Citrus Roasted Beet and Ricotta Toast

Hi there! Things have been super busy lately, and I have a lot of exciting news to share!

My entry for Nordic Ware's photo contest won third place!

Not a huge win, but exciting none the less. This one was purely decided by votes, not recipe, and I entered late but I'm still grateful to everyone that took the time to give me a vote and help me out!

Congratulations, Lauren! You are one of our 3rd Prize Winners with 132 votes! Your photo looked absolutely delicious! We will be sending you an amazing  package of Honestly Cranberry Dried Cranberries, Seven Sunday’s Original Cinnamon Currant Muesli, a 12 Cavity Muffin Pan, and a Naturals Baker’s Half Sheet.

I can't wait for it to get here!

Citrus Roasted Beet and Ricotta Toast

1 pound fresh beets

3 Tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces reduced fat feta cheese

1 ½ teaspoons chopped garlic

2 Tablespoons milk

1 ½ teaspoons orange zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

2 Tablespoons orange juice

4 slices 12 Grain Bread

1 cup baby arugula leaves

4 teaspoons chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the tops and bottoms of the beets off, place them on a large sheet of foil and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly, place on a cookie sheet and put in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a knife can easily pierce the beets. 

While the beets are roasting, make the feta spread. Place the feta, garlic, milk, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, orange zest, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth. Place the cheese mixture in a small mixing bowl and stir in the mint. 

Once the beets are tender, remove them from the oven, peel and cut them into ¼ inch slices. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the orange juice, 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place the sliced beets in the bowl, and stir gently to coat them evenly.

Toast the bread slices until evenly browned. Spread the feta cheese mixture evenly over each piece of toast, top with arugula and then layer the beet slices evenly over that. Sprinkle chopped pistachios over each sandwich and serve immediately. 

Serves 4.

And, since I don't know when to stop, here's another chance to vote for me! 

I entered the Guac 'n Roll contest last year and didn't place, but as soon as the contest was over I knew what I would enter if they ever had this contest again! You only can enter one recipe, so narrowing it down to only one idea was hard! 

It was right around the time I went to Nashville for the Pillsbury Bake Off and I was introduced to Hot Chicken. I had that on my mind ever since and knew exactly how I'd make it my own!

Nashville, Hot Chicken and Johnny Cash all inspired my Ring of Fire-mole! 

My entry for the#guacnroll2016 contest put on by @chefsroll &@avocadosfrommexico Fresh buttermilk guacamole paired with Hot Chicken spiced chips and crispy crunchy chicken skin. 

Love is a burning thing Mr. Cash!

If you'd follow this link and vote for me it would be very appreciated!

Playoff Pudding Parfaits

Unless the Saints or LSU is playing, I usually don't care about watching football games. Football parties are just a fun excuse for me to have yummy snacks and drinks with friends. I came up with this super cute and easy recipe as an entry for All You Magazine's Game Day Dessert Contest and I was so excited when I found out I won second place- the prize was $250 and a chance to be featured in the magazine! I got my prize money in the mail but never received the magazine. After searching every store in the area, I wrote to them only to find out the magazine is no longer in print. Booooo. So, if they won't share it with you- I will! Here's my Playoff Pudding Parfaits:

 Prepare one 3.9 ounce box instant chocolate pudding as directed on the package and divide the mixture between 6 small parfait cups.  Place in the fridge to chill.

Place 1 cup shredded coconut in a zip top sandwich bag with 5 drops of green food coloring.  Zip the bag closed and shake and mash it until the food coloring is evenly distributed.

Place 6 chocolate sandwich cookies in a separate zip top sandwich bag and mash with a rolling pin until crumbled. 

Using a cookie cutter, or by tracing a paper stencil, cut out 6 goal posts from 2 large flour tortillas.  Place the cutouts on a cookie sheet and toast in a toaster oven until crisp (about 3-5 minutes).  Once the cutouts are crisp, spray with yellow edible food color mist (easily found at most craft and grocery stores). 

