Recipe: Apple Cobbler Cake

Did you know that you can have your cake and eat it too?

If you love apple cobbler, this cake is for you.

It's really an apple cobbler on the bottom and cake on the top.

So, you get the best of both worlds.

Yummy Apple Cobbler Cake

Ingredients:

2 cans (21 oz.) apple pie filling

1 box of Yellow Cake Mix

3/4 Cup Butter Softened

1 package chopped walnuts (8 oz.)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup Heavy Cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium saucepan, heat pie filling over medium heat until bubbly.

In large bowl, combine cake mix and softened butter with electric mixer.

Mix on low for about 30 seconds.

Place 1 1/2 Cups of this mixture in a medium size bowl.

Stir the walnuts and cinnamon into 1/2 cup mixture and mix well.

Pour hot pie filling into ungreased 9x13 pan.

Spread cake and butter mixture over hot filling.

Slowly pour the heavy cream over the cake and butter mixture.

You'll want to make sure the whole mixture is covered and moistened.

Sprinkle walnut mixture over top of moistened cake.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Cool 30 minutes before diggin in!

For me, I would have loved this ala mode but I didn't have ice cream.

Bummer.

Want to try a bite?

Happy Baking,

Menu Plan Monday: Dinners for 8/30/10 - 9/3/10

I was 5 for 5 last week for cooking dinners at home.

Let's see if I can bat 100% again this week.

Monday, August 30, 2010: Pork Tenderloins with Steamed Veggies

Tuesday, August 31, 2010: Cranberry Turkey in a Crock Pot

Wednesday, September 1, 2010: Eggs Benedit (no recipe, just winging it)

Thursday, September 2, 2010: BBQ Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Friday, September 3, 2010: Homemade Pizza & Salad

What are you making this week?

Happy Cooking,

Mailbox Monday: Check out the Freebies!

It's Mailbox Monday!

I can't wait to see all the freebies everyone got.

Again, this week was slow.

I think because I haven't been submitting many requests.

My goal is to get one a week next week.

So, here's what I got this past week:

Free Samples:

Cheetos Mighty Zingers - Go Here

Your Life Adult Gummies - Go Here

Products to Review:

Rockin Green Laundry Detergent

One Bath & Body Bar Soap

Other:

NCP Newsletter

Credit Card Application

Want to see what everyone else is getting?

Check out:

and

Simply Stacie

Have a GREAT week!

Have you heard about Woot yet?

   

What is Woot?

Woot.com is an online store and community that focuses on selling cool stuff cheap.

They sell only one item per day for cheap until they run out of stock.

There is also a Kids Woot, Sellout Woot and a Shirt Woot.

I've gotten some pretty good deals on these sites so I thought I'd tell you about it.

If you have a smart phone, download their woot app which puts all the deals in one place.

Happy Shopping,

Recipe: Beef & Blean Bean Relish Tostadas

Tostadas are going to become a staple in our household.

They are super easy to make and the ways to make them are limitless.

Here's what I made last week for dinner:

Beef & Black Bean Relish Tostadas

Ingredients:

Tostada Shells

Sour Cream

Shredded Lettuce

Shredded pepperjack or cheddar cheese

1 lb. cooked ground beef

1 package of taco seasoning

Black Bean Corn Relish (recipe below)

Cilantro for garnish

Black Bean Corn Relish:

1 Can of Black Beans

1 Can of Sweet Corn

1 Can Rotel Tomatoes (any kind)

1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion

1/4 Cup Chopped Green Onion

1 Tbl. Chopped Cilantro

Juice of 1/2 Lime

3 Tbl. honey

4 Tbl. White Vinegar

1/2 Tbl. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Dash of cumin

Directions:

Make black bean and corn relish.

Add all ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside in fridge.

Cook's Tip: The relish gets better and better when sets in fridge.

Preheat medium skillet to medium heat.

Add ground beef and cook until browned.

Drain and add taco seasoning (follow directions on pkg.)

Start layering your tostada.

Spread sour cream over entire tostada shell.

Top with layer of seasoned ground beef.

Top with layer of shredded cheese.

Top with layer of black bean and corn relish.

Top with layer of shredded lettuce.

See? The amount of layers you put are endless!

Enjoy,

Ideas for Creating Your Own Family Fun Time

LEGO wants to know what kinds of activities we take part in to create some family fun time at our household. There are several different things that we love to do!

