Quesadilla Burgers

My husband and I tried these delicious burgers about a month ago and I forgot to write a post about this little cooking experiment. I had never heard of Quesadilla Burgers before but I found this burger recipe online and thought it would be fun to try something different from the traditional hamburger. Quesadilla burgers are grilled, topped with cheese, pico de gallo salsa and a delicious cilantro mayo sauce. The burger is then sandwiched between two lightly fried tortillas. These burgers are to die for and worth the work and preparation that does go into making them. If you are short on time you could buy pre made pico de gallo at the store. My favorite part is the cilantro mayonnaise that you slather on these burgers, as well as the pepper jack cheese that gives these burgers a kick! Give these burgers a try at your next BBQ! Enjoy!

Quesadilla Burgers
recipe and photo from blog chef.com

-Burgers-
1 lb. Ground Hamburger
1 lb. Ground Pork
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. ketchup
1 teas. yellow mustard
1/2 teas. garlic powder
1/2 teas. onion powder
Italian Breadcrumbs
-Pico De Gallo-
4 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 jalepano peppers, seeded and chopped finely
2 T. green bell pepper,chopped
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

-Cilantro Mayo-
1 c. Mayonnaise
1T. Lime Juice
1 T. Honey
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 garlic clove , minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 teas. cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
-Additional Ingredients-
12 (6 inch) Flour tortillas
Shredded Lettuce
Pepper Jack Cheese Slices
1/2 lb. Bacon, cook and crumbled

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: To prepare Pico de Gallo salsa- In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno peppers, green pepper, and cilantro. Add lime juice, salt and pepper. Put into the refrigerator.
Step 2: To prepare Cilantro Mayo- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, salt and pepper. Place into the refrigerator.
Step 3: In a large bowl combine hamburger, pork, egg, milk, ketchup, mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add breadcrumbs until the meat mixture no longer sticks to the bowl. Form into about 6” patties. With your finger make a depression in the middle of each burger. Grease and heat an outdoor or indoor grill and fry burgers until they are done. Within the last few minutes of cooking top with pepper jack cheese slices and grill until the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill.
Step 4: For each burger – In a small skillet, heat and lightly brown 2 flour tortillas. Assemble burgers by spreading some Cilantro mayo onto one side of the 2 flour tortillas. Lay out one flour tortillas and put lettuce and crumbled bacon on top, Add the burger on top of that, and add some Pico de Gallo on top of the burger. Place the other flour tortilla on top. Slice in half.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo with Mushrooms

One of my friends posted this recipe on her blog a few months back and I had to try it out on my little family! I have several picky eaters at my home but getting them to eat this dish doesn't cause any fights at our dinner table. This dish is sure to become a favorite at your house, even if you have picky eaters in your home like I do! My kids love the fun bowtie- shaped- pasta and the seasoned chicken and sauteed mushrooms. I also love the sauteed mushrooms and the Alfredo sauce is to die for. I love this recipe because you can make it in about 30 minutes. It is very easy to make and would be a wonderful dish to serve if you are entertaining friends or family. I like to serve mine with toasted garlic bread! Enjoy!

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo with Mushrooms

The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen.

2-4 chicken breasts

3 T. Butter
4 large green onions, chopped
2 c. sliced mushrooms
2 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
3/4 c. Parmesan Cheese (shredded) Get the good stuff- it is well worth it!
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 T. Garlic Powder
1/2 T. Thyme
Bow-tie pasta, cooked and drained

Instructions:
Step 1: Cut Chicken into bite-sized pieces. Saute in 1 T. butter. Add onion. Cook until cooked through.
Step 2: In another pan, saute mushrooms in 2 T. Butter. Add to chicken and onions.
Step 3: In a saucepan, bring cream to simmer. Add cheese and seasonings, stir until cheese is melted. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Add chicken and mushrooms to sauce. Serve over cooked bow-tie pasta.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Cran-Birdie Sandwiches

If you are anything like me during the summer months, I loathe turning on the oven or stove to cook dinner. It heats up the whole entire house for hours after dinner is over and it makes everyone miserable sitting around in a warm home. During the summer months, I enjoy making cold salads, sandwiches or grilling for our dinners. This is one recipe that I am sure your palette will enjoy and you won't have to turn on your oven or stove. Also, these yummy sandwiches are kid friendly!!This recipe was presented in one of my cooking classes that I took in college. Each one of us had to demonstrate how to prepare a dish or an easy meal. The gal that made these sandwiches worked at a sandwich shop in Las Vegas while growing up and shared this recipe with the class. If you like turkey, cranberry sauce, cream cheese, mayo and sun flower seeds this sandwich is sure to be a hit! When my fellow classmate passed around samples of these sandwiches for everyone to try in class, I was a little hesitant to dig in but they were delicious! These sandwiches have become a favorite at our our home!

Cran-Birdie Sandwiches

Ingredients:
2 Slices of toasted sourdough bread
Mayo
Cream Cheese (Philadelphia brand)
Sliced Turkey Deli Meat
Can of Jellied Cranberry Sauce (Ocean Spray Brand)
Raw Sunflower seeds

Directions:
Spread mayonnaise on one piece of toasted Sour Dough Bread. Then spread cream cheese on the other piece of toast. Spread mixed cranberry sauce on top of the cream cheese. Put a handful of sunflower seeds on top of the cranberry sauce. Place turkey on the mayonnaise side. Squish together and enjoy!!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Being a little Bit Crafty...

is what I have been up to lately. This weekend we are planning on having our family pictures taken by one of my great friends. Go here to see what she is up to! She is such a good photographer and I am excited to have her take my little family's pictures. In an effort to get ready to have family pictures taken, I had another great friend sew me this little darling little sundress and bloomers for my daughter to wear. I would've attempted sewing the darling little outfit but I don't feel that confident in my sewing abilities quite yet.