To assemble parfaits, top each pudding cup with mashed chocolate cookie crumbs, then colored coconut.  Stick a goal post cutout in the cups and place a football pretzel or chocolate candy on top.

These can be made ahead and stored in the fridge or served immediately. 

Pass The Pigskin Cheese Spread

When I saw that Just A Pinch recipe website was hosting a "Sporty Snack Showdown" recipe contest, I knew exactly what my entry would be! I piled my favorite ingredients together (artichokes, garlic, olives and cream cheese) into a delicious cheese ball, shaped it into a football and rolled it in bacon. It's so easy to make, can be made ahead of time and is the perfect centerpiece for your next football party! 

Pass The Pigskin Cheese Spread

 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Montreal style steak seasoning

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/3 cup chopped black olives

4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/3 cup chopped tomato

½ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

12 ounces cooked bacon

Assorted crackers, chips, baguette or crudité for serving.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the cream cheese, garlic, steak seasoning, artichokes, olives, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, cilantro and ¼ cup of the mayonnaise. Once the mixture is well combined, place the mixture in a plastic wrap lined small mixing bowl, and place it in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes.

While the cheese mixture is chilling, place the bacon in a food processor and pulse until it is very finely chopped.

When the cheese mixture has firmed up, remove it from the fridge and turn it over onto a serving platter. Using your hands, shape the wrapped cheese mixture into the shape of a football. Remove the layer of plastic wrap and then lightly press the finely chopped bacon into the cheese mixture, covering it completely.

Place the remaining 1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise into a small plastic zip top bag. Using scissors, cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe the mayo on top of the bacon, making it look like the laces on a football.

Serve spread with crackers, chips, baguette or crudité.

Serves 10-12.

Mushroom Chicken Marsala Chili

On busy weeknights the best meals are made in one pot, with a manageable list of ingredients while still delivering fabulous flavor. Bonus points for a dish that can be thrown together and then left alone, to simmer on the stove, until everyone is ready to sit down and dig in. I adore classic Chicken Marsala, but on a Tuesday evening I usually don't have time to be breading and browning chicken cutlets while helping two little ones with homework. This delicious chicken chili is the perfect marriage combining the flavors of Chicken Marsala with an easy to throw together, one pot chili. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did! 

Mushroom Chicken Marsala Chili

4 Tablespoons butter

1 pound ground chicken

1 pound mild Italian sausage

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 pound baby Portobello (cremini) mushrooms, chopped

¾ cup Marsala wine

2 cans Bush’s Best White Chili Beans in Mild Chili Sauce

2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon pepper

1 ½ Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup parsley, chopped

In a large soup pot, over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the ground chicken and sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté about 10 minutes. Once the meat is cooked through and the mushrooms have softened, add the Marsala wine and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated from the pot. Add the beans, stock, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, top with chopped parsley and serve. Serves 6-8 people.

This is my entry for Bush's Chili Cookoff! There's still time to enter, so if you'd like to win a trip to New York and star in a video on The Daily Meal, go check it out!

Little's Lunches and Mac 'n Cheese Please

Happy Monday! Here's what we had in our lunchboxes last week:

Monday: I rolled up wheat bread and roasted red bell pepper hummus around carrot, cucumber and celery sticks to make sandwich sushi rolls, cheese sticks, veggies with honey mustard and a fruit strip

Tuesday: PB on raisin bread, cheese, red bell peppers, quinoa salad and apple cinnamon straws

Wednesday: M had a field trip, so he got a PB&J, cheese stick, granola bar and dried apples. B got a PB&J, pretzels, veggies and kiwi

Thursday: Cheese, quinoa salad, crackers, a mini banana muffin, a carrot cake energy ball, bell pepper strips and honey mustard

Friday: Cheese stick, hummus carrots and olive wrap, veggies and honey mustard, oyster crackers and grapes

That's what we had for lunches, and this is what we had for dinner

Roasted Poblano and Corn Mac 'n Cheese! It's my entry for a recipe contest and it's up for voting right now. If you have a moment, please go give it a vote HERE!

