Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

Club Quesadillas...Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner!

What can be better? Any kind of quesadillas...they're the best! Kids and adults love them equally. Kids like them for lunch or a great after school treat. Who hasn't taken a tortilla, filled it with cheese and nuked it in the microwave. So yummy and takes the edge off when you are really hungry. They are also a great dinner time favorite with soup, or as an appetizer when you have guests. Plus they are a great appetizer when you're out for dinner. They are also great with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.
In my bowling days I would have one with chicken just about every week with an adult beverage and my  bowling buddies. Nothing better than that! There are so many kinds of quesadillas out there. Club quesadillas are great and I've added a few more at the bottom of this post that might interest everyone.

Let's Make A Club Quesadilla...
First spread the ranch dressing on the tortilla. Then add some cheese on top of the dressing.
Sprinkle some bacon and chicken on top of the dressing and cheese.
Then sprinkle with tomatoes and place the second tortilla on top of the ingredients. I have a tortilla maker. Plug in so the maker gets hot. Once the green light comes on you're ready to place the first tortilla on the maker. Cook for about 7-8 minutes or until golden brown.
And here they are. I didn't have large tortillas, but the small ones worked also. I placed some more bruschetta on top of the tortillas for extra flavor.

Club Quesadillas Recipe...
Ingredients: 
  • 2 flour tortillas (6 inch)
  • 1 T. Ranch Dressing
  • Chopped chicken or turkey
  • 1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 tomato (diced) - I used some left over bruschetta that we had had the night before.
  • Shredded Cheddar cheese
  • *Salsa (optional) but what's a quesadilla without the fixings. I also put ranch dressing out and sour cream.
**Note: this recipe is for 1 quesadilla...just double or triple your ingredients for more quesadillas              
Directions:
  1. If you are lucky enough to have a quesadilla maker, follow instructions on how to cook.
  2. Heat grill or non-stick skillet on top of the stove to medium heat. Spread tortillas with ranch dressing.
  3. Layer remaining ingredients on one tortilla. Place second tortilla on top of ingredients and other tortilla.
  4. Grill or heat in frying pan 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until quesadillas are golden brown on both sides and singles (cheese) are melted
How to Cook Quesadillas the Old Fashion Way...on the stove!
You can also make quesadillas the old fashioned way...on the stove. I actually think the quesadillas are much better when cooked on the stove. Below is a youTube video with Nicole McLaughlin from All Recipes. They look delicious! So if you don't have a quesadilla maker, just do it the old fashion way!
Easy Quesadillas by Nicole McLaughlin from All Recipes

One Final Thought...
This is just a quick post on a quick snack or accompaniment to dinner. I love quesadillas. You can do a lot with tortillas. They aren't for just Mexican food. I've added a few different kinds of quesadillas that I think would be great, especially the breakfast quesadilla. What can I say, anything on a tortilla is great. A quick and easy lunch or dinner. And don't we want something easy these days! 

Also check out the Helpful Tips at the bottom of this post. How to Clean windows both inside and out.

   
Cleaning Windows inside and out!
Oh those nasty windows...Every spring it's inevitable we need to clean those nasty windows. I came across this method on the internet. I have to say though, I have always used Dawn for cleaning my windows inside. They are always clean with no residue. But this helpful hint covers the outside windows. I think we have all tried the store bought cleaner. And although it works OK, it just doesn't fit my standard for clean windows. Here's a recipe that will work every time with no rubbing, scrubbing or drying. It cuts the amount of work down to manageable.

Outdoor Window Cleaner Solution:
1/2 gallon warm water
1 T. liquid Jet Dry
1-2 T. Dawn Dishwashing Detergent

Directions:
  1. Mix all ingredients above in a large bucket.
  2. Spray windows down with your hose.
  3. Wipe or brush cleaning solution onto windows, immediately hose off your windows
That's it! You are now done. The remaining water will sheet off, leaving clean streak free windows.

Source:  33 Barefoot Lane

Always remember..."Life's short...eat dessert first!"...words to live by! 
www.handmadebyhoffy.com
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Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs...so juicy and so good!

