Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars - UPDATE

It doesn't get any easier than this!

Our review:

We made these cheesecake bars for a party we went to and it was a definite hit! Although the coconut is optional, it was brought up over and over again that they really liked the addition of it, unlike other cheesecake bar recipes.

After buying everything we needed to make them, we decided to double the recipe.  While we didn't have time to go out and buy another roll of refrigerated cookie mix, we had the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies.  It was the perfect solution and I suggest it is an excellent substitute if you prefer to use your favorite recipe for cookies.  Honestly, I think any cookie would be delicious . . . sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies . . . whatever you love or a combination of two different cookies.

The next time we make a double batch, it will be made in two separate pans rather than one larger pan since the middle did not cook quite enough and didn't fully harden as it chilled.  We left that part home and it was delicious the next day after it had a while to harden.  I just don't recommend doing that.

The cheesecake mixture was perfect and delicious . . . nice creaminess that was so enhanced by the coconut.

All in all . . . we loved it!

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup coconut, if desired

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in coconut.

In ungreased, 9- or 8-inch square pan, break up half of cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Spread cream cheese mixture over dough. Crumble and sprinkle remaining half of dough over cream cheese mixture.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled. 

For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. 

Store in refrigerator.

Photo and recipe source:

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Just the mention of tamales takes me back to childhood days and the awesome cooking of my Puerto Rican godmother.  To this day I have not had a tamale as good as hers, but she slaved away for hours making hers from scratch.

This recipe is a blend of tex-mex dishes and better yet, fast and easy preparation since it is semi-homemade.  Although it calls for rotisserie chicken, I'm thinking that leftover pork, chicken or turkey would work just as well, making it more economical.

Shawn from I Wash . . . You Dry, one of my favorite food blogs, adapted the recipe from the January 2014 edition of Family Circle Magazine.

Yield: serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1 package (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) cream-style corn
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 cups shredded taco cheese blend, divided
• 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, from rotisserie chicken
• 
  
Optional Toppings:
• 
  
• diced tomato
• sour cream
• shredded lettuce
• sliced black olives
• chopped green onions
• finely chopped cilantro
• salsa

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Lightly spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Combine  corn muffin mix, cream-style corn, eggs, milk, chili powder, cumin and 1 cup of cheese in a large bowl.  Stir until ingredients are completely combined.

Pour into casserole dish. 

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven.

Use a knife to pierce the cornbread mixture several times all over and pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the casserole. 

Sprinkle the top with shredded chicken and remaining cheese. 

Bake  20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into pieces and serving with optional toppings. 

Recipe and Photo Source: I Wash, You Dry

Shawn's first cookbook, Express Lane Cooking, was recently released  . . . you can read more about it HERE.

Citrus Brown Sugar Chicken

If you are stretching your grocery dollars by including more chicken in your menu planning, you can't have enough chicken recipes . . . add this recipe to your collection of chicken entrees!

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
zest of 1 large orange or 2 medium lemons, about 1 tablespoon zest
juice of 1 large orange or 2 medium lemons, about 1/3 - 1/2 cup total
1 cup flour, I used brown rice flour
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar


Directions

Preheat oven to 350. 

Pound the chicken to 1/2" thick.

Combine the flour, paprika and salt in a flat bottomed bowl or pan.

Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour . . . both sides.  Coat well!

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large flat skillet. 

Brown chicken in the oil for about 2 minutes on each side. 

Remove the chicken and place in a 9x13 baking pan. 

Deglaze the hot skillet with the citrus juice and scrape up all the browned bits.

Pour citrus juice mixture over the chicken and sprinkle with the zest and brown sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes. 



Photo and recipe source

Bourbon Chicken

Bourbon chicken is one of my favorite chicken recipes.  Love the simplicity of the tangy sweet flavor served over white rice.

You may want to double the sauce portion of the recipe to make sure you have enough for leftovers the next day! 

The sauce would make the perfect BBQ sauce, the best I have ever had.  It would be perfect over shredded chicken or pork served on a sandwich.  Grilled BBQ chicken basted with this sauce would be awesome!

Directions:

5 chicken breasts (recommend frozen boneless skinless) - cube into bite sized pieces and pan fry in 2 Tbsp olive oil with 1 green pepper and 1/4 cup jarred roasted red pepper (peppers are optional).

Once the chicken is a little browned (after draining the skillet before adding anything else), add a couple spoonfuls of sauce to the browning chicken to caramelize the chicken as it browned.  Add a tiny bit more as the sauce disappears into the chicken and repeat this around 4 times.

Sauce:

Mix and wisk in a separate bowl until well combined:

1 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup soy sauce

pinch red pepper flakes (adjust to how much heat you prefer)

1 Tbsp cornstarch

Add to the chicken and stir and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice . . . I prefer it over white rice!