Crunchy Oven-Fried Ravioli

Crunchy Oven-Fried Ravioli - slightly adapted from How Sweet Eats

1 pound frozen beef ravioli 
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese + more for topping
1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
marinara sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil, and place a wire rack on top of each pan. Spray the racks with nonstick spray. Add eggs to one bowl, and in a larger bowl mix flour, panko, breadcrumbs, cheese, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, and pepper.

Bring water to a boil and cook ravioli for half of the recommended time. Drain and quickly spray through them with nonstick spray to help them not stick together. Once cool to the touch, dip each ravioli in eggs, then coat thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on the wire rack and repeat until finished. Spray each with a quick hit of nonstick spray. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serve hot with marinara for dipping.

Bacon Cheese Pinwheels

Bacon Cheese Pinwheels - Buns in My Oven


1 tube of crescent roll dough 
2 ounces light cream cheese 
6 turkey bacon slices, fried and chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
sprinkling of garlic salt

Unroll the crescent roll dough and smoosh together all the seams. Roll it out with the rolling pin to flatten it a bit. Spread with 2 ounces of softened cream cheese, right out to the very edges. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Sprinkle on the cheese and bacon  as evenly as possible. Roll it up from long end to long end. Slice into 1/2 to 1 inch (ish) slices and place on a baking sheet. Bake as directed on the crescent roll package.

Bacon Deviled Eggs

Bacon Deviled Eggs

10 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup mayo

1 tsp mustard

2 tsp spicy brown mustard

1/8 tsp Cajun seasoning

2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

Peel eggs.  Slice in half lengthwise.  Remove yolk and set aside in a bowl.  Add mayonnaise, mustard, spicy brown mustard, and Cajun seasoning. Mix together well.  Add bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon.  Fill each egg half with mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining bacon and additional Cajun seasoning if desired.

Pasta and Chicken Salad

Pasta and Chicken Salad

16 oz. tri color rotini

4 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed

8 oz. muenster cheese, diced

3/4 cup grapes, sliced in half

3/4 cup diced cooked chicken

3/4 cup Italian dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and cool.  Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Serve cold.

Drunken Meatballs

Drunken Meatballs

For meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

For sauce:

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

8 oz. beer

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, parsley, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper in a bowl.   Form into golf ball size meatballs. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and beer over medium high heat.  Simmer on medium low.  Add cooked meatballs to sauce; toss to coat.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

4 whole wheat pitas

4 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.  Combine olive oil, parsley, basil, and pepper. Split pitas in half. Brush oil mixture onto inside of pitas. Slice into wedges.  Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 4 - 6 minutes, or until crispy. Watch closely - they burn quickly! Serve with hummus.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip - adapted from Frank's Redhot

8 oz. low fat cream cheese 

1/2 cup low fat Ranch dip

1/2 cup Frank's Redhot sauce

1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

2 cans chicken breast in water

Heat oven to 350°F.  Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.  Mix in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.

Bake 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Parmesan Tortilla Chips

Parmesan Tortilla Chips 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

8 corn tortillas

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil.  In a small bowl, combine olive oil, oregano, and pepper.  Brush evenly onto both sides of tortillas.  Cut tortillas into wedges.

Place wedges on baking sheets in a single layer.  Sprinkle with cheese and salt.  Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until chips are crisp.

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

1 can crescent rolls

8 slices ham

4 slices Swiss cheese

Unroll and separate crescent rolls. Place a slice of ham and half a slice of cheese on each crescent roll. Roll up into crescent shape.  Bake according to package directions.

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

16 oz button mushroom (stems removed)

3 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

4 oz. cream cheese

1 whole egg yolk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp pepper

Remove stems from mushrooms.  Finely dice 1/4 cup of stems.  Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Cook garlic for 2 minutes. Add mushroom stems and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cream cheese, egg yolk, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.  Add in garlic/mushroom mixture and crumbled bacon.  Spoon mixture into each mushroom.  Bake at 350 for 20 -22 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

3 whole wheat pitas

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice pitas into wedges.  Toss with olive oil.  Place on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake for 7 - 9 minutes.  Serve with hummus or other dip.

Tortilla Roll-Ups

Tortilla Roll-Ups - Let's Dish

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 small can diced green chilies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, minced
2-3 tablespoons hot sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
20 medium-size flour tortillas


In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, except tortillas. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture onto each tortilla. Roll up tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour. Slice roll-ups into 1-inch pieces and serve.

Restaurant-Style Hummus

Restaurant-Style Hummus - recipe from Annie's Eats

3 tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup water

6 tbs tahini, stirred well

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 14 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine lemon juice and water in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl or measuring cup.  

Process remaining chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds.  Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula  With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through food tube.  Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute.  With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through food tube, continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

Transfer hummus to serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites

These take a little time and effort to make, but they are SO worth it.  My husband and I just ate almost half of them...after eating supper!  

Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites - slightly adapted from Annie's Eats

For the dough:
1½ tsp. instant yeast
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
¼ cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
2½-3 cups whole wheat flour

For the filling:
½ cup small diced ham
½ cup shredded cheese of your choice 

To finish:
6 cups water
4 tsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt (or pretzel salt), for topping

To make the dough, combine the yeast, brown sugar, water, milk, and 2½ cups of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix until a dough has formed.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until a soft, elastic dough forms.  Add the remaining flour a 1-2 tablespoons at a time until the dough is tacky but not sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, until the dough has doubled in size and bubbles on the surface, about 1½ to 2 hours.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Divide into 4 equal pieces.  Stretch or roll one piece of the dough into a 12 x 4-inch rectangle.  Sprinkle some of the diced ham and the shredded cheese over one third of the dough closest to an edge, lengthwise.  Roll up tightly, filling edge first, so that the filling is tightly sealed inside.  Slice the log into 12 pieces and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Repeat with the remaining 3 portions of dough, and the remaining filling.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.  Add the baking soda and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.  Boil the pretzels in batches, cooking for about 2o seconds and turning once. They should be slightly puffed.  Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to transfer them back to the baking sheet.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Brush the warm pretzel bites with the melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. 

Pioneer Woman's Salsa

I heard great things about this recipe, so I had to try it out for myself.  I made a few changes from Pioneer Woman's original recipe - I used one can of Rotel with cilantro and lime juice added instead of using a lime, and I left out the jalapenos and cumin.   It couldn't be easier to make; you just throw everything in the food processor and mix it all up for a minute or two. I was very impressed with how easy and delicious it was, and it makes a ton so it's perfect when you need to make something quickly for a crowd.

Pioneer Woman's Salsa 

1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice

1 can original Rotel

1 can Rotel with lime juice and cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup cilantro

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until it's the consistency you like.  Taste and add seasoning as needed.