Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps

This meal is perfect for a weeknight because it's so quick and easy.  Take a look back to my February 22, 2017 post for Fry Sauce/Anything Sauce.  These dipped in that sauce is truly perfection!!

Updated Picture 2021: 

We used the grill pan on the stove for these and the grill lines were perfection!

Full disclosure... the one pictured here wasn't mine.  I ate mine and spaced out taking a picture.  This was an extra one we made for my husband's lunch.

Let's Get Crafty!
Cook together until meat is cooked and onions are soft:

1 lb ground meat (we used ground elk meat)

2 small shallots or half small onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

(If using ground hamburger try to go as lean as you can.  Otherwise the onions will just soak up all the fat... which might be delicious but not as healthy.)

Let's fancy it up!  Stir in the following and simmer together until warm:

1/3 cup ketchup (I usually do half ketchup and half no salt tomato sauce)

2 tablespoons mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire  

This part of the recipe generally feels like we're headed to sloppy joes.  That may have been where I was headed as I made this for the first time a few years ago because Connor has always loved sloppy joes.

Before you call this done... be sure to taste it and adjust as necessary.  This is how we like it... maybe you like more ketchup or mustard.  OR!  Add something delicious like pickle relish.  As the Sandwich King from Food Network says... "If you aren't tasting - you aren't cooking."

Before you wrap it up - pick what you would like inside.  Here were our options along side a picture of what mine included.  I added lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos and cheese.

With each of us getting to pick what's inside - I use the toothpicks to determine whose is who's.  Connor and Emily's were 3 toothpicks, mine was four and Mark's was 5

Now it's time for the grill.  I'm blessed to have a husband that enjoys grilling and equally blessed that he's very good at it.  These are grilled in direct heat for just a minute or two being sure to turn as much as possible to get all the sides crispy.

**Picture Update May 2020**  I decided to make these on my pampered chef grill pan and they were fantastic!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a great rest of your day!

Squash Casserole

A few years ago Mark and I had a small garden.  We got maybe a few carrots out of it but the green and yellow squash was bountiful!  We reached a point where it seemed like every time I went to water there were a couple of each color ready to be picked.  We have a garden again this year and this recipe is an ode to the hope we have another season of great results.  These are not from the garden... these were purchased in anticipation of what's to hopefully come.

Let's Get Crafty!
Preheat oven to 350

Prep the Squash:

2 yellow squash, sliced until the thickest part and then halved and sliced

Put in a pot with 1 inch water at the bottom and bring to a boil.  Once boiling turn down to medium and gently boil for 5 minutes to start the cooking process

While those are cooking mix together well:

2 oz cream cheese

2 T cheddar cheese

2 T chopped chives

2 T crumbled bacon

When the squash has cooked five minutes - drain and pour over the cream cheese mixture.  I let it sit a couple minute before stirring together because I didn't soften the cream cheese beforehand and it helped to melt everything for easier mixing.

Topping Time:

1/3 cup crushed ritz crackers

1/3 cup panko crumbs

Spray baking dish with pam and put in squash mixture covering with the topping.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and then add 1/4 cup Parmesan shredded cheese across the top and bake another 10 minutes at 400.

Hot out of the oven!  I love the way the parmesan gets crispy

The change in baking time was because we were also having sloppy joes and needed a higher temp to start to toast the buns.  Normally I would do it on a low broil for a couple minutes to brown the top but this worked nicely.

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Bacon and Green Chile Stuffed Mushrooms

One of my favorite things about stuffed mushrooms is that there really aren't any rules.  I generally use whatever we have on hand and today that includes two of my favorite things - bacon and green chile.

Let's Get Crafty!
Preheat oven to 425

1 large package of mushrooms (about 12), clean with a damp cloth and pull the stems out

Mix Together:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 T bacon, crumbled
1 T chives, cut up small (green onions would be good too... I used chives because they are doing awesome in my herb garden)
1/4 cup diced mushroom stems
Garlic powder, a couple shakes
1/3 cup green chiles
1/4 shredded cheddar cheese

All mixed together and ready for action!

Stuff the Mushrooms and get them in the oven.

The filling recipe makes quite a bit and these mushrooms were pretty big from Costco.  If you have leftover filling - it would be great as a warm dip.  Throw whatever is left in a small baking dish and cook it along with the mushrooms.  It probably won't need as much time as the mushrooms.

Bake for 20 minutes

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a great rest of your day.

Rotisserie Chicken - Take #2 - Chicken Salad

Here's a take 2 on the rotisserie chicken.  I made the wraps for lunch on Sunday after getting home from the grocery store in a hurry and then in the afternoon I made this chicken salad to have to take for lunches.

Let's Get Crafty!
Gently blend together:
1 1/2 cups Rotisserie Chicken, diced
1/4 cup almonds, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced

For the creamy sauce:
I like to mix the sauce separately so I can mix it together really well without breaking up the chicken.
1/4 cup olive oil mayo
1/4 cup greek goddess fat free yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Gently stir the creamy sauce into the chicken.

Here it is!  The acid from the lime really brings everything to life.  The celery adds the needed crunch and there is something that makes my heart happy about when I get to hit the jackpot of a couple almond slices in one bite.

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by!

Rotisserie Chicken - Take #1 - Wrap it up!

Grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the store helps to get a jump start on the meal which gets it on the table faster.  On this particular day we weren't necessarily super busy but morning errands took longer than anticipated and it ended with grocery shopping.  These wraps were light and fresh and I felt like I had made a good choice after eating them... I add that because Taco Bell was calling my name and I fought the urge!

Let's Get Crafty!

