5 Layer Mexican Pizza (A new spin on our Taco Pizza)

When we were growing up, my mom used to make Taco Pizza. I loved it so much that I would make it for my friends when I first went off to college. This recipe is just a new spin on it plus you make your own homemade nacho cheese sauce! Between all the ingredients and steps on what to do, it seems like a lot, but you've got to learn how to multi-task in the kitchen! This took me about 15 minutes to make everything so I know you can do it!!!

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Pizza Crust

1 can refried beans

Ground beef (or sausage)

Fresh cilantro

Shredded cheese

Pico de Gallo (make your own using diced tomatoes, garlic, red onion, jalapenos & juice from a lime)

**Ingredients for homemade Nacho Cheese:

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1 (4 oz) can of green chilies

*If you decide to make the Nacho Cheese, make it while the pizza crust is cooking so it cuts down your time

What to do:

1. Heat oven to 400F (according to the instructions for the pizza)
2. Spray cookie sheet and roll out pizza dough (I stretch the dough a little to make it thinner)
3. While oven is finishing heating up, start to make your nacho cheese
4. In a small pot or skillet, melt butter over medium high heat and stir in flour
5. Pour in the milk and stir until thickened (it won't be fully thick yet)
6. **Don't forget to put pizza in & cook for about 10 min
7. Keep stirring and mix in the cheese and salt (you be the judge if you need to add in just a little bit more cheese)
8. Continute to cook and stir until all the cheese has melted 
9. **Start cooking your ground beef or sausage
10. Add green chilies to the cheese and mix until it is all blended well 
11. Chop up your fresh cilantro
12. After 10 minutes, pull out your pizza, but keep oven on
13. Spread your refried beans onto pizza crust
14. Top with your Nacho cheese sauce
15. Then add your pico de gallo
16. Top with your cooked beef or sausage
17. Add your chopped, fresh cilantro & shredded cheese
18.  Cook for about 5 more minutes

I usually top my Taco Pizza with shredded lettuce & avacado, but I forgot to get lettuce..oh well, IT WAS REALLY GOOD!!

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Kyle and I are huge fans of fresh green beans :) I saw this recipe and thought we should try this and change up our NORMAL way of cooking them, especially since friends were coming over for dinner.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh green beans

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

What to do:

1. Remove the stems from the green beans and wash
2. In a pot, boil water & add green beans
3. Cook until your desired tenderness (we like ours soft, but still a little crunchy)
4. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat
5. Add garlic to the melted butter and cook for about 1-2 minutes
6. Drain your green beans and then transfer to the skillet w/ butter and garlic
7. Toss so that you coat all the green beans
8. Season with salt and pepper
9. Remove from heat and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese
10. Toss again until the cheese is melted (about 1 min.)

ENJOY!!  These are very good leftover!!!



Once again, I forgot to take a picture the night before



Fried Pork Chops

Kyle loves getting fried pork chops and eggs when we go eat breakfast somewhere so I decided I would just make them one night! All in all, it took about 15-20 min!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Bisquick

12 Saltine crackers

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 large egg

2 Tbsp. water

8 boneless loin chops

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

What to do:

1. Mix Bisquick, crackers, seasoned salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in a bowl
2. In another bowl, mix egg and water
3. Dip pork into egg mixture and then coat with Bisquick mixture
4. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat
5. Cook pork in oil (about 5 to 6 minutes each side)

Crock Pot Lasagna

I have never really been a huge fan of Lasagna, but this recipe looked too good to pass up, plus there was a bonus...CROCK POT :) This whole recipe made a 3 layer Lasagna & we split it into 8 servings...looks like I will have lunch and leftovers to spread out over the rest of this week.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (or Italian Sausage like I used)

29 oz can tomato sauce

8 oz pkg. lasagna noodles, uncooked

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese

1 yellow onion, diced

2 Tablespoons fresh garlic, minced

What to do:

1. Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray
2. Dice your onion and mince your garlic
3. In a skillet, start to brown your onion and garlic
4. In a separate pan, brown your beef/sausage (*I cooked separately from onion and garlic so that I could drain the meat after it was done)
5. Combine browned meat, cooked onion and garlic, & 29 oz can of tomato sauce
6. Spread a little bit of meat sauce on the bottom of your crock pot (*Not too much since we still have to layer)
7. Arrange 1/3 of the uncooked noodles over the sauce (*It is easier if you break them up so they fit better)
8. In a bowl, combine your mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese & mix well
9. Spoon about 1/3 of the cheese mixture over noodles
10. Repeat steps 6, 7, & 9 two more times



Just to show the layering

  11.  Top with remaining sauce

  12.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours

  13.  As you prepare your sides, take lid off crock pot to let the Lasagna stand

ENJOY :)

This Lasagna was very good and had great flavor. Next time I will probably use our homemade tomato sauce instead of sauce out of a can!




