Buffalo Chicken Dip AKA Crack Dip

With this week being football week, I knew I had to start the week off with one of my family's favorite game day recipes. I don't have a good picture of this dip...well...because honestly, it doesn't look very appealing, but it sure does taste good! My sister loves this dip. So much so that she asked me to make it for her birthday! ha! My husband has already made me promise that I'll make this on Saturday for the game...this is where the 'crack dip' comes in. These people can't get enough of it! :o) Hope you guys enjoy it, too.

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What you'll need:

• 2 cups cooked/shredded chicken breasts 
• 8 oz. Hot Sauce 
• 8 oz. Ranch dressing 
• 8 oz. crumbles Bleu Cheese 
• 8 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese 
• 16 oz. Cream Cheese, softened 

What you'll do:
Mix all ingredients; bake at 325 degrees for 40 mins. Serve with tortilla chips or celery.

Menu Planning Monday

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. My grandma passed away so I've been spending time with my family.

Monday: Meatless Meal- black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, and green beans
Tuesday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches and chips
Wednesday: Meatless Meal-pizza
Thursday: Crockpot Meal- roast, potatoes, and carrots (didn't get to have this last week)
Friday: Chicken Delight Casserole
Saturday: Recipe Swap: Alisha's Lasagna, salad, and breadsticks
Sunday: leftovers (visiting my grandpa)

Menu Planning Monday

Busy week for us with school starting back. Easy-peasy meals this time...

Monday: Spaghetti
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: Chicken Parmesean Casserole
Thursday: Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Friday: Pizza

Easy Toffee Fruit Dip

This is one of my husband's favorites. I like to make this for football parties. :o)

Easy Toffee Fruit Dip:
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What you'll need:

• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-oz.) package toffee bits
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What you'll do:

1. Stir together all ingredients until well blended. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Recipe Swap: Mexican Chicken Pot Pie

The moment I saw Jamie's reply on my Recipe Swap contest for Mexican Chicken Pot Pie, I knew I had to have the recipe. This recipe will become a regular in our household. It's quick, easy, and delicious!

Jamie's Mexican Chicken Pot Pie:
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What you'll need:

• 1 can cream of chicken soup 
• 1 can cheese soup 
• 1 can Rotel  
• 1 lb chicken, shredded 
• 2 cans crescent rolls 
• Shredded Cheese 

What you'll do:
1. Line casserole dish with unrolled crescent rolls. Do not form into rolls. Press into dish like a crust.
2. Mix soups, chicken and Rotel. Spread mixture over "crust".
3. Top with another layer of flattened crescent rolls.
4. Sprinkle with cheese. 
5. Bake at 350 degrees until crescent roll crust is done.  
 
I served this with sour cream, per Jamie's suggestion. My guys ate this stuff up! I think next time I may even add a can of corn and black beans. :o)
 
**Another handy tip from Jamie, she said she cooks her chicken in a crock pot on Sundays. So that way, through the week everything is ready to mix together and throw in the oven. I thought this was genius! I can't tell you how many recipes I make through the week that call for cooked cubed/shredded chicken.**

Quick and Easy Beef Gyros

We love gyros and our favorite recipe is THIS one. However, it's a little more involved than I have time for during the week. I get home from work around 6p, and everyone is 'starving' by the time I walk in the door. Quick and easy is a must for week-night cooking in our home. My mother-in-law shared this recipe with me. It was good, and I was able to get it on the table fast, but the sauce wasn't a big hit with my husband.

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Here's what you'll need:

• ½ cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Dash pepper
• 1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
• 2/3 cup reduced-fat cucumber ranch salad dressing
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 5 whole gyro-style pitas (6inches), warmed
• 2 cups chopped lettuce
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1 small red onion, sliced

Here's what you'll do:

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine first six ingredients; add beef. Seal bag and tun to coat; refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
2. In a small bowl, combine salad dressing and sugar; refrigerate until serving.
3. Drain and discard marinade from meat.
4. In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute beef for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve in pitas with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion; drizzle with dressing.

**I'll have to update with pictures later. I'm a moron and grabbed the wrong USB cord.**

Recipe Swap: Red Velvet Cake

Amy won the Recipe Swap contest last week. Her entry was Red Velvet Cake. First, let me start by saying that Red Velvet is one of my little family's favorite cakes. I, however, was very intimidated about making a cake from scratch. I've only attempted to make one cake from scratch before, and it turned out to be a complete disaster. She sent me the recipe, I thought it seemed fairly simple, but in the back of my head I just knew I would mess something up. Let me just say that this was the BEST Red Velvet Cake that I've EVER had!! The cake was moist....the icing was perfect..not too sweet, but just right so that you were sure to not leave any on your plate (I'm the type that eats the cake and gives my husband the icing. He wasn't so lucky this time!). I wanted a picture of my cake so badly for my blog, but we had family over and the guys literally dug in as soon as I had finished icing it. As of this morning, there is only a crumb left. This is a recipe that I will make time and time again. One that I will pass along to my kids, and hopefully, they pass down to theirs. It's just that good!

Amy's Red Velvet Cake:
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2 Cups Flour
1.5 Cups Sugar
1.5 Cups Wesson Oil
1 Teaspoon Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 Bottle Red Food Coloring
1 Cup Buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients; add milk, oil, eggs, and food coloring (mixing well after each); add vanilla last.
Pour into greased pans and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, rotate pans in oven halfway through cooking.


Butter cream Icing
1 Package Cream Cheese
1 Box Powdered Sugar
1 Stick Margarine
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup chopped pecans (optional)


Cream margarine and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add vanilla last. Fold in nuts (if using).


**I only had half a bottle of red food coloring so my cake turned out pink. Amy said she has even used green food coloring for St. Patrick's Day. How fun is that?! Lot of possibilities with this one.**

P.S. 'The Gists'-can you email me your Beef Stroganoff recipe? I'd love to try it and feature it on my blog. I'll be sure to send something your way as a 'thank you' for being able to use your recipe.
rjohnson1028 at gmail dot com. Thanks!!

Menu Planning Monday

Monday: Gyros (that we didn't have last week!)
Tuesday: Spaghetti and Garlic Bread
Wednesday: Fried Catfish, Slaw, & Baked Potatoes
Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas
Friday: Recipe Swap entry