In an effort to have my darling kidlets match, I decided I would attempt at making my son a tie to match his little sister's outfit. I recently bought a very simple tie pattern from Ashley Johnston. She is a very crafty and talented person and I love her easy to use patterns. You can order a tie pattern here and make cute little ties for the little man in your life. I have made two little ties for my little guy in the past day. They are so easy to make that I think will continue to make him a variety of ties. This pattern also doesn't require a lot of fabric so you could easily use left over scraps of material that you might have lying around in your craft room. Here are the finished products:

Also, I decided that Karmindy needed some hair bows to match her little outfit so I whipped these up last night so she would have something to wear in her hair and look even more precious in her little outfit.

I love being creative and making things for my little family, especially my kidlets! Stay tuned for the final results- Our Family Pictures!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Shrimp Carbonara

I made this yummy dish last night for the father of my children. It was Father's Day, so I wanted to make my hunny a delicious dinner to celebrate his special day. I had never heard of this dish until I came across this recipe online and thought I would give it a try. It makes quite a bit and my little family will be eating on it for the next few days. If you do make this, I would recommend making it for a get together or if you are going to entertain. This dish only calls for 8 ingredients and is fairly easy to make. It has shrimp, chopped bacon and onions that are sauteed in butter and then added to a egg/whip cream mixture and then added to cooked spaghetti. The bacon and Romano cheese are what give this dish its incredible flavor. Once everything is made I twirled the spaghetti and topped it onto a crispy piece of french bread for a fancy presentation. Try making this dish tonight or for your next get together with friends or family, they will surely be impressed.

Shrimp Carbonara

1 1/2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
1 1/2 cup bacon (diced)
1 c. yellow onion (diced)
1 teaspoon or less of black pepper
2/3 c. whipping cream
1 1/2 lbs. of spaghetti (cooked and drained)
2 c. freshly grated Romano Cheese
1/4 c. butter
4 eggs

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse cover and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter and saute bacon and onion until onions become transparent and bacon is crispy. Add shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp have turned pink. Season with desired amount of pepper.
Step 2: In a bowl, whisk whipping cream and eggs until blended.
Step 3: Add noodles to skillet. Add egg and cream mixture. Then add Romano Cheese. Toss the Noodles with the sauce and turn down the heat. Keep cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Divide into serving bowls or place onto a piece of crispy garlic bread for a beautiful presentation for your dinner guests. Top with fresh or dried parsley.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Baked Praline French Toast

I got this recipe from a friend that I went to high school with. She is super talented and she has a blog of her own, in which she showcases her very impressive sewing/craft abilities. If you are interested in checking out her darling blog and seeing what she is up to go here. When I saw this recipe featured on her blog awhile back I just had to try it out! This recipe is so scrumptious that it is more like eating dessert than eating breakfast! I have made it on several occasions for my family down in Southern Utah, as well as for my own little family. I always receive wonderful compliments when I have made this breakfast dish. With Father's Day just around the corner, this would be the perfect breakfast to serve to that special dad/man in your life. Enjoy!

Baked Praline French Toast
from the kitchen of Tamarynn Jones-Bennett

1 loaf of French bread* (I have found that Wal-Marts French Bread works the best for me because it is so dense. Pick a bread that isn't too soft in the middle because it will turn mushy.)
8 Large Eggs
2 c. Half n' Half
1 c. Milk
2 T. Sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of Salt
Praline Topping

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Slice French Bread into 1- inch thick slices. Arrange slices in a generously buttered cookie sheet with raised edges. Place french bread in two rows.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and beat with a whisk until blended but not to bubbly.
Step 3: Pour the mixture over the bread slices making sure all the slices are covered evenly with the milk/egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture over the tops and in between the slices.
Step 4: Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. (You can make this without refrigerating but it turns out best when you have let the toast sit in the mixture overnight.)
Step 5: The next morning when you are ready to bake the french toast, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Serve with Powdered sugar and maple syrup.

Praline Topping

1 c. butter
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
2 T. Light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and blend until well combined.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Pizza Casserole

This casserole is very easy to make and it will appeal to all age groups. Who doesn't enjoy a good slice of pizza? This casserole tastes just like the real thing and what is even better is that it is kid friendly. When I made this casserole last night for the first time for my family, my husband and kiddos gobbled it up. The recipe makes (2) 9X13 pans so you can easily freeze one for another night when you don't feel like cooking. This recipe is also a wonderful one to make if you are feeding a huge crowd or are in charge of bringing something for a potluck dinner. Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

2 lbs. Ground Beef or Turkey

1 large onion(chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
2 T. Olive oil 2 (26 ounces) Jars of Spaghetti Sauce (I like to use Emeril's "Kicked up Tomato")
16 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
5 cups (20 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Cheddar Cheese
1 1/4 c. Mini Pepperoni's or 8 oz. of Large Pepperoni's*
(*You can find the mini pepperoni's by the large pepperoni's and Canadian bacon.)

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet add oil and heat to medium-high heat. Add ground beef or turkey, onion and garlic. Add Italian seasoning. Cook until beef or turkey is browned. Drain off grease.
Step 2: Stir in pasta sauce and 3 cups of mozzarella cheese and mini pepperoni's into the meat mixture. Place mixture into 2 greased 9x13 baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. If you are using the large pepperoni's then place on top of cheese.
*This Dish can be covered and frozen at this point if you are saving it for another night. When you are ready to cook: take pan from freezer, let thaw in refrigerator overnight and then cook according to cooking directions.
Step 3: If you are cooking the casserole now, Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Makes 15 servings.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen