Ultimate Chicken Nachos

Ingredients:
Nachos:
shredded chicken
sour cream
guacamole
tortilla chips
queso

Chicken:
2 large chicken breasts
2 cups water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon salt
4 garlic cloves, smashed
3 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Queso:
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 jalapeno, seeded and deveined

Guacamole:
1 Haas Avocado
1 lime
1/4 of a red onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and deveined

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a small casserole dish, place the chicken breasts and the water.  Put all of the spices and stir around.  Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat up the oil for the queso.  Finely dice the jalapeno and add to the oil.  Stir and cook until the jalapeno begins to brown.  Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.  Slowly whisk in the milk and cook on medium heat to thicken the sauce.  Once its thick add in the goat and mozzarella cheese and stir until it melts.  Taste it to check the salt.  Add salt to taste.  Set aside until the chicken is done.

In a small bowl, put in the flesh of the guacamole.  Do this by slicing it across the midline, removing the pit, and scooping out the inside.  Squeeze in the juice of one lime and stir.  I use a fork to mash the flesh of the avocado.  Stir in the diced red onion and the diced jalapeno.  Sprinkle in a little salt and stir.  Set aside.

Once the chicken is done, allow to cool and begin to shred on a cutting board.  Once all of the chicken is shredded, put it back in the liquid in the casserole dish and stir.

On a large platter, pour the tortilla chips and separate into one layer.  Top with the chicken and spread evenly.  You can drizzle with a little of the cooking liquid if desired.  Then top with the queso, making sure it is still warm.  Dollop with sour cream and guacamole and enjoy!

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Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
7 medium sized or 4 large russet potatoes
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
4 slices of bacon
salt
pepper
garlic powder
parsley

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes or until tender.  While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon on a sheet pan for 8 minutes in the oven or until crispy.  Drain the fat and pat with paper towels.  Then chop up into tiny pieces.  Place in a large bowl with the sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese.  Mix together and set aside.

Once the potatoes are out of the oven, allow them to cool until they can be handled.  Slice each in half and scoop out the middle into the mixture in the bowl leaving a 1/2 inch of the potato flesh inside the skin.  Place the empty skins on a baking sheet and sprinkle the inside with a little salt.  Using a fork, mash the potato with the sour cream and cheese mixture and stir together.  Fill each potato with the mixture and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  Bake in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Serve and enjoy!

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Hashbrown Casserole

Have you ever tasted the Hashbrown Casserole at Cracker Barrel? Well here is the recipe that tastes almost identical to it.  Best part is that it only has 5 ingredients and takes almost no effort to make. 

Ingredients:
1-32 ounce bag frozen hashbrowns (let them defrost for an hour on the counter or put them in the microwave for a minute or two)
2- 10 3/4 ounce cans cream of potato soup
8 ounces sour cream
2 cups sharp cheddar
1 cup parmesan cheese
(do not add salt to this recipe, the soup contains enough salt)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the soup and sour cream together.  Then add the hashbrowns and stir until combined.  Then add the two cheeses and stir until everything is incorporated.  Put into a greased baking dish and bake in the oven for one hour or until top is golden brown.  Serve hot and enjoy!

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Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 yukon gold potatoes
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
4 slices bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Peel and cube the potatoes and put into a pot filled with cold water.  Then turn the heat on high.  Don't boil the water first and then add the potatoes, they cook unevenly and it's also hard to drop potatoes into a boiling pot of water. Once water has boiled add the salt. Cook for about 20 minutes or until fork tender.  In the meantime, cook the bacon either in the oven for 5-7 minutes or on the stove top.

Drain the potoatoes and put back into the pot.  Then begin to mash the potatoes.  Add the butter and keep mashing until they begin to get creamy.  Then slowly pour in the milk.  Sometimes it helps if the milk is slightly warm or at least room temperature.  Continue to mash until your desired consistency.  For extra creamy potatoes use an electric mixer.  Now add the sour cream, pepper, and garlic powder.  Stir until combined.  Then chop up the bacon and add to the potatoes.  Finally add the cheddar cheese and stir until combined.  Enjoy!

Photo taken by Emily Barbo. Pin It Now!