side.  These were easy to make, and surprisingly tasty.  I was a little uncertain about how well these would work, but Noah gave them a perfect 10, Owen and I gave them a 9, and Aaron gave them an 8.  Make sure to use the bread crumbs, because the apples and the turkey are quite wet without some help.  Owen loves apples, so he was super happy to create these with me :).  Each burger, and we made six, were 425 calories, and that included our buns.  Here's what to do:

6 slices thick cut bacon
2 oz cheese (we used colby Jack, but I would've rather had a different flavor), sliced
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
2 T bread crumbs
salt
1/2 t thyme
1 t garlic salt
1 t onion powder

burger buns
arugula
whole grain mustard
mayonnaise
caramelized apples

Cook the bacon in a large pan, and then set aside, reserving the bacon fat.
Mix the turkey, apple, bread crumbs, thyme, garlic salt, onion powder, and salt to taste.  Form into six patties, and cook in the reserved bacon grease on both sides until cooked through.  Top with the cheese and bacon, let the cheese melt, then serve with the toppings, and the apples.

Cheesy Baked Fish

So we have a go to fish recipe which I shared years ago, and I decided to change things up a little.  We had some cod to use, and I didn't have any Parmesan, so here's my take on fish, just a little differently.  I would still recommend a firmer fish like tilapia, as I like the texture more, but Aaron and I still gave this a 9, and the boys gave it an 8, although Jonah gobbled his up, so he may have given it more than an 8 ;).  Anyway, the calories for this recipe for five servings was 145, and here's the easy peasy recipe.

12 oz cod (more or less)
salt and pepper
cooking spray
around 1 t ancho chili powder

3 T butter at room temperature
1/2-1 t garlic salt
1/4 c Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 t cumin
2 T cilantro

Preheat the oven to 400.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, then season the cod with salt, pepper and ancho chili powder.  Bake the fish for 10 minutes.

While the fish is baking, mix together the butter, salt, cheese and cumin.

Remove the fish from the oven, turn on the broiler, and spread the butter mixture over each piece of fish.  Broil for about 2 minutes, then top with cilantro and serve.

Aaron says this tasted like chili, and I agree, it really did, and was great.

Chicken Salad

I wanted a nice light salad while the weather is hot and my kitchen is super-duperty hot, and so I came up with this salad.  We all really liked it. and you could double the dressing to have a saucier salad if you desired, I just don't like a lot of dressing.  The guys all topped theirs with lime chicken, but I just ate mine with cheese and bacon and beans for protein :).  We all really liked this, we gave it a 9.  Here's what to do, and the calories depend on the dressing and what you put in:

1 bag (about 1 head) romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes
2 14.5 oz cans beans, I used black and kidney
2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, diced
4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
1 avocado
1 can corn, rinsed, or even better 1 ear fresh corn, corn chopped off
2 T cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, chopped

1/2 lime, juiced
2 T white wine vinegar
1/2 t honey
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 dash cumin
salt
1/4 c olive oil

Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, honey, jalapeno, cumin and salt.  Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Mix together all the salad fixings and toss with the dressing.  Serve.

Bobby Flay's Hummus and Zucchini Quesadillas

We really enjoyed this, as you can see from my messy baby :).  Having the hummus and the bean relish made for a different kind of quesadilla, and it is always fun to have something different around here.  Plus, we really like hummus.  We found this recipe in Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook, and each quesadilla was 621 calories.  Noah and I gave this a 9, and Owen and Aaron gave it an 8.  Here's what to do:

Hummus:

1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
6 cloves garlic
1/2 t ancho chili powder
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T tahini
2 T olive oil
3 T cilantro
salt and pepper

Quesadillas:

6 flour tortillas
6 oz cheddar cheese
1/2 c shredded zucchini
8 oz goat cheese
salt and pepper
Dipping Sauce or Relish to serve

Combine all the hummus ingredients in a food processor, and combine well, adding water if needed.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Spread hummus on three of the tortillas, spread the goat cheese, the cheddar and the zucchini among all the three tortillas, then season to taste, then top with the second tortilla.  Cook in the oven or on the stove top until the cheeses are melted and the tortillas are crispy.  Serve with dip or relish of choice.

