Red Velvet Oreo Cupcakes

Serves: 16 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• Cupcakes:
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tbs cocoa powder
• 1½ cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2-3 tsp red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 7 Oreo Cookies, crushed in food processor
• 
  
• For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup of butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups powder sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners. (I also used two muffin pans, I had batter for 16 cupcakes)
2. In a bowl on an electric mixer, beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla on medium low.
3. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on low until smooth and just combined.
4. Add MOST of the crushed Oreo cookies (set aside about 2 tbs to top of the cupcakes.) and stir on low until just incorporated.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups, filled about ¾ full.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Do a toothpick test to make sure the cupcakes are cooked through. Cool completely before frosting.
7. Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth and light. (about 2-3 minutes)
8. Lower the speed to low and slowly add the powder sugar. Beat until just incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until very light and fluffy. (about another 1-1½ minutes)
9. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with remaining crushed Oreos.

Recipe Credit: Will Cook for Smiles

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced (seeds removed)
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced (seeds removed)
• 12 small flour tortillas

Toppings

• cheese
• cilantro
• salsa
• sour cream

Instructions

• 1
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
• 2
  • In a very large bowl, mix the chicken strips, tomatoes, peppers and onions.
• 3
  In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken mixture and stir to coat.
• 4
  Pour entire mixture into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are fork tender. Serve with tortillas and you favorite toppings! Enjoy ♥

Notes

• Yields 6 servings ( 2 Fajitas per serving)

Recipe Credit: Adapted from Life in the Lofthouse

Creamy Potato Broccoli Chowder

After our son was in the hospital overnight, a friend from church brought this over. Delicious!

Serves 8

At our house, we serve this soup with a small pitcher of thinned Mock Sour Cream so kids can draw designs in their soup (a circle of cream with a spoon tip dragged through it makes a pretty love heart). Add a little Martha Stewart to your meal. "It's a good thing."

8 unpeeled red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
3 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, quartered
2 stalks broccoli, cut in chunks
1 T salt (or more to your liking)
1/2 cup healthy mayo

In a large soup pot, cover vegetables with water. Boil until tender (about 20 minutes). Transfer mixture into blender with a large measuring cup and puree all cooked ingredients. Blend mayo and salt in with potato broccoli puree. Warm and serve.

Recipe Credit: Chelsea Chadwick

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Haystacks

Just another yummy (and easier) version of the homemade Hawaiian haystacks. We loved it.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large chicken breasts
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk or heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• cooked white rice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill your slow cooker with 2 cups chicken broth. Add chicken breasts. Cover and cook for 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low.
2. About 20 minutes before serving, shred the chicken with two forks and keep in slow cooker.
3. In a pan or skillet melt butter over medium heat. Stir in garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add flour to pan and stir until mixture clumps up. Slowly whisk in remaining 2 cups chicken broth and milk. When mixture is thickened, stir in onion powder and salt.
5. Add cream mixture to slow cooker and stir to coat chicken. Cook for another 15 minutes. Serve over rice with your favorite toppings (listed below).

Toppings: (items with a star are our favorites)

shredded cheddar cheese*

pineapple tidbits*

sliced olives*

diced green onion*

chopped celery*

slice almonds*

Chow mein noodles*

diced tomatoes

mandarin oranges*

diced green pepper*
diced red pepper*
avocado
coconut flakes

water chestnuts*

cashews*

soy sauce

or anything else that you think would be good

Recipe Credit: lecremedelacrumb.com

Red and White Pasta Bake

This one was so delicious! Jeff loved it. We had this meal brought to us by a friend in our ward after Eli was in the hospital for the night with RSV. Thankfully, he's doing much better now, but it was a very scary time. What a yummy (and easy) meal though!

4 cups of small pasta, we had macaroni on hand, but penne would have been beautiful

15oz jar of alfredo sauce

24oz jar of marinara sauce 

2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1 C shredded parmesan cheese + more for sprinkling

2-3 T chopped fresh basil for sprinkling

1 lb. cooked and shredded chicken/turkey (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 

2. In a large pot of salted water, cook small pasta according to directions on package. Drain. 

3. While pasta is boiling, combine alfredo sauce, marinara sauce, 1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella, 1 C parmesan, and 1 lb. shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl. 

4. Pour cooked and drained pasta over mixture and stir until all the noodles have been coated in that blessed pink sauce. 

5. Pour smothered noodles into your prepared pan - try to even out the layer with a spatula. Top with remaining 1/2 C mozzarella, sprinkle of parm, and basil. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove cover, bake for another 5 minutes or until top is melted and slightly crispy. 

Recipe Credit: Baking with Blondie