Oatmeal Chocolate Scotchies

First day of wintery weather put me in the mood to do some baking, so I dug around in my cabinets and found enough random ingredients to throw together some yummy cookies! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Oatmeal Chocolate Scotchies

• 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 & 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups old fashion oats
• 1 & 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat together margarine, sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and beat well. Add oats and chips and mix well. Drop a heaping teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for several minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Poppy Seed Chicken

Another great chicken casserole recipe for you to try!

Poppy Seed Chicken

• 6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 2 (10 3/4oz) cans fat free cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8 oz.) tub fat free sour cream
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Place 1/2 of crushed Ritz crackers in bottom of greased 9x13 baking dish. In large bowl combine soup, sour cream and cubed chicken and pour over crackers. Top with remaining crushed Ritz crackers. Pour melted butter over crackers and sprinkle poppy seeds on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly in center.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Here is a recipe I modified from one I found on Pinterest. Although it's not the healthiest recipe, it was definitely very tasty and made for some great leftovers! Let me know what you think!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 cup cornstarch (can substitute part or all with flour)
• 3 eggs, beaten (can substitute with 1 stick of butter, melted)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. garlic salt

Combine sauce ingredients in medium bowl and set aside. Shake together cornstarch and salt and pepper in large ziplock bag and then add cubed chicken and shake until evenly coated. Then dip chicken pieces into egg and place in heated skillet with oil on medium-high heat.*

Cook chicken over medium high heat until browned but not cooked through.

Place chicken in greased 9x13 casserole dish and toss with sauce until chicken is evenly coated. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.

*Oven option- after tossing chicken in cornstarch and dipping in egg, place in greased 9x13 casserole dish and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Then add sauce to chicken and toss evenly, reduce heat to 350 degrees, return to oven, and bake for about 45 more minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Sensational Sides: Frozen Fruit Salad

Great summer recipe from my wonderful mother-in-law!

Frozen Fruit Salad

• 2 cups low fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 (30 oz.) can fruit cocktail, drained
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries, diced and drained (keep juice)
• 2 Tbsp. juice from maraschino cherries

Combine ingredients in large bowl, and then spoon into 3 ice cube trays. Cover with wax paper and freeze for several hours. Set trays out about 15 minutes before serving to soften and enjoy!

Italian Nachos

Here's a quick and tasty dinner idea for your family to try!

Italian Nachos

• Tostitos Scoops baked tortilla chips
• 1/3 lb. turkey sausage, browned
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 2 cups fat free shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Place Scoops chips face up to cover large baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Sprinkle with sausage, tomato, onion, and top with cheddar cheese and cilantro. Broil in oven for a few minutes until cheese is almost melted. Then sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and return to oven to broil for a few more minutes until cheese is fully melted. Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

Easy Homemade Guacamole

Hey friends! Sorry it has been a while since I posted a new recipe on my blog! We have had quite a busy summer, but I look forward to trying some new recipes and sharing them with you here on my blog this fall! Here is one for some easy and delicious homemade guacamole that we made for some friends last night. It was a big hit!

Easy Homemade Guacamole

• 3 avocados, peeled
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 tsp chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 lime

Mash avocados in medium bowl. Mix in tomatoes and onion. Add seasonings and squeeze juice from 1/2 lime and mix well. Refrigerate until serving.

Sloppy Phillies

Hear is a recipe twist combining 2 classic American favorites- a Philly Cheesesteak and a Sloppy Joe! It was delicious and husband-approved!

Sloppy Phillies

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
• 8 provolone cheese slices
• 8 hamberger buns

In large skillet, combine beef, onions and green pepper with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until beef browned and vegetables tender. Then add beef stock and A-1 sauce and boil for 3 minutes. Place hamburger buns face up on baking sheet and top bottom bun with beef mixture and slice of cheese. Broil in oven for 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bun toasted.

Apple Crumble Dump Cake

Here is a delicious and easy dessert recipe that is quick to throw together with very little clean-up! I can't wait to try it with other fruit combinations!

Apple Crumble Dump Cake

• 2 (21 oz.) cans apple pie filling
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 box white or yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup old fashion oats
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine

Spread apple pie filling in bottom of greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon, dump dry cake mix over apple layer and spread evenly. In a separate bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, and oats and sprinkle on top of cake mix. Slice stick of margarine into 12 slices and place evenly on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Southwest Cornbread Casserole

Delicious new casserole recipe for you to try!

Southwest Cornbread Casserole

• 1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 cup frozen yellow corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded Fiesta cheese, divided

Cornbread topping:

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Brown meat with onion and salt and pepper in skillet. In large bowl, combine meat and onion mixture, corn, salsa, black beans, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Place in bottom of greased 9x13 casserole dish and spread evenly. Top with 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese. With mixer beat eggs, milk, sugar and oil together. Then add dry ingredients and mix well to make cornbread topping. Pour topping over casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Crock-Pot Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

Here a delicious and creamy Crock-Pot recipe for pork chops and potatoes!

Crock-Pot Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

• 1 lb. thick cut boneless pork chops
• 4 medium red potatoes, cubed
• 1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (1 oz.) pkg. dry Ranch dressing dry mix
• 3/4 cup milk

Place pork chops and potatoes in greased Crock-Pot. In a medium bowl, combine soup, ranch mix, and milk and pour over pork chops and potatoes Crock-Pot and toss until evenly coated. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours until pork chops are no longer pink in the center. 

Creamy Corn Dip

Here is a recipe for a great appetizer to take to any summer outdoor party or get-together! Trust me, it will be a big hit!

Creamy Corn Dip

• 2 (15.25 oz.) cans of fiesta or southwest corn (corn with diced peppers), drained
• 1 (7 oz.) can chopped green chilies
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 1 cup light mayo
• 1/2 tsp. garlic power
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
• Optional- chopped jalapenos to taste

Combine ingredients in large bowl and chill in refrigerator until serving. Serve with Fritos Scoops corn chips.