FAMILY FUN TIME ACTIVITIES:

Eat Dinner Every Weeknight Together. Since I'm a busy mom, I plan ahead and cook meals through the week that only take about 30-40 minutes to cook so that I can enjoy the rest of my evening with my family. We all sit down at the dinner table and talk about what exciting things happend that day.

Take a Daily Walk in the Neighborhood Together. After dinner and before my son's bedtime, we take a daily walk around the neighborhood (unless it's raining). Since my son is only two years old, we take him either in a stroller or a backpack carrier. We have a mile long walk mapped out so we know we are getting in our dainly exercise too.

Play Board Games. My husband is a huge gamer. We have lots of board games, video games, and electronic games. Sometimes we invite friends over and have a friendly match against each other. We mix it up every week so it never gets boring!

Watch Movies Together. On Saturdays, we like to watch movies and make our own pizza at home. One of us gets to pick the type of movie we watch so we all get a chance to see something we like.  It makes for a much better time "at the movies."

Visit Local Parks. My family loves to visit parks where we live so we can hike, camp, picnic and ride our bikes. When we go to the park, we usually bring along lots of games to play.  If we stay overnight, we like to cook out on the fire and at night tell fun stories while we listen to music.

What are some family fun activities that you like to do? 

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and LEGO blogging program, making me eligible to get a prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Recipe: Chicken, Prosciutto & Provolone Panini w/ Basil Mayo

I am getting more adventurous in the kitchen.

I have always loved ciabatta bread so I decided

to make an italian-inspired panini for dinner!

Now, I don't have a panini grill so I improvised.

See how I did it, below.

I've never used some of these ingredients before but overall

I think it turned out pretty good for my first try.

Here's what I made and how much it cost:

Chicken, Prosciutto & Provolone Panini w/ Basil Mayo

Ingredients:

Ciabatta Sandwich Rolls (4) - $2.99

Prosciutto (8 very thin slices at deli counter) - $2.73

Provolone Cheese (1/4 lb. sliced thin at deli counter) - $1.36

Fresh Basil (about 8-10 leaves) - $2.32

Cooked Chicken Breast (about 4 tenderloins per sandwhich) - $0 (on hand already)

1 Cup Mayonnaise - $0 (had in fridge already)

salt n pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small food processor, add mayo, basil leaves and salt n pepper.

I used about 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper.

Cook's Tip: You can add half a lemon's juice to this if you have one on hand.

Pulse until fully combined together and basil is fully incorporated.

Preheat grill pan on medium heat.

Meanwhile, cut ciabatta rolls in half.

Spread basil mayo on each half.

Layer the ingriedents on bottom half of ciabatta roll.

First the cooked chicken, then sliced prosciutto and sliced provolone.

Top with other half of ciabatta roll.

Add about 1/2 Tbl. of olive oil to grill pan so it doesn't stick.

Cook's Tip: I brushed the oil on with a basting brush.

Now, add the sandwhich to the grill.

To press the sandwhich, I took a cast iron skillet

and weighted it down with several cans of beans.

I saw this on Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals one time.

This is how it looked after I loaded down the pan:

Now, cook the panini for about 3 minutes on each side.

Keep the pan weighted down after you flip the sandwhich.

Cut the panini in half and serve warm.

Here it is in all it's glory!

Here's what I would do to make it even better:

*Instead of using prosciutto, I will make it next time with pancetta (italian bacon)

*I will try it with sliced mozzerella instead of provolone

*I will only cook it about 2-3 minutes each side

*I will add lemon juice to the basil mayo and maybe minced garlic

Total Cost: Dinner for Four

$2.35 per person!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turned out!

Happy Cooking,

Quick Giveaway: Safeway and Box Tops for Education!

**CONTEST NOW CLOSED**

I love nothing more than when companies give back, especially towards our children's education. The Safeway family of stores (Dominick's Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons and Genuardi's) helps you give back cash to your local schools! There are "2 Ways to Earn" cash for your schools with Box Top Education and the "10% Goes Back to Schools" program.

Box Tops for Education has already given away over $320 MILLION to help over 69,000 participating schools!

It's so easy to earn cash for your schools by looking for the "10% Goes back to Schools" yellow bus tags on over 2,000 different items throughout Safeway from August 11 - September 14, 2010. When you use your Club Card, Safeway will give 10% of the purchase price to the local school of your choice!



