Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits

Imagine Red Lobster cheesy garlic biscuits + jalapenos. Yum! They are warm, gooey and melt in your mouth. The jalapeno flavor is not too spicy or overpowering.

2 cups of Bisquick
2/3 cup of milk
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 cup of shredded cheese
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450. In a bowl, mix Bisquick and milk until a soft dough forms. Add an additional splash of milk if necessary. Then add cheese and jalapeno. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. This will make 8 biscuits. Bake for 8-10 min or until golden brown. Mix butter and garlic powder together and brush over the top of the biscuits. If you like alot of garlic, you can add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder to the butter mixture.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

If you like jalapeno poppers, you will love this dip!

2 packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of mayo
1 4oz can of chopped green chilies, drained
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 cup of Parmesan cheese

In a bowl, mix cream cheese and mayo. Add peppers and pour into an 8x8 in dish. Top with Parmesan cheese. You can either bake at 350 for 20-25 min or microwave for 5-7 min and then finish in the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese. Serve with toasted baguette or crackers.

Chicken and Dumplings with Bacon

Bacon makes everything better. This is more like a hearty soup than the chicken and dumplings grandma use to make. It's perfect for a cool fall day. This is the first time I have added rosemary and thyme but if you choose not to add it, the recipe will still taste great. Bacon and chicken broth tend to be salty so taste the broth before you add the dumplings and adjust the seasonings as necessary.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
4 strips of bacon
3 cups of half and half
3 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of carrots, diced
1 1/2 cups of frozen or canned corn
2 cups of Bisquick
3/4-1 cup of milk
salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme to taste

In a large pot, cook the bacon. Remove the bacon and cook the chicken and carrots in the bacon fat. Crumble the bacon. Add the chicken broth and corn and simmer for 10 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, half and half, and a pinch of salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Taste the broth and add more seasonings if necessary. Simmer for 10 more minutes. As the broth simmers, in a bowl combine the Bisquick with 3/4 cup of milk. The mixture should be thick and sticky. Add more milk if necessary. Make sure the broth mixture is at a low boil and drop tablespoon sized dough into the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes uncovered and then another 10 minutes covered. Do not stir or the dumplings will break apart.

Cheesy Baked Pasta

One of the best things about cooler weather is turning on the oven and making comfort food. How can you go wrong with a pan of gooey, delicious cheese? This is an adaptation of a recipe from Everyday Italian, one of my favorite cookbooks. You can assemble this recipe ahead of time and then just bake it before serving.

8 Tbsp of butter, 3 Tbsp need to be diced
1 tsp of olive oil
1/2 cup of flour
4 cups of warm whole milk-do not use skim!
Salt and pepper
2 cups of Asiago, Parmesan or a 5 cheese Italian blend
1 box of penne

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish with olive oil. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a large pan. Add the flour and wisk until smooth for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to avoid clumps. Simmer over medium heat, whisking until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 10 min. Do not allow the sauce to boil. Turn the heat to low and add 1 cup of the cheese. Add a 1/2 tsp of salt and a pinch of pepper. Taste the sauce and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside. Cook the pasta for 5-7 min, until almost tender but firm since it will continue baking in the oven. Drain the pasta and add the cheese sauce. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Place pasta mixture into the prepared 9 x 13 dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese and dot the top of the dish with 3 Tbsp of diced butter. Bake for 25 min or until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden brown. I like to finish the dish in the broiler the last few minutes to get the cheese golden brown because my oven never seems to do that on its own. Enjoy!