Recipes – Page 38 – The Pajama Chef

#10DaysofTailgate: Hot Mexican Quinoa Dip

September 23, 2014September 25, 2014 Sarah

This cheesy, Mexican-inspired quinoa dip is packed with protein and veggies for a semi-healthy tailgating treat!

This week I’m sharing tailgate-style recipes as part of #10DaysofTailgate, the special blogging event I am participating in through the rest of the month. This event has been graciously organized by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. While you’re thinking about it, be sure to pop over here to read all about the event and enter the giveaway. You won’t regret it! 🙂

One tailgating [or homegating] staple for me is dips. Cheesy, creamy, delectable dips that I can dunk tortilla chips in are my favorite thing ever! Notice that I didn’t say I’d dip veggies in dip. I’m not above healthifying a cheesy recipe, but I AM above dipping veggies in a cheesy dip. That’s just weird. For dips, tortilla chips > veggies, imo.

This Hot Mexican Quinoa Dip is full of all my favorite things! It’s a twist off of seven layer dip, and it’s even more delicious because it’s hot, gooey, and bubbly. I don’t think there are quite seven layers: black beans [pureed with garlic, cayenne, cilantro, and cottage cheese–weird-ish I know, but adds protein and makes ’em creamy], quinoa, cheese, bell peppers, salsa, avocado, tomatoes, green onion, and cilantro. I guess that’s nine layers! Extra yum, huh?

Ben and I ate almost the entire pan of this one Saturday night while watching a movie–it is that good! It almost reminds me of a black bean quinoa casserole that I’ve made before, except you eat it with chips so it’s extra fun. For some reason I feel a bit uninspired writing about it… but know this: it is amazing and addicting and perfect for anything from tailgating to a girls’ night in! Enjoy!

one year ago: Sweet ‘n Spicy Apple BBQ Chicken & Slaw
three years ago: Homemade Chipotle Bowls
four years ago: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip

Hot Mexican Quinoa Dip

Servings: 16
Time: 50 minutes
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from The Lean Green Bean

Ingredients:

for the beans

2 cups black beans
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup water

for remaining ingredients

1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 cup shredded cheese – cheddar, Mexican blend, etc. your choice!
1 bell pepper, diced
1 cup salsa
2 avocados, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
2 green onions, sliced
hot sauce, optional
tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

Grease a 9×9 inch pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, combine all ingredients for the beans and process until mostly all ingredients are incorporated. It doesn’t have to be completely smooth. Add extra water if necessary to thin it out.

Spread half of the bean mixture on the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the quinoa, half the bell pepper, half the cheese, and half the salsa. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes, then top with avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips and hot sauce if desired.

Here’s what the rest of the team brought to the table…

Starters
Beer Battered Fried Pickles with Pickle Dipping Sauce by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
DBLT Wraps by Miss Laura’s Kitchen
Jalapeno Beer Cheese Soup by From Gate to Plate
Bacon-Wrapped Potato Wedges by Making Miracles

Dips
Hot Mexican Quinoa Dip by The Pajama Chef
Deviled Egg Dip by From Gate to Plate

Mains
Pretzel Dogs El Diablo by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Carrot Habanero Duck Meatballs by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Curried Maple Leaf Farms Duck Mini Meat Pies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Sweets
Quince Butter Thumbprint Cookies by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Desserts, Other, Recipes

#10DaysofTailgate: Cinnamon Puppy Chow

September 22, 2014September 25, 2014 Sarah

Take regular puppy chow up a notch with this cinnamon-infused version. You gotta have some sweets for tailgating, right?!

It’s Monday and the first day of a week’s worth of recipes I’m sharing as part of #10DaysofTailgate, the special blogging event I am participating in through the rest of the month. This event has been graciously organized by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. While you’re thinking about it, be sure to pop over here to read all about the event and enter the giveaway. You won’t regret it! 🙂

Puppy chow–always puppy chow, never muddy buddies–is THE snack I associate with friends. One of my good friends from high school always made puppy chow for Christmas gifts, packaging it in cute tins. My college friends and I are also huge puppy chow fans. Almost all of our post-college get-togethers [which are sadly few and far between, since the five of us live in three states and three countries: Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Korea, and France :(] involve this simple peanut butter and chocolate snack. Though we have many puppy chow memories, my favorite is when we made puppy chow in a hotel room during one of the girl’s wedding weekends. This was ridiculously fun, as you may imagine, since we bought all the supplies at Target including some cheap-o plastic bowls to use in the microwave for melting the peanut butter mixture. Oh my, such fun! I don’t think that hotel room has ever seen so much powdered sugar!!