Baby romaine to use as the wrap - tortillas would be good too

Divided among the three wraps -
1/2 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
Roma tomatoes, diced
Kalamata olives, sliced
Carrot slices
Feta cheese crumbles
Balsamic vinaigrette

Thanks for stopping by!  Be on the lookout for a round two recipe coming to show I used up the rest of the chicken to help me during the work week.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Dips truly make my world go round.  I'm up for any kind of dip and love making them and trying new recipes.  Spinach Artichoke Dip is a classic but I'm trying to put a lighter spin on it using some greek yogurt instead of just mayo and sour cream and I cut back on the cheese.   Hope you enjoy!

Let's Get Crafty!
Preheat oven to 375

Get your spinach and artichokes ready for the party:

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained 

(I have a towel I like to put it in and twist to get out as much moisture as possible)

12 oz marinated artichoke hearts

The marinated ones have extra oil... I like to put in a calendar and rinse to get some of the oil off but it also still leaves a good amount of flavor.

And for the creamy goodness:

1/4 light sour cream

1/4 mayo (I like to use an olive oil mayo)

1/2 cup Greek goddess lowfat yogurt 

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup parm cheese... I used a combination of a pizza blend and 6 cheese Italian blend

Bake for 20 minutes

Preheat to low broil and cook another 10 minutes

The picture coming out of the oven doesn't do it justice.  It was really good.  It was good both hot and cold.  I liked it especially with celery sticks  and carrots when it was cold.

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by.

TODAY! Omelets for Breakfast!

Good morning!  Happy Sunday Funday!  We're making omelets in our house this morning.

Let's Get Crafty!
Scramble 2-3 eggs per omelet and add a little salt and pepper

Pour into hot pan sprayed with pam to prevent sticking.  Cook about 2 minutes on the first side and flip over.  At this point you can add whatever goodies you want to add.  After a couple minutes fold it over and you're done.

I love the way Mark flips it over to make sure the eggs are getting fully cooked.  There are other methods where you don't flip it over but let it cook a little longer before adding the meat, veggies and cheese and folding it over.  

Inside Mine: ham, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, jalapenos and cheese

Inside Mark's: ham, green peppers, mushrooms, jalepenos and just a little cheese

Here's a picture of mine all done.  Of course I added some green chile and hot sauce.  

Very tasty! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

Cheesy Baked Pork Chops

I followed this recipe pretty closely to the original recipe I found on Pinterest from a site called Avocado Pesto.  Here recipe is called "4 Ingredient Oven Baked Pork Chops" if you to see the original.  My husband loves pork and I'm generally on the lookout for new recipes that I think he might light.  We grill a lot but sometimes it's nice to throw a quick dinner in the oven and wait for the bell to ring.

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat oven to 350

Mix Together:

1 tablespoon chopped chives (I like to use scissors- they are fast and easy)

1/2 cup light mayo

4 oz cheddar cheese

Flatten out the Pork Chops:
I have a pampered chef meat tenderizer mallet that has a flat side and a tenderizing side.  Using the flat side between a couple sheets of the plastic wraps - work from the middle out to flatten out the pork.  (I hadn't done this with pork before and the meat was nearly soft enough to cut with a fork.)

In a Foiled Pan (to make cleanup easy):
Divide the cheese mixture among the 4 pork chops and top with the remaining 4oz of cheese

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the meat is cooked through
I turned ours to a low broil for the last few minutes to make the cheese nice and bubbly

Here's a picture of the pan because in order to truly understand the cheesy goodness... you have to see the crunchy awesome-ness of the cheese.   It was truly delicious.

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Stuffed Poblanos with Mushrooms and Bacon

This recipe came to be because I had 2 poblanos and mushrooms to use up.  Don't let the blah-ness of the picture fool you... these were pretty tasty. They were very rich-  I would recommend splitting one or even quartering it.

Let's Get Crafty!

Preheat Oven to 375

Saute together:

1 T of butter with

½ package sliced baby portabella mushrooms

Add some chicken stock a little as a time until the mushrooms are softened (about 8-10 minutes)

Mix well with the mushrooms:

4 oz softened cream cheese

1 tablespoon crumbled bacon

2 teaspoons chives (I like to use scissors to cut them up- it feels like I get cleaner cuts and it doesn’t bruise the chives as much)

2 tablespoons green chiles

I twisted up some foil to make something the peppers could sit on so the filling wouldn't flow out as soon as it melted.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the top is golden 

Pictured with Cheesy Pork Chops.  Stay tuned for that recipe coming soon!

Have a great day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Broccoli, Bacon and Cheddar Salad

Happy 4th of July!  I love the freshness of this salad.  If you have time it's great to throw it all together and put it in the fridge before eating so all the flavors can come together.  The recipe is a spin off a "Broccoli, Bacon and Cheddar Toss" recipe from Betty Crocker.  We took it to a family BBQ today and I completely forgot to take a picture!  I decided to put a little in a dish for a snack while my family takes an afternoon siesta - you know... just to create the opportunity for a snapshot.

Let's Get Crafty!
Mix everything together:
3 cups fresh small broccoli florets
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup red onion, diced (I kept this on the side so people could add if they wanted)
1/4 cup cooked bacon

For the dressing - mix separately then add to the broccoli:
1/4 cup light mayo
1/4 nonfat greek yogurt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

So... how is this different than the original from Betty Crocker?
-  We used dried cranberries instead of raisins
-  The mayo is split to be 1/2 mayo and 1/2 greek yogurt
-  The original was pretty sweet to me so we used 2 teaspoons of sugar instead of tablespoons
-  Lemon is a great way to get good flavor bang for your buck and it's delicious!  Their recipe called for 2 teaspoons

Happy 4th!  I hope everyone is having a safe and happy day.