jalapeno kettle chip crusted chicken/ spicy jalapeno ranch dip...

I must be having some serious spicy cravings this week, because almost every meal I have chosen has had a kick to it! I saw this recipe on Pinterest and I knew that I just had to try it! Jalapeno Kettle chips are one of my favorites! I would have never thought to use them to bread my chicken, but I am so glad that Tina, over at My Life as a Mrs. was smart enough to think of it! I followed her recipe for the chicken exactly as it was. The only thing I made minor changes to was the Jalapeno ranch dip. To see Tina's full chicken recipe you can go here!

I have my own jalapeno ranch dip recipe that I perfected a long time ago. It is very similar to the one Tina has on her blog, but a few small additions make all the difference in the world...What's my secret? Pickle juice! weird, I know! But for years I would try to make my own ranch because I am not a fan of the bottled ranch you by at grocery stores. My favorite ranch is from Chili's. I love to dip their chips in it! Once again, weird, I know! But don't knock it till you try it. Anyways, I cannot even tell you how many copy cat recipes I looked up trying to get my homemade ranch to taste like Chili's ranch. But it was never quite right, there was always something off about it. Finally, one day I came across a post that suggested putting 1-2 table spoons of dill pickle juice in your ranch. I tried it, and sure enough, it worked! So now anytime I make any form of ranch dip I put in some pickle juice!

Here is my jalapeno ranch recipe...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayo (use real mayo, not miracle whip, this was another mistake I made for months when trying to perfect my ranch recipe)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup jalapenos, canned

2 tsp. jalapeno juice

1 tbsp. dill pickle juice

1/2 pkg. dry ranch mix

pinch of fresh cilantro

dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth and well blended

2. chill in refrigerator over night, and serve.

suggested pairings for the chicken: steamed broccoli in a cheese sauce, roasted potatoes

enjoy!

-holly

enchilada chicken spaghetti...

Tonight I decided to be true to my roots and whip up a quick and easy tex-mex dinner! I found a recipe on Pinterest for a chicken spaghetti recipe that used Rotel. I was intrigued... So I took the recipe and adapted it some to make what I am calling enchilada chicken spaghetti. to view the original recipe you can go to Just a Pinch Recipes. Here my version of the meal:

Ingredients:

1 can of shredded, cooked chicken breast. (you can cook and shred the chicken yourself if you prefer)

1/2 of a 13 oz. pkg. of spaghetti (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

1 can Rotel (I used the "hot" Rotel but you can use original or mild)

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. of Velveeta (about 1/4 of the block)

2 tbs. butter

3-4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup sour cream

chili powder

ground cayenne pepper 

garlic salt

Directions:

1. cook the pasta until soft, drain and set aside

2. In the same pot, melt butter and saute the green onions for about 2-3 minutes

3. add in can of rotel, can of cream of chicken soup, chicken and spaghetti and mix well

4. cut the velveeta into small cubes and slowly stir into the spaghetti until fully melted

5. stir in sour cream

6. add chili powder, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt to taste. (I do not want to give you exact measurements here, because its best to slowly add until you find the amount that tastes best to you. I like mine really spicy so I added more of the chili powder and cayenne pepper than most people would probably want - including my husband! oops!)

7. serve and enjoy!

(this recipe feeds 2-3 people)

my suggested pairings: corn, tortilla chips, and margaritas!

enjoy!

-holly