Corn and Poblano Mexi-Mac 1 lb. elbow macaroni noodles 1 Tablespoon salt 1 poblano pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 4 Tablespoon unsalted Kerrygold butter, cut into small cubes 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 7 ounces shredded Kerrygold Dubliner cheddar cheese 3 ounces shredded Kerrygold Aged Cheddar cheese 1 11-ounce can Mexi-corn, well drained 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs 1 cup diced tomato 1 Tablespoon diced jarred mild pickled jalapeño peppers 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro 1/8 teaspoon salt Preheat oven broiler to high heat. Add the pasta and salt to a large stock pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain well and set aside. Brush the poblano pepper with oil and place on a small foil lined cookie sheet. Place under the broiler, watching closely for 3-5 minutes, or until skin is blackened and charred. Flip the pepper over and allow the other side to char, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place the poblano in a small bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside to cool, turn the broiler off and set the oven to 375 degrees. Once the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel away the charred skin and remove the stem and all the seeds. Chop into a small dice. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and garlic to a medium sauce pot over medium high heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the flour and continue to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly until smooth and cook for about 5 minutes and allow to thicken. Stir in salt, pepper and cheeses, working in batches, allowing it to melt completely before each new addition. Remove from heat. Pour sauce over macaroni, chopped poblano and corn and stir until the macaroni is coated evenly. Pour the mixture into a large well-greased baking dish and top with panko and remaining butter pieces. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is crisp and golden. In a small bowl stir together the diced tomato, diced jalapeños, cilantro and salt. Once the breadcrumbs are crisp, remove the macaroni from the oven and serve immediately with the tomato mixture.

Little's Lunches

Happy Monday! Here's what we had in our lunchboxes last week:

Monday: cooked apples, broccoli cheese cornbread, carrot raisin salad, carrot cake energy bites, cucumber sticks and black olives with honey mustard

Tuesday: Beef and Cheese Quesadillas, raisins and peanuts, carrot and cucumber sticks

Wednesday: Turkey Honey Mustard Sliders, deviled egg, carrot raisin salad, belvita mini crackers, freeze-dried apple slices

Thursday: cheese stick, beef jerkey, carrots and cucumbers with honey mustard, carrot cake energy bites and pretzel sticks

Friday: Cheese Quesadillas, cheese cubes, carrot cake energy bites , quinoa mexican salad on baby spinach

The Picante

Do you love grilled cheese sandwiches? 

How about a grilled cheese sandwich loaded with chorizo, roasted corn, poblano peppers, a cilantro vinaigrette and Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheeses?

When I saw that the Wisconsin Cheese Board was hosting a Grilled Cheese Recipe Contest I had to enter and I was so thrilled when they awarded me second place! The first picture is the one I submitted, the second is the one they took.....I think they're both gorgeous and it makes me want a bite!

They sent me $5,000 and a gorgeous basket of gourmet cheeses!

I just want to show you how messy a day of recipe testing can get around here......sometimes it's not pretty

Be sure to check out the Grilled Cheese Academy to see all the other gorgeous entries!

The Picante

This sandwich combines all of my favorite taco truck flavors in one melty cheesy sandwich! Chorizo, roasted poblano peppers, Mexican street corn salad and a cilantro vinaigrette are all tied together with Dos Quesos! Melty Wisconsin Pepper Jack and Aged Cheddar are the star of the show in this delicious grilled cheese sandwich!

4 ounces fresh Mexican bulk chorizo sausage

1 large ear of corn, husks and silks removed

1 small to medium poblano pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

4 teaspoons lime juice

¼ plus 1/8 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cumin

3 Tablespoons room temperature butter

8 slices bakery jalapeno cheddar cheese bread

1 cup packed cilantro leaves

1 small clove garlic

1 Tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper

4 ounces Wisconsin pepper jack cheese, sliced

4 ounces Wisconsin aged cheddar, sliced

In a medium skillet, fry the chorizo, over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and set aside. 

