Jalapeno Popper Wontons

I absolutely love my in-laws, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to say that. Not only are they a fabulous, fun group of people, they're also very good (and creative) cooks. They are definitely my sort of people. I always look forward to holidays with them, because I know the food is going to be just as fantastic as the company.

When we got together for a Labor Day cookout recently, Joe's grandma and cousin were on the same page when it came to their appetizer offerings. Joe's grandma made an incredible jalapeno popper dip, and his cousin walked in with a casserole dish full of jalapeno popper wontons, announcing, "If you want any of these you'd better get them now, because I ate five of them on the drive here." Once I tried one, I could see why: They were absolutely delicious and addictive. So addictive that I had to make my own version of them at home.

Now, I'm sure there are a lot of recipes out there for these, but here's what I did. I decided to fry my wontons rather than bake them (like Joe's cousin did), because I like a really, really crispy texture. For the filling, I used cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and fresh jalapenos, and I sprinkled the wontons with coarse salt when they were finished frying. I thought about adding bacon to the filling, but in hindsight (I can't believe I'm saying this...) I'm glad I didn't. I think the bacon would have made them too heavy.

With the measurements below, I had enough filling to make an entire package of wontons. They take some time to make, it's true, but to say they're worth it would be a massive understatement. These wontons are a perfect football snack, a real crowd-pleaser, and I know I'll make them over and over again.

Jalapeno Popper Wontons

1 package refrigerated square wonton wrappers

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

3 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Vegetable oil for frying

Coarse salt

1. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, jalapenos, and cheddar cheese. Arrange wontons in a single layer on a baking sheet.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of the filling to the center of each wonton (don't overfill them). Dip your fingers in a bowl of water and run your wet fingers around all edges of each wonton. Fold the wontons over the filling, pinching the edges to seal to make a triangle and removing any air bubbles.

3. Fry wontons in batches in hot oil until browned and cripsy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve warm.

Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Muffins

My younger son is a muffin nut. The child has never met a muffin that he didn't like. He asks for them all the time, and it's gotten to the point where nearly every time I head towards the kitchen, he's trailing after me asking, "You makin' me muffins, Mama?" He recently asked me to make him some vanilla muffins, and since it is impossible for me to resist the big brown eyes and sweet little voice of my baby, I gave in.

Loaded with vanilla beans, vanilla yogurt, and vanilla extract, these muffins are absolutely bursting with flavor. The milk chocolate chips of course work perfectly with the vanilla, and the muffins themselves have a light and fluffy texture. I served both of the boys a warm muffin with just a bit of butter melted over the top, and they were very happy little guys. Hopefully these muffins will quell Will's muffin mania for a couple of weeks -- but I doubt it!

Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Muffins

adapted from 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out

2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, whisk the egg, butter, milk, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, and yogurt. Fold into the flour mixture. (If the mixture's too dry, add a little bit more milk or yogurt.) Once the batter is fully combined, stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Fill each tin two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

So, if you follow me on Instagram and/or Twitter you already know this, but...I started running back in August. I'm on week six of a Couch to 5K program, and I'm loving it. No one is more surprised by this than I am! I'm not a gym girl, so I decided to give running a shot as a form of exercise, and it's just perfect for me. It doesn't take too long, I can do it independently without feeling like people are staring at me, and I'm building up endurance and pushing myself to do more and go further on a gradual but consistent basis. It feels great! I have a long way to go and I'm super slow, but I'll get there.

I'm also burning some calories, which means that I can occasionally indulge in meals like this one. I mean, with an entire block of cream cheese, a pint of cream, and ham and bacon, this is far from healthy eating. It is, however, absolutely delicious. A little bit goes a long way, too, so you'll have leftovers for at least a couple of days -- and when the leftovers taste this delicious, you won't mind eating them at all. I think I may actually prefer this recipe to traditional chicken cordon bleu. The weather is getting a little chillier now, which is the perfect excuse to try this hearty, comforting pasta!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

adapted from Chef in Training

1 pound penne pasta

2 cups heavy cream

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese, divided

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

3/4 cup diced ham

1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter

1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

1. Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain.

2. Heat cream cheese on stove over medium low heat until melted. Stir in heavy cream. Stir until completely combined. Add onion powder and garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1 cup of cheese until it's melted and smooth.