Bobby Flay's Kentucky Hot Brown

I love me some hot sandwiches, and especially open faced ones, because I have never been a huge fan of traditional sandwiches.  Cold cuts just don't do it for me :).  Anyway, this hot sandwich from Bobby Flay was so delicious, and I loved the cheese sauce with the chicken and bacon.  I changed the recipe to fit our needs a little bit, so it isn't a traditional Kentucky Hot Brown, but try it anyway, it's great.  Each sandwich was 519 for 8 servings, and Owen and Aaron gave this a 7, I gave it a 9, and Noah gave it a perfect 10.  Here's what I did:

around 2 lbs chicken breast tenders well seasoned and cooked
2 c whole milk
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c whole milk
salt and pepper
8 slices bread
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
8 slices bacon, cooked
Parsley to garnish

Cook the chicken as desired, I used my crockpot :).  Melt the butter in a large pot, and add the flour.  Whisk the milk into the roux, and cook until thickened.  Add in the cheeses and stir until melted and combined well, then season to taste.  Set aside.
Heat a griddle over medium heat.  Beat together the milk, eggs, and salt and pepper.  Dip the bread slices into the mixture, and coat on both sides.  Cook until well browned on both sides.
Preheat the broiler, then spray a pan with cooking spray, place your tomato slices on the tray, and salt and pepper the tomatoes.  Broil them, and flip half way through your broil time, about 2 minutes through.  Serve the sandwich with one slice of bread, some chicken, some cheese sauce, more cheese, a slice of bacon, tomatoes, and parsley.  Eat and enjoy :).

Bobby Flay's Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Aaron and I loved these, the boys, not so much :).  Noah didn't like the goat cheese, and Owen didn't like the tomato.  Aaron and I gave these a perfect 10 and Owen and Noah gave these a 7.  Bobby Flay called these grown up grilled cheese, and obviously he was right.  Aaron and I will eat these anytime, anywhere :).  They are easy to make, and filling with all the cheese and bacon.  Each sandwich was 557 calories, but that will differ based on the bread you use.  Here's what I did:

2 slices of bacon per sandwich, cooked
2 T margarine or butter per sandwich
2 slices bread per sandwich
2 slices sharp cheddar cheese per sandwich
1-2 oz goat cheese per sandwich, according to taste
2 slices green tomato per sandwich (if you want a juicier tomato, just go with a riper one :))

Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread.  Toast it with the cheeses, tomato and bacon between.  Cook on both sides, then serve when the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted.

Flour Too's Mushroom and Leek Lasagna

So unlike Aaron, I love different pastas and lasagna.  If it were up to Aaron, we would always have my lasagna, and we would have it more often :).  Anyway, I found this Mushroom and Leek lasagna recipe in Flour, Too, and I decided to try it.  I made very few changes, but I did add bacon to have some meat, because my family has to have meat :).  Each serving, for 16 servings, was 367 calories. Aaron gave this a 7, Owen gave this an 8, and Noah and I gave it a 9.   Here's what to do:

10 dry lasagna noodles
1 c fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
1 c whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper
6 pieces bacon plus bacon fat reserved
1 lb mushrooms, chopped (I used a mixture)
5 garlic cloves, smashed
4 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and rinsed well
2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes

6 T unsalted butter
1/3 c flour
4 c whole milk (I used a mixture of 1% milk, half and half and heavy cream, since I was running out of whole milk :))
salt and pepper
dash of nutmeg

3 c shredded mozzarella

Cook the lasagna noodles in well salted water and set aside.
Combine the goat cheese, ricotta, basil, half of the mozzarella and salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Crisp the bacon, remove to a plate, then in the remaining fat (about 1/4 c), cook the mushrooms and leeks with salt and garlic.  Add the tomatoes and bacon and season well, then let cook and reduce a little.  Set aside.
In the same skillet, melt the butter, make a roux with the flour, and then slowly stir in the milk and whisk constantly.  After the bechamel thickens, season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a large pan, spread half of the bechamel on the bottom, then lay 5 of the noodles.  Scatter half of the tomato mixture over the noodles, then top with half of the goat cheese mixture, then top with another layer of noodles, the rest of the mushrooms, the rest of the goat cheese, then the rest of the bechamel, then top with the remaining mozzarella.  Bake for about 1 hour, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Yammie's Noshery Sausage and Queso Dip