Here's how it works:

• Check your receipt from August 11 - September 14, 2010. The total will be updated each time you shop.
• Beginning on September 18, a redemption code will be printed at the bottom of your receipt.
• Visit backtoschools.escrip.com before October 13 to choose your favorite participating local school, then simply enter your redemption code to make your donation.

See, it's that easy! To learn more about this program, visit http://www.2ways2earn.com/. While you're there, enter the Safeway Bonus Box Tops Sweepstakes for a chance to win 1,000 Bonus Box Tops for your local school!

Check out Box Tops for Education on facebook to get the latest news from Box Tops.

Congrats to... Stasha (ohiochik28@...)Giveaway Prize: One Texa$aver reader will win a Safeway Box Tops for Education prize pack which includes a $25 Safeway Gift Card and Bonus Box Tops Certificate worth 50 Box Tops!

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which Box Tops for Education products you'll like to purchase with your Safeway Gift Card. For a list of products, go here.

Additional Entries (after Mandatory Entry is completed):

1) Follow Texa$aver on Facebook. If you already follow, leave a comment telling me so. (+1 additional entry)

2) Subscribe to the Texa$aver newsletter via email. You must confirm your email subscription for it to be a valid entry. If you are already a subscriber, leave a comment telling me so. (+3 additional entries)

3) Follow Texa$aver on twitter and tweet about the giveaway. You can use the sample tweet:

"@texasaver is giving away a $25 Safeway Gift Card! http://tiny.cc/bw2im #myblogspark & Box Tops for Education #giveaway" Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (+5 additional entries!)

That's a total of 10 possible entries to win the giveaway!


Open to U.S only. Please leave a comment for each additional entry. Giveaway ends on September 1, 2010 at 11:59 CST. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be announced on the Giveaways page. Winner will also be contacted by email. Be sure that texasaver@yahoo is on your safe sender list as you don't want to miss the email if you are chosen as the winner. Winner will have 5 days to respond to me by email before another winner will be chosen. The prize will be provided to the winner directly from MyBlogSpark.


Disclosure: The $25 Safeway Gift Card, Bonus Box Tops Certificate, information and giveaway were provided to me by Safeway and General Mills through MyBlogSpark. Opinions are 100% mine.

I Just Got 176 Diapers for $10.34! Here's How...

Hurry! Don't miss out on this amazing deal!
Have a little one in diapers? Going to a baby shower soon?

I just got 176 diapers delivered to my door yesterday.
I only paid $10.34! That's only 5cents a diaper!

How? It was really easy.
Bloggers are saying this is the diaper deal of the year, so get on it now!

I bought the diapers through Amazon and used their online coupon codes as well as a tear-out orange post card located in several magazines. They were stacked up with each other in order to get the BEST savings!

I ordered Pampers diapers but you can do this with Huggies, Seventh Generation and even cloth diapers!

First, you will need to aquire as many discount codes as you can get your hands on.
There is a tear-out orange postcard located in each of the following magazines for a 20% off one-time use, discount code for amazon.com:

1.Parents (August 2010) – code starts with “A”

2.Parenting, the Early Years (August 2010) – code starts with “X”
3.Parents (September 2010) – code starts with “W”
4.Parenting, the Early Years (September 2010) - code starts with “S

Note: You can stack each of the codes together in your order however you can't stack two codes from the same issue (i.e. two discount codes from the August 2010 Parents magazine). Try getting at least one or two codes from these magazines and you will still save at least 50% off your purchase!

Second, start your purchase. Go to the Amazon Coupon Page and click on the $1.50/1 Pampers Diapers.

Click on the coupon. It will take you to the products that it can be used on. I chose the Pampers Baby Dry Diapers, Size 4, 176 - Count since that is what my baby uses. Do not add the diapers to your cart.

Click on the detail link of the product so that you can "Subscribe and Save" which will bring your discount up even more! Right now, Amazon is providing a 30% off "Subscribe and Save" discount on these items until August 31, 2010. Click on Subscribe and Save and your delivery preference. Don't worry, you can cancel this subscription after the product is delivered to your door.

Enter the Magazine Discount Codes.

Each code that you apply towards your purchase will take off an additional 20% off the original purchase price of the diapers.

