Bacon Cheeseburger Tacos

I tried to make bacon taco shells found here on Pinterest. I had them cooling and my very curious 2 year old decided to "touch" them. With a mustard bottle. Shells they were no longer...So we used hot dog buns instead to still give it a "taco" feel. They.were.awesome. Marley ate an entire "taco" bun and all and she never eats bread! I still want to give the actual bacon shells a try some time...because well a taco shell made out of bacon? Sounds pretty awesome to me!

Bacon Cheeseburger Tacos

1lb ground beef
1C ketchup
1/4C mustard
12 strips of bacon - cooked to your preference (extra crispy at our house!)
6 hot dog buns
shredded cheddar
shredded lettuce
dill pickle relish
"taco" sauce*

In a skillet brown and crumble the ground beef. Drain off any excess grease. Stir in the ketchup and mustard. Simmer for 10 minutes.

To assemble:
Lay 2 strips of bacon in a hot dog bun. Add in some of the hamburger mixture. Top with the cheddar cheese, lettuce and relish. Drizzle with "taco" sauce. Take a bite. Enjoy a trip to food heaven.

*"taco" sauce
Mix together 1C mayo and 1/4C ketchup in a small bowl. 1

Pudding Chip Cookies

I LOOOVE cookies made with pudding mix. They are almost cake like and stay moist and chewy for a long time! This recipe was quick and easy. I didn't quite get 2 dozen cookies out of it. Mix and match chips/pudding flavors for different flavored cookies!

Pudding Chip Cookies

1C all purpose flour
1pkg (small box) instant vanilla pudding
1 stick butter -softened
1/2C packed brown sugar
1tsp baking soda
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*.
COmbine flour and pudding mix in a small bowl. Beat butter in large mixing bowl on medium to hig speed for 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar and baking soda until well combined. Beat in egg and egg white. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips. Drop dough by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cook on baking sheet 2-3 mintues; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 1

Apple Crumble Bars

These were good! Like little mini apple pies...and this recipe was a lot easier to make than I thought it was going to be! Took no time at all. Tip - next time I'd refrigerate over night before cutting. I waited until they were cool and the jam still ran and the crust sort of fell apart, but the next day they were just fine!

Apple Crumble Bars

For the base:
1 1/3C all purpose flour
2T sugar
1tsp salt
1 stick butter - softened

For the filling:
4 medium apples - peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
5T sugar
1/4tsp cinnamon
2tsp cornstarch
2T lemon juice
1/2C fruit jam (I used peach)

For the crumble:
1/2C all purpose flour
3T sugar
4T butter - softened

To prepare the filling - in a large skillet combine the apples, sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until the apples start to soften but are still firm, stirring occasionally. In a small cup whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch. Add to the apples, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 9x13 pan.

To make the base, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread the fruit jam over the base. Top with the apple mixture.

In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients for the crumble. Mix well until combined and crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the apple mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing. 1

Balsamic BBQ Glazed Chicken

Dustin got me a bottle of high quality balsamic vinegar for Christmas and it's been patiently waiting to be used. Tonight was the night and it was a hit. This BBQ sauce was delish!!!! The perfect balance of sweet and sour. Even both girls loved it! I only used 2 chicken breasts so we had a good amount of sauce left and have already decided we will be using it on steaks tomorrow night. It'd be great on just about anything - chicken, beef, pork ribs, green beans or asparagus...It comes together really quick too, with just a few ingredients.

Balsamic BBQ Glazed Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1C balsamic vinegar
3/4C ketchup
1/3C brown sugar
1T Worcestershire sauce
1T Dijon mustard
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
1/2tsp garlic powder

In a saucepan combine every thing except the chicken. Simmer until the sauce has reduced by 1/3, about 15-20 minutes. Lightly season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat your grill to medium heat. Place the chicken on the grill. Baste with the sauce, basting each side every few minutes until the chicken is done.
Serve the remaining sauce on the side! *Reserve some before you start basting so you don't cross contaminate your sauce

Where I got the recipe! 1

Taco Pizza

I've had several people ask me for my taco pizza recipe...It's silly easy. It's sooooo good. I love taco pizza. Sunday nights during the winter are movie/taco pizza night in this house!

I use the Betty Crocker dough mix - you just add water. I also add in 1T of dried cilantro. Use 2 packages for a 9x13 cookie sheet. Prepare the dough and let it rest. While it's resting, brown 1lb of ground beef. Drain off the excess fat and stir in a package of taco seasoning. Then stir in a can of refried beans. Mix well. Grease your cookie sheet and pat out the crust. Spoon on your favorite pizza sauce. Top with the beef mixture. I plop on big spoonfuls and then do my best to smooth it out! Top with 1C shredded mozzarella and 2C shredded cheddar. Bake at 425* for 15-20minutes or until the cheese is nice and golden and the crust is lightly browned.

Let cool before you cut! We top ours with crushed Doritos, lettuce, sour cream, jalapenos and taco sauce. I always just set up an assembly line of toppings so everyone can add as much/little as they want! 1

The ever so famous simply named - Pasta Salad

It's FINALLY spring and I can FINALLY make Pasta Salad again!!!!!!! This salad is SO FREAKING AWESOME. Well at least my little brother and I think so. I made this last night. It's 9:30am and I'm resisting every thing I have to go get some for breakfast. It's in my Top 5 Favorites.

This dish is perfect for BBQ's, potlucks, weddings, graduations...we've figured 1 batch will serve 8-10 people. Or about 2 if it's just me and my brother.

Tip - let your pasta cool completely before adding the dressing. Hot pasta will absorb the dressing like a sponge. Which is fine, you can always just add more before serving but you'll just be using more and more dressing!

Pasta Salad

1 head broccoli - chopped into bite size pieces
1 tomato - chopped
1 medium cucumber - chopped into bite size pieces
1C shredded (VERY IMPORTANT IT'S SHREDDED!!) Parmesan - I always use more, I love it
1 8oz bottle ranch dressing (more/less to your liking. We like more!)
1 bag tri-color rotini pasta - cooked to al dente and cooled

In a LARGE bowl mix every thing together. Make the pasta salad as creamy as you like! Cover and chill in the fridge at least 3-4 hours. Stir before serving and add more dressing if needed. 1

Turtle Burgers

I saw this pic on Pinterest and had to make them. They made me giggle. It kind of backfired as Marley refused to let us cut her turtle...

I took a pound of ground beef (pink slime free!) and shaped it into 4 shell shaped patties. Get creative here- season the meat, add veggies, add shredded cheese. Go crazy. I cut the strips of bacon in half and then cut those strips in half lengthwise. Basket weave the bacon over the patties, wrapping the loose ends underneath. Cut the hot dogs into head, feet and tail shapes and secure with toothpicks.

Dustin grilled them bottom side down first. They are semi-delicate so turn carefully! And the hot dog pieces will get black and crispy...but to me that's the best way to eat a hot dog! We ate them bunless (oops forgot to buy buns!). A burger, wrapped in bacon, garnished with a hot dog - it screams perfection!

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