Week 12 :: Ambrosia

INGREDIENTS:
-1 container Cool Whip
-1/2 cup vanilla Greek Yogurt
-1 (11 oz.) can of mandarin orange slices, drained
-1 (8 oz.) can of crushed pineapple
-1 cup maraschino cherries, drained
-1/2 cup pecans, chopped
-2 cups mini multi-colored marshmallows
-Cool Whip, for topping
-Maraschino cherries, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, mix the Cool Whip and vanilla yogurt until smooth. 

2. Fold in orange slices, pineapple, cherries, pecans and marshmallows until evenly combines. 

3. Spoon ambrosia into individual parfait cups or small dishes. Cover + cool in fridge for 1 hour to set and chill. Before serving, add a dollop of Cool Whip and a cherry on top! 
 

RATING = 4/5

"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = Might use smaller jars next time that are more shallow. I didn't want to fill the mason jars all the way, because that's almost double the serving. But it was hard to scoop it into the jar and out of when eating. ALSO...I could have FOLDED more and STIRRED less. 

Recipe by: Upscale Downhome by Rachel Hollis

Week 11 :: Buffalo Chicken Sliders

INGREDIENTS:
-1 Tbsp. butter
-1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
-1/3 cup buffalo sauce
-1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
-Salt and pepper (to taste)
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar
-1/4 cup of ranch dressing
-2 Tbsp. melted butter
-4 slider buns

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter. Add the shredded chicken, and toss the chicken in the butter to coat.

2. Add buffalo sauce, and toss the chicken to coat again. Add garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

3. In a medium bowl, combine shredded cheddar and ranch dressing. I used a fork, that way I could easily transfer the ranch-coated cheese to the sliders.

4. Place 1/4 cup of the buffalo chicken onto the bottom half of a slider. Repeat on each slider bun.

5. Top buffalo chicken with at least 1-2 Tbsp. of the cheese/ranch mix. Top with chopped green onion (optional!), and then cap the sliders with the top bun.

6. Brush melted butter to each of the top buns before baking.

7. Bake at 375 for about 5 minutes.

8. Serve hot!

RATING = 6/5

"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = Holy smokes! These are PERFECTION and melt in your mouth. The only thing I may change is the recipe called for rotisserie chicken but they didn't have any at Kroger when I went, so I opted for chicken breasts and cooked / shredded myself. So I try making it with the actual rotisserie chicken it called for. 

Recipe by: A Flavor Journal

Week 10 :: One Pan C.A.P. (Chicken, Asparagus, Potatoes)

INGREDIENTS:
-2 boneless chicken breast cutlets
-2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
-1 package of garlic herb potatoes from "The Potato Company"
-1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheet and arrange cutlets. Rub with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and season with salt + pepper. 

2. In a large bowl, toss potatoes and asparagus with garlic and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive olive, salt and pepper. Arrange on baking sheet with chicken. 

3. Bake C.A.P. for 25-20 minutes, or until the veggies become tender and chicken reaches 165 degreed F. Enjoy warm!
 

RATING = 4/5

"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = Tasty, jut a little bland! I put BBQ sauce on the side for the chicken and ketchup for the potatoes. Also, the original recipe called for parsley (but I didn't have any so I left it out) and for fingerling potatoes (but I found the little potatoes from The Potato Company in the produce section and they were perfect)! 

Recipe by: Whole and Heavenly Oven

Week 9 :: Jalapeño Corn

INGREDIENTS:
-1 pack of cream cheese
-1/2 stick of butter
-2 cans of white shoepeg corn
-Garlic salt
-Jar of jalapeños

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Melt butter and cream cheese in a pot on stove. Add a little garlic salt and some jalapeño juice. Then, add cans of corn. 

2. Put in pan. Sprinkle with a dozen jalapeños. 

3. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

RATING = 6/5

"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = Change NOTHING but DOUBLE THE RECIPE! This must be what heaven tastes like. Light, fluffy, a little kick at the end but nothing you can't handle. Mmmmmm.

