Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Muffins

Rich, tender,with a burst of orange and dotted with chocolate chips.Thank you Two Peas and Their Pod

2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese..low or full fat
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. 
• Set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
• Set aside. 
• In a small bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. 
• Rub the orange zest and sugar together with your fingers.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar and orange zest mixture together until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
• Add the ricotta cheese and beat until smooth. 
• Beat in the egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips. 
• Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
• Bake muffins for about 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown. 
• Let muffins cool completely.
• While the muffins are cooking, make the glaze. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. 
• Drizzle glaze over muffins. 
• Let the muffins sit until glaze hardens.

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