Cripsy Fries in the Oven : Kid approved

 

I found this recipe on Pinterest. I'm super excited about it because my kids prefer crispy fries, but I don't want to deep fry them. :)

Cripsy Fries in the Oven

3 large potatoes
2-3 tablespoons oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the potatoes into fries.

Next, place fries in ice water. Completely submerge the fries in water. Let fries sit one hour. This helps to remove excess starch and will help the fries crisp up more in the oven.

After an hour, drain the water, and pat fries dry with a paper towel.

Toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Spread out onto a baking sheet which has been generously sprayed with cooking spray (two if the sheet is too crowded- fries should not be super packed on the sheet).

Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes- until fries start to get soft. You might want to stir the fries at this point to prevent excessive sticking and to flip the fries to the other side.

Turn the oven to 450 and continue baking until crisp (about 20-30 minutes). If you get in a hurry, turn on the broiler to crisp up the fries- but watch them closely, and stir them a few times to be sure all sides get some good crunch!

Serves 6

Smothered Chicken

This recipe passed the hubby test. You know a recipe is a hit when your hubby goes back for seconds!

 Smothered Chicken

6 chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds
Chicken seasoning or your favorite seasoning (I used Emeril's Chicken Rub.)
Salt to taste
6 slices of provolone cheese
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs butter or margarine

Place chicken in a baking dish. Sprinkle with chicken rub and salt. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until juices run clear. In the meant7me, melt butter in a sk7llet. Add mushrooms and saute until tender. Salt slightly. When chicken is done, top each breast with a slice of provolone. Return to oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted. Top each breast with sauteed mushrooms and serve. Serves 6.

Nutritional information

1/8 chicken breast, CALORIES 301, FAT 18 g, CARBS 1 g, FIBER 0 g, PROTEIN 33 g, Weight Watchers Points plus: 8 points

Buckeye Cookies

 Buckeye Cookies

1 box fudge brownie mix (19.5 ounce or family size)
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 oz. (1/2 block) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 a bag of chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat the brownie mix, butter, cream cheese, and egg. The dough will be a little sticky. Scoop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, making about 24 cookies. Smooth the edges of each to form a round cookie.

In a separate bowl, mix the powdered sugar and the peanut butter until it is completely combined. Form the mixture into about 1 inch balls. Make sure you have one ball for each cookie. Set aside.

Bake for the cookie dough 12 minutes, keeping an eye out to make sure the cookies doesn't over cook or undercook.

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a peanut butter ball lightly into the center of each cookie. The peanut butter mixture will soften slightly, but that is OK. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwavable bowl for 45 seconds. Stir the chocolate and melt for additional 15 seconds or until the chocolate is completely melted. Spoon about 1/2 a tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie so it covers the peanut butter ball. Let the chocolate set. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken Queso Soup with Roasted Corn and Jalapeno

 

I found this recipe by pinch of Yum on Pinterest and tweaked it a little bit. (Click here for original recipe.) It is SOOO good. I've tried a lot of tortilla and taco soups in my day, but this has to be the best so far. It's a perfect recipe to put in the crock pot Sunday morning and have it for lunch after church.

Chicken Queso Soup with Roasted Corn and Jalapeno

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups salsa, divided
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon salt

1 green peppers, chopped
1 14 ounce can corn, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (without ribs and seeds)
1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces light cream cheese
6 ounces Pepper Jack cheese
cilantro for topping

tortilla chips

Place the chicken breasts, 1½ cups salsa, water, cumin, chili powder and salt in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. When the chicken is done, shred the meat directly in the crockpot using two forks.

Pat the minced peppers dry with a paper towel. Place the bell peppers in a large nonstick skillet over high heat without oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes WITHOUT stirring. This creates the browned, roasted look out on the outside of the peppers. Stir once and repeat until the peppers are nice and browned.
Set aside. Repeat this process with the corn and jalapeño together.

After the chicken has been shredded, add the roasted peppers, roasted corn and jalapeño, black beans, remaining salsa, and cream cheese to the crockpot. Stir and replace cover, allowing the cream cheese to melt. Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding another ½ cup of water if needed. Let the soup simmer for another 15-30 minutes until everything is smooth and melted. Just before serving, stir in the Pepper Jack cheese. Serves 8

Nutritional information

1/8 of recipe (calculated without chips), CALORIES 264, FAT 7 g, CARBS 24 g, FIBER 5 g, PROTEIN 30 g, Weight Watchers Points plus: 7 points