Tag Archives: cheese

Austin Chicken

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Took a month away from posting and during that time, went to Austin, Texas for the MotoGP at Circuit Of The Americas. Of course, it wouldn’t really be much of an adventure if we didn’t ride the ” Adventure” the whole way there and back!

We ate lots of good food while we were there and a few places in between, but this dish was inspired by one I had at the Iron Cactus in Austin. It’s a little time consuming in that it has many components, but each one is easy to make. Seasoned and grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts, covered with peppers, onions, and a creamy, spicy cheese sauce, topped with fresh chorizo and guacamole.  We just ate it with chips and salsa, but Mexican rice and refried beans would go great with this dish!

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For the chicken breast marinade:

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cilantro
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chili garlic hot sauce

Place chicken breasts in a zip top bag. Combine remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl and pour over chicken breasts. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least two hours.

For the guacamole:

  • 3 ripe Hass avocados
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced onions
  • 1 tsp cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash red pepper
  • juice of one lime
  • 1/4 tsp cumin (optional)

Remove skin and seeds from avocados. Place in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork until desired consistency is reached ( some like it chunkier than others!). Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Place guacamole in an airtight container. Press a piece of parchment or wax paper down on the top of the guacamole and seal tightly to keep it from turning to a brown yucky color. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cream cheese sauce:

  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno, or 3 tbsp canned, diced jalapenos
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup half and half

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To finish:

  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1/2 pound fresh chorizo (not the dried, Spanish kind!)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Marinaded chicken breasts
  • Prepared guacamole
  • Prepared cream cheese sauce
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend

Preheat a grill over medium heat and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Grill chicken breast for about 8 to 10 minutes per side, until slightly under done, about 150 to 155 degrees. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble chorizo. When cooked through, remove from heat. Wipe skillet and add olive oil. When hot, add peppers and onions to skillet and cook and stir until soft; season with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in a baking dish and top evenly with peppers and onions, cheese sauce, and shredded cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese has melted and slightly browned. Top with chorizo and guacamole to serve. Savor the flavor!

Shrimp And Grits

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A Southern tradition. I’ve had several versions of this and have yet to find one I don’t like! This is my version, taking my favorite ingredients from the Shrimp and Grits I’ve had at restaurants and from recipes I found on the internet. Sometimes I surprise even myself and with this recipe, I did just that! It was so good, I can’t wait to make it again!

I used fresh local shrimp in this dish, and I’m a firm believer that you should always buy seafood from the U.S., not the farm-raised stuff from Thailand! Not only does it taste much better, but you’re helping out an industry that has been dwindling because of the bad economy and outrageous gas prices!

For the grits:
  • 1 cup quick cooking grits
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 oz roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
  • 8 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 lbs fresh 21/25 shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 8 oz cooked Andouille sausage, chopped into half moons ( I used Johnsonville “New Orleans Brand”)
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 6 tbsp flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Start the grits. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, stir in grits, and cook on low for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and roasted red peppers. Keep warm while preparing the gravy.

Place bacon in a stockpot and heat over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add onion, green pepper, and celery to the bacon grease. Cook veggies for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and the sausage. Cook until shrimp are firm and pink, then remove from the pot. Set aside and keep warm. Pour in wine then stir in the flour. Slowly stir in milk, then Cajun seasoning. Cook and stir continuously until thickened, then remove from heat. 

To plate, pour 1/4 of the grits on a plate, then 1/4 of the shrimp, then cover with gravy. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Repeat with remaining ingredients for 4 servings. Enjoy!

Skippy’s Southwestern Breakfast Bake

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My hubby and his buddies camp out every year at Daytona for the Rolex 24. It’s 24 hours of watching cars go fast, enjoying libations, and most importantly, eating. Last year, our good friend Skippy brought this casserole to have for breakfast , and my hubby brought back the recipe. It’s a hardy breakfast best enjoyed after a long night, but will also impress any Holiday house guests that maybe looking for a great breakfast from a wonderful host. It can be a bit on the spicy side, so for the not-so-big-a-fan of heat first thing in the morning, use mild Rotel and unseasoned hashbrowns.

  • 1 20 oz package refrigerated Southwestern flavor hashbrowns
  • 1 10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 10 oz can Rotel
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 lb cooked, crumbled sausage
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups Cornflakes
  • 2 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Mix together cornflakes and melted butter. Spread evenly on top of hashbrown mixture and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

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Flipping through my recipe books the other day, I came across a recipe for chicken nachos using green salsa and cheese sauce, and I thought “That would make great enchiladas!” Turns out, I was right! They’re delicious! It’s a little time-consuming, but if you’re in a hurry, you can use precooked chicken breasts and a jar of tomatillo salsa from the store.

