Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup flour

1 cup chocolate chips

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

10 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.

3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps. Flatten the clumps of dough in your palms to flatten them out a bit. Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature

Original recipe available here.

Cookie Cutter Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups Sweet Cream Salted Butter (softened)
  •  2 cups Granulated Sugar
  •  2 Large Eggs
  •  2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract
  •  4 teaspoons Baking Powder
  •  6 cups All-Purpose Flour

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add the 4 sticks (2 cups) of butter and 2 cups of white sugar to your mixer.  
    • The butter needs to be softened but still cold.  A prime culprit for dry sugar cookie dough is butter that is too warm and soft.  I let the butter sit out on the counter for just under an hour before I start making the cookies – this seems to be the perfect amount of time for me.  The butter is still cold to the touch but you can press into the stick with your fingers.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar until it is completely mixed (3 minutes on medium-high should do the trick.)
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla and 2 eggs. I know that sounds like a lot of vanilla but this recipe needs a little extra moisture and the cookies will taste great.
  4. Mix the cookie dough until light and fluffy (about 3 more minutes.)
  5. Add 4 teaspoons of Baking Powder and mix.
  6. Mix in the 6 cups of flour two cups at a time.  Don’t over-mix the dough when you are adding the dry ingredients. Mix it only until the flour is incorporated into the dough.
  7. After you have added the 6 cups of Flour the dough should be firm but not dry or crumbly.  If the dough seems to dry, add a tiny bit of vanilla or milk (start with a teaspoon) and mix again. 
  8. Roll a handful of the dough out on a prepared surface until it’s about 3/8″ thick.
  9. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
  10.  Bake in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie cutter you used.
    • Do not over-bake!  We like thicker sugar cookies so they will hold a good amount of frosting.  If you make your cookies on the thick side as we have done in the pictures here, you should cook them 9-10 minutes. They might not look done to you but they are.  Take them out of the oven.  You don’t want them to start browning around the edges the way a Chocolate Chip Cookie would, for example.  The cookies should be set and just bet starting to slightly brown around the edges. Over-baking is the prime culprit if you feel your sugar cookies seem dry.  If you roll out thinner cookies, or use smaller cookie cutters than the ones we have used here, you  should only bake the cookies 6 or 7 minutes.
  11.  Let your cookies cool and then they are ready for frosting.  
  12. Try this Best Buttercream Frosting recipe.  The frosting is easy to color and tastes so delicious and yummy on these sugar cookies.

Original recipe available here.

Grilled Caprese Pesto Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup basil pesto
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
  • kosher salt, black pepper, and chili flakes
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella balls (use marinated, if you can find)
  • 8 ounces burrata cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves

Directions:

  • To make the vinaigrette. In a glass jar, combine the pesto, balsamic vinegar, honey, and lemon. Season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper. 
  • In a bowl, toss the chicken with half of the vinaigrette and 1 tablespoon olive oil. In a separate bowl toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  • Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Take skewers and thread the chicken with the tomatoes. If you have additional tomatoes, thread them on additional skewers and grill them up with the chicken. 
  • Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total. 
  • To serve, toss the mozzarella balls with a couple tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Arrange the mozzarella and burrata on a serving plate. Place the skewers over the cheese.
  • Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over everything. I usually add additional olive oil + balsamic too. Top with basil. Enjoy!

Asian Beef and Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 medium zucchinis
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves- finely minced
  • 1 onion- sliced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp unsweet applesauce
  • 1 tsp BBQ sauce
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

  • Spiralize zucchinis and transfer to a large bowl lined with a clean towel. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
  • Add soy sauce, applesauce, bbq sauce and red pepper flakes to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • Heat a large deep skillet over medium high heat and add avocado and sesame oils. Add onion and garlic to pain and cute until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant (about 3-5minutes) Season with a little salt and upper.
  • Add ground beef to skillet. Cook the beef until its browned, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the sauce to ground beff mixture and stir to combine. Turn the heat up a bit and continue to cook the mixture until the meat begins to caramelize a bit.
  • Squeeze as much liquid out of the zucchini noodles as you can and add to the skillet with beef mixture.
  • Stir until noodles are warm through, about 2-3minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowl

Chili Lime Chicken:

  • 1 lb. Chicken Breast
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 Limes (juiced)
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

Pico de Gallo:

  • 3-4 Roma Tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup White or Red Onion (finely diced)
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro
  • 1/2 Jalapeno (diced)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