Since puppy chow and I have such history, I have a hard time with all these “variations” floating around the internet. But sometimes tailgating calls for something a little special, right? So I sacrificed [ha] and whipped up this easy amped up version of puppy chow….CINNAMON Puppy Chow. And guess what? It is awesome… full of that chocolate peanut butter goodness you’re used to, but with a fun fall cinnamon-y twist. Please try it and experience the awesomeness for yourself! I bet you’ll love it!

Cinnamon Puppy Chow

Servings: 20
Time: 15 minutes
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from 4 Little Fergusons

Ingredients:

2 cups chocolate or cinnamon chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 boxes Chex cereal, divided [13 ounce box Cinnamon Chex; 16 ounce Corn Chex=18 cups total]
3 cups powdered sugar, divided

Directions:

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter together, stirring continually. When melted, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon.

Place half of the cereal in a large bowl and pour half of the chocolate mixture on top. Carefully stir, then transfer to a gallon-size ziploc. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, using a new bag too. Divide powdered sugar between two bags and shake to combine.

Combine both bags into a large tupperware, making sure to stir together so the Cinnamon Chex is mixed in.

Here’s what the rest of the crew brought to the table…

Starters
Grilled Shrimp with Bloody Mary Dip by Curious Cuisiniere
Carnitas-Stuffed Potatoes with Carrot Karma Pico de Gallo by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Dips
Oktoberfest Beer Mustard with Dippers by Eliot’s Eats

Mains
Bacon Cheeseburger Egg Rolls by Things I Make (for Dinner)
Brat Bites with Spicy Mustard Dipping Sauce by Cheese Curd In Paradise
Kalua Pork Sliders With Spicy Pineapple Relish by Cooking In Stilettos
Chicken Parmesan Sliders by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Cherry Chipotle Meatloaf Sandwiches by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Cherry Chipotle Meatballs by From Gate to Plate
Asian-Inspired Turkey Burgers by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Sides
SRC Surprise Recipe by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Sweets
Cinnamon Puppy Chow by The Pajama Chef
Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies by Love and Confections

Appetizers, Recipes

#10DaysofTailgate: Baked Blueberry Pork Egg Rolls

September 20, 2014May 18, 2017 Sarah

Egg rolls are easier than ever when you bake them up with a savory-sweet blueberry pork filling featuring Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup.

These Baked Blueberry Pork Egg Rolls are a fantastic way to kick off [sorry, I had to do it] the #10DaysofTailgate blogging event that I’m participating in over the next [you guessed it] 10 days. For more info on #10DaysofTailgate check out my intro post from yesterday here. There’s also a giveaway on that post that you do NOT want to miss. Fourteen prize packs, people!!! Wish I could win! 🙂 But no matter what, we are all winners with this fabulous egg roll recipe I’m sharing today. That sounds cheesy but it is so true, folks.

For me, football is all about the food. I’m not a football fan, even though my husband and my dad are obsessed. I’m super thankful that my husband Ben is willing to watch quite a bit of his games at home with the sound turned off. The announcers just drive me crazyyy with all their babbling, and I do try to sit with Ben while he’s cheering on his teams or just enjoying a good game [side note: I don’t understand this concept. Why watch a game where you don’t care who wins or loses? #makesnosensetome]. During these times, I always have a good book, my laptop, and a snack on hand to keep me occupied. I actually made these egg rolls a few weeks ago for the first football Saturday of the year [woohoo] and just couldn’t wait to share them with you! They’re incredibly tasty–the filling is a mix of leftover carnitas, though you could also used ground pork, coleslaw mix, and some seasonings… most notably Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup. This fruit-based sauce [sans tomatoes] has a ketchup-like consistency with tons of sweet, smoky, fruity flavor. It plays very well with soy sauce for a fun and easy dip for the egg rolls.

I’ve had homemade egg rolls before, but haven’t ever made them myself. It turns out they are super easy to roll up. Just follow the photos below! Just place the filling in the center, roll up the bottom, fold in the sides, and roll up! Some of mine looked a little wonky, but that’s part of the fun of homemade, right?! It’s how they taste that matters. 🙂

I baked my egg rolls for an easy/healthy way to enjoy this app, but if frying is your thing they could totally be fried. I was surprised how much crunch the baked egg rolls had. We even had a few leftover that I refrigerated and heated up in the oven later in the week. Boom! Back to crispy perfection. This is such a great snack, you guys! I hope you give it a try! If you’re interested in checking out more about Not Ketchup, be sure to follow them on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. Enjoy!

Baked Blueberry Pork Egg Rolls

Servings: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

for egg rolls

16 ounces cole slaw mix [shredded green and purple cabbage, carrots]
8 ounces cooked pork [leftover carnitas or cooked ground pork]
3 green onions, green and white pieces, sliced
2 tablespoons Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 package egg roll wrappers [approximately 20 wrappers]

for dipping sauce

3 tablespoons Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine cole slaw mix, cooked pork, green onions, Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup, soy sauce, and ground ginger. Stir and taste–season if necessary. I used leftover carnitas so I didn’t need more seasoning but salt, pepper, etc. may be necessary.

To fill egg rolls, consult the back of the package. 🙂 But seriously, directions should be there. The pictures above can help too. You’ll want to have a small bowl with water and a brush handy, along with a towel to dry your hands and work surface.

Set the egg roll wrapper as a diamond on your work surface. Put 2-3 tablespoons of filling in wrapper at a diagonal. Roll the bottom portion tight over the filling, then fold the left side and then right side over so it looks like an envelope. Brush with a little bit of water to hold everything together, then gently roll the rest of the way, brushing over the seams with water.

Mist with cooking spray, then bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

While egg rolls are baking, stir together ingredients for the dipping sauce.

Let egg rolls cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Note: If you don’t have any Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup on hand or can’t find it locally, I’d recommend using blueberry jam/preserves instead.

Here’s what the team brought to the table…

Starters
Loaded Baked Nacho Supreme by Cheese Curd In Paradise
Baked Blueberry Pork Egg Rolls by The Pajama Chef
Gazpacho Shooters with Spicy Shrimp by OnTheMove-In the Galley
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sliders with BlueCheese Aioli by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure

Dips
Soft Pretzels and Buffalo Cheese Dip by Things I Make (for Dinner)
Cheesy Bean Dip by Making Miracles
Garden Fresh Salsa by Eliot’s Eats
Pineapple Salsa by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Devilish 7-Layer Dip by Miss Laura’s Kitchen

Sips
War Eagle Sangria by Sew You Think You Can Cook
Spicy Strawberry Bourbon Shooters by CafeTerraBlog
Iowa Sunrise by From Gate to Plate

Sides
Deviled Egg Potato Salad by Cooking In Stilettos

Mains
El Diablo’d Lamb Lollipops by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Ginger Chicken Kabobs by Summer Scraps
Chili by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Spiced Fig and Garlic Chicken Wings by girlichef
Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon Pretzel Topping by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Asian Duck Sliders by Curious Cuisiniere
Pineapple Chile Lime Wings by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Love and Confections

Sweets
Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies by The Spiffy Cookie

Disclosure: I received a complementary bottle of Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup to try as part of my participation in #10DaysofTailgate. I was not compensated in any way–for my time, to create a recipe, or to publish positive comments. I was not required to use this product as part of my recipe. My opinions are my own.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Crockpot Asian Pulled Chicken

September 17, 2014September 16, 2014 Sarah

Dust off your crockpot–this Asian Pulled Chicken is perfect for a chilly night and is a snap to put together!

I don’t do crockpot recipes that involve multiple steps. Isn’t the point of the crockpot to set it and forget it? So this recipe is super simple: place chicken in crockpot, top with a bunch of seasonings/sauces–without even mixing it!, cover, cook, enjoy. Perfect, huh?! Since I prefer to not even have to CHECK on crockpot meals while they’re cooking, I always like to use a bunch of sauce so the meat doesn’t dry out. For this recipe, I combined orange juice, rice vinegar, honey, and some spices with a myriad of Asian sauces I had hanging about in my pantry: soy sauce, hoisin, and oyster sauce…and some of Star Fine Foods’ Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil to give everything a little extra soy/ginger ooomph. If you don’t have all those sauces, don’t worry. One would be more than enough to make this almost barbecue-like sauce shine.

Once you open the lid, you’ll be greeted with the awesome aroma of chicken bathing in a sweet and tangy sauce. There’s citrus and a little heat and ginger and all sorts of good things in there, making that tender, melt-in-your-mouth chicken tastes even better than it smells. Since it was so effortless, I bet you’ll make this recipe again and again and again! Enjoy!

three years ago: Corn Cake Salad
four years ago: Sausage Pepper Penne

Crockpot Asian Pulled Chicken

Servings: 6
Time: 4 hours
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Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken – a combination of chicken breast and thighs is good, or just one works too
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil by Star Fine Foods [or 1/4 cup olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger + 1 teaspoon soy sauce]
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
rice, for serving
cilantro, for serving

Directions:

Place chicken in crockpot. Add all ingredients to crockpot [except rice and cilantro], then cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Gently shred chicken with a fork. Serve with rice and cilantro.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Pumpkin Chicken Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

September 15, 2014September 19, 2014 Sarah

These Pumpkin Chicken Meatballs are a fun topping to a garlicky, buttery base of spaghetti squash. Though this dish takes awhile to prepare, it’s totally worth it!

I don’t know about you, but I’m on a quest to eat as much pumpkin in the next three months as possible. It’s my goal to make/blog about at least one pumpkin dish per week! We’ll see how I do. 🙂 So first…I have a confession to make. I made this dish last year. In fact, it was one of the first new recipes I made in our new Nashville kitchen after we moved here last year. And it just didn’t make it on the blog. Oooops! Moving to a new state and starting a new job kinda takes a lot of time. 🙂 But despite the length of time between eating this dish and sharing it here, I think it’s utterly fabulous! Most people think of pumpkin as a sweet ingredient [helllooo pumpkin pie, cookies, bread, muffins, yada yada yada] but I love it when used at dinnertime. Though pumpkin by itself is actually a little bland, it can add some color, moisture, and substance to sauces, meatballs, or soups when used in a savory sense. This was my first time using pumpkin in meatballs and I must say I’m super impressed! These meatballs were sooo flavorful and indulgent… if meatballs can be indulgent, haha.

And don’t forget about the spaghetti squash! It’s garlicky and buttery and just plain perfect. It was Ben’s first taste of spaghetti squash and he loved it… especially because of the bacon. Everything’s better with bacon, right? Even pumpkin! With this dish you’ll certainly have one of the more unique ways to enjoy pumpkin. And it’s awesome! Hope you enjoyyy!

one year ago: Autumnal Muffins
two years ago: Peach Raspberry Clafouti
three years ago: Peach Shortbread
four years ago: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Pumpkin Chicken Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

Servings: 6
Time: 2 hours, most of that not active so don't freak out
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from We are not Martha

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash
1 pound ground chicken [ground turkey would also work too]
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons Star Fine Foods Butter Olive Oil – or regular butter or olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Carefully poke holes all over the spaghetti squash with a sharp knife. Place in a baking dish and bake for 80 minutes, rotating halfway through.

While spaghetti squash is cooking, prepare meatballs. In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken, pumpkin, ginger, thyme, panko, parmesan, and egg. Scoop mixture into golfball-sized balls and place in a baking dish that has been greased with cooking spray. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and crisp on the outside. [Hint: put the meatballs in the oven after the squash has cooked for about 65 or 70 minutes–that’ll be good timing so everything is finished about the same time.]

After 80 minutes, remove squash from oven and let cool.

When cool enough to touch, carefully cut in half. Scoop seeds out, then use a fork to remove the “spaghetti” and set aside.

In a large skillet set over medium heat, add olive oil and cook garlic for one minute. Add squash, sage, and crumbled bacon, then cook for about 3 minutes until tender.

Serve meatballs over spaghetti squash with parmesan on top.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friends Friday.