World's Best Taco Soup

World's Best Taco Soup Recipe!
from iheartnaptime.net

Ingredients:

1 pound hamburger or turkey burger
1-2 Tablespoons taco seasoning (more or less to taste)
1 medium sweet onion, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 15 oz can kindey beans, drained
1 15 oz can pinto or white beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 15 oz can corn
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 10 oz can rotel tomato’s
1 15 oz can diced tomato’s
1/4 cup salsa (fresh is best) 

Directions:


1. Brown hamburger in a large pan over medium heat. Add in the onions, bell peppers and saute for a few minutes.

2. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add a little water if it starts getting too thick. If you have more time let it simmer longer. You could also put this soup in a crock pot and let cook on low for several hours.

3. Top with sour cream and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Cranberry Salsa

CRANBERRY SALSA

12 oz fresh cranberries
1 granny smith apple, peeled and cored
1/4 medium onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper (remove seeds and stem)
1/4 cup cilantro

Combine above ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped

Stir in:

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 T. lime juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving with tortilla chips.

One-Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

One-Skillet Chicken Pot Pie Servings: 4-6

Recipe from buzz feed's Tasty

INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon olive oil 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed ½ white onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup gold potatoes, cubed 2 cups frozen peas and carrots 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons butter 2 cups chicken broth Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 1 store-bought pie crust, thawed if frozen (we use the cook's country pie dough recipe) PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/200˚C. 2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and heat oil over a cast-iron skillet. Add the cubed chicken, cooking until no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside. 3. To the same skillet, add the onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent. 4. Add potatoes and sauté about 5 minutes. 5. Add peas and carrots, and stir again. 6. Add the butter to the vegetable and allow to melt. 7. Sprinkle the flour, covering the vegetables, and quickly stir to avoid lumps. 8. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil to thicken sauce. 9. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. 10. Place pie dough over the chicken and vegetable mixture, and seal along the edges of the skillet with your fingers. 11. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. 12. Enjoy!

{Non Cakey} Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

{Non Cakey} Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sorce: chelseasmessyapron.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
• 1 large egg yolk discard whites or save for another recipe
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling; not an entire can
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon each ground cloves and nutmeg
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cups and 1/2 white all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Place the butter in a microwave-safe large bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds or until the butter is completely melted.
2. Whisk in the white and brown sugar until completely combined.
3. Make sure the mixture isn't too hot (don't want to cook the egg!) and then add in the egg yolk (I believe organic eggs add so much flavor and that is what I recommend/used.)
4. Add in the vanilla (if you have Mexican vanilla it is AWESOME) and canned pumpkin. Make sure your canned pumpkin is high quality and not watery. If it is watery your cookies will be more cakey. Drab the pumpkin with some paper towels if needed. Whisk until well combined.
5. Add in the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice (add amount to your desired preference). Here's where you can adjust seasonings to preference. Add less or more depending on how you usually like your baked goods.
6. Whisk in the baking soda with 1/2 cup flour.
7. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon.
8. Please note as you measure your flour that packing in too much flour will also lead to cakey cookies. I spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it at the top with my finger without pressing it down. Too little flour and your cookies will spread way too much and too much flour and they will be cakey. If experiencing either of these problems, you likely measured your flour incorrectly.
9. The mixture should pull away from the edges once all the flour is added. Stir in the chocolate chips (I use and prefer milk, but use what you like!).
10. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This is a crucial step and if skipped your cookies will likely spread like a pancake.
11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
12. Once the dough has been chilled, line a baking mat with a nonstick liner (or parchment paper).
13. Roll two small balls of dough and the press one ball on top of the other and mesh together into one tall piece without flattening. This forms a tallish, almost vertical rectangle shape - this is how I get the cookies to look like they do and have that crisp exterior + chewy interior. Basically the bottom of the tall rectangle cookie cooks first and then the top section cooks next but for slightly less time. So that is why this shape is so important to getting your cookie to look like the ones I have pictured and have the texture described).
14. Once you've rolled about 6-8 balls of dough, chill on the cookie sheet in the fridge for another 10-15 minutes. (I only put 6-8 cookies on a cookie sheet as they spread quite large depending on the size)
15. While one batch is chilling you can work on rolling out another one.
16. Take the tray right from the fridge and place it in the oven.
17. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until very lightly browned at the bottom. The key to these cookies is slightly under-baking - that will keep them soft and chewy in the inside.
18. Remove from the oven and allow to "cook" for another 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a wire cooling rack. This is optional but huge for appearance: I press in 5-6 additional chocolate chips into the tops of each of the cookies as soon as I remove them from the oven.
19. These cookies taste even better the next day -- the spices and pumpkin flavor have definitely intensified by then!

The Best Ever Chicken Marinade

The Best Ever Chicken Marinade


From www.momontimeout.com


Ingredients

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar) 
• ¼ cup soy sauce 
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 
• ⅛ cup lemon juice 
• ¾ cup brown sugar 
• 2 tsp dried rosemary 
• 2 tbsp Dijon or Spicy Brown mustard 
• 2 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 
• 2 tsp garlic powder 
• 6 chicken breasts or 3.5 lb chicken 

Instructions

Combine all ingredients, except for chicken, in a large Pyrex measuring cup or mixing bowl and whisk together. 

Remove a half a cup of marinade and reserve for basting the chicken later. 

Place chicken in a large, ziploc bag and pour marinade over the top. Close securely. 

Marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.


To grill
Preheat grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off.
Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Baste the chicken occasionally with the reserved marinade.
Remove chicken from grill and tent with foil. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving


Optional.
If you bring the reserved marinade up to a boil, let simmer until slightly reduced, it makes a wonderful sauce to go on top of the chicken.