Well it's winter in Minnesota. Today we are under a severe blizzard warning. So, I'm not going anywhere...and who would want to when it's below zero outside. So what to have for dinner. I have made this recipe before and thought it would be a good one for such an icky day outside. This is definitely comfort food. The chicken thighs always come out really good and juicy. A great meal especially for days like today.
This recipe is definitely easy. Some people don't like chicken thighs, but I find them a lot juicier than chicken breasts. I was the one that always had to have the chicken breast at dinner when I was a kid. As I got older, I found out that chicken thighs are not only cheaper, but have a great texture and are definitely juicier. Most Chinese restaurants use chicken thighs in their recipes because they are so juicy and tender. Add some bacon to the chicken thighs and the flavor is better than chicken breasts. Don't get me wrong, I still love chicken breasts also, but if I have my choice now it's usually chicken legs first, chicken thighs second, and chicken breasts third and don't forget chicken wings. But that's a completely different subject. Chicken wings are great for appetizers.  Let's face it, chicken is a great dinner pick!
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
I think the reason these thighs are so delicious is because of the seasoning used. 
The recipe called for smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and dry mustard, salt and pepper. I forgot to put the salt and pepper in the picture. So don't forget them when you are making these. I didn't have any cumin, so I used lemon pepper instead. The taste was terrific. You could probably use your favorite seasonings instead the ones called for. Just make sure you cover the chicken thighs thoroughly.
After making your seasoning mix, pat the chicken thighs dry. Apply the seasoning liberally on both sides and make sure to pat it into the thighs.
After seasoning, wrap each thigh with bacon and place on a wire rack inside a cookie sheet. Now they are ready for the oven.
Place in a 375℉ oven and place they chicken thighs uncovered on the middle rack. Cook the thighs for 45-60 minutes (depending on the size of your thighs). You can also place them under the broiler for a few minutes if they need to be crisped up a little. Mine were perfect. I didn't need the broiler.
And here they are...so very juicy! Browned and a little crispy because of the bacon wrapped on the outside.
I had made cheesy potatoes a few weeks ago and had some leftover. So I froze them. Tonight we had Bacon Wrapped Chicken thighs, cheesy potatoes, California medley veggies, banana bread and some applesauce that I made this past fall. It was definitely comfort food. It was great!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs 
Ingredients:
  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Cumin (I didn't have cumin, so I just used some lemon pepper seasoning)
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
  • 6 slices of bacon
Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil
  2. Combine all spices in a small bowl and mix together.
  3. Wipe chicken thighs down with paper toweling before seasoning.
  4. Sprinkle each chicken thigh generously with seasoning on both sides and pat into each piece.
  5. Wrap each chicken thigh with a slice of bacon. 
  6. Place bacon wrapped chicken thigh so that bacon is on the bottom...no need for toothpicks,,
  7. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the chicken thighs. Meat temperature should be 165 degrees.
  8. Optional - you can put the chicken thighs under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp them up. I found that my chicken thighs were crisp enough without this extra step.
Thank you Jennifer Banz for a great recipe!

...And here they are. I must say these bacon wrapped chicken thighs are absolutely delicious. A quick weeknight meal that your whole family will enjoy!

One Final Thought...
This is definitely comfort food at its best. I love all the food that we have during the holidays, but there's nothing like homemade comfort food for the whole family in the winter. You really can't go wrong with this recipe...who doesn't love bacon and chicken that are seasoned to the nines and the taste is so so good. I do hope you try this recipe at some point this winter. Add a California medley vegetable, some homemade banana bread and a potato of your choice.  Cheesy potatoes worked great with the bacon wrapped chicken thighs for us.  Enjoy!

Sometimes its nice to get a tip from a friend about cleaning, shopping, products or other things that you might have not known. I started putting these in my most recent posts to do just that.
I purchased Downy UNstopables for my laundry. It was OK for that purpose, but I felt the scent was a little bit too strong on all the clothing. I read last week that people are putting UNstoppables in a heated Scentsy Warmers or a heated potpourri warmer to add the scent of their choice in their homes. Well, I tried it. Works great! The scent is not too strong for this purpose.

I also read that you can put the UNstopables in those small fabric bags you find at the "Dollar Tree" to make sachets for your clothing drawers. I like that idea also. This way you can limit the scent to certain clothing, rather than all your clothes having a scent.

You can purchase Scentsy Warmers, or similar products at most big box stores. The  UNstopables can also be purchased at most grocery stores, Walmart and Target or any other large grocery store chain. You can also purchase UNstopables through Amazon. Once again, if you have "Prime", shipping is free...

Well, that's it. Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs are the best. Also, bacon wrapped everything is the best! I'm hoping to try the bacon wrapped shrimp very, very soon...My husband's favorite is shrimp. Add some bacon and you have a feast!

Always remember..."Life's short...eat dessert first!"...words to live by! 
www.handmadebyhoffy.com
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