ABC & S Pizza

"ABC & S" stands for Alfredo, Bacon, Chicken, and Spinach Pizza, which is synonymous with YUM!!!

Here is what you need:

• 1 pizza crust (I used one in a can from Pillsbury)
• 1 cup alfredo sauce (I used Ragu's roasted garlic flavor)
• 1 chicken breast, cubed
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup parm cheese
• 1 cup mozz cheese (or a little more...wink)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Here is what you do:

• Preheat oven according to instructions on pizza dough can
• Cook bacon; remove from skillet; place on paper towel to drain
• While bacon cooks, drain spinach and set aside; cube chicken
• Cook chicken in bacon fat; add a bit more veg oil if needed
• While chicken cooks, roll pizza dough out on pan, leaving a ridge around the edge
• Add spinach, salt, pepper, and garlic to cooked chicken
• While spinach cooks with chicken, spread alfredo sauce on pizza dough (add more if necessary)
• Cut bacon into bite size pieces and add to chicken and spinach; stir for about 1 minute
• Spread mixture over alfredo sauce
• Top with mozz cheese then parm cheese
• Bake according to the baking time on the pizza dough can

It is so DELICIOUS!!! I am already craving the leftovers. 

Spread mixture over alfredo sauce.

(Careful...its HOT!)

Top with cheese! 

Crockpot Potato Cheese Soup

I accidentally discovered this recipe. lol. I was trying a new way to make mashed potatoes, and I ended up making soup instead because I added too much liquid. But, it is a happy little accident because the soup turned out delicious!

Here is what you need:

• 5 medium potatoes (red potatoes work best for a smooth texture, but any other potato will work, too--it just won't be as smooth)
• 4 cups water*
• 4 tsp chicken bouillon paste*
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 1/2 cups grated cheese, reserve 1/2 for topping
• 3/4 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• bacon, to taste

*If you don't have bouillon paste, you can use 4 cups of chicken broth or stock instead of the 4 cups of water and paste. 

Here is what you do:

• Add water, butter, and bouillon paste to crockpot
• Set crockpot to med-high
• Cube potatoes with the skin on...it saves time and keeps nutrients in (of off if you prefer)
• Add potatoes to crockpot and cook for 2 - 3 hours, or until the potatoes are fall-apart tender
• Mash contents inside crockpot
• Cook bacon in skillet
• Add salt, pepper, cheese, and sour cream to crockpot; mix well
• If the soup isn't a consistency you want, add a little more cheese; it should be thicker than a normal soup and stick to the back of a spoon
• Serve with crumbled bacon and extra cheese sprinkled on top

Enjoy! This would be a wonderful soup to serve in a bread bowl. Yum!

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Quesadillas

Tonight I didn't feel like cooking so I wanted something quick and easy...and with bacon! So, I grabbed some eggs, bacon, cheese, and tortillas to see what they tasted like as a quesadilla. It was so delicious!

Here is what you need, for one adult serving or two kids servings:

• 2 wheat tortillas
• 3 medium eggs
• 2 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• pinch of onion powder
• pinch of garlic salt
• pinch of pepper

Here is what you do:

• Cook bacon and set aside to cool a tad; break into small pieces
• Whisk onion powder, garlic salt, and pepper into eggs
• Scramble eggs in bacon drippings; add bacon pieces when eggs are almost done
• Transfer scrambled eggs to a small dish
• Place one tortilla in same pan and sprinkle half of cheese on top
• Layer scrambled eggs and top with rest of cheese and second tortilla
• Cover pan and let cook on medium-low heat until cheese on bottom is melted
• Flip and cover again, cooking until cheese is melted
• Serve with ketchup, if desired

It was YUM-O, and I bet your kiddos will love it! 

Broccoli Bites

Knock, Knock. You still out there? Sorry I haven't posted in AGES; I've been busy packing and moving to a new city. But, I'm close to getting settled and will start cooking and sharing my recipes again...I promise!

