Thanks to the Girl Scouts this morning for sharing yet another way to enjoy their delicious Girl Scout Cookies!  The Shout Outs Fudge Bark, pictured here, is easy to make (and easy to customize to your family’s taste!).  Melt white chocolate chips for the bottom layer.  Then melt chocolate chips for the next layer.  Top with cranberries, golden raisins and crushed Shout Outs Girl Scout Cookies.  Yum!  For other Girl Scout Cookie cooking options, like the Thin Mints Pizza and the Fudgy Peanut Butter Balls, click here.

Popularity: 4% [?]

I had the most amazing flautas this weekend (at a Chicago restaurant)…I am hoping to duplicate the taste with this recipe!

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 Anaheim chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped and seeded poblano pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp veg oil

12 oz cooked chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)

1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cinnamon and cloves

10 8-inch flour tortillas

Serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole

1. Preheat oven to 350.  In a large skillet cook onion, chile peppers and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until onion and peppers are soft (about 4 minutes).  Add chicken, oregano, cumin salt, cinnamon and cloves; mix well.  Set aside.

2.  Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in oven, about 10 minutes, to soften.  Reduce oven temp to 300.  Remove tortillas from oven.  Work with one tortilla at a time and fill each with about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture.  Roll up tightly and secure with a wooden toothpick.

3.  Pour 1 inch veg oil into a large skillet, heat to medium heat.  Fry flautas, three or four at a time, until crisp and golden, turning once.  Remove flautas from oil; drain oil out the ends.  Drain on paper towels.  Keep cooked flautas warm on the oven while frying remaining flautas.

4.  Remove the wooden toothpicks.  Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole!

Popularity: 3% [?]

A great combination sure to please even the pickiest of palates, pizza pasta is an “instant classic” (love a good oxymoron, don’t you?)!   And you can change the recipe to fit your family’s pizza tastes, like adding mushrooms. 

2 cups spiral pasta

1 lb ground beef (I use the lean stuff, 90%)

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 can tomato puree (15 oz)

1/2 cup diced pepperoni

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp onion powder

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.  Drain.  Add the tomato puree, pepperoni and seasonings.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta.  Stir the pasta into the meat mixture and heat through.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Remove from heat, cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

Popularity: 3% [?]

We often eat meat-free on Mondays (thanks to Paul McCartney) and this little speedy soup is always a welcome sight on the stove!  Recipe serves two but it can easily be doubled.

2 tbsp chopped onion

1 tbsp butter

1 cup chicken broth

1 package frozen broccoli and cheese sauce, thawed

1/2 cup cooked long grain rice

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1.  In a saucepan, cook onion in butter until tender.  Stir in chicken broth and broccoli with cheese sauce.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer for five minutes, uncovered.

2.  Add rice and cream.  Cook 3-4 minutes longer or until heated through and broccoli is tender (do not boil).

Popularity: 8% [?]

Simple desserts, like this one, often make the best impressions.  It is easy to make but tastes like you spent hours on it…

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp butter, melted

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar

1 cup whipped topping

1 1/4 cups cherry pie filling

1.  Combine the cracker crumbs, brown sugar and butter.  Press into an ungreased 9 x 5 loaf pan.

2.  Beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar together, then fold in whipped topping.  Spread over crust and top with cherry pie filling.  Chill until serving.

Popularity: 4% [?]

     Threw together all the right ingredients last night for this satisfying stew.  I thought we’d have leftovers but it was soooo tasty…my husband had two big bowls!  One serving did make it to the tupperware (and I’ll be lunching on that later!).

1 pound beef stew meat (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dash of cayenne pepper)

3 red and 3 yukon gold potatoes, diced big with skins on

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot (or 6 baby carrots), sliced

4 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon cornstarch (blended with 1/4 cup water)

seasonings, like salt and pepper, to taste

Brown seasoned meat in a dutch oven, mix in onion and potatoes.  Add beef broth and bay leaves, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour.  Add carrots, simmer for another hour.  Remove bay leaves and add prepared cornstarch.  Stir occasionally and let thicken (about 15 minutes).  Season to taste and serve with soup/oyster crackers.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Looking for a crowd pleaser on game day?  These wings will hit the spot for sure.  Add extra hot sauce…if you dare!!

1 envelope taco seasoning

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce, divided

34 fresh (or frozen) chicken wings (about 4 pounds)

1 cup ranch dressing

1. In a large resealable bag, combine the taco seasoning, oil, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce; add chicken.  Seal the bag and turn to coat the wings.

2.  Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Grill an additional 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear, turning occasionally.

3.  In a small bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and remaining hot sauce.  Serve with chicken.

Popularity: 6% [?]

When a recipe ends with “bake until golden brown and bubbly“…I’m in!  Using canned peaches may turn off purists but, trust me, this dish is delish.  Grab these ingredients and go!

For the “crust’:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, cubed

For the “filling”:

2 cans sliced peaches

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

For the “topping”:

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

5 tablespoons butter, cubed

For the crust, combine the flour, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Cut in  butter until crumbly.  Pat into a greased 9 in. square baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes (or until lightly browned).

Meanwhile, drain the peaches and reserve juice in a small-saucepan.  Stir in sugar and cornstarch until smooth.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat and stir in the peaches.

Pour mixture into crust.  For the topping, combine oats, brown sugar and flour.  Cut in the butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over filling.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Popularity: 10% [?]

     Two of my favorite things, together in one delicious dish!  Cleanup is a breeze but I doubt there will be any leftovers.  Recipe serves six.

3 cups rotini pasta

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cups chopped sweet red peppers

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 1/4 cups milk

8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Top with torilla chips!

1. Cook the rotini according to its package.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the beef and red peppers over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain.

2.  Stir in the butter, flour and taco seasoning until blended.  Stir in milk, gradually.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for about 2 minutes until it thickens nicely.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cheese and keep lightly stirring until cheese melts.

3.  Drain rotini; add it to the beef mixture and stir to coat.  Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips and a crank or two from your black pepper grinder.

Popularity: 7% [?]

     So, I may not be able to enter and win but YOU sure can.  The Big Cheese Cook-off is a grilled cheese sandwich contest from Madison Magazine and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.  It’s finale will be at the Food & Wine Show, two weekends from now.  After reading the rules carefully…I can’t compete.  But feel free to steal my grilled cheese secrets.

#1–english muffin bread!

#2–a smear of chive and onion cream cheese, on the inside of one piece

#3–a small dollop of mustard on the inside of the other piece

#4–a razor-thin slice of red onion, down on the cream cheese side

#5–one slice of Wisconsin Havarti, on top of the red onion

#6–one slice of Wisconsin cheddar, on the mustard side

Lightly butter the outside before cooking.  You won’t need much butter because the english muffin bread toasts up so nicely!  You’re welcome and good luck.

Popularity: 5% [?]