Low Carb Cheeseburger Casserole ft. Sir Kensington's Sauces

I was sent two Sir Kensington sauces to try from Chick Advisor- their Mayonnaise with Avocado Oil and the Special Sauce Remoulade. The recipe I'm sharing today works perfectly with either, but my favorite pairing is with the Special Sauce. If you're like me, the minute you hear "special sauce", you think of a burger from a specific fast food chain. And this one gives it a run for its money and dare I say that I like it more?!

Below, you can find my review of both products and my recipe for a low carb cheeseburger casserole. Obviously, you can enjoy this even if you're not doing low carb. I hope you'll try all three out!

Keep reading!

Quick & Easy Appetizers ft. Sabra Hummus

When this opportunity hit my inbox, I knew I had to participate. I'm kind of obsessed with hummus. I had never had it until I moved to Canada and I guess I've been making up for lost time ever since! The challenge was to get the ingredients to make the three appetizers that Abbey Sharp made in her video (embedded below!) and recreate them. I actually already had a lot of the ingredients on hand, so I was off to a good start!

In Abbey's video, she made: Sweet Potato Chips, Pizza Twists, and Zucchini Fries. See more about the three recipes below, which Sabra hummus dip is the perfect pairing, and how I altered them a bit to fit my tastes!

Keep reading!

Pretzel-Crusted Brownies Recipe

I am all about easy recipes, which probably explains how I can't get enough of Rachael Ray, Ina Garten, and Mario Batali. And this is a very easy dessert! I actually don't care for pretzels unless I'm baking with them or they are of the soft variety. I had some left over from Christmas and was thinking about what to make with them. Then, this idea hit me. I'm not saying I'm the first who had it (and whoever did was a complete genius, by the way), because who doesn't love the salty and sweet combination?! I prefer salty to sweet, so this was a perfect dessert for me. On to the good stuff!

Ingredients for Brownies:
(if taking easy route - no judging here!) 1 box of brownie mix prepared like box suggests

or

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
some Nutella or peanut butter, if you want to be really decadent

Ingredients for Pretzel Crust:
2-3 cups of crushed and broken pretzels - You may want more, this was good for a 9X9 pan
melted butter - I used a little under a cup
1/4 cup of sugar

Cooking Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Prepare brownie mix.
3. Prepare crust mix and spread out evenly on a lightly greased pan.
4. Pour and spread brownie mix on top of the crust.
5. Bake around 25 minutes (or follow your brownie mix directions). Do the toothpick test to make sure it comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool. Cut and serve. Delicious!

If you try the recipe, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. The batch didn't last long in our house!

One-Pot Lasagna Soup

I love one-pot meals. This is one of those recipes that you can easily make in a deep pan, a crockpot, or a Dutch oven. I made this last month and it was pretty good, but needed a bit of improvement. So after this last batch, I changed a few things and I am finally ready to share the recipe for this simple lasagna soup. And you only have to wash one pan after? Well, that's just an extra benefit!

I'm going to tell you the ingredients, but some of the spice measurements are best held to your own judgement. I will tell you what spices I used, but you should use what you personally enjoy and taste it as you add. Also, this recipe is for a double batch so there is enough for a large family or leftovers. Leftovers are my jam.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. meat of your choice - I used extra lean turkey
Lasagna noodles - I use a 1/2 of the box and broke them into little pieces.
1 large can of drained diced tomatoes
1 can of prepared pasta sauce or add large can of crushed tomatoes (Sauce = thicker soup. Crushed = more liquid)
6 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp sugar
Minced garlic - I buy it already minced and use 1 teaspoon (equal to two cloves). Add more if you love garlic!
1 diced onion
1 tub of ricotta cheese
Parsley
Thyme
Basil
Fennel Seeds
Oregano
Pepper

Instructions:
1. Brown your meat. Add the garlic and onions to the mix and let them brown a bit.
2. Add the sugar, spices, tomatoes, pasta sauce, 1/2 of the ricotta, and broth. I buy unprepared broth and just add 6 tablespoons and 6 cups of water right into the pot.
3. When using my Dutch oven or crockpot, I let this cook at low heat all day. About thirty minutes before serving, I add the broken up uncooked lasagna noodles and let them cook in the sauce. You can do this in a separate pot if you prefer, and just add them to the sauce. This soup can totally be done within an hour. But I really recommend allowing the day for it to cook and develop the flavors.
4. When serving, I like to dollop a spoonful of the leftover ricotta on each serving. And if you're a cheese lover like me, adding other additions of cheese like parmesan is absolutely acceptable and welcomed.

I think I covered everything! I've made this twice in about a month's time, so I'd say it is a winner. Super easy and tasty and less work than a traditional lasagna? That's what dreams are made of!

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

This is how I have made my peanut butter cookies for as long as I can remember. It's easy, it's fast, and it instantly satisfies a sweet tooth- especially for a peanut butter lover (like this gal right here!). And it's so easy to change. Too sweet for you? Remove the vanilla extract or add some sea salt on top. Want them plain? Remove the Hershey Kiss. Want a different topping? The world is your oyster, because this is a perfect base recipe.

