Crispy Bacon & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Caramelized Onions

There's just something about a grilled cheese sandwich....add bacon and onions and its a triple winner. Thank you Simply Delicious Food

Caramelized Onions

3 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For the sandwich
250g bacon, cooked until crisp
100g brie cheese, sliced
4-6 slices bread of your choice

• To make the caramelized onions, heat a large frying pan over medium heat 
• Sauté the onions in the olive oil with the salt until soft and golden. 
• Add the sugar and vinegar and allow to caramelize. 
• Set aside.
• To make the sandwich, butter the bread on both sides then top with the onions, brie cheese and bacon.
• Grill in a hot pan/sandwich press until golden brown and heated through.
• Serve immediately.

Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti

Delicious chicken and ziti are tossed with a lighter alfredo sauce and baked up to cheesy perfection. Thank you Gimme Some Oven 

12 ounces ziti ..or any pasta shape
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken ..about 2 small chicken breasts
1 batch Alfredo sauce (see below)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
optional toppings: additional shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley

Alfredo Sauce:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of well-salted boiling water
• Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. 
• Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. 
• Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. 
• Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.
• Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. 
• Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. 
• Let cook for an additional minute until thickened 
• Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. 
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Return pasta to the stockpot and add chicken and alfredo sauce. 
• Gently toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated.
• Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11x7-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish. 
• Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. 
• Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. 
• Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. 
• Remove and serve immediately, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.

Fried Cabbage with Sausage

This is a quick and easy dish, thats also low carb

1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into round pieces (I use turkey)
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes or rotel tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

• Melt butter in large skillet. 
• Add cabbage and onion 
• Cook on medium high for about 5 minutes, stirring to keep from sticking to pan. 
• Add remaining ingredients
• Cover and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.

Raspberry Buttercream Filled Cupcakes

Fun little cupcakes perfect for Valentines Day...but yummy all year round. Thank you Thrifty Jinxy

CUPCAKES:

1 box Devils Food Cake Mix

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

3 Eggs

24 Reese’s Miniatures unwrapped

Candy Decorations

RASPBERRY ICING:

1/2 cup softened Butter

1 tbsp Milk

2 tbsp Raspberry Preserves

2 cup Powdered Sugar

Pink Food Coloring

WHITE ICING:

1 cup softened Butter

2 tbsp Milk

4 cup Powdered Sugar

• Bake cupcakes in muffin tins lined with cupcake liners according to box directions.
• Allow to cool.
• Make Raspberry icing by creaming butter and raspberry preserves in a bowl.
• Slowly add in the powdered sugar, and milk as needed, until everything is incorporated and frosting is right consistency.
• Add food color and beat to reach desired shade.
• Beat for 5 minutes to make sure it is fluffy.
• Transfer to piping bag.
• Use a plunger or knife to cut a hole in the top of the cupcake. 
• Remove inner cake just leaving a cap.
• Pipe in icing and place cap back in cupcake.
• Make White icing by creaming butter and slowly add powder sugar and milk until you reach righ consistency.
• Beat for 5 minutes to make sure it is fluffy.
• Transfer to piping bag.
• Ice cupcakes then decorate tops with Reese’s miniature.
• Ice Reese’s cup with raspberry icing.
• Decorate with candy decorations like heart sprinkles.

Lemon Cream Cheese Scones

Absolutely yummy. Thank you Bernideens Tea Time

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar 

zest of 1 large lemon,

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup firm butter

4 oz cream cheese

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk or heavy whipping cream 

1/4 cup lemon juice

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Combine flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder.  
• Using a kneader, cut in butter.  
• In a small bowl combine cream cheese, egg and buttermilk and lemon juice 
• Combine into flour mixture and make dough ball.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface with a rolling pin which has also been floured. 
• Cut these scones with small scone cutters.  
• Bake on ungreased baking sheet about 13 minutes and remove from sheet. 
• Serve warm with lemon curd and clotted cream