Recipe by: Bri Kelley 

Week 8 :: Breakfast Avocados

INGREDIENTS:
-1 medium avocado
-2 eggs
-1 piece of cooked bacon, crumbled
-1 Tablespoon shredded cheese
-Pinch of salt 

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Cut avocado in half and remove the pit. 

3. With a spoon, scoop out some of the avocado so it's a tad bigger than your egg and yolk. Place in a muffin pan to keep the avocado stable while cooking. 

4. Crack your egg and add it to the inside of your avocado. Sprinkle with cheese and a pinch of salt. Top with cooked, crumbled bacon. 

5. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve warm. 

RATING = 3/5

"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = I just couldn't get over the fact that the egg was runny. I felt like it was undercooked, even though it really wasn't. I couldn't get that out of my head. I feel like if I scrambled the eggs and put that in the center, then baked it for 10 minutes, I would have a better experience with this one! 
 

Recipe by: Lilluna

Week 7 :: Pineapple Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS:
-1/3 cup of OJ
-2 Tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
-1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
-1 Tablespoon brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-4 (4 oz.) boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat
-2 teaspoons cornstarch
-4 thickly sliced fresh pineapple rings

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Whisk OJ, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ground ginger, onion powder and garlic powder to make a marinade. 

2. Place pork chops in a large re-sealable bag and add marinade. Seal bag and place in fridge for at least 2 hours up to overnight. Turn bag. 

3. Transfer pork chops to shallow dish. Pour marinade in saucepan. 

4. In small bowl, dissolve cornstarch into 2 teaspoons of cold water to make a slurry. Place the saucepan of marinade over medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in slurry. Cook - whisking until sauce thickens - for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to use as a baste for pork chops + pineapple. 

5. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly coat. Place pork chops on grill and cook 4-5 minutes per side, brushing often with baste as you grill. 

6. Add pineapple slices to grill and cook 1-2 minutes on both sides. 

7. Serve pork chop with grilled pineapple slice on top! 

RATING = 4/5
"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = I forgot to add the baste as I was flipping the pork chops...so I would do that next time! Other than that, nothing :) They were tasty! 
 

Recipe by: Recipe Diaries

Week 6 :: Roasted Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
-3 sweet potatoes
-2 Tablespoons butter
-1 Tablespoon brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
-1 pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Slice sweet potatoes into rounds that are about 1/4 inch thick. Place on baking sheet so they are touching, but not overlapping. 

3. Make the spice blend in a small bowl by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In a separate bowl, melt the butter. 

4. Grab a pastry brush and brush the top of each sweet potato with butter. Sprinkle with spices. Then flip sweet potatoes and do on the other side. 

5. Roast for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Then flip sweet potatoes and roast for an additional 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Take off baking sheet and enjoy! 

RATING = 5/5
"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = OMG SO DELICIOUS. Make two batches for next time, cause you'll be wanting ALL THE SWEET POTATOES! Maybe come up with a sauce to go with, too?! 
 

Recipe by: Renee Nicole's Kitchen 

Week 5 :: Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS:
-4 bell peppers
-1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
-2 Tablespoons chopped onion
-1 cup cooked rice
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 clove garlic
-15 oz. tomato sauce
-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Slice the stem from each bell pepper. Remove seeds. In a pot, add enough water to cover the peppers. Heat to boiling. Add peppers. Cook about 2 minutes. Drain. 

2. In skillet, cook beef (or turkey) and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until meat is brown. Drain. Stir in rice, salt, garlic and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Cook until hot. 

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

4. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in 8-inch square glass baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over peppers. 

5. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer, or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese. 

RATING = 4/5
"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = Maybe cut the tomato sauce and add taco seasoning to the meat, to give it more of a "taco vibe." 
 

Recipe by: Betty Crocker

Week 4 :: Steak Quesadillas

INGREDIENTS:
-1 strip steak (8 oz. / 1 inch in thickness) 
-4 tortilla shells
-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
-Non-stick spray
-Steak spices 

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. On the grill, cook steak until it's to your liking (medium, medium-well, well-done, or as my Grandpa says - "burnt"). Rub with spices before cooking, if you'd like! 

