Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs

Ingredients

Drizzle of olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 pkg bacon, cooked till crispy and diced up

2 lb lean ground beef

½ cup Italian bread crumbs

6 oz cheddar cheese

2 egg

Salt & pepper

Glaze

½ cup catsup

2 Tbsp brown sugar

*mashed potatoes to line baking dish optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non stick spray.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a small skillet over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté until the onions begin to caramelize (10-15 minutes)’
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, bacon, onions and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix thoroughly, by hand, until the ingredients are combined.
Form the meat into 15 meatballs (slightly larger than a golf ball). Place the meatballs about 1 inch apart in the prepared baking dish.
Bake the meatball for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Heat up the brown sugar and catsup and brush on meatballs.
Serve over mashed potatoes

Salted Pretzel Caramel Brownies

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownies (for a 9x13 pan)

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

2/3 cup vegetable oil

3 cups pretzels

1 jar caramel sauce

coarse sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease with cooking spray.

Prepare brownie batter according to package instructions.

Pour about 1/3 of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. 

Spread until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. 

Then add two even layers of pretzels, covering the entire surface. 

Carefully spoon the remaining brownie batter on top to cover the pretzels.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out clean. Remove and set on a cooling rack to cool.

Spoon the caramel sauce onto the top of the brownies in an even layer. (If it is too thick, spoon the sauce into a small bowl first and microwave for 30 seconds to thin.) 

Sprinkle the caramel with a few pinches of sea salt.

Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature then serve.

Easy Taco Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef

1 can Ranch Style beans

1 10-12 ounce bag tortilla chips, crushed

1 can Ro-tel tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 package taco seasoning

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup water

sour cream and salsa for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, onion, taco seasoning, soup and water. Simmer over medium-low heat until everything is well combined and heated through.

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Put down a layer of crushed tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture, then half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and salsa.

Baked Tacos

Ingredients

2lbs ground beef

4 teaspoons dried minced onion

3 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

2 cups shredded Colby-jack cheese

18-20 hard taco shells

Optional Condiments-

lettuce (shredded)

tomato (diced)

Salsa

Guacamole

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  

In a small bowl combine dried minced onion, chili powder, cornstarch, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. 

Mix well and set aside.

In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat. 

Drain off any excess liquid. 

Add refried beans, tomato sauce, and prepared taco seasoning. 

Mix well.

Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. 

Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. 

Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. 

Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving. (Makes 8-10 Servings)

Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

2 crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

Chocolate Layer

6 (1-ounce squares) semisweet chocolate

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Layer

1/2 cup caramel ice-cream topping

1 (16 1/2 ounce) package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sour cream

Chocolate Ganache:

3 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 300˚.

To prepare crust

In a medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar. 

Add melted butter, stirring to combine. 

Press crust into bottom and up sides of 9-inch springform pan. 

Bake for 6 minutes; let cool.

To prepare chocolate layer

In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate and butter and melt over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. 

Whisk in sugar, eggs (at room temperature)  and flour until just combined. 

Pour into bottom of cooled crust; bake for 15 minutes; let cool.

To prepare cheesecake layer

Spread caramel topping evenly over chocolate (leave about an inch from the side of the pan or the caramel edges will become hard). 

Cut cookie dough crosswise into 1-inch slices. 

Place slices in an even layer over caramel, pressing gently together to seal edges.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese (at room temperature) and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. 

Beat in eggs (room temperature), one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Beat in vanilla and flour just until combined. Stir in sour cream. 

Pour over cookie dough layer and bake for 1 hour. 

Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around edges to release crust from sides of pan. 

Let cool completely.

To prepare chocolate ganache

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and whipping cream, melt over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. 

Spread over cooled cheesecake. 

Decorate the cheesecake with the ganache

Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

Tortillia Roll Ups

Ingredients

1 block cream cheese

1 can diced green chiles

1 small can sliced black olives

1 tablespoon fresh chives (or one green onion, sliced)

6 slices of ham

6 flour tortillas

Instructions

Set cream cheese out on kitchen counter for 30 mins. or so to allow it to soften. 

Meanwhile, drain black olives and give them a rough chop. 

Slice green onions or chop chives (both are tasty so use what you like best). 

Place green onions (or chives), roughly chopped black olives, and canned green chiles into a large mixing bowl. 

Stir to combine.

Add your cream cheese to the green onion, olive and green chile mixture. 

Work the cream cheese into the mixture with a wooden spoon. 

Mix until the cream cheese is completely combined.

Now for the roll-ups. Using a spatula, spread 1/6th of the mixture evenly on top of a flour tortilla and place a piece of ham on top. 

Roll up your tortilla. 

Slice tortillas.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

Ingredients

42 Oreos, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped

2 pounds (32 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275°. 

Line standard muffin pans with liners. 

Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each liner.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed using an electric mixer. 

Gradually add the sugar, beating until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time. 

Beat in sour cream and salt. 

Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. 

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. 

Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). 

Remove from tins just before serving. 

Best served really cold! You can garnish with fresh whipped cream and crumbled Oreos if desired.