 Continue reading to see the recipe.

Keep reading!

Meatless Monday: Red Kidney Bean and Pasta Soup

This is my third year of participating in Meatless Monday. I am proud of myself, because I have only failed to follow it a handful of days. A nice thing about this soup is that you could easily add a meat of your choice to make it non-vegetarian, but I don't think you'll miss the meat one bit!

This soup was simple to make and took less than an hour and one pot. I made a big batch in my Dutch oven, but you could use a stock pot or crock pot. Preferably a pot with a lid! Five bought ingredients along with seasonings of your choice is all you need! To make my big batch, I used double of what I have typed out below.

Keep reading!

Broccoli and Mushroom Pasta with Ricotta Sauce

Well that, was a mouthful to type and a yummy mouthful to eat! I participate on Meatless Monday. I've done so for over a year now and I really enjoy it. It has a way of forcing me to get a little more creative, because meat can be so easily depended on. So I created this ricotta sauce at the top of my head and it turned out to be quite good. Is the pasta extremely photogenic? No, but who cares as long as it tastes good! :)

Here's my recipe!

Keep reading!

Southern Style Macaroni Pie

I had the privilege to be raised by the most amazing aunt that taught me many things and remained a positive influence until the day she passed away nearly ten years ago. She raised me to have morals, responsibility, and faith. And among those, she also raised me in the kitchen! Some of my earliest memories are helping her cook our family Sunday dinners!

Among the recipes that I learned from her is this macaroni pie. I have altered a few things for my own tastes, but the base recipe remains the same. Whenever I make this or any of her other favorites, I cannot help but think of happy times spent with her and all of the wonderful things she stood for. There is a reason for the term "comfort food" and this is a mainstay for me, because who doesn't love macaroni?!

Southern style is a bit different in that it is not as "wet" as typical mac-n-cheese. We use eggs to thicken it up, creating almost a custard-like texture. If you have never had it this way, it may sound weird at first. But I've never heard a single complaint once anyone tasted it!

To see more pictures, please keep reading.

Keep reading!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

I made my husband a batch of these for Valentine's Day, so I thought I'd share the recipe. It's so simple that it's hardly a recipe, though! I use the word "recipe" lightly, because you really just go with the flow on how much you want of each item. These are not meant to taste exactly like Reese's and if I can be completely honest with you, these are way better. They taste less processed. I think these would be great to make any time of the year as a treat!

What You'll Need:
cupcake liners
chocolate (I used 4 Hershey chocolate bars, but chocolate chips are fine to use)
peanut butter
powdered sugar

*what I used makes 6 oversized PB cups!
Instructions:
1. Melt half (in my case, it was 2 bars) the chocolate in the microwave until it melts, which should take around 90 seconds. Stir halfway through the heating.
2. Put the liners in a muffin pan and fill each with about a tablespoon of chocolate. Smooth it out. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let the chocolate solidify.
3. While the chocolate is cooling, get your peanut butter mixture ready. I used around 3/4 cup of peanut butter with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. If you want more peanut butter, then go for it and up the amounts of both the PB and powdered sugar! Mix it all together.
4. Get the other half of the chocolate and repeat step 1.
5. Spoon the peanut butter on top of the cooled chocolate. I used a tablespoon.
6. Now take the remaining melted chocolate and spoon another tablespoon over the peanut butter, covering all of it.
7. Put the pan back in the fridge for another 10 minutes. That's it! These can be stored in room temp. or in the fridge. I added a little powdered sugar on top for decoration but that's optional, of course.

Hopefully, that was fully understandable. I'll be happy to answer any questions, if you don't understand a step. My husband loves them and according to him I was "lucky" that he even let me have a bite of one as he does not want to share them. I'd call that a success!

Shrimp Linguine with Creamy Sauce

Tonight, I made shrimp linguine and just created the recipe as I went. I wanted more of an alfredo sauce than a tomato based sauce. Here's what I came up with!

I used:
1 box of linguine pasta noodles (perfect to provide you with leftovers!)
garlic powder (cloves of garlic will work also)
vegetable seasoning (parsley, basil, salt, pepper, etc. Season to your own taste.)
1/2 stick of butter
sliced mushrooms
1 bar of cream cheese
shrimp

Steps:
1. I put out my cream cheese to get closer to room temperature so that it will melt down easier.
2. Start boiling water for noodles.
3. In a skillet, add 1/2 of the butter and let it coat the pan as it melts. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and seasoning.
4. Place pasta in boiling water.
5. As the pasta cooked, I added the cream cheese in two halves and the rest of the butter to the skillet. While it was all melting, I started to take the tails off of my shrimp.
6. I added the shrimp closer to the end, because it is easy to overcook shrimp and make it tough. You only want it in the pan for a few minutes. Toss it in the sauce.
7. While it cooked, I drained the pasta and plated it.
8. Add the sauce on top and voilà!