2. Slice your cooked steak into pieces about 1/4 inch in thickness. 

3. Spray skillet with non-stick spray - medium heat. Put one tortilla shell on skillet and add 1/2 cup cheese + handful of cut steak to half of it. Cook for about a minute until golden brown, and then flip. Repeat for side #2. 

4. Remove from skillet and cut into thirds. Do this for all 4 shells. 

5. Enjoy with hot sauce + sour cream! 

RATING = 4/5
"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = Cut the steak into thinner pieces. I "cubed" it, which made the steak a little too thick in the quesadillas. 
 

Recipe by: Me!

Week 3 :: Crockpot Coca-Cola Pulled Pork Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
-Whole Pork Shoulder Roast
-16 oz. bottle of Coke
-1 Tbs Onion Powder
-1 Tbs Garlic Powder
-1 Tbs Black Pepper
-1 Tbs Salt
-1 bottle of your favorite Barbecue Sauce
-A couple russet potatoes 

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR PULLED PORK:

1. Remove any thick sections of fat from the outside of the pork roast.
2. Whisk spices together and rub all over the pork roast.
3. Place pork roast into sprayed crockpot.
4. Pour bottle of Coke over roast.
5. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 10 hours.
6. Remove and discard bones.
7. Shred meat using two forks. 
8. Reserve ½ cup of juices from the crockpot and discard the rest.
9. Add reserved juices and the entire bottle of barbecue sauce. Stir well.
10. Set heat to low and cook 30 more minutes before serving.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BAKED POTATOES:

1. Take 2 potatoes and rinse in water
2. Cover in oil + kosher salt before wrapping in aluminum foil
3. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 375 degrees
4. Remove from oven, cut in half and add pulled pork!
   (May also add other toppings - such as shredded cheddar, sour cream, butter, etc.) 

RATING = 6/5 (SO good!)

"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = This recipe makes SO much pork, you will have PLENTY of leftovers. Next time, I'll plan over some leftover meals such as pork quesadillas / sandwiches / nachos for a "similar but different" taste. 

Recipe by Finding Time to Fly

Week 2 :: Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken + Zucchini

INGREDIENTS:
-2 chicken breasts
-8 tablespoons butter
-1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
-1/2 cup parmesan cheese
-1/4 cup flour
-2 medium zucchini
-2 garlic cloves

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tablespoons butter.

To make the chicken: Melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and flour. Dip the chicken in the butter and then coat in the bread crumb mixture and place in skillet.

2. Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes until the outside is crispy and the chicken is cooked throughout. Set aside on plate.

3. Add 2 Tablespoons of butter back to the skillet and saute the minced garlic for a minute. Add the zucchini to the skillet and saute until tender. Salt and pepper to taste and add some 1 Tablespoon parmesan. Add the chicken back to the skillet and heat for a minute or so. Serve immediately.

RATING = 5/5
"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = I didn't have garlic cloves, so I used minced garlic from a jar. Seemed to do the trick! Might try the cloves next time, though, to see if it changes flavor. Also, the breadcrumbs fell off a lot because I flipped a ton. Coat more + Flip less! 
 

Recipe by The Recipe Critic

Week 1 :: Sweet Fire Slow Cooker Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
-1 red bell pepper, chopped
-1 can pineapple chunks, drained

SAUCE
-2 teaspoons minced garlic
-1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
-2/3 cup sugar
-1 cup water
-2 tablespoons sweet red chili sauce
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-4 tablespoons cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch 

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INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Add chicken, chopped red peppers, and pineapple to slow cooker. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients except for the 4 tablespoons cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch. Pour sauce into the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours
3. About 30 minutes before serving, take the lid off the slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining cold water and corn starch. Set the cooker on high (if it isn't already) and pour the corn starch slurry into the pot, stir, then cover and ooke another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.
4. Serve with brown rice.

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RATING = 4/5
"NOTES FOR NEXT TIME" = Very flavorful, but seemed a little soupy. Drain the pineapple more or use a fresh one! Cut the pineapple pieces up into smaller chunks. Maybe add a 2nd red pepper. 
 

Recipe by Creme De La Crumb