Notes


I've marinated my chicken for as few as 30 minutes and the chicken was still phenomenal. Basically, the longer you have to marinate the better but don't worry if you don't have a lot of time.

Frontier Pies Cornbread

The Frontier Pies Cornbread
written down from a source I cannot recall


1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cream the butter, sugar, and honey together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to be completely absorbed before adding the next. Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then gently add dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Stir in the milk until just combined. Pour into a greased 13x9 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Easy Basic Pancakes

Easy Basic Pancakes

from MarthaStewart.com


Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.


In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).


Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.


For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).


Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You'll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.

PANCAKE VARIATIONS


BUTTERMILK: In step 1, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to dry mixture. In step 2, replace the milk with low-fat buttermilk.


YOGURT: In step 1, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to dry mixture. In step 2, replace the milk with 2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt and 1/3 cup milk.


WHOLE-GRAIN WITH YOGURT: In step 1, replace the all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup each cornmeal and wheat germ, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. In step 2, replace the milk with 2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt and 1/3 cup milk.

Best Ever Chewy Brownies

Chewy Brownies

adapted from handletheheat.com

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (249 grams) granulated sugar
5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (75 grams) dutch processed cocoa
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (128 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 8 by 8-inch pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar together. Stir until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the oil and cocoa powder.

With a rubber spatula, stir in the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Do not over stir! Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted into the center has moist crumbs attached. Do not overcook. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Best Ever Buttermilk Belgian Waffles

Belgian Waffles

from the kitchenwhisperer.net

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (has to be buttermilk)
• 1/3 cup melted butter, unsalted
• 1 egg, room temperature and separated
• 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions

1. In a bowl beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking 
   powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
3. Add the milk, butter, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla and mix 
   just until combined. Do not overmix as you do not want 
   air in this. Some lumps are OK.
4. Gently fold in the egg whites until combined. Do not deflate 
   the egg whites. This is what will give your waffles that 
   light texture.
5. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.
6. Heat a waffle iron.
7. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles.
8. Serve immediately hold in a 200 degree oven, directly 
   on the rack. I would not recommend stacking them as they 
   are heavy and may get smushed or soggy on the plate.

Notes

To freeze, allow to cool completely and wrap individually in plastic wrap.

To reheat just place frozen in the toaster.

We personally like a sweeter waffle so when I make them I like almost a 1/2

cup however you can certainly add the lesser amount

Our Go To Pancake Recipe

Best Ever Pancakes

Recipe from graceandgoodeats.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp butter melted

Instructions

Melt the butter in microwave for 30 seconds, set aside.

1. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
2. Stir milk and egg together.
3. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture.
4. Pour the butter and milk mixture into the well.
5. Use a wire whisk to stir everything together until just combined. It will be slightly thick and lumpy, but should be well incorporated.
6. Allow the batter to rest while heating a lightly oiled skillet or griddle to medium high heat.
7. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.
8. Cook each side for 3-6 minutes, until lightly golden brown

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies


From SallysBakingAdditiction.com




Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup (135g) loosely packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks


Directions:





1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract. 

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chunks. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them. 

4. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or up to 3-4 days. Chilling is mandatory. I highly recommend chilling the cookie dough overnight for less spreading.

5. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes. 

6. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. 

7. Roll the dough into balls, about 3 Tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will help the balls stay together. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick. Place 8 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. Press a few more chocolate chips/chunks on top of the dough balls for looks, if desired. 

8. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Adapted from yourcupofcake.com

Ingredients

Lemon Cake:

1 box white cake mix

1/3 C. oil or melted butter

3 eggs

zest of 2 lemons

1/2 C. fresh lemon juice

1 C. sour cream

1/2 C. milk

    Strawberry Frosting:

1 C. butter

1 (1 oz) pkg. freeze dried strawberries*, crushed and sifted to remove large pieces

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

3-4 C. powdered sugar

*NOTE: You can use strawberry jam or fresh strawberry puree as a replacement but it won't yield the same punch of flavor and color

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pan with cupcake liners.

2. Sift cake mix into a large bowl to remove any lumps and continue to add the remaining cake ingredients. Stir until smooth.

3. Sill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

4. Let cool.

5. Strawberry Frosting: Beat butter and crush freeze dried strawberries until smooth. Add vanilla and lemon juice and slowly add in powdered sugar. Scrape the side of the bowl as needed and add powder sugar until it becomes thick enough.

6. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with fresh berries or little straws to really make adorable Strawberry Lemonade cakes!

Honey Brined Pork Chops (aka Pork Chops a la Nathan)

My husband comes up with the most creative things right out of his head. This one was a huge success!


Ingredients:
2 Boneless pork chops, 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick
2 cups water
3 T salt
1/3 cup honey
1 medium onion halved and sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1 T Butter
1 T Canola Oil

Brine:
In a small saucepan combine the water, honey and salt.

Heat to a boil until salt and honey is dissolved. Be careful to not let it boil over.  Take it off of the heat and add 5-6 ice cubes to quickly cool it down and put it to the side.

Take your boneless pork chops and using a meat hammer thingy pound it to tenderize on both sides.

Combine meat and cold brine in a large ziplock bag and put it in the fridge for 2-4 hours.

In a cast iron skillet, put oil and 1 T butter. Once hot, add the pork chops and sear both sides (do not cook through). Once both sides are browned and set aside.

In the same cast iron, add 1 T butter with onion, garlic and thyme. Once onion has reduced slightly, add a pinch of salt and continue cooking until onion has begun to caramelize. Add meat and cover with onion mixture. Place in preheated 350 degree onion for 10 minutes or until pork reads 140 degrees on a thermometer. Let the chops rest 10-15 minutes before serving.