I only had two magazine codes so here's my breakdown on my order:
Item(s) Subtotal: $39.49

Shipping & Handling: $0.00
Promotion Applied: -$11.85 [Subscribe & Save]
Promotion Applied: -$7.90 [Parenting Mag. Code]
Promotion Applied: -$7.90 [Parents Mag. Code]
Your Coupon Savings: -$1.50 [Amazon online coupon]
-----
Total Before Tax: $10.34
Sales Tax: $0.00
-----
Total for This Shipment: $10.34

That's a 74% SAVINGS!!!!

I want to thank Crazy Coupon Mommy for showing me exactly how to do it. If ya'll haven't seen her blog yet, go check it out here.
 
 
Happy Shopping!

Lavera Baby & Children Sun Screen Review

The generous people at Lavera provided me a product to review so I could tell you all about it! Sunscreen is part of my everyday routine so I am always looking for the best products out there for my fair-skinned family.

Who is Lavera?

Lavera makes 100% natural, chemical-free sunscreen for maximum UVA/UVB protection. When it comes to sunblock, everyone wants the best protection and Lavera makes it possible with its line of suncare products. Lavera uses Europe's strict regulations and the highest natural standards to bring U.S. consumers a uniquely safe, effective and natural sunscreen option. Lavera was recently awarded the title of "Greenest Beauty Brand" for the second consecutive year beating out 32 other companies. For more information visit http://www.lavera.com/.

What did I get?

Lavera Baby & Children Sunscreen Lotion SPF 20

What do I think of Lavera Baby & Children Sunscreen Lotion?
I am an avid sunscreen wearer.  With fair skin, it's a staple in my house. There are so many sunscreens on the market so when I wear sunscreen it has to offer complete protection for my family. I applied this sunscreen on myself and my two year old boy before we went outside in 100 degree hot Texas weather for a bike ride. My favorite thing about this sunscreen is that you can apply it right before you go outside. It doesn't have to soak in for 20-30 minutes! It activates immediately, so you can apply it on and go directly outside. I LOVED that! No more waiting around for your sunscreen to kick in. Also, it provided protection against UVA, UVB and UVC! That's pretty amazing. While we were on the bike ride, we got sprayed by unsuspecting yard sprinklers and I noticed that the water immediately beeded on my skin.  The sunscreen was completely waterproof. The sunscreen goes on very thick and unless you rub it in very well, you will see some white residue on your skin.  However, I'm not bothered by that at all. The product also had a light fragrance and wasn't overpowering. It was very pleasing to wear and it will be something I will have in my bag at all times now when we go outside!
 How can you get your own Lavera Sun Care Product?

The Lavera Sun Collection products are available at Target stores nationwide, target.com and Ulta and lavera.com and retails for around $26. The collection includes the Baby & Children Sun Screen SPF 20, Anti-Aging Sun Screen SPF 15 and Self Tanner for Body.

Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the product to facilitate this review at no cost and was not compensated for reviewing this sample. The opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine. Thank you to the generous people at Lavera for providing me the sample.

Win a $250 Amazon Gift Card!

I love me some giveaways!

Especially these high dollar gift card giveaways.

One Savvy Mom! is giving away a $250 Amazon Gift Card to two winners!

Contest ends on on August 30, 2010.

Go here to enter.  I did!

It's so easy to enter, totally worth 5 seconds to win $250!

Juppy Baby Walker - Review & Giveaway (over at Survey Junkie)

Stacy over at Survey Junkie was on the search for new product reviewers a while ago

and I got chosen to review products for her site!  I will mainly be reviewing family-friendly

products primarily geared towards babies and toddlers.

I had another great product to review for Survey Junkie.

 It's called the Juppy Baby Walker.

Here's Calan, my test subject:

Go check out my review and enter for a chance to win one of your own!

Menu Plan Monday: Dinners for 8/23/10 - 8/27/10

So, I ended up cooking most of the recipes from last week.

I think I did a GREAT job at keeping it up.

Here's what I plan to make this week:

Monday, August 23, 2010: Stouffer's Chicken Enchiladas, Rice

Tuesday, August 24, 2010: Beef Sausage Links, Grilled Onions, Pasta Side Dish

Wednesday, August 25, 2010: Chicken, Prosciutto, Provolone Panini w/ Basil Mayo

Thursday, August 26, 2010: DiGiorno Pizza and Breadsticks

Friday, August 27, 2010: Sausage, Egg & Potato Breakfast Tacos w/ Fruit

So, you may be wondering why I am serving frozen dinners out of a box this week?

