Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Bacon Chicken Bites

Recipe from: The Gunny Sack

Needing a fun appetizer? Here ya go; it's fun, creative, and yummy! Doesn't necessarily need to be an appetizer, my roommate and I ate these for dinner. However, they are the perfect appetizer, so keep these in mind for your next party. I did not have a broiler pan, so the bacon on my chicken bites didn't get that crispy. So, if you have a broiler rack and pan you definitely need to use it. Now these may get too spicy for you depending on how well you take heat, but thats only if you brush it again with the Sriracha sauce. I didn't brush them and I wish I had; I didn't really get that heat I was looking for. However, if it does get too hot for you, you can always squeeze some lime on them. 

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp Sriracha sauce

1 lb bacon

1 cup brown sugar

Directions

Oven: 350

Whisk together canola oil, lime juice and Sriracha sauce.

Pour into a gallon sized plastic bag.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and add to the bag.

Once all of chicken pieces are in the bag, turn the bag to coat the chicken with marinade.

Place in the fridge for about 1 hour, turning after half an hour.

Take bacon and cut each slice into three pieces. 

~I stretch the bacon to make more of it wrap around the chicken easier~

Wrap the bacon around the chicken pieces and secure with a wooden toothpick.

Coat the bacon wrapped chicken in brown sugar.

Place on a greased broiler rack and pan.

~If you don't have those, like I did, just line a pan with foil~

For extra heat, brush bacon with Sriracha before coating it with brown sugar.*

Bake for 30-35 minutes on the rack positioned in the middle.

After the 30-35 minutes, **broil on high for about 9 minutes turning chicken about 3 times.

TATER RATER

Definitely needed some spice!

Suggestion: *I would recommend adding more Sriracha sauce and probably a little more lime juice. **When broiling, open the oven door slightly and broil until bacon is crispy, turn chicken about 3 times. Make sure you watch the bacon chicken bites because different ovens vary and food can burn quickly while broiling.

Baked Strawberry-Banana Oatmeal

Got a big family? Here is a great breakfast to feed 'em all ("all" being 6; this recipe serves 6). If you have a few over ripened bananas laying around and don't want to toss them, this recipe works well. Strawberry banana is one of my favorite pairings. It is always my go to smoothie flavor, so I figured this would be just as good. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk

1 egg

3 over-ripened bananas* - 2 smashed, 1 sliced

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup chopped strawberries

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Directions

Oven: 375

In a small bowl, beat together milk, egg, smashed bananas, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon until combined.

Add baking powder, oats, and half the strawberries. Stir well.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour the mixture in the dish, spreading evenly.

Top with remaining strawberries and banana slices.

Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Once done baking, turn broiler to low and broil 5-7 minutes until topping is caramelized. 

Serve warm.

TATER RATER

* Be sure the bananas you use are well past ripe. The natural sugars in an over-ripened banana will create sweetness. If the bananas you use are not over-ripened, consider doubling the brown sugar.

This recipe is from Food Family & Finds

Chicken Cordon Bleu Crescent Rollups

This yummy recipe was discovered from Mom On Timeout. The only problem I ran into is that my chicken wasn't cut thin enough, this made it harder to roll. Besides that, this recipe is very simple and very delicious. The honey mustard sauce is optional, but it goes well with the meal and is quick and easy to make. So give it a try and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

6 slices Swiss cheese

6 slices deli ham

2 chicken breasts, cooked, thinly sliced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp honey (optional)

2 tbsp Dijion mustard (optional)

Directions

Oven: 375

Remove crescent rolls from can and lay out in a long rectangle. 

Pinch seams together will.

Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Layer first Swiss cheese, then ham and finally the chicken breast.

Roll up like a cinnamon roll and cut into 8-10 rolls.

Place in a pie pan or 9-in square baking dish.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix honey and Dijon mustard and serve with rolls if desired.

TATER RATER

Honey Garlic Salmon

Not the most appetizing looking salmon, but it sure taste great. I love fish. If i could eat fish everyday for the rest of my life, I would be perfectly okay with that. This is a delicious and simple recipe. Honey and salmon go great together. Don't believe me, just try it.

Ingredients

1 lb salmon fillets

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ginger, minced

4 tbsp honey

2 tbsp soy sauce

Direction

Oven: 350

Combine garlic, ginger, honey, and soy sauce in a bag

Marinate the salmon for 15- 30 minutes.

Arrange salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Do not toss out the sauce! 
While the salmon is cooking, over medium high heat bring the sauce to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes until reduced.
~depending on the thickness, baste the salmon with the sauce half way through~
Dish and serve hot drizzled with remaining sauce.

TATER RATER

Suggestions: if you want more sauce but want it thicker without reduction, you can add 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water. Use it once the sauce has come to a boil and stir to mix until the whiteness of the cornstarch disappears into the sauce.

This Pinterest find is from The Cooking Jar.

Pasta Salad

IT'S SUMMER TIME! What's a great summer dish? Pasta salad. This side dish is fantastic for a picnic in the park. I had all the ingredients to make a pasta salad, so I thought why not make some. I looked at a bunch of different recipes of pasta salad and whipped up my own version, here is what I came up with. Turned out pretty yummy. Since I did use the random ingredients I had, I ended up using deli sliced ham and shredded cheese and it worked just fine. Lets just say that is a college version of pasta salad. Below is a better version. 

Ingredients

1 package Rotini 

1 1/2 cup mayo

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

1 cup ham steak, cubed

1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed

2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions

Prepare pasta according to package. 

After macaroni is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.

In a mixing bowl, combine mayo, dijon, sour cream, lemon, sugar, and salt & pepper.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, ham, cheese and peas.

Now, toss mayo mixture with noodle mixture until well coated.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.*

TATER RATER

*Is not mandatory to refrigerate over night; if you need recipe that day, just make sure pasta salad is cold when serving.