It took me around 30 minutes with preparation and cooking time. Not too shabby! It turned out very tasty...which is good since I have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. :)

Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich

They are so easy, which is probably why grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my favorite things to make. I have yet to find a sandwich combo that doesn't work for them. I'll add eggs, avocados, tomatoes, deli meat, etc. and it's all a party in the mouth. ;)

So today, I thought I'd show the latest way I've been making them.



^ I sauté mushrooms and onions and add honey barbeque sauce for flavor.

^ While the onions and mushrooms are in the pan, I prepare my cheeses. I use a bit of sharp cheddar shredded cheese and some Brie. Brie is such a great choice for grilled cheese sandwiches. Well, Brie is just an excellent cheese choice for anything!

^ I sometimes toast mine in the oven, but I decided to do these on the stove using the same pan that the mushrooms and onions were in. If you want crispier bread, stick to using the oven.

^ I served mine with some potato wedges. Delicious!

Have a great weekend!

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

I made a buffalo chicken dip tonight and I thought I'd share the recipe that I use. You'll find similar recipes on the internet, but I always tweak them to meet my own needs. So here's the recipe that I use!

*shredded chicken (no set amount- just put as much as you want)- I personally buy a rotisserie chicken at my local grocery store. That way you have chicken left over for another meal! And it takes a lot of the work out of the process by it being already cooked and ready to shred.
*2 bars of cream cheese- room temperature is best
* 1 cup of ranch dressing- I actually use a ranch dip, Ruffles Ranch Dip to be exact. It makes it a bit creamier.
* Frank's Red Hot sauce- I like mine to have a kick, so I use around a cup. If you don't like spicy things, go with a 3/4 cup dose.
* shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a skillet on the stove, add the chicken and Frank's Red Hot sauce. Stir until hot.
3. Mix in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Once the cream cheese is melted, transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish.
4. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top.
5. Put it in the oven for five minutes or until the cheese is melted.

And there you have it! I served it with Ritz crackers, but you can use any bread, cracker, or vegetable. :)

P.S.- Don't forget that my giveaway is open until 11:59 EST tonight! There's still time to enter. Good luck! CLOSED

I'm late on this!

Currently watching: Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game
Currently drinking: Diet Pepsi
Currently feeling: annoyed

Today is a recipe! This is super easy to make. I made a batch just last week to enjoy. :)

Mozzarella Cheesesticks
1 package of mozzarella string cheese
bread crumbs
3 eggs
salt and pepper
Italian Seasoning
non-stick spray (preferably butter flavored)
dipping sauce of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut each string cheese stick in half. So if you want 8 cheesesticks, you'll need 4 pieces of string cheese.
3. You'll need two different bowls. In one, put the eggs and beat them. And in one, put the bread crumbs. With the bread crumbs, add your salt, pepper, and other seasonings.
4. Add half of your cheese halves to the eggs. Coat them well and move them to the bread crumbs. Repeat the process with the eggs and crumbs. Make sure they are very coated.
5. Spray pan. Add the first half of your cheesesticks to the pan.
6. Now do the the second half of the cheesesticks and repeat step 4. Add to pan.
7. Spray the top of the cheesesticks as well.
8. Put in oven for approximately 10 minutes.

Eat while still hot! Honestly, they taste just as good as what you get at restaurants and it's way cheaper. Enjoy and let me know if you try to make them!

XOXO ♥

BBQ Chicken Pizza!

Ok, when I first started this blog I thought about adding some of my recipes. So now I am finally getting around to sharing one! This is the recipe that I use to make homemade pizza. With the crescent rolls, it's definitely an eat-with-a-fork kind of meal...which is the best part!

BBQ Chicken Pizza with Crescent Roll crust

1 rectangular casserole dish
1 can of crescent rolls
BBQ sauce
honey
onions (optional)
cheese of your choice
2 pieces of boneless chicken
any other topping you might want

1. Preheat oven by the directions on the crescent tube.
2. Grill the chicken. Then, cut and dice it.
3. Saute the onions in the pan. I add a little sugar to make them even sweeter.
4. When the oven has preheated, pop the tube and lay the rolls on the bottom of the pan. Make sure the pan is covered. Put the rolls in for a bit to plump them up. Don't fully cook them just yet!
5. While they are plumping, mix some honey in the BBQ sauce to thicken and sweeten it.
6. Take the rolls out and put a layer of half of your sauce.
7. Layer chicken and onions. Add the rest of the sauce over that.
8. Add cheese to the top!
9. Place back in oven and let it finish cooking all the way through.

Voila! That's all! Crescent rolls provide the easiest crust around. I do this to make all kinds of different pizzas, with this one being my favorite of them all! Also, if you want thicker crust, layer two cans of rolls instead of one. If you try it, let me know what you think! :)