Well, I was able to get some amazing deals at the store with LOTS of freebies.

So, even though I'm not cooking from scratch, it will still be a great meal.

I'm a busy mom, I need these shortcuts. Who's with me??

Happy Cooking,

Mailbox Monday: Freebies

It's another Monday, so another Mailbox Monday!

Here is where I show you the loot I received

in the last week in the mail.

So, yet another slow week of freebies.

The Loot:

Magazines:

Better Homes and Gardens - September 2010 Issue

Martha Stewart Living - September 2010 Issue

Samples:

Nexxus Shampoo & Conditioner, $3 Coupon - Walmart

Freebies:

$25 ConAgra Booklet - Go here to get yours!

Coupon for FREE popsicle product - Giveaway Win

(Giveaway was for two but only received one so here is my other one)

Hope you did better than I did.

For more freebies, check out:

 

A Frugal Friend                        Simply Stacie

Have a GREAT week!

Tex$aver was featured on Survey Junkie!

My blog was featured!

Stacy over at Survey Junkie featured Texa$aver.

She asked me some questions about Texa$aver and what I love about blogging.

Go check out the whole post here.

One Bath Fizzer Review

The generous people at One Bath and Body provided me a product to review so I could tell you all about it! I'm a huge bath person so I was really excited to get this to try.

Who is One?

One is committed to promoting natural beauty without compromising the beauty of the earth, providing eco-friendly products in recyclable, plastic-free packaging to rejuvenate the spriti and save the planet.  One exclusively packages its collections in recyclable cardboard cartons and metal tins, housing nourishing, natural products in equally planet-friendly containers.

What did I get?

One's Bath Fizzer - 2 Baths, 6.5 oz

What do I think of the One's Bath Fizzer?
Since I'm a huge bath person, I love anything that fizzes or soothes or smells good when I'm soaking in the tub. More and more people are going "green" and I never thought it would filter down to my bath products but it has. I love that this product is eco-conscious and was packaged in recyclable material. There are no harmful chemicals and instead is infused with essential oils.  When I put the bath fizzer in the tub, it provided me a calming and spa-like feel during my bath. You can use half of the fizzer for a shorter bath or if you are going for a long soak, you can use the full bath fizzer.  It also comes in a variety of scents.  The scent I was provided was the Honey Please which provided a sweet fragrance during my bath. 

How can you get your own Bath Fizzer?
The One's Bath Fizzers are available at Target and Walgreens and retails for $5.99.  The bath fizzers are available in "I Need This!" for an irresistible experience, "Honey Please" for a sweet soak, "Love is in the Bath" for a gentle escape or "Blue Earth" for a cool and fresh feel.


Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the product to facilitate this review at no cost and was not compensated for reviewing this sample. The opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine. Thank you to the generous people at One Bath and Body for providing me the sample.

Recipe: Buttermilk Pancakes

As ya'll noticed on my Menu Plan Monday post,

I was supposed to make a Rolled Omelet in the oven this week.

Well, it didn't turn out so well.

I have no idea what happend.

It was obviously not edible, so I had to improvise.

I saw that I had some leftover buttermilk

from making my red velet cupcakes over the weekend.

So, I made homemade buttermilk pancakes.

I love the Food Network, so I obviously

went to their website for inspiration.

Cakey Buttermilk Pancakes

 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until combined.

 Set mixture aside to rest while griddle heats.

Heat a large seasoned cast iron skillet, frying pan, or griddle over medium heat.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet, pan or griddle.

 Pour 1/4 cup batter for each pancake and cook until bubbles cover the top.

Flip and cook until golden brown.

  Serve immediately topped with your favorite syrup.

(or alongside a fried egg like me!)

Happy Cooking,

Thymes Red Cherie Home Fragrance Mist Review

I have yet another great product to tell you all about.  This time it's for your home.  The wonderful people at Thymes sent me some products so that I can tell you all about them! As I've mentioned before, I've been a big fan of Thymes since I first found their Kimono Rose rollerball perfume in a small boutique shop over five years ago.

Who is Thymes?

Thymes is a company that strives to provide its customers unique and complex collections with expressive scents and lots of personality. Over 200 hours of scientific research and testing goes into each and every product. Their collections have expanded into not only frangrances for adults but products for baby and for your home as well.
 