Chuy’s Creamy Jalapeno Cilantro Dip Dressing Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup Sour Cream
  • 3/4 cup Mayonnaise (if you prefer less mayonnaise, you may use 1 cup of sour cream and ½ cup mayonnaise)
  • 1 packet 1 oz Dry Ranch Dip
  • 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
  • 1/2 cup Cilantro (tightly packed, may add more for fresh flavor)
  • 3/4 cup Pickled Jalapenos (plus juice from a jar (may add up to 1 cup depending on heat preference)
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk (if you want it to be thinner, add more buttermilk)
  • 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice optional

Additional Bowl Ingredients:

  • 1-2 cans Corn cooked
  • 1-2 cans Black Beans cooked
  • 2 cups rice or more depending on preference
  • 1 Jalapeno sliced
  • 1-2 Avocado

INSTRUCTIONS

Chicken Prep:

  • In a large ziploc bag, place chicken breast, olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and salt. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2-4 hours or overnight.

Chuy’s Creamy Jalapeno Cilantro Dip Dressing:

  • In a medium mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch dip packet, and garlic salt.
  • In blender or food processor, puree cilantro and pickled jalapenos with a little juice. (If using tomatillos, blend with jalapenos and cilantro).
  • Add cilantro jalapeno puree to mayo mixture.
  • Stir in buttermilk until you reach desired consistency. Add fresh lime juice, if using.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pico de gallo:

  • In small bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and salt.

Bowl Assembly:

  • Remove chicken from marinate and place on hot grill (medium heat). Cook for 6-8 minutes per side, or until chicken is no longer pink. Time is an estimate as it depends on the thickness of the chicken breast. After grilling, let rest for at least 5 minutes to let juices seep into chicken. Slice on the diagonal.
  • Make rice according to package instructions.
  • Heat up black beans until warm.
  • Heat up corn until warm.
  • Make cilantro ranch dressing and homemade guacamole, if you desire.
  • Layer in a bowl — rice, beans, grilled chicken, pico de gallo, avocado, roasted corn, and cilantro ranch dressing.
  • ENJOY!!

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Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound baby Dutch yellow potatoes
  • 3 ears corn, each cut crosswise into 6 pieces
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
  2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender and parboiled, about 10-13 minutes. Stir in corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking time; drain well.
  3. In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic and Old Bay seasoning.
  4. Place potatoes, corn, shrimp and sausage in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Stir in butter mixture and gently toss to combine.
  5. Place into oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and corn is tender.
  6. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Original recipe available here.

Cheesy Baked Tortellini With Meat Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 (20oz) container of refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 (24oz) jar of pasta sauce
  • 8 (ounces) cream cheese (cubed)
  • 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated or shredded parmesan
  • seasoning to taste

Directions:

  1. Cook the pasta a la dente according to the package directions; drain and set aside.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
  3. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the seasoning of your choice (I use salt, garlic powder, pepper & Italian seasoning). 
  4. Remove the excess grease from the browned beef and then stir in your tomato sauce and cream cheese. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce is well incorporated.
  5. Gently toss your cooked tortellini in with the sauce mixture and then pour it into your casserole dish; Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.
  6. Bake uncovered in the center rack of your oven for about 20 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and continue baking for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.
  7. Enjoy with garlic bread, salad and/or veggies!

Original recipe available here.

Turkey Bowl

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

  • 1lb ground turkey
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 1 24oz can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 TBS garlic powder
  • 1-2 cups spinach
  • 1 avocado, sliced or mashed
  • 1-2 TBS hot sauce (optional)

Instructions:

  • Place ground turkey and yellow onion in pan over medium heat.
  • Mix and break up turkey until cooked through and no more pink appears.
  • Add diced tomatoes, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and hot sauce (if desired).
  • Mix well
  • Before removing from heat add spinach. Stir until cooked down and then remove.
  • Mash avocado, add lime juice and punch of salt (or simply slice avocado).
  • Place turkey mixture in bowl and top with avocado.
  • Serve.

Gluten Free Homemade Brownie Mug Treat

For a healthier take on dessert… try this homemade mug treat! As usual I started diving in before I could even snap a picture. ?? Serves one.

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp almond flour
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar or sugar of your choice
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp milk of choice, I prefer almond milk
  • 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp chocolate chips (regular, dairy, or sugar free)

Mix all ingredients together in a mug and microwave for roughly 50 seconds. Eat warm on its own or top with some dairy free dessert! So yummy!

Original recipe available here.