BBQ Ribs, Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Now that summer is in full swing, I wanted to try and make something appropriate for the season. I've made ribs before and was surprised how easy it was - so hopefully after reading this you'll give it a try too!

Ribs Recipe:
1lb Pork Spare Ribs
Dash of Garlic Powder
Dash of Garlic Salt
Dash of Garlic Pepper
BBQ Sauce (Sweet Baby Rays recommended) 
2 cups of water


Directions:
Take the ribs and cut them in quarters so it's no longer in just one long piece. Rub all of the dry ingredients on the top and bottom of the ribs so they are completely covered. Place them in a 1/4 inch deep pan and coat with BBQ Sauce. Fill the pan with the water and set the oven for 250 degrees for 1 hour. After an hour, flip the ribs and coat again with the BBQ sauce - set at 300 for another hour. Once you pull out the ribs, they will be moist and tender - practically falling off the bone :)

Mashed Potatoes Recipe:
8 Red Potatoes
1/2 block Mild Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Milk
Dash of Salt
3 tbsp of butter


Directions:
Mashed potatoes are super easy - and great to make from scratch as opposed to instant. Simply take the 8 red potatoes and cut them into quarters. Fill a pot 3/4 full of salted water and set to boil. The potatoes will be done after about 20 minutes (a good way to tell if they are done is by sticking a fork in one - if it falls off they're good to go).


Drain the pot and then mash the potatoes. I like them a little chunky, so I use a hand masher instead of a mixer. When mashing, I add the butter and milk to make them creamier. The last step is to add the shredded cheese (bacon is also an option).


Corn on the Cob:
For corn, simply remove the "ear" and boil in salted water for about 5-10 minutes.

Various Pizzas, Italian Pasta Salad, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

I'm definitely a big fan of pizza - and pretty much any kind. As many of you know I am an EXTREMELY picky eater. But when it comes to pizza, I'll eat almost anything. I think this stems from an early age because as sad as it is to say - pizza was the first word I learned how to spell.


....anyway.


Since I was working with some varying pallets, I decided to make a variety of miniature pizzas - pepperoni and ham, Hawaiian, and green pepper. For a side I made a simple pasta salad, and dessert - one of the best things I've had in a while :). 

Pizza Recipe:

1 can of Pillsbury Pizza Dough

1/2 jar of your favorite sauce

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Select Toppings (depending on style being made)

Directions:

Being that this was the first time I made pizza, I was not about to attempt to try and make dough from scratch (sorry if this is a disappointment). I have watched plenty of shows and think making dough doesn't seem as hard as it sounds - but I don't think it's for a novice like myself. Besides, it turns out that I had enough trouble with the pre-made as is.

First take the dough from the can and cut into the sizes you desire. Make sure the dough is room temperature as it is MUCH easier to handle and it will not shrink when you are flattening it. Also, please feel free to throw the dough in the air like they do in the movies. While I don't think it helps any, it's still fun to do! Once you have the dough spread out like you wish (on a greased pan), add a cup of your favorite sauce (I used Prego Roasted Garlic and Parmesan). Afterwards, simply add your desired toppings and shredded cheeses. Place in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

NOTE** I left the pizzas on the pan for about 15 minutes, and then cooked them directly on the rack for the last 5. 

Pasta Salad Recipe:

1/2 bottle of Italian Dressing

1 box of Rotini Noodles

1 Red Pepper

1 Green Pepper

1 handful of Grape Tomatoes

Dash of Basil Flakes

Dash of Parsley Flakes

Directions:

This pasta salad is SO SO SO easy. Simply cook your pasta, and then add all of the ingredients. Make sure to allow for time to cool in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles Recipe:

1 tube of Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Ok - so not to toot my own horn or anything, but these things are AMAZING. If you like cookies, and you like chocolate - you are going to LOVE these. First take the cookie dough and roll it into small balls. Once finished, melt the chocolate chips (I was nervous about how to do this - but I just used the microwave on medium heat).

Once you have the chocolate melted in a bowl, you can dip the cookie dough it in and fish them out with a toothpick or spoon. Make sure that they are fully covered in the chocolate before placing on your plate. Once you have finished all of them, sit in the refridgerator for about 30-45 minutes or until they are fully hardened, and enjoy. WARNING** you may feel the need to eat all of these in about five minutes :)

Chicken Quesadillas, Fresh Mexican Corn, and Baked Apple Enchiladas

I really wanted to try something new this week - and I don't tackle Mexican food very often. Up until now, I've been using the Old El Paso (shameless plug as a General Mills employee) boxed dinners and calling it a day. But today I wanted to challenge myself and see what would happen. I've made enchiladas before (pre-blog) and really liked them - so I thought this would be fun too!


This meal was super easy and it made me feel good because ALL the ingredients are fresh, colorful, and delicious. 

Chicken Quesadillas Recipe:
3 flour tortillas
2 lbs chicken breast
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1/2 onion
1 package of taco seasoning
Mexican cheese blend


Directions:
Once you have chopped all the chicken into 1/4 inch cubes, put them in a buttered skillet. Also add the diced peppers and onion. Saute these ingredients until the chicken is completely  cooked.


On a greased cookie sheet, lay out the tortillas. Place the filling mixture on 1/2 of the tortilla and top with cheese. Fold each tortilla and then place them in the oven at 400 degrees for 14 minutes. (**tip - I flipped them over after about 7 minutes so that way both sides of the quesadilla cooked evenly). 

Fresh Mexican Corn Recipe:

4 ears of corn on the cob

1 red bell pepper

1/2 onion

3 green onions

1 jalapeno

1/2 cup salsa

Directions:

This side dish is so easy - it only took about 10 minutes. All you need to do is cut off the corn from the cob. I did this in a bowl so all of the kernels and juice would not spill everywhere. Then just chop the pepper, onion, green onion and jalaono. Throw all these ingredients together in a buttered pan and cook for 10 minutes. Once it is cooked evenly, add 1/2 a cup of your favorite salsa and cook for a few more minutes. 

After eating this warm, I think it would also be great served cold as a salsa for chips when using for left overs.

Baked Apple Enchiladas:

1 can of apple pie filling

3 flour tortillas

cinnamon

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

Directions:

I wanted to branch out on the desserts I make - because they usually only consist of boxed brownies/cake (again shameless plug - all things Betty Crocker :)). For this I just took the apply filling and placed it in the center of each 3 tortillas, added some cinnamon. I then wrapped them so they were shaped like enchiladas. Meanwhile, I combined the other ingredients in a skillet and brought them to a boil stirring constantly. I poured this mixture over the enchiladas and then let them bake in an oven set at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (**Vanilla ice cream goes great with these!)