Taco Bowls

So I decided to make Saturday's dinner a little more exciting. Taco's were on the menu, but I wanted to do something fun with them. Say hello to our taco bowls. These were crazy easy and so fun! My 4 year old thought it was so cool to get to eat his dish. (Now I can't wait to make bread bowls.)

Making taco bowls couldn't be easier. I microwaved the flour tortillas for about 30 seconds just to make sure they were soft. Then I brushed just a little bit of oil on both sides and put them on top of a canning jar. Place the jars on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes (or until crisp) in a 400* oven. That is it-super easy and good! Load it up with your favorite taco ingredients and enjoy! This is one of our new favorite weekend dinners!!

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza

All summer I have been wanting to try grilled pizza. This week I finally got around to it. I found an amazing recipe in Food Network Magazine for Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza. As soon as I saw the recipe I knew this was the one I had to try. I think grilled pizza is our new family favorite. It was so good!

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza

food network magazine

Taco Seasoning: 2 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Pizzas: 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 16oz tube pizza dough

flour for dusting

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 avocado

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp diced red onion

salt and pepper

1 cup fresh salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Make the taco seasoning: Mix all of the ingredients with 1 tbsp each salt and pepper in a bowl.

Prepare the pizza: Mix 2 tbsp of the taco seasoning and the canola oil in a shallow bowl. Pound the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick. Add the chicken to the bowl, turning to coat and marinate 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Roll out each on a floured surface into an 8 inch round. Brush with canola oil, sprinkle with taco seasoning and grill until crisp, 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from grill.

Mix the cheeses in a bowl, then sprinkle on the crusts and top with the chicken. Return the pizzas to the grill, cover and cook until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the avocado, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, red onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Top the pizzas with the avocado mixture, salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

Blueberry Buckle Cake

I couldn't get a really good picture of dessert last night. I saw this recipe on Food Network over the weekend and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it. I wasn't disappointed-this cake was super good! A great treat to end the summer.

Blueberry Buckle Cake

food network

Topping:

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

pinch salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cake:

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups blueberries, thawed if frozen

Heat oven to 350*. Coat an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and salt together in a small bowl. Blend in the butter with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until mixture forms pea size lumps. Stir in the pecans.

Cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, add the butter and sugar and beat with mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir until completely incorporated. Fold in the berries with a rubber spatula, then add the batter to the baking pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter. Bake 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving. Serve with whipped topping

Grilled Chicken and Veggies

With summer coming to an end I am trying to do some grilling at least once a week. If I was home more often, I would probably grill every night! Monday I grilled some chicken and veggie kabobs. So super good!!The longer you marinate the meat, the better. You can also use this marinade on the veggies too. Chicken and Veggie Marinade

anna can cook

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp mustard

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2-3 crushed garlic cloves

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

4-8 chicken breasts, depending on how big they are.

Cut up chicken breasts into cubes and place in bowl. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Pour marinade over chicken cubes and make sure all the chicken is coated. Place lid on bowl and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Thread chicken onto skewers and grill on either an outdoor or indoor grill.

Tamale Chicken Casserole

This is a fast and yummy dinner. I love Mexican food and my family loves this dish. You can tone down the heat by leaving out the red pepper flakes or make it an even faster dinner by using rotisserie chicken. Tamale Chicken Casserole

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

1/3 cups milk

1 egg

1 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 box corn muffin mix

1 can (15oz) cream style corn

1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies

1 can (10oz) red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded chicken

Preheat oven to 400*

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup cheese, milk, egg, cumin, red pepper, corn muffin mix, corn and green chilies; stir until moistened. Pour into a 9x13 sprayed baking dish. Bake 15 minutes. Pierce surface with fork liberally. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and remaining cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve topped with some sour cream and a little salsa.

Tessa's Birthday

I had such good intentions of spending the summer trying new recipes and blogging about them. Sadly, I haven't really had time to cook anything exciting all summer-we have been so busy! I would like to think things are going to calm down in the fall, but at this point I am not holding my breath.

My baby turned 2 this week and so we had a fun little party for her. She LOVES Disney's Little Einsteins, so we had a party around that theme. I made the cake and must say I was pretty proud of myself. It even tasted good! Just wanted to share and say hi to the blogging world. I will be back-soon I hope.