3 layers of Lasagna (too much of a portion for me)

 


Perfect w/ side salad & garlic bread

 

Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken (2 ways to cook)

This recipe was sooo good & I definitely can't wait to make it again. It was a simple recipe that didn't take long and had good flavor! The full recipe is below, but since it was just Kyle and I, I cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 jalapeno peppers

4 strips of bacon

4 (around 6 oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (if you use regular bread crumbs, add salt-pepper-garlic powder-onion powder to help with seasoning)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Toothpicks

What to do (Option 1):

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until your desired crispiness.
2. Seed and mince your jalapenos
3. In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon and jalapenos
4. Cut a pocket horizontally through the thickest side of each chicken breast
5. Fill the pocket with cheese mixture (*If you want the cheese mixture in each bite you take, cut your pocket almost to the other end of the chicken)
6. Secure with toothpicks



All stuffed, 2 already breaded & the other 2 about to be






Roll the chicken breasts in bread crumbs to coat (*and No, you don't need to dip the chicken in eggs this time)




Heat oil in skillet on medium-high
7. Cook chicken until no longer pink inside and juices run clear (*It's about 8 minutes per side)

***SIDE NOTE - My chicken was thicker and I didn't want it to burn so after 8 minutes per side, I put the chicken in the oven for about 5 minutes longer to make sure it was all the way cooked through

What to do (Option 2):

1. Heat Oven to 400F
2. Same as Steps 1-3 above
3. Instead of chicken halves, cut chicken breasts in half LENGTHWISE
4. Spoon mixture on chicken and spread it all over
5. Roll the chicken from one end to the other
6. Secure with toothpicks
7. Coat the chicken with the bread crumbs
8. On a cookie sheet, cover with foil and spray the foil with pam
9. Place chicken on cookie sheet & bake for 15-20 minutes on 400F

***Every oven is different so depending on how thick your chicken is will depend on how long you cook it for. Some of mine went for 15 minutes and a couple of pieces went for 20.


I forgot to take a picture the night before so this is my leftover for lunch...excuse the plate & mess



Baseball Season

Hi!!

I went to see what day I did my last post because I know it's been a little bit. What can I say, it's BASEBALL SEASON :) ...GO RANGERS

With going to the games, I have been making quick and easy things to eat on the way. I just printed off some new recipes to try, but would love any suggestions!

I will be posting a recipe within the next couple of days so stayed tuned haha :) I hope everyone is doing well & hopefully enjoying some nice weather!

Healthy Honey Lime Enchiladas

This was another recipe I found thanks to Pinterest. I couldn't wait to try this one out  because I love Mexican food, but this had a hint of sweet flavor instead of spicy.

I cooked the chicken and shredded it the day before so that way all I had to do was mix the ingredients & put in the oven....easy enough!

Ingredients:

3 small bonless, skinless chicken breasts; cooked and shredded

5 Tbsp. lime juice (If you use fresh, its about a lime and a half)

5 Tbsp. Honey (*I used 4 Tbsp.)

1 Tsp. Paprika

1 Tsp. Garlic Powder

6-8 Flour tortillas (*I might try corn next time)

Mexican Blend Cheese

Cheddar Cheese

1 can Green Enchilada Sauce

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350
• In a bowl, mix together the chicken, lime juice, honey, paprika and garlic powder
• Layer a small amount (not too much) of your enchilada sauce on the bottom of your 8x8 or 9x13 pan
• On each of your tortillas, put the chicken mixture in the center, sprinkle with your Mexican Blend Cheese and roll up (*If you warm up your tortillas first, they won't break/tear as you are rolling them up- :) Just a little hint that I learned that a few years ago)
• Place seam side down
• After you roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in your pan, pour the enchilada sauce over all of your enchiladas Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese



*Ready to put in the oven



• BAKE @ 350 for 25 MINUTES

Kyle really liked the flavor so it has definitely been added to my Recipe Keeper...it was perfect with Uncle Ben's Rice!!

ENJOY :)