Apr 29 2013

From Our Kitchen: Spicy Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Posted on April 29, 2013 by thepoli3

Yum.

If you are anything like me, you probably just prayed that this plate magically appeared in front of you, right now.

You simply cannot go wrong with anything that includes both bacon and cheese. You just can’t. Thats why these quesadillas are simply AMAZING. Husband approved too, might I add. Ok, so my hubby has somewhat of an obsession with bacon but thats neither here nor there.

Pair this with a healthy side serving of Black Bean & Corn Salad and you will feel guilt-free in no time.

Spicy Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

Quesadilla Ingredients:

*Makes 2 quesadillas (8 slices)

4 flour tortillas (make sure you get the soft taco size ones)
1/4 cup chicken, shredded
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
shredded cheddar cheese

Spicy Ranch Ingredients:

*I adapted this to only make 3/4 a cup (the original recipe makes 1 & 1/2 cups)

1/2 (16 ounce) bottle ranch salad
dressing (such as Hidden Valley Original Ranch®)
1-1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such
as Tabasco®)
1-1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such
as Frank’s RedHot®)
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1. Stir together the ranch-style salad dressing, the two hot pepper sauces, cayenne pepper, and chili powder. Chill for at least one hour.

2. When spicy ranch dressing is ready, spread about 1-2 tablespoons of it on 2 tortillas.

3. Sprinkle cooked shredded chicken, cooked crumbled bacon, and cheese on top of the ranch on each tortilla. Top with remaining tortilla.

4. Coat a large grill pan (or a frying pan, which means you will probably have to cook one at a time on) with olive oil spray (or Pam) and heat over the stovetop on medium heat. Place tortilla(s) in pan and cook 1-3 minutes or so on each side until cheese melts and tortillas have slightly browned.

5. Remove tortilla(s) from pan and carefully slice into 4 wedges. You can use a knife or a pizza cutter but it is best to let cool for about a minute before slicing so its not too messy.

6. Serve with an extra side of Spicy Ranch sauce and guacamole (if desired) for dipping and enjoy!

Jul 31 2012

The “Real Best” Red Velvet Cupcakes

Posted on July 31, 2012 by thepoli3

Who doesn’t love a delicious red velvet cake? Whats more, who doesn’t love any cake turned cupcake? They’re cute, handy, and perfectly portioned! We’ve tested the three “best” red velvet cupcake recipes out there and come up with a winner to set you up with red velvet cupcake baking success! These are perfect for any occasion! Enjoy!

The contenders:

The nitty-gritty:

Each cupcake was scored on a scale of 1-10 (where 1= that’s food? and 10= the best red velvet cupcake that has ever entered my mouth) for overall score, the boyfriend/husband test, and the leftover test. We also provide other comments.

Allrecipes Red Velvet Cupcakes

Overall score: 7.5

The boyfriend/husband test: 5

The leftover test: 6.5

Comments: I definitely agree with the Allrecipes commenter who said these were somewhat bland and dry. One plus is that they weren’t overly sweet like many other red velvet cupcakes I’ve had. However, I’ll probably continue my search for a good red velvet recipe. The frosting was pretty good, though!

*NOTE: I used much less food coloring than recommended (about .13 oz instead of 1oz).

Paula Deen’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

Overall score: 9

The boyfriend/husband test: 8

The leftover test: 9

Comments: These I have a mixed opinion on. The cake was AWESOME. The frosting was just ok. In true Paula Deen style, the frosting was very buttery. I could literally taste the butter in each bite of the frosting. However, the cake was delicious, perfectly moist and full of flavor. If I were to make red velvet cupcakes again I would definitely use this recipe for the cake part with a plain old can of pre-made cream cheese frosting. Thanks Paula!!!

Brown Eyed Baker’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

Overall score: 8

The boyfriend/husband test: 8

The leftover test: 8

Comments: This was really moist but didnt have much flavor. The cream cheese frosting was just okay. Sadly, I wouldn’t make these again.

The winner:

Paula Deen’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

Special Diets:

While we can’t guarantee the results, here are some ideas you can use to customize the winning cupcakes to your dietary needs:

Gluten-free: Use a gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour.
Vegetarian: They already are!
Vegan: You can switch out the butter, buttermilk, egg, and cream cheese with vegan substitutes.
Lower fat: Skip making the frosting. These are really good on their own anyway. In any case, find a low fat cream cheese frosting recipe to substitute or purchase a pre-made low fat version at the store!
Lower sugar/calories: Same as the lower fat recommendation. Find a pre-made frosting that is also low sugar. There are many varieties out there!

Jul 25 2012

Leftovers: Caramel Pretzel Crusted Strawberry Cheesecake

Posted on July 25, 2012 by thepoli3

As you might recall, we recently posted a Pinterest Tested recipe for Salted Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bark, where we had a ton of leftover pretzel-caramel pieces leftover since the chocolate didn’t adhere very well and separated from it. Now I am not one to waste food or time so I scooped up the leftovers and put them in the fridge for a rainy day. Then it dawned on me- these would make a delicious cheesecake crust! I pulled up my favorite cheesecake recipe on AllRecipes for the filling and got to work! These were so yummy! I made them cupcake size just for fun.

Jen’s Caramel Pretzel Crusted Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

I started by crushing up the leftover pretzel-caramel pieces from our Pinterest Tested: Salted Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bark recipe, mixing the finely crushed crust with some melted butter, and then pressed down firmly into cupcake liners.

Then, I whipped up a batch of my favorite cheesecake filling, poured into the individual cupcakes, and baked according to the cheesecake filling recipe.

Almost done! You can eat these plain or add a topping- I added some canned strawberry pie filling.

Voila! Let these settle and cool overnight (or a least for a few hours), and enjoy!

Do it yourself:

*Makes 12 cheesecakes in a regular cupcake tin

Make the pretzel caramel bark (don’t add any chocolate or sea salt) – half the recipe for just 12 cheesecakes like mine -, let cool overnight, remove from pan, and crush in a plastic bag until finely ground. Add a few tablespoons of melted butter (I used about 2) to the mixture, stir until well coated, and then firmly press crust into lined cupcake pans.

Whip up Chantal’s New York Cheesecake filling (skip the crust part) – I quartered the recipe because I didn’t need so much filling for just 12 cupcakes – and pour onto individual crusts in cupcake pan.

After baking, let cool for about an hour in fridge, then spoon canned strawberry pie filling onto the top of each cheesecake-cupcake. Be careful not to put too much- it can get messy!

Let cool overnight (ideally) and enjoy!

- J

Jul 18 2012

Oh How Pinteresting

Posted on July 18, 2012 by thepoli3

Today we will begin a new link-up with The Vintage Apple called Oh How Pinteresting!

Some things we found “pinteresting” this week are:

This No-Cook Egg-Free Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream by the ChocolateMoosey.com looks delicious and is so perfect for a hot, summer day!

These Kings Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches by Beyer Beware are a delicious and easy-to-make snack to bring along with us at the upcoming football parties we will be attending this Fall.

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Same goes for these cute guys, originally pinned by Chef In Training.

These Ham & Pineapple Kabobs by Goodness Gracious would also be great for any party appetizer! Definitely suggesting using a Honeybaked Ham for this one… yum!

Find us on Pinterest to follow all of these pins and more!

What are some of your favorite pins this week?