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless,skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded
  • 1 large onion, divided (half chopped, half cut into chunks)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 2, plus 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus some for drizzling
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • dash white pepper (Optional)
  • salt
  • 12 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Trim any excess fat from chicken breasts, and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, place tomatillos, 1 half of the onion, jalapenos, and garlic in a medium sauce pan with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are soft. Remove from pan with slotted spoon to a food processor or blender, and pulse until smooth. Add cilantro and cumin and mix well.

When chicken is fully cooked, remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before shredding, pulling apart with 2 forks.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, and add chopped onion and bell pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, and add chicken, 1/2 cup chicken stock, and all but 1/2 cup of salsa verde. Stir and simmer while making cheese sauce.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cooking and stirring continuously, for about 3 minutes, then stir in 2 cups chicken stock. Stir constantly until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in reserved 1/2 cup of salsa, 1 cup of cheese, salt to taste, and add white pepper (if desired).

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Spoon two heaping spoonfuls of chicken mixture into a flour tortilla, roll up, and place in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, and pour cheese sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cup of shredded cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned. Serve with sour cream, and fresh pico de gallo. Enjoy!

Cajun Mahi Over Fried Grits With Black Bean Sauce

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Health food! Well, it has fish in it at any rate! A tasty dish that has Southern fusion written all over it! Crispy, cheesy grits, and creamy, zesty black beans, surround spicy Mahi, what more can you ask for?

For Grits:

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup quick cooking grits
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 4 oz cubed Velveeta cheese
  • salt
  • pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • flour for dredging

For Black Bean Sauce:

  • 1 15 oz can black beans
  • half medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp cilantro
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For Mahi:

  • 4 tbsp melted butter
  • 4  6 oz Mahi fillets
  • 4 tsp Cajun seasoning

*Plan ahead! Grits need to chill for at least 3 hours before cooking!

Grease an 8×5 loaf pan. Bring water to a boil in medium sauce pan, and stir in grits. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove grits from heat on stir in cheese, chopped peppers, salt, and pepper. Pour into greased loaf pan, and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine black beans, onion, garlic, red peppers, and jalapeno in a food processor or blender, and pulse until smooth. Add cilantro, cumin, cayenne, salt, oregano, and olive oil, and pulse until well blended. Pour sauce into sauce pan, and heat through.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Dip Mahi fillets in melted butter, place on baking sheet, and sprinkle each fillet with a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove grits from refrigerator, and remove from loaf pan by turning upside on a plate. Cut “grit loaf” into 8 pieces. Dredge grit cakes in flour, and fry 2 at a time until grits are golden brown.

To serve, place 2 grit cakes on a plate, top with one fillet, and heaping spoonfuls of black bean sauce. Enjoy!

**Leftover Black Bean Sauce makes a great dip for tortilla chips!**

Shepard’s Pie

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Shepard’s Pie (really cottage pie) is my favorite go to for cooler weather comfort foods. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you want and it tastes good no matter which way you prepare it. This is just one way I cook it, though I still go back to precooked mashed potatoes, American cheese on top, condensed soup mixed with the ground beef, and peas on the side when I’m short on time.

  • 1 1/4 lb ground beef
  • 1 1/2 lb potatoes, peeled
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 stick + 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 oz. sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • a generous splash of beer
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 10 oz frozen peas and carrots
  • 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place potatoes in a pot and fill with just enough water to cover potatoes. Bring water to boil over high heat, then reduce and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp butter over  medium high heat in sauce pan. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and salt and pepper, cook mushrooms until tender. Add Worcestershire sauce, and beer, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth and while that warms up, combine cold water with cornstarch, then pour into mushroom mixture and let simmer. While sauce thickens, cook and crumble ground beef and drain grease. Stir mushroom gravy into cooked ground beef by heaping spoonfuls until beef in well coated.( You may need all the gravy to coat the meat well, but keep any remaining warm on stove top to serve on top of the pie when it’s ready.) Mix in peas and carrots. Let meat mixture simmer on low while preparing potatoes.

Potatoes are done when pierced easily with fork. Remove from heat and drain. Mix in 1/2 stick butter, and mash with potato masher. Slowly add milk while mashing and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour meat mixture into 2 quart casserole. Spread mashed potatoes over meat mixture, and cover with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with hot, buttered yeast rolls and enjoy!