For now, take a look at this recipe for delicious-looking broccoli bites. Even the non-veggie lover will love these! Add a bit of bacon and they'll be even better!

Crustless Quiche

Today is my mom's birthday, so this is a little shout out to her. (Happy Birthday, mom!)

My mom and I have our own funny little language that makes us crack right up at each other. Here is an example: We say "quiche" as if it were pronounced "keechee." lol. (I'm totally laughing right now.) So, every time I say the name of this recipe, I say "Crustless Keechee" and laugh on the inside.

Sorry for the lame photo quality...blame it on the phone.

Here is what you need:

• 9 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 5 strips thick bacon
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• cooking spray

Here is what you do:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place bacon on baking sheet with grooves and bake for 12 minutes or until mostly crispy but not too crisp.
• While bacon cooks, whisk eggs, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together until frothy.
• Stir in grated cheese.
• Place cooked bacon on bottom of greased glass round baking dish.
• Slowly pour mixture over bacon. Don't worry if bacon rises to the top or floats in the mixture. That's totally fine.
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 4o to 45 minutes, checking on the quiche (keechee-lol) every few minutes around that time. You're looking for it to start to come away from the sides, be a bit golden brown, and all of the inner gooey mixture to become a bit firm, but not terribly firm. 
• Sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper.
• Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
• Note: If you like green onions, feel free to add those. 

Enjoy! This quiche (keechee - hehe) really is quite delicious, especially with the onion powder and garlic powder. They add a special flavor that I love. (I usually reach for those flavors for most of my dishes...except desserts. Gag.)

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pizza

Here it is, in all its glory. Here is the story of how I came up with it...


Remember this delicious recipe?

Well, I entered it into the Soul Food and Southern Cooking contest. And, I'm so excited to find out the results in the beginning of May.

Then, I started to think of ways I could enter it into the Pillsbury Bake Off contest. In order to qualify, you have to include some specific ingredients, like pizza crust or dinner rolls from Pillsbury.

One problem...that delicious recipe doesn't call for pizza crust or dinner rolls. It calls for noodles. But, it is just so delicious, I wanted to see what I could come up with.

Drum roll please...






I came up with this! My Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pizza. 

I savoured every bite of my slice for dinner tonight. The rest is for lunch tomorrow! YUM!!!

It isn't very pretty yet because it was my first try, but I'll keep practicing and get it down to a science before I enter it into the contest. Who knows...maybe I'll get lucky and be a contestant out of the thousands of entrants.

I can't say the recipe details quite yet because of contest rules, but if you want some pointers, send me a message, and I'll help ya out!

Creamy Chicken Noodles and Bacon

Everything is better with bacon! Especially chicken and cheese. Sounds fattening, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be with this easy meal. Instead of using regular ingredients, try making this creamy noodle concoction with low-fat or fat free items.

The recipe is super simple to make, especially if you precook and shred your chicken on your prep day. Or, you can use a can of chicken. If you use canned chicken, be sure to rinse the chicken with water so that you remove some of the fluid from the can. (The fluid can be full of sodium, and rinsing it eliminates some of that.)

Here is what you need:

• 1 lb chicken, shredded from your shopping/prep day
• 1 bag no yolk noodles
• 2 cans condensed chicken soup, 98% fat free
• 1/2 cup sour cream, fat free
• 3 cups broccoli pieces
• 5 strips bacon (or turkey bacon)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated and low-fat
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Here is what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook noodles in one pot and and warm your precooked, shredded chicken in a skillet.
3. While noodles and chicken cook, place bacon on baking sheet with grooves and bake for 12 minutes or until mostly crispy but not too crisp. 
4. Mix condensed soup, sour cream, broccoli, garlic, and seasonings. Set aside. 
5. By now, the noodles and chicken should be finished. (About 15 minutes should have passed by now.)
6. Run noodles under lukewarm water to bring their temperature down a bit and then combine with chicken and soup mixture.
7. Place mixture in 9 x 13 cake pan then sprinkle cheese on top.
8. Cut cooked bacon into pieces and drop over cheese.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cheese starts to bubble.
10. This makes 6 large servings or 8 medium servings.