What did I get?
 

 

Thymes Red Cherie Home Fragrance Mist - 3 oz.

What do I think of the Red Cherie Home Fragrance Mist?

I am always searching for products that make my home smell amazing.  With a toddler and two dogs (and a husband), my house definitely needs something every now and then to help keep it smelling fresh. When I first used the home fragrance mist I noticed that the mist was super fine and stayed in the air.  I was used to the air freshners that I would spray up in the air and then "rain down" on me afterwards.  This product does not do that.  In fact, I walked under the mist and I couldn't even feel it!  The frangrance has a light fruity smell that doesn't overpower and is just the right amount to help out any room. I will be using this often.

How can you get your own Thymes Red Cherie Home Fragrance Mist?

The bottle of Red Cherie Home Fragrance Mist I received is only $16.00. You can order it online through Thymes.com or you can search their Store Locator and find a store that carries it near you.

Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the product to facilitate this review at no cost and was not compensated for reviewing this sample. The opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine. Thank you to the generous people at Thymes for providing me the sample.

Thymes Sweetleaf Baby Shampoo and Wash Review

The wonderful people at Thymes sent me some products so that I can tell you all about them! I've been a big fan of Thymes since I first found their rollerball perfume in a small boutique shop over five years ago.

Who is Thymes?

Thymes is a company that strives to provide its customers unique and complex collections with expressive scents and lots of personality. Over 200 hours of scientific research and testing goes into each and every product. Their collections have expanded into not only frangrances for adults but products for baby and for your home as well.

What Did I Get?

 

Thymes Sweetleaf Baby Wash & Shampoo - 9.25 fl oz.

What do I think of the Sweetleaf Baby Shampoo and Wash?
As most moms are, I am very protective of what goes on my babies skin. Since my son has really sensitive skin and has mild eczema it is really important that the products I use on him doesn't contain harmful dyes and chemicals. I loved that this baby wash did not contain parabens (chemicals) and was clinically tested for mildness. It also contained several organic ingredients which made me feel really good about using it on my son. Also, my favorite feature of the product was that it was both a baby wash and shampoo.  We all know how busy our lives can be so it was one less thing I had to buy or worry about using. The product had a very mild fragrance and contained soothing lavender to help calm baby for night time. Every time I use a Thyme product I am more impressed every time I use it. 

How can you get your own Thymes Sweetleaf Baby Shampoo and Wash?
The bottle of Sweetleaf Baby Shampoo and Wash I received is only $16.00.  You can order it online through Thymes.com or you can search their Store Locator and find a store that carries it near you.


Disclosure: I was provided a sample of the product to facilitate this review at no cost and was not compensated for reviewing this sample. The opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine. Thank you to the generous people at Thymes for providing me the sample!

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

I've never really been a fan of spicy food until I had my son.

Now, I want it all the time. 

This is a perfect spicy dish if you like spicy.

Especially, if you like buffalo sauce.

When I did a search on buffalo mac and cheese, I kept going

back to this recipe on Food Network.

Since my family is small, I scaled it down to serve 3 with leftovers.

So, here it is... 

Buffalo Chicken Mac N Cheese

Ingredients:

6 Tbl unsalted butter

8 oz. or half a bag of elbow noodles

1/2 Cup Onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken chopped

1 tsp. garlic, minced

1/2 Cup Frank's Buffalo Sauce

1 Tbl all-purpose flour

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream

1 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 Cup Shredded Pepperjack Cheese

1/3 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs

1 tsp. dried parsley

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

Add pasta and cook until al dente (about 5-6 min.). Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 Tb. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add onion and celery and cook until soft about 5 min.

Stir in chopped chicken and garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

Add 1/4 Cup hot sauce and simmer until thickened about 1-2 min.

Melt 2 Tbl of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in the flour and dry mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Whisk in heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce until thickened.

Whisk in shredded cheddar and pepperjack cheese until melted.

Whisk in sour cream until smooth.

Pour elbow noodles into baking dish.

Pour chicken mixture over the noodles.

Pour cheese sauce evenly over top of chicken mixture.

Put 2 Tbl. of butter in microwave bowl and heat until melted.

Stir in breadcrumbs and dried parsley.

Sprinkle over mac n cheese.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 3.

(two helpings each plus leftovers for one lunch)

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,