Cheese-stuffed Meatballs

You're going to want to make these meatballs. Trust me on this one. I'm not a meatball lover (unless they are albondigas, which is my only exception) and so if I'm telling you make these, you should listen! Adding some gooey cheese into the middle makes these oh-so much better than a regular old plain, boring meatball. Let's say it together: "No more boring meatballs!"

I made my meatballs pretty big and cooked them up in a 12-cup muffin pan, so they actually came out looking like little meat muffins. Wow, saying "meat muffin" our loud does not make them sound tasty, but trust me they are and you know, they looked pretty adorable. You can put them on a baking sheet if you prefer to keep a more rounded shape and don't want to have to say "meat muffin". I've already said it way too many times.

I served these with some yummy homemade tomato sauce, and over zucchini "noodles" for me and regular fettucine for everyone else. These would also be great for a meatball sandwich if that's your fancy. Any way you like, these are fantastic.


Ingredients

2 lbs. ground turkey (can also use ground beef)
2 eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. deli (brown) mustard
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3-4 sticks string cheese, each stick cut into 5 pieces
* I made my meatballs quite large, and so got 12 big ones and 3 smaller ones out of the meat mixture, and used 3 string cheese. If you make them smaller, which I would actually recommend so you get a higher cheese-to-meat ratio, you can probably make at least 20 meatballs.

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine turkey and all other ingredients except string cheese. Mix well to combine (use your hands to get the best results!).

2. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray (or each cup of a muffin tin, if using). Take 1/4 cup of meat mixture and roll into a ball. Press your finger into the center to make an indent, and place a piece of string cheese into it. Roll meat mixture again to cover the cheese completely and make a meatball shape. Place meatballs onto baking sheet or into muffin pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and cheese starts to ooze out. Remember, in this case, ooze is a good thing! Cook them too long and the cheese will start to harden and not be melty (this happened to a few of mine). Serve immediately.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Warning: This recipe uses almost a whole stick of butter. And half-and-half. And 3 different cheeses. Its not light or healthy or any of that boring stuff - it is straight up a plate of amazing cheesy goodness. So don't say I didn't warn you...but also don't let that stop you from enjoying it!

The "buffalo" flavor is very subtle, but it adds just that little something special that takes a plain macaroni and cheese to a new level. And with the cheese combo and the panko topping, this is a delicious, comforting guilty pleasure.

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank's)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Hash Brown Chili

I'm not usually one to make/eat chili, but I actually like this version...and I give the credit for that to the hash browns for providing a nice crispy texture. Seriously, who doesn't love hash browns?

I adapted this from a recipe by Rachael Ray, see it here. I went with the basic format but changed it up according to what I hand on hand. The result was a super easy and filling dinner that we all enjoyed - with some cornbread, of course!


Ingredients

1 can turkey chili
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Mexicorn (sweet corn with red and green bell peppers)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. taco seasoning
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
3 cups shredded hash browns (the frozen ones will work, or I used some dehydrated ones I had)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*Since my baby would be eating this, I kept it pretty bland. If I were making it just for myself and Adam, I would have added some hot sauce or crushed red pepper to add some extra heat.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine chili, beans, corn, and tomatoes. Add taco seasoning, cumin, and garlic powder. Heat over medium and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 baking pan.

3. In a large bowl combine hash browns and cheese. Spread on top of chili. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the hash browns are crispy.

Italian Nachos

There is a restaurant in Colorado called "Old Chicago". I know its lots of other places too. But you know where its not? California, of course.

I can't speak to the rest of their menu except for one incredibly fantastic item:

The Italian Nachos.

They are a-mazingly delicious. Being a lover of all things "nacho", there is no way for me to not be in love with this treat. This version is just a little twist on the traditional and it works. Works quite well, actually.

Since I currently don't have access to an Old Chicago, I finally tried to re-create this delectable appetizer on my own. The Old Chicago website describes Italian Nachos as "Golden pasta chips piled high with Mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage and pepperoncinis. Served with our signature pizza sauce."

Easy enough, right? Except that in a quick search for copycat recipes I found people using tortilla chips, pita chips, basically anything but pasta chips. Really?

I got mad at these people.

So I just used the listed ingredients, substituting some crispy "chips" made from wonton wrapper for the pasta chips...and ended up with a pretty. dang. good copycat.

I suggest trying these at home. No recipe needed - just fry up some wonton wrappers (cut each wrapper in half first), then place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top with pepperoni, Italian sausage, pepperoncinis, and lots of mozzarella cheese. Broil for a few minutes in the oven until the cheese melt and ENJOY.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I decided to make this dip for our Memorial Day BBQ, and it was a hit! Tasted just like buffalo wings. Everyone loved it - it was gone so fast. I got the recipe from Marci's recipe blog (she raved about it as well).

Although I'd had a similar dip before I remembered it being really greasy, and I thought that may have been due to the cheese, so I changed that up a little. I also adjusted the amounts of some of the ingredients, so I'll post my recipe here but you can always visit Marci's blog to see the original.

Oh, and just typing this here right now makes me crave this stuff! Its sooooo good!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

2 (10 oz) cans chuck chicken, drained
1 1/2 cups Frank's Red Hot sauce
2.5 packages (20 oz. total) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
2 cups ranch dressing
1 cup Tostitos Chili Con Queso dip
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Directions

1. Combine chicken and hot sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat; stir occasionally until heated through. Mix in cream cheese, ranch dressing, and Queso dip, stirring until well-blended. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, cover, and cook on low setting until hot and bubbly. Keep warm in slow cooker to serve.

Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole

Cheesy potatoes? Yes, please! And its no secret that Cracker Barrel makes the best ones. Since there isn't one close by though, we make do with this pretty good copy-cat recipe!

Ingredients

1 26 oz. bag frozen shredded hash browns
2 cups shredded Colby cheese
½ cup minced onion
1 cup milk
½ cup beef broth
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
dash garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In large bowl, combine hash browns, cheese, and onion.

3. Combine milk, broth, half the melted butter, and seasonings in another bowl. Mix until well blended, then pour over hash browns and mix well.

4. Heat remaining butter in a skillet. Spoon in hash browns. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

5. Place in a lightly greased baking dish and bake 45-60 min. or until surface is golden brown.