Enjoy! And remember, everything is better with bacon, even if it is turkey bacon.

PS ~ Fair warning, you will CRAVE the leftovers.

Lemon Chicken and Pasta

I was craving pasta and broccoli, so I thought I'd play around with some ingredients and create a delicious, fresh dinner, all while pretending I worked as a chef in a restaurant. LOL. It was fun and the end result is phenomenal!

Here is what you need:

• 1 box garden spiral pasta (some will be for this dish and some will be for a pasta salad that I'll post about on another day)
• 3 medium heads broccoli, cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbs butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3 thick slices bacon, cut into strips
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 lemon, squeeze all juice
• 1 tbs lemon zest
• lemon pepper, to taste

Here is what you do:

1. Cook pasta in well salted water in large pot. 
2. When pasta is half way done, add olive oil and 3 tbs of butter to skillet. Start cooking bacon then add chopped onions. Season with a little lemon pepper.
3. Fill large bowl with ice water. Set next to stove.
4. Remove pasta from water with slotted spoon, but keep pasta water boiling. Add broccoli to pasta water. Boil broccoli for 1 or 2 minutes then remove with slotted spoon and place in ice water. 
5. Drain pasta water. Add 3/4 of pasta back into large pot. (Save remaining pasta for that dish that I'll tell you about later.)
6. When bacon and onions are almost done, add garlic, lemon zest, half of lemon juice, and broccoli. Season with a little lemon pepper. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add chicken, remaining tbs of butter, and remaining half of lemon juice to skillet. Season with a little lemon pepper. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Add veggie and meat mixture to pasta. Stir well, making sure all pieces are lightly coated with sauce. 

Here are some hints for making your cook time less than 30 minutes:

1. On shopping day, precook chicken, shred it, and then portion it and place in freezer bags for later. Chop onion and store in tightly sealed container in the fridge. You can then use the onion as needed during the week. And finally, clean broccoli, pat it dry, cut large stem off, and place broccoli florets in sealed plastic bag.
2. Use a food chopper to dice onions instead of slicing and dicing it with a knife and cutting board.
3. Start boiling pasta water as you get the rest of your ingredients ready.

I took one bite of this lemon chicken creation and was in heaven! The pasta is lightly coated with the flavor-packed sauce. Then you get fresh and tasty bites of chicken, bacon, and broccoli with a hint of the caramelized onions. YUM!

Let me know if you try it!

PS ~ You may want to crack open your windows while you cook the bacon and caramelize the onion; otherwise, your clothes may smell like the dynamic duo. It's not a bad smell, mind you, but your friends may want to eat your clothes because it will smell like delicious food. hahaha.

Hearty Tomato Soup

During the cold, winter months, don't you just crave hot, hearty soups that you can eat while curled up by the fire with a comfy blanket and a great book? And, to make the setting even better, imagine said soup served with a side of grilled cheese, a fresh baguette, or delicious garlic toast. Yum! This easy meal is just that: a hearty tomato soup with vegetables and shredded chicken.

Here is what you need:

• 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 5 slices thick bacon, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 4 cups stewed tomatoes
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• Grated cheese, as desired
• Crumbled, cooked bacon, as desired

Here is what you do:

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon.
2. Add shredded chicken, onion, and carrots.
3. Sauté in butter and extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes, just until vegetables are soft but not brown. (If you didn't precook your chicken, make sure the chicken is mostly cooked at this point.)
4. Transfer the meat and veggies into a large pot and add broth, tomatoes, sugar, curry, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
5. Serve a portion with your special side and a sprinkle of grated cheese and crumbled bacon pieces.
6. Allow the rest to cool completely and then label and freeze for a quick, healthy meal later.

Go grab your favorite book because you’ll be relaxing by the warm fire and diving into your soup and the pages of your book in no time!