We had this dip for fun the other night, and all of us really liked it except for Owen, since I used chorizo as the sausage of choice.  We found the recipe here, and it is a very easy and tasty recipe, and I will post it the way I made it, which is a little different from the posted recipe.  Noah gave it a perfect 10, Aaron and I gave it a 9, and Owen gave it a 7.  We didn't do calories on this, because there are so many servings, but it isn't a low calorie dish by any means :).

1 lb chorizo
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 a jalapeno, diced
1 can Rotel
3/4 t cumin
3/4 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
dash of cayenne pepper
salt to taste
3 T milk
6 c cheese (Monterey Jack and cheddar is what I used)
4 T cornstarch

Mix together the cheese and cornstarch.  Brown the chorizo, then add in the onion, garlic and jalapeno, and cook until the veggies are softened.  Add in the Rotel, the spices and milk.  Stir together, then add in the cheese mixture and cook until thickened and ready to eat!

We really liked this, Aaron especially really enjoyed this, and he doesn't usually like cheese sauces.

The Border Cookbook's Joe's Breakfast Nachos

So this is just migas, really, and I have posted at least one great recipe for migas here, but if it's possible, this one was even easier, and still tasted delicious, so I wanted to feature it.  This received a 9 from all of us.  Each serving was 620 calories, but they were large, and very filling.  Here's what I did:

1/2 lb chorizo
1 onion, chopped
1 T butter
salt to tast
3 eggs
1 T water
2 oz salted tortilla chips
8 oz grated cheese
1 small tomato, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.
Saute the chorizo over medium heat.  Remove the chorizo, and add the onion.  Cook until softened.  Place the butter in an 8x8 baking dish, and melt it in the oven.  Mix the eggs and water together, then add the chorizo and eggs to the pan with the onions.  Cook for a minute or two, then spread the egg mixture in the warmed baking dish.  Top the eggs with the tortilla chips.  Sprinkle with the cheese.  Cook for 5-8 minutes, then top with the tomato and serve immediately.

The Border Cookbook's Rancho Cheese, Onion and Olive Enchiladas

I grew up eating enchiladas made with flour tortillas, and the first time I made them that way in Mexico, everyone was surprised.  They said they were fine, but weird :).  After that, I tried making enchiladas with corn tortillas, and I was hooked.  They work out so much better that way.  Well, in the Border Cookbook, they have this recipe for cheese enchiladas made with flour tortillas, so we revisited that idea.  It wasn't entirely successful.  The enchiladas were just a little smooshy and unappetizing, prompting Aaron to give this a 7, but the rest of us gave them a 9, Noah felt like they were too oniony, and Owen didn't like the flavor of the enchilada sauce as well as my other recipes.  You can make your own enchilada sauce or use canned, your choice, I won't be featuring the sauce on the blog.  Each enchilada, and we made 10 of them, was 407 calories, not surprising considering the cheese and flour tortillas.  Another plus about corn tortillas?  They are lower in calories :).  Here's what to do:

3 T olive oil

2 onions, diced

10 flour tortillas

3 c enchilada sauce

1 lb Monterey Jack cheese

3/4 c chopped black olives

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 pan, and set aside.

Warm the olive oil over medium low heat, and then cook the onions for 30 minutes, stirring often.

Dip the tortillas in the enchilada sauce, then fill them with cheese, onions and olives.  Roll them, place them in the prepared baking dish, and then cover with the rest of the cheese and toppings.  Bake for 20 minutes, then serve.

Absolutely Avocado's Mexican Pizza

Can I just say yum?  Absolutely Avocado's Mexican Pizza was such a winner at our house, and I love how easy it was.  The boys gave this a 9, and Aaron and I gave this a perfect 10.

