Artichoke Bacon Chicken...another huge winner!!!  of course, how could you go wrong when there is bacon involved???

Here is what you need...

one small jar of marinated artichoke halves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
four chicken breast
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Italian cheese blend (shredded), plus 1/4 cup Italian cheese blend
salt and pepper
8 strips of bacon chopped and cooked until crisp

Drain the artichokes reserving the liquid..add the liquid to a large baggie along with the garlic powder.  Mix together and add the chicken breast.  Let marinate 30 minutes to 8 hours.
Chop the artichokes and add to the mayonnaise and cheese mixing well...season with salt and pepper.  Remove chicken from the marinade and place in a 9x13 pan sprayed with PAM.  Divide the artichoke mixture between the four chicken breast...spreading evenly on top of the chicken.  Sprinkle each chicken breast with the bacon and the remaining shredded cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes...you can turn on the broiler at the end to crisp up the top if you like!  This recipe was adapted from the blog...lovely little snippets!

Roasted Mexican Chicken

Roasted Mexican Chicken...this was the best piece of chicken that I have made in a long time...could have been that I walked eight miles yesterday morning, and I was starving, but I really think it was just good..like the freshest, best salsa baked on top of a juicy chicken breast!  It was adapted from a Rachel Ray recipe!

Spice Blend...mix together the following
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion flakes
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
salt and pepper

Grab four chicken breast and drizzle them with olive oil...sprinkle them with the spice blend on both sides, rubbing it into the chicken and place in a 9x13 pan.

Thinly slice the following...
3 roma tomatoes
one red onion
5 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos

On top of each chicken breast shingle the tomato and the red onion slices.  Sprinkle each chicken breast with the garlic slices and the jalapeno slices...let me insert my opinion here...roasting this chicken at a high heat helps to mellow both the garlic and the jalapenos...I did not seed or devein the jalapenos and they were not too spicy at all...drizzle the tops with a little more olive oil.  Place in an oven set to 450 degrees...roast for 30-40 minutes depending on how think your chicken breast are!

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Sandwiches

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Sandwiches

(not a fan of mayonnaise, but add all this yummy stuff and it was fab!)

Flank Steak...

one flank steak

3/4 cup of soy sauce

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce

the juice of one lemon

four minced garlic cloves

salt and pepper

Add all ingredients to a large zip lock bag and let marinate all day! Remove from the marinade and you can either grill it until desired doneness or you can heat up a large skillet (I use my cast iron skillet) until it is crazy hot...cook the flank steak for about 8-10 minutes on each side. Allow the steak to rest and slice across the grain.

Bacon Horseradish Mayonnaise...

3/4 cup of mayonnaise

6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 green onions thinly sliced

2-3 teaspoons of prepared horseradish

the zest and juice of one lemon

Mix all the ingredients and let the flavors meld for a few hours.

Toast four onion rolls, smear with the flavored mayonnaise, and top with the flank steak!

Fresh Mozzarella with Glazed Plums

Fresh Mozzarella with Glazed Plums

(made this for a weekend dinner party...really good, and it makes you look like a total professional!)

2 balls of fresh mozzarella, sliced into half moons

4 large plums, pitted, and sliced into thin-ish wedges

1 1/2 cups of good balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup of fresh mint, chopped

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

salt and pepper

Place the balsamic vinegar in a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer until it's reduced by three quarters! Remove from heat and toss in the plum slices. Let them sit in the syrup until cool.

On a large platter layer the plums and the mozzarella, drizzle with the remaining sauce. Season with salt and pepper...sprinkle with the mint and pine nuts. Serve with toasted crostini!

Turkey-Thyme Meatloaf with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Turkey-Thyme Meatloaf with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

(this is yummy, and makes you think of fall!!!)

1 1/4 pounds of ground turkey

salt and pepper

3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

3 scallions, finely sliced white and light green parts only

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme

1 egg

1 tablespoon of milk

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into 4-5 small ovals. In a large oven safe skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place meatloaves in the pan, after 5 minutes, turn the meatloaves and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup- 1 cup of chicken broth

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 stick of butter

2 tablespoons of agave nectar

salt and pepper

Place chopped potatoes in a large pot of boiling water. Boil until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and place brown sugar, agave nectar, and butter in the pot with the drained sweet potatoes. Mash the potatoes...add chicken broth as needed to get a good mashed consistency! Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yummy Gravy for the top...

1 small red onion, diced

2 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of flour

3/4 cup of chicken broth

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon spicy mustard

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

several dashes of Tobassco

salt and pepper

Melt butter in a small pot, and add the red onion. Cook until tender. Sprinkle with the flour and cook for a few minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk until thickened. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.

Place mashed sweet potatoes on the plate, nestle a meatloaf on top, and top with the beautiful brown gravy!

Summer Squash Casserole

Summer Squash Casserole

(I cut my squash on a mandolin, but you can just slice it thinly!)

2 pounds of yellow summer squash, thinly sliced

6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup of sour cream, room temperature

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons melted butter

Cook the bacon, and remove from the pan...add the red bell pepper and the onion to the bacon drippings...cook until softened.

In a large bowl mix together the squash slices, red bell peppers, onions, eggs, cheddar cheese, the reserved bacon pieces, and sour cream. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. In a small skillet, melt the butter and toss with the panko. Top the squash mixture with the panko. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour until hot and bubbly.

Halloween/Fall Party Mix

Halloween Party Mix

(I have changed the color of the candy corn and M&M's to match the season!!! But for some reason Halloween is my fav!

I added some before and after pics!)

In a large bowl mix together the following:

one 11 ounce bag of stick pretzels

1 box of peanut butter filled ritz bits crackers

1 cup of dry roasted peanuts

(this should fill two sheet pans, you don't want them to be over full or it will be hard to stir...for more party mix, just make another recipe the coating for two pans of the pretzels,etc).

Toss the ingredients together, and place on two sheet pans.

Over medium heat melt together the following:

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup of light karo syrup

Bring the mixture to a boil, and allow to boil for 5-7 minutes, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of vanilla (it will foam up). Pour over the pretzel mixture, no need to toss to coat yet. Place in a 250 degree oven, after five minutes, stir the mixture to coat. Bake for a total of 35-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. It will over brown if you cook it too long, so you will know when it is done. When it is ready, pour out onto parchment paper, spreading it out so that it is in a single layer. Allow it to cool. Break it up and place in a large two gallon bag and toss it with a bag of fall M&M's and a bag of candy corn.