Brush the corn and poblano pepper with 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil. In a large grill pan or on an outdoor grill set to high heat, char the poblano until the skin is black and blistering, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the grill, wrap it tightly in foil and set it aside allowing it to steam. Grill the corn, turning frequently, until all sides are evenly charred. Once cool enough to handle, cut the corn kernels away from the cob and peel the blackened skin off of the poblano. Place the corn kernels in a small bowl and stir together with the mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of the lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and the cumin. Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano and slice into strips. 

Butter each slice of bread on one side only. 

Place the cilantro, garlic, 1 Tablespoon of the lime juice, jalapeno, 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of the salt in a small food processor and blend until smooth. Spread mixture evenly on unbuttered side of each bread slice.

Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle pan over medium-low heat. Place 4 bread slices in skillet, buttered-side-down. Top with remaining ingredients in this order: pepper jack cheese, chorizo, poblano strips, corn, aged cheddar. Top with 4 remaining bread slices, buttered-side-up. 

Grill sandwiches until bottoms are lightly browned, and the cheese begins to melt. Carefully flip the sandwiches over. Cook other sides until bread is golden and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes per side.

Little's Lunches

Happy Monday! I hope y'all had a great weekend. I was shocked this morning to walk the kids to the bus and it was chilly! I know we will still be sweating on Halloween, but it was nice to have a sneak peek of fall weather. Here's what was in our lunchboxes this week:

Monday: Labor Day, so lunch was at home!

 Tuesday: Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad, peanuts, Key Lime Yogurt, grapes

Wednesday: Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad, green beans, sunflower seeds, cheese cubes and pineapple with blueberries

 Thursday: Turkey and Chive cream cheese on whole wheat bread, baybel cheese, carrots and honey mustard, strawberry pineapple fruit crisps

Friday: Turkey, spinach and chive cream cheese wraps, carrot raisin salad, belvita bites crackers, fruit strip

Macy's Great American Grilling Guru

I think my summer flew by quicker than I expected since I hit the ground running as soon as the last school bell rang! The very first day of summer I was on a 6 am flight to Nashville to compete in the Macy's Grilling Guru competition! 

My recipe for  Ancho Orange Grilled Shrimp over Mexican Street Corn Polenta with Poblano Relish and Cilantro Vinaigrette got me one of 6 spots to compete and it was so much fun!!
I met new friends, got to catch up with old ones and tour a city I really love!
Here are some of the highlights:

It was so exciting to walk up and see the stage the morning of the contest! Instant butterflies! It was also cool to hear that the grill tools box set was ours to keep!
Y'all it was SO HOT cooking on those grills in full sun in the afternoon, I really thought I was going to pass out a couple times, and I know a few of the other contestants were feeling sick from it as well. I was trying to stay calm and focus as best I could but I ended up burning my hand really badly about halfway through our time. Unfortunately that totally had me frazzled and I wasn't able to regroup like I wanted. I did the best I could though, and even though I didn't win the grand prize I feel like the finalist package was wonderful! A fun trip with my husband to start the summer off with a bang, a grill tools set and a $500 Macy's gift card- not bad for a day's work, right?

It was equally fun and nerve-wracking to serve the judges, Stephanie Izard and Michelle Bernstein. I usually forget my name and what I'm supposed to say once I get in front of judges but I was able to tell them the name of my dish and I explained how I came up with it as well, so I was really glad when that was over!

In our down time we really loved exploring the city. We got to see the Country Music Hall of Fame, we had some fabulous meals and we got to see a few really good bands play as well!

Ancho Orange Grilled Shrimp over Mexican Street Corn Polenta with Poblano Relish and Cilantro Vinaigrette

1 poblano pepper
4 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Cilantro Vinaigrette:
2 cups packed cilantro leaves
1 large clove garlic
½ of a jalapeno, seeds removed
2 Tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

Mexican Street Corn Polenta:
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups whole milk
1/2 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Ancho Orange Grilled Shrimp:
Zest of 1 navel orange
2 Tablespoons navel orange juice
1 Tablespoon orange marmalade
2 Tablespoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ pounds peeled and de-veined jumbo shrimp

Poblano Relish:
1 ripe avocado, diced
¼ cup diced red onion
2 teaspoons honey
Zest of 1 lime
1 Tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt

Brush the poblano and ears of corn liberally with the vegetable oil. Place the poblano and corn on a pre-heated, oiled grill set to high heat for about 5-7 minutes, flipping frequently until each side is evenly charred. Remove the corn from the grill, wrap the poblano tightly in foil and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, cut the corn kernels off the cobs and peel, seed and chop the poblano. Lower the grill to medium-high heat.
To make the Cilantro Vinaigrette, blend together the cilantro leaves, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil and salt in a small food processor until smooth.
To make the polenta, bring the chicken broth and milk to a boil in a large saucepan on the side-burner of your grill. Once the liquid comes to a boil, whisk in the polenta until smooth. Stir in the salt and simmer, on low heat for 3-5 minutes, until polenta is tender. Gently stir in the cotija, mayonnaise and the grilled corn kernels. Keep warm until ready to serve.
In a large glass mixing bowl whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, marmalade, honey, ancho chili powder, garlic powder, coriander, cumin and salt. Add the shrimp to the bowl and stir to evenly coat them. Set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.

While the shrimp marinate, make the poblano relish. In a medium mixing bowl stir together the chopped poblano pepper, avocado, red onion, honey, lime zest and juice and salt.

Once the shrimp have marinated, place them on the grill for 2-4 minutes, or until grill marks show. Turn with tongs and cook on the second side until the shrimp are just opaque but still juicy, about 2 minutes.

To serve, ladle the polenta into large shallow bowls, top with grilled shrimp, then poblano relish and drizzle with cilantro vinaigrette.

Serves 4-6

Little's Lunches

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a fabulous long weekend!

We had a weekend full of relaxing and good food. I tried my hand at Chicken Fried Steak for the first time since my son is obsessed with it, and it was all gone before I was able to get a picture of it.

For an appetizer I made stuffed artichoke charbroiled oysters that were out of this world! I posted them sizzling off the grill on Instagram- hop on over and follow me there! 

Here's a peek at last week's lunches:

Monday: peanut butter pretzels, potato salad, cheese, veggies and ranch and grapes

Tuesday: Turkey Sliders with BBQ Ranch spread, cheese, peanut butter pretzels, fruit snack, celery and cucumber sticks and honey mustard

Wednesday: Deviled Eggs, veggies, cheese, sunflower seeds, crackers, prunes and a fruit strip

Thursday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, mini cheese wheels, celery sticks and dried cranberries with toasted coconut

Friday: Pretzel Sticks, potato salad, veggies, peanuts, grapes and edamame

Little's Lunches

Hi there! I can't believe we're already finishing the second week of school! This summer flew by for us, and I was busy in the kitchen the whole time. I can't wait to show you what I've been up to soon. For now, let me show you what we had for lunch the first week.

I was pretty surprised when the kids requested "sandwiches. just sandwiches" in their lunchboxes. I sat down ready to get really creative for them and that's all they requested. Go figure!

Monday: Mini Turkey sliders, pistachios and sunflower seeds, prunes, veggies and ranch and a fruit snack

Tuesday: veggies, fruit salad, ranch, crackers and turkey

Wednesday: Turkey Sliders, carrots, prunes, hard boiled eggs and a fruit snack

Thursday: Egg Salad Sandwiches, green apple fennel slaw and applesauce. After I made these I realized my sandwich sized boxes had cracked lids so I used a baggie and ordered another set of yumboxes. I can't wait to get them!!

Friday: Turkey, granola and yogurt, sunflower seeds, pineapple, hard boiled eggs and baby carrots. I didn't realize until this lunch was made how yellow/brown it was! The kids are really loving the little animal "picks" and get excited to see which ones I hid in their boxes that day. They were cheap and really cute!