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 can El Pato salsa

1 T paprika

1 T chili powder

2 t ground cumin

1 t salt

1/2 t red pepper flakes

8 corn tortillas

cooking spray

1 c canned refried beans

1-2 c Monterey Jack cheese

cabbage, avocados, green onions, tomatoes, etc to top

Combine the chicken thighs, salsa, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes and cook in a slow cooker.  Shred and set aside when thoroughly cooked, about 3-4 hours on low for me.  Preheat the oven to 450.  Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray, and cook them for 5 minutes.  Remove them from the oven, spread them with refried beans, chicken, and cheese.  Bake them for 5-7 minutes, then serve with the toppings.

Paula Deen's Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

So this is one of those recipes we have all the time, we love it here, but for some reason it isn't on my blog.  I don't know how I have missed featuring it, but here it is :).  I found this a long time ago from Paula Deen, either in a cookbook or on foodnetwork.com, but it is great, and I have made very few changes to it.  The way I make it, each serving is 471 calories, and the meatloaf makes 8 servings.  We give this a perfect 10, like I said, it is a family favorite.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Ingredients (8 servings—471/serving)

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 (8-ounce) package sharp Cheddar, grated 
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted 
• 1/8 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/8 cup horseradish cream or dijon horseradish mayonnaise (I have used both, we like it both ways)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1-2 tablespoons prepared mustard 
• 1 (3-ounce) can French fried onions (I use less than this)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.

Press meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 45 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. 

Kevin and Amanda's Cheesy Chicken Bacon Broccoli and Rice

I found this recipe here, but I will be posting the recipe the way I made it, so it is a little different.  I was a little concerned about how the ingredients would fit together, but it seemed to be a popular recipe, so I thought I would try it.  I was right to be concerned, these ingredients didn't fit well together.

I didn't make the white sauce and add the cheese to it, I just made it with the cheese added to the rice mixture.  I also would suggest making this in a big pot or Dutch oven, it makes a lot of food.  I would next time not add the broccoli, and add some more Mexican flavors, some cumin, etc, because the broccoli was just so out of place in this.  Oh well, try it and see if you like it.  Each serving was 350 calories approximately, and we got 10-12 servings out of this recipe.

Pasta Salad from Absolutely Avocados

I liked this salad because of the arugula and dressing, but I didn't love the cheese, and neither did the rest of the family.  I added chicken to this, so we could have a complete meal, and this was such a nice, summery salad.  The original recipe used farro and was vegetarian, so this is really just a take on the original recipe from Absolutely Avocados.  Aaron and I gave this a 9, and the boys gave it an 8.  Each serving was 551 calories, and here's what to do:

3 oz pasta, cooked and set aside
1 avocado
1 roma tomato
1 c small cheese balls, quartered (I would use fresh mozzarella next time)
12 oz chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I cooked mine in the crockpot)
1/4 c olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T Parmesan cheese
1 t oregano
1 t parsley
1 t garlic
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t salt
pepper
2 c arugula

Mix together the olive oil with all the ingredients up to the pepper, then in a large bowl mix everything together except the arugula and avocado.  Let chill for as long as you would like, then when ready to serve add in the avocado and arugula, mix well, and serve.

JoAnne Fluke's Green Chili Cheddar Biscuits

I found this recipe in one of JoAnne Fluke's books, and it sounded good and was easy.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any green chilies, but I didn't realize that until I had already started this, so we had an interesting experiment, which the boys and I loved, and Aaron definitely didn't.  He gave them a 4, and the boys and I gave them a perfect 10.  Each biscuit was 355 calories, and I made 11 biscuits.  I posted the original recipe here, but I didn't add the green chilies, I added a little salsa, a little more sour cream, and some chili powder.  We thought they were delicious.

Cheese and Green Chiles Biscuits

Preheat oven to 425

3 ½ c flour packed down 

1 t salt

2 t cream of tartar 

1 t baking powder 

1 t baking soda

½ c butter softened

1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

4 oz jalapenos 

2 large eggs, beaten 

1 c sour cream 

½ c whole milk

½ c cheddar cheese, shredded 

Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, baking powder, and baking soda.  Cut in the salted butter (or do this in the food processor.)

Stir in the shredded cheese and the jalapenos.  Then add eggs and sour cream.  Lastly add the milk.

Drop biscuits onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Sprinkle the tops with cheddar cheese.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown.