Mexican Stuffed Shells

This recipe is so amazing, I cannot even put it into words!  I love me a good stuffed shell and I love Mexican inspired flavors, so this was perfect for our family!  Try this one today and you will NOT be disappointed!

Ingredients:

- 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small chunks
- 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 each of a Red/Green/Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
- 2 blocks of Cream Cheese, softened
- 2 cans of Ro-tel Tomatoes (I used the Habenero kind, but you can use whichever one you want)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Parsley
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 cups (or 1 8oz bag) of Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1 jar of Picante Sauce
- 1 box of Large Pasta Shells

Directions:

1.  Dice up your chicken, onion, and peppers and toss them into a bowl.  Drain and rinse your can of black beans and toss them into the bowl as well.  Sprinkle in your cumin, salt and pepper, and parsley.  Give it a good stir to combine.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine your cream cheese, your chicken broth, and your Ro-Tel.  Mix it together until well combined and toss in some pepper.  It's important to make sure your cream cheese is softened so that it mixes well and easily for you!

3.  Now, combine your chicken mixture with your wet mixture and stir well.

4.  Grab a large, deep baking pan and sauce the bottom with a bit of the Picante sauce.  Also, preheat your oven at this point to 350 degrees.

5.  Now begin filling your shells with the mixture and place them closely together into the baking dish until you've used all your shells up. NOTE:   If you still have some of the mixture left, don't throw it out!  It makes a great leftover lunch for the next day with some tortillas! 

6.  Drizzle the remaining Picante sauce all over the shells and top with your cheese.  Cover with foil and allow the shells to bake for about 30 minutes.  Then, remove the pan from the oven, uncover and allow to cook an additional 10 minutes to achieve golden brown goodness!

Here's the final product......

I paired this with just a simple salad.  Really though, it stands on it's own!  My husband loved this so much he had two huge platefuls, lol.  It's a real crowd pleaser!  Enjoy!

Pasta Salad

A simple pasta salad is the perfect accompaniment for a perfect Summer time meal!  I usually pair mine with some BBQ chicken and corn on the cob as I did on the 4th of July this year.  It was perfect and easy...two really good things since I worked this year!

Ingredients:

- 1 (16oz) box Tri-colored Rotini, cooked
- 1 (1lb) pkg Mozzarella Cheese (I bought a huge one, but only used half!)
- 1/2 bottle Italian Dressing
- 1/2 pkg of Pepperoni
- 1/2 can of Black Olives

Directions:

1.  As your noodles come to a boil, drain your can of olives and slice into coins.  I used half a can, you can use more or less or if you don't like olives, you can always leave them out.

2.  Toss your olives into a large mixing bowl and toss in your pepperoni.  You don't have to chop your pepperoni, but you could definitely do that if you wish. 

3.  Now, once your pasta is cooked, rinse with cold water until it's completely cooled. 

4.  Toss that into the bowl with your olives and pepperoni.  Chop up your mozzarella into small bite sized cubes.  Toss that into the bowl as well.  Toss and then begin to pour in your dressing.  I used about half a bottle.  It's important to taste it when you've added the dressing to see if it needs more.  Also, it will absorb the dressing so you may even need to add more before serving.  It just depends on how you prefer your salads!  Stir together and place in the fridge to chill.

Here's the final product.....

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pie

If you love peanut butter and chocolate then this is the dessert for you!  It tastes like a mix between Reeses Pieces and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups!  And the best part is that it's a BREEZE to make and perfect for Summer time since you don't have to use the oven!

Ingredients:

- 1 (8oz) pkg of Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
- 1/2 container of Whipped Topping
- 1 pre-made chocolate crust
- Chocolate Chips for garnish (optional) *not pictured*

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, toss in your room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peanut butter.  Whip together with a mixer until smooth and fluffy.

2.  Fold in your whipped cream.  DO NOT mix it in, fold it gently until it's completely incorporated and glossy.

3.  Place into your premade pie crust (I used Oreo and it was great!) and smooth out gently.  Garnish with the chocolate chips if you want to.  Then, place your pie into the freezer for at least 4 hours.  After that point, place into the fridge until you're ready to serve.

Here's the final product.....

This dessert is so rich and is a perfect compliment for after dinner!  Make this one soon and you will NOT be sorry!  Enjoy! 

Lemon Lush

It's been pretty hot here lately so I wanted a dessert that is simple and tastes just like Summer time!  And this is it!  There's a few steps, but really, you can just do each step, and go about your daily activities until its time for the next one.  And it's worth it, trust me on this one! 

Ingredients:

- 2 cups Flour
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 bag of Walnuts, chopped (about 1 cup or so)
- 2 (8oz) pkgs Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 pkgs INSTANT Lemon Pudding Mix
- 3 1/2 cups Milk
- 1 (12oz) container of Whipped Cream

Directions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Toss your flour and butter and walnuts into a medium sized bowl and use a pastry cutter (or fork if you don't have one!) to cut in the butter and nuts. 

2.  Press the crust into a 13X9inch pan and bake about 25 minutes until golden brown.  Allow crust to cook COMPLETELY!

3.  Once your crust is cool, place your cream cheese and sugar into a bowl (you can use the same one...why dirty up?) and mix together until smooth.  Smooth this mixture carefully and evenly over your crust and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

4.  Now you can begin to make the pudding mixture.  Open up your lemon pudding boxes and toss them into a bowl.  Add the milk and begin whisking away until you've got nice, thick pudding.  Pour that over the cream cheese mixture.  Allow your dish to cool again for another hour in the fridge. 

5.  Now, right before you're ready to serve, spread the entire container of whipped cream over the top of your dessert.

Here's the final product.....

This was so refreshing!  It tastes just like Lemon Meringue pie, except without all that hard work!  I recommend you try this one soon!