BBQ Chicken Pizza

Let me start by saying- if I could eat this every day, and not become a total fatty- I would. I loved this recipe. First of all it's pizza. Hello, who doesn't love pizza? Secondly, it combines some earth's greatest ingredients: smoked gouda, red onion, and cilantro. Lastly- it was so easy and quick. I think it took me a total of 30 minutes from prepping to eating. If you're going to use homemade pizza crust, then it will be more labor intensive- and take more time- but probably be well worth the work!

Ingredients:
1 pizza crust ( the one I used was already pre-cooked. So if you're going to use pizza dough, then add more cooking time)
1 cup BBQ Sauce( more or less depending on your preference)
2 cups cooked chicken ( I used Rotisserie chicken.)
2 cups shredded Smoked Gouda
1 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped cilantro.

Directions:
Assemble the pizza with bbq sauce first, then cheese, then evenly distribute the cooked chicken and red onion. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown and cheese is melted. Then top with cilantro, serve hot.

Texas (Cowboy) Caviar

Depending on where you come from is what you may know this recipe as. It's been called Texas Caviar to Cowboy Caviar to "that really good bean/salsa dip." Now matter what you call it, this recipe is really good- and extremely easy to make.

Texas Caviar:

Ingredients :
1 can Black eyed peas
1 can shoepeg corn
1 can black beans
1 can diced green chilies
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1/2 bunch Cilantro, finely chopped
1 Roma tomato, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 bottle of Italian Salad Dressing

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Let marinate for at least two hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Source: Family recipe

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Yield: about 21 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 box yellow or lemon cake mix
4 tbsp strawberry extract ( or 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped)
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice

For the lemonade syrup:
1 cup lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the frosting:
3-4 tbsp strawberry extract
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
18 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Fresh strawberries
Lemon slices

Directions:
Mix the cake mix according to instructions. Add extract, lemon juice, and zest to batter. Bake according to the box.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, whisk together the lemonade concentrate and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl to make the lemonade syrup. Poke several holes in the top of each cupcake with a skewer and pour the syrup over the cupcakes, allowing it to soak in. (Place wax paper underneath your cooling rack so you don’t make a mess!)

To make the frosting, puree the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Strain the puree through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds, and set aside. Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Mix in strawberry puree, a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve your desired texture and flavor of frosting (I added about 7 tablespoons of puree). Frost cupcakes as desired and garnish with fresh strawberries and lemon slices.

Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats

Dill Pickles

Pickles are a BIG thing in the Burnell household. We eat them on their own, as well as use them in a LOT of things- from tuna & chicken salad to egg salad, to a topping on a sammich. So when I came across this recipe on Annies Eats ( love this website by the way...) , I knew it was something I had to make. I used regular cucumber in this recipe- but they do make pickling cucumbers, which would probably be better suited for this recipe. But use what you have on hand! This recipe would especially be great if your a gardner, and have a ton of cucumbers that you don't know what to do with!
If you're a lover of dill, or garlic, or pickles for that matter- I would try this recipe!
There's nothing better than a homemade pickle.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

For the brine:

3 cups water

6 tbsp. white vinegar

3 tbsp. kosher salt

minced garlic

fresh dill

cucumbers, cut into spears

Directions:

Combine all brine ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well to dissolve salt.

Put several sprigs of fresh dill in the bottom of each jar. Pack half full with cucumber spears. Layer with more sprigs of fresh dill. Finish filling the jar with cucumbers. Sprinkle some minced garlic on top. Pour brine into the jar until it is full and pickles are completely submerged. Put the lid on and allow to refrigerate at least 2 days before eating.

Recipe from: Annies Eats

Tortellini, Tomato, and Spinach Soup

I made this soup several weeks ago(oops!)...and forgot to post it! If you're looking for a light, easy to make soup- this is it. I will definitely make this again, however, next time I'm going to let the broth and herbs simmer a little bit longer. And maybe use Rotel tomatoes instead of plan just to spice it up a little.
Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 4-6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
* 1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped
* 1 (9 ounce) package fresh tortellini or dried tortellini
* kosher salt
* cracked black pepper
* 10 ounces fresh spinach or frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1.In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
2.Saute the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3.Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil.
4.Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
5.When tortellini is almost done, add spinach and taste, adjusting seasonings with salt and pepper.
6.Serve immediately.
7.Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Source: Recipezaar

PW Chili Con Queso

Let me start by saying I LOVE The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I love her cookbook, and her blog. Her cooking reminds me of back home in Oklahoma, probably because that's where she lives! It's all down home, comfort food cooking. SO when we had a company party at the end of December- I knew this was the recipe for me. It was good- although next time I will make it spicier by adding another jalapeno. If you like the flavor of jalapeno, but don't want the heat- just remove the ribs and seeds.

Ingredients

* 32 ounces Velveeta Cheese Loaf
* 10 ounces Rotel
* 1 pound Jimmy Dean Hot Breakfast Premium Pork Sausage
* 7 ounces, weight Chopped Green Chilies
* 1 whole Yellow Onion
* 1 whole Jalapeno, or more to taste

Instructions

Dice the onion. Using a nonstick sprayed skillet, cook sausage and onions until brown, stirring occasionally. Once browned, drain some of the fat from the skillet.

Cube Velveeta loaf. Add cubes to browned sausage and onion mixture. Add can of Rotel (juice and all), can of green chilies (juice and all), and stir over low heat.

Cut the top and bottom off the jalapeño, slice into matchsticks, then rotate and slice to create a fine dice. (For a spicy version, leave seeds and white membranes. For a milder option, remove them.) Add to queso and stir.

Serving tip: Use a fondue pot or crock pot to serve piping hot!