3. In a greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, layer noodles, chicken, bacon and ham. Pour the sauce over top. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup cheese. Stir together olive oil or butter and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top of the cheese.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Three Delicious Mexican Sides

I have three delicious recipes to share with you today. I think it's apparent by now how much I love Mexican food, but I always struggle with what, if any, side dishes to make to go along with my quesadillas/tacos/enchiladas/burritos/etc. My default choice is always this Mexican sour cream rice, which my entire family loves, but I've been wanting to branch out for a while. Here are three side dishes I've tried recently that I think would be perfect with any Mexican-themed meal.

I'm a huge fan of the rice served at Mexican restaurants, but I've never been able to duplicate it successfully at home -- and forget trying the packets from the store, which don't even remotely come close. This recipe for Mexican rice is as close as I've ever come to the flavor of Mexican restaurant rice. It has just the right texture and almost the perfect flavor. I did think the tomato flavor was just a little bit too strong, so I've reflected a reduced amount in the recipe below.

I've seen recipes for elote (Mexican streeet corn) all over the internet for a long time now, so I finally decided to try it. I'm only sorry I waited so long to try it! My family all loved this corn. The salty, pungent cheese was perfect with the sweet corn and the creamy sauce.



And finally, I'm not trying to be bossy, but I'm going to tell you right now to TRY THIS BREAD. You need it in your life. It's basically a Mexican version of garlic bread, kicked up a few notches with some sour cream and cilantro. It's so good, I just...I can't even. There are no words.

The next time you're making a Mexican meal, try one (or some, or all) of these recipes out. I think you'll really like all of them!

Mexican Rice

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 cup of long grain white rice

2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of lime juice, from about 1 lime

2 teaspoons cumin

Salt to taste

1. In a medium-sized pot, add rice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir. Cover the pot, lower the heat to low and simmer for 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep the pot covered for 5 more minutes.

2. While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions in the hot oil for 10 minutes, until translucent and starting to brown. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomato paste and cumin and cook for another minute or two. Mix in hot, cooked rice and lime juice. Mix until well combined. Season to taste with salt. Serve immediately.

Elote
adapted from Our Best Bites

4 ears corn
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese 

1. Cook corn by method of choice. While it’s cooking, combine mayo, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, and pinch of salt. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

2. Grate cotija cheese with a fine-hole cheese grater and place on a plate.

3. When corn is finished cooking, immediately spread sauce all over it and then roll corn cob in grated cheese. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing and extra chili powder or cayenne sprinkled on top if desired.

Mexican Cheesy Bread
Cassie Craves recipe

4 bolillo or hoagie rolls, split
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

1. Slice rolls in half and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Broil until toasted.

2. Combine butter, sour cream, cheese, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper, and cilantro. Slather the mixture on toasted rolls, edge to edge, and return to broiler until the topping is heated through. Serve immediately.

Nutella Cheesecake Crescents

I'll be honest: I just don't buy the idea of Nutella as a healthy breakfast food. I know it's made with skim milk and all that, but the fact that it is basically a chocolate-hazelnut spread definitely makes me consider it more of a dessert. It should be noted, however, that just because I don't think of Nutella as breakfast food doesn't mean I won't eat it as breakfast food. That's where these Nutella cheesecake crescents come in.

In this recipe, crescent rolls are wrapped around Nutella and cheesecake filling for a sweet breakfast treat. The original recipe calls for them to be turned into twists, but my crescent rolls weren't agreeing with me that day and the whole twist thing didn't happen. I just molded them into breadstick-like shapes, which worked fine and was much less fussy. The filling is sweet and creamy and rich. They're definitely best served warm right out of the oven. The boys went nuts over them, and the adults thought they were delicious too!

Nutella Cheesecake Crescents

adapted from Inside BruCrew Life

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons Nutella

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy. Unroll the crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Press two triangles together to form a rectangle. Spoon a large tablespoon of Nutella down the right side of the center. Repeat with a large tablespoon of cheesecake filling down the left side of the center. Fold the edges of the rolls over the filling. Press the seams together at the middle and the end. Flip the roll over so that the seam is underneath. Press together any seams that come undone.

3. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until light brown. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.