Snickers Caramel Apple "Salad"

...and by salad, I mean dessert.   Make no mistake, this is not a healthy salad...it is a Cool-Whip-Snicker-Bar-Caramel thing with the "salad" portion coming from the ever-so-lovely apples that are EVERYWHERE right now.  All that being said, this is a super yummy, completely unexpected treat.  This is a perfect dish for a Halloween party as well as a summer potluck. 

Snickers Caramel Apple "Salad"

• 6 (2 1/4 ounce) Snickers candy bars, chill and chop
• 6 apples, cored and chopped into bite sized pieces.  I like the combo of Granny Smith and Braeburn.  It is quite sweet, so the tartness of some Granny Smith really balance nicely. 
• 1/2 cup Kraft Caramel Bits (they are by the chocolate chips in the grocery store)
• 1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip
• 1 TBSP instant Butterscotch Pudding Mix
• 1 TBSP instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
• Caramel Sauce for garnish

Mix the dry powdered pudding mixtures into the Cool Whip container until well combined.
In a large bowl, add chopped apples and Snickers Bars.  Add the Cool Whip mixture to the bowl and fold gently making sure to coat all the pieces evenly.  Warm caramel sauce in microwave, just to make pouring easier.  Drizzle top of "salad" with the caramel.  Chill for one hour.  Enjoy!

This recipe has been linked up at:
This Chick Cooks
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home

Caramel Apple Crisp Pizza

The NC State Farmer's Market is busting at the seams with apples, apples, apples.  It is just such a  fall sight for my sick-of-summer eyes.  In that spirit, here is a very fall recipe for you!  It is super scrumptious and really a snap to put together....my kind of dessert.  It is perfect topped off with some vanilla ice cream, you know, to lighten it up a bit, lol! 

Caramel Apple Crisp Pizza
Recipe adapted from:  Life as a Lofthouse

• Pastry for single-crust pie ( 9 inches )
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 TBSP All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 3 Large apples, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces.  I like to use 1 Granny Smith and 2 Braeburn.  Definitely make sure you use at least 1 Granny Smith...the tartness pairs so well with the sweet.  Also, the combos of textures and taste keep it interesting!

TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup packed Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup Rolled Oats
• 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Butter, softened
• Caramel topping...of course, if you can, use Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce

Lay out the pie crust on a pizza pan or cookie sheet.  Roll out slightly; fold under or flute the edges. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add peeled, diced apples and toss. Arrange the apples in a single layer over the pie crust to completely cover it.
Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl and then sprinkle evenly over the apples.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from oven, cut into slices, and serve with a drizzle with caramel.

This recipe has been linked up at:
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
This Chick Cooks

Menu Plan 10/17-10/23

Monday - Poppy Seed Chicken, Steamed Rice, Peas, Rolls

Tuesday - BBQ Bacon Turkey Burgers, Garlic Potato Wedges

Wednesday - Upside Down Pizza Supreme, Olive Garden Salad

Thursday - Sweet and Sour Chicken, Steamed Rice, Potstickers

Friday - Oven Roasted Salmon, Creamy Cucumber Dill Relish, Rice Pilaf, Garlic Almond Green Beans

Saturday - Spasangna, Cheesy Garlic Bread

Sunday - Dave's Famous Chili and Cornbread

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken....a copycat recipe

It seems the older I get, the more unimpressed I get with restaurant food.  The concept is good, but somehow the execution just isn't there.  More often than not, I end up leaving a restaurant thinking "I could have made that".  So, it should come as no surprise that I love copycat recipes.  Can I just say, this was one tasty chicken dish!  I mean come on, what is not to love...chicken in a delightful honey mustard marinade that makes it insanely juicy, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, cheese?!?!  Also, as impressive as the dish seems, it is surprisingly easy to put together. 

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken
Recipe Slightly Adapted From:  A Treasury of Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur

• 4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (10-12)
• 2 TBSP Butter
• 1 clove garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 slices bacon, cooked
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

For the Honey Mustard Marinade

• 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Whisk together the Honey Mustard Marinade ingredients either by hand, hand mixer, or blender until well combined.
Place defrosted Chicken Breasts into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and pour 2/3 of the marinade over top, making sure all the chicken gets covered by sauce.  Place remaining 1/3 Honey Mustard Marinade in the refrigerator.  Once it is nearing the end of the marinating time, cook your bacon and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
In a skillet over medium heat, heat up 2 TBSP of the Olive Oil.  Sear the chicken 3-4 minutes per side and remove to a baking dish. DISCARD Ziploc bag with marinade!
While the chicken is searing, heat Butter and reserved Olive Oil in a saute pan.  Add sliced mushrooms and allow to saute until soft and brown.  Near the end of the saute time, add Garlic Clove and cook until fragrant.
Once in the baking dish, brush each chicken breast with some of the reserved Honey Mustard Sauce, saving any leftover for serving if desired.  Stack 2 slices of bacon on each chicken breast, creating an "X".  Spoon the mushroom mixture onto the bacon, making sure to coat each breast evenly.  Spread 1/4 cup Monterey Jack Cheese and 1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese on top of the mushrooms. 
Bake the chicken for 8-10 minutes.
ENJOY!!!

This recipe has been linked up at:
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
This Chick Cooks
Eat at Home

Chili Verde (Mexican Stewed Pork)

You all know how I feel about the Mexican food here in North Carolina.  It is simply horrendous.  Stuffing a Poblano Pepper with hamburger and Velveeta does not a Chili Relleno make.   There were so may choices for a true, authentic Chili Relleno smothered with ridiculously SCRUMPTIOUS pork green chili when we lived in Colorado....Hacienda Colorado, Los Dos Patrillos, Brewery Bar, just to name my favorites.  So, what's a girl to do??  Experiment and try a billion recipes until she comes up with a winner.  As far as pork green chili goes, this is a winner.  It is much thicker and much more meaty than the smothering kind, but OH SO FLAVORFUL!  We enjoyed this stuffed in flour tortillas and topped with cheese, sour cream, and lettuce.  My daughter (who comes by her obsession with Chili Rellenos honestly) made a cheese and green chili quesadilla and used it almost as a scoop.  Brilliant I tell ya! 
However you choose to eat it, just eat it.  It is spectacular!

Chili Verde, aka Mexican Stewed Pork
Recipe slightly adapted from:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

• 2 TBSP vegetable or canola oil
• 5 pounds boneless pork roast, or boneless country ribs, trimmed of as much fat as possible
• Salt and pepper for seasoning roast.  I used salt and Montreal Steak Seasoning.
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
• 1 (15 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
• 3 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
• 3 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Cut the roast into 3-4 large chunks. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides. In a large heavy pot, the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the pork, being careful not to crowd the pot (brown the pork in shifts, if needed). Brown the pork on all sides until golden and well-browned, about 30 seconds to a minute on each side. Leave the roast in the pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Place the pork and garlic and onions in the slow cooker. Stir in the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. After the roast has cooked for the allotted time, remove the roast. Shred it into bite-size pieces and set aside, covered with foil to keep warm. Pour the remaining liquid and ingredients from the slow cooker into a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove, and simmer vigorously over medium-low or medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning, until the mixture considerably reduced and thickened. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP!!!  Reducing the sauce is essential in deepening the flavor of the sauce.  Add the pork roast and sauce back to the slow cooker. Stir to coat the pork with the sauce. Turn the crockpot to low or high and allow the pork to heat through again. Serve with warm tortillas and desired toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, avocados, lettuce, tomatoes.

This recipe has been linked up at:
This Chick Cooks
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
The Country Cook
.