Crock Pot Pulled Barbecue Chicken

 Tender chicken in a sweet tangy barbecue sauce. Simple and delicious. Thank you Mommys Kitchen

1 - (4 to 5 - pound) whole chicken, giblets removed 
1 - teaspoon onion powder
1 - teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 - teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - cup barbecue dry rub eg Grill Mates Sweet & Smokey
1 - 16 oz bottle barbecue sauce, separated
1 - small onion, sliced
1/4 - cup honey
1/2 - teaspoon liquid smoke
8 - hoagie rolls, french bread rolls or sandwich buns 
garnish: additional onions, pickles and coleslaw

• Rinse the chicken under cold water and remove the giblets. 
• Pat chicken with a paper towel on the outside and inside the cavity. 
• In a small bowl mix together the onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and barbecue dry rub. 
• Coat the entire chicken with the dry seasoning mix including the inside cavity and a under the skin of the breasts.
• Place the chicken in a large zip lock bag and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. 
• Remove chicken from refrigerator and place in a 6 quart crock pot. 
• Scatter the sliced onions on top and around the chicken. 
• Add 1/2 cup barbecue sauce over the top of the chicken. 
• Cover and cook chicken on high for 4-5 hours (or until chicken is fully cooked).  
• Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and pull the meat off the bone. 
• Shred the chicken using two forks. 
• Discard the bones and grease at the bottom of the crock pot and wipe clean. 
• Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot.
• In a small bowl mix together 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce, honey, and liquid smoke.
• Pour the mixture over the shredded chicken. 
• Mix to combine.
• Continue cooking until the chicken mixture is warm throughout. 
• Serve immediately on hoagie or sandwich rolls with additional barbecue sauce, onions, pickles, and your favorite coleslaw if desired

Chicken Spinach Lasagne

This lasagne is easy to make and is loaded with lean chicken and spinach for a nutritional boast. Its delicious and stores well. Katalina over at Peas and Peonies says its the best.....and I tend to agree

1 onion, chopped
1 lb. ground chicken
1 garlic head (9-10 cloves), minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 cups raw fresh spinach
½ cup oil + 3 tablespoons
16 oz / 4 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
15 oz marinara sauce
16 lasagna sheets
salt and pepper

• In a large saucepan over high-medium heat, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil.
• In the meantime, in a medium saucepan over medium heat 
• Add ½ cup of oil once the saucepan is hot. 
• Add the chopped onion and minced garlic 
• Cook until onion is tender, stirring occasionally, around 5 minutes. 
• Add the chopped bell pepper, stir and cook for another 5 minutes. 
• Add the tomato paste and ground chicken. 
• Mix well so the ingredients get combined, and cook for about 5 minutes. 
• Once the chicken is almost cooked add the spinach 
• Cook until the spinach has shrink in size and is tender, around 5-6 minutes. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste. 
• Turn off the heat.
• In the meantime, add some salt and 2 tablespoons of oil to the boiling water
• Add the lasagne sheets. 
• Cook based on box instructions, usually it takes 7-9 minutes . 
• Transfer lasagne sheets to a colander, give them a bath in cold water and drain.
• Start assembling the lasagna. trimming the length of the lasagna sheets to fit your pan. 
• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Start by greasing the lasagna pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Lay 5 lasagna sheets on the bottom of the pan, 
• Top it with half of the chicken mixture 
• Follow by 5 ounces of marinara sauce 
• Add 1½ cups of grated mozzarella cheese. 
• Repeat this for the second layer of lasagna sheets, chicken mixture, marinara sauce and cheese. 
• Top with the final layer of 6 lasagna sheets, 
• You could also add the pieces from the trimmed sheets 
• Cover with the remaining 5 ounces of marinara sauce 
• Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
• Place lasagne in the fridge for 24 hours, or bake it immediately for 30 - 40 minutes.
• Let lasagne cool down 15-20 minutes before serving, as this will help cutting it.
• Garnish with fresh herbs and serve