Posts Tagged ‘ranch’

What better to complement the wonderful Italian Ranch Chicken Burger?

…. Ranch Smashed Potatoes of course!

First, boil your potatoes (I like to use baby potatoes) until fork tender.

Drain and place on a foil lined, oiled baking pan

Using a potato masher, fork or heavy can…smash the potatoes.

Brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper and ranch powder.

Bake , let cool and chow down.

Ranch Smashed Potatoes

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 lb bag baby potatoes
• ½ Tbsp pepper
• ¼ Tbsp salt
• 1 ½ Tbsp Ranch Powder
• ¼ Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Stick butter, melted
• 2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Toss in Potatoes and cook until fork tender. Remove from heat and drain.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with olive oil. Place potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet. Using a fork, potato smasher or heavy can smash the potatoes.
4. Brush each potato with melted butter. Sprinkle with pepper, salt, garlic powder and Ranch Powder.
5. Pop in oven and bake for 20-25 min.
6. Remove and let cool a few min. (about 4-5) and gobble up.

I have to say with the warmer days we have been having (at least out here in AZ), I am officially declaring it BBQ season.

The weekends in our have always been about BBQ or Brick Oven cooking. The kids swim, we cook. Fun all around.

Quick shot of our Brick Oven

I have started to crave grilling more and more. Because I am scared to death of our BBQ, I end up settling for indoor mock grilling. The kids don’t enjoy it as much, but I get my fix.

This came out of pure laziness one day. I sooo was not in a cooking mood; and child #2 was extremely emotional (pretty much everyday she is emotional, but this day more than normal). I needed something quick and something she would enjoy. (she is one of the most picky eaters that I know….short little ditty about her….when she orders her pizza it has to be pepperoni pizza with the pepperoni off. Not cheese pizza, that is no good….picky right?)

My daughter loves Ranch. She (like my hubby and son) dip everything in ranch…their burgers, pizza, eggs….everything! (we go thru a lot of it)

So the Italian Ranch Chicken burger was born

I have to say this little guy was delsih! After hovering down one I wanted another, and another, and another. But sadly I only was able to have the one.

These quickly made it back on our menu and will be made many more times.

The only thing I will try adding/changing is the addition of bacon. Nom, Nom, Nom……Sorry I had to close my eyes there a bit to fantasize

I hope you try these and enjoy.

Italian Ranch Chicken Burgers

Makes 4 Burgers

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast
• 1 bottle (8 oz) Italian Dressing
• 1 pkg (1 oz) Ranch dressing powder
• 4 buns
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 cup chopped lettuce
• 4 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

1. In a large (gallon size) Ziploc bag, place chicken, ranch powder and Italian dressing. Seal and shake. Let sit in fridge for 4 hours (best if overnight).
2. Pre-heat grill (I pre-heated my indoor grill to 300). Cook chicken 4-5 min on each side, or until done
3. Take your bun and add cheese to 1 side and sliced avocado to the other. Place cooked chicken on and top with lettuce and other half of bun.
4. Dig in!

I have fallen in love all over again with my crock pot.

Just dump the food in and as that guy from the late night informercials said

“Set it and forget it”

I love cooking like that.

This recipe came from my darling, handsome hubby (still trying to butter him up ).

He is a man who LOVE S meat and LOVES sauces.

Your sauce (bbq sauce, buffalo sauce, ranch)

I mean really LOVES….it borders on a disease.

He just came up with this the other night and I thought to my self (as I was sneaking some) this would be fabulous with some shredded chicken.

Toss it all in and cook on High for 4-5 hours

The verdict……

AMAZING!!!!!

Yummmm…….

My kids actually loved it. I was shocked. It has that great buffalo flavor, but not super spicy. The BBQ sauce helps to mellow it out.

Eat as a wrap, in a sandwich, in eggs or straight up

Buffalo BBQ Shredded Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast, frozen
• 1 cup BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays Original)
• ½ cup buffalo sauce (I used Franks buffalo sauce)
• ¼ cup Ranch
• 1 Cup chicken broth

Directions

1. Place frozen chicken breast in crock-pot. Turn on to High.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Cook on high for 4 -5 hours, or until done.
4. Shred and serve.

Any time I don’t really feel like cooking or going out into the world and civilization I make this. It is fast and can have may variations depending on what I have in the pantry/fridge.

And my my little monsters constantly request it, especially when it is cold out.

So easy to make and so delish.

First in a large pot add your oil and onion. Cook over medium-high heat until onions become translucent. Add garlic, and cook about 2-3 more min. be careful not to burn onion or garlic. Add chicken broth and cut up potatoes and cook semi-covered, over medium-low heat for about 45 min or until potatoes are tender.

Add your ranch powder, stir and cook about 5 more min.

In a blender, ladle in the potato broth mix.

Add your buttermilk

Add cheese

And blend until smooth. Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

Ranch Potato Soup

Ingredients

• ½ onion, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 48 Oz chicken broth
• 1.5 pounds baby yellow potatoes, cut in quarters
• 3 Tbsp Ranch Powder
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup buttermilk
• salt and Pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot add oil and onion. Cook until translucent.
2. Add garlic and cook about 2 more min. Carful not to burn garlic or onion.
3. Pour in chicken broth and potatoes. Add Salt and pepper.
4. Turn heat to medium-low and semi-cover.
5. Cook about 45 min or until potatoes are tender.
6. Add Ranch powder and cook about 5 more min.
7. In a blender ladle in potato and chicken broth; pour in buttermilk and add in cheese.
8. Blend until smooth and creamy.
9. Serve warm.

As promised here is a recipe that doesn’t involve sugar, cookies or cake….but still deals with my mini obsession.

I love buffalo wings….and with it being football season it give me an excuse to make them everyday…..and I dont even watch football.

These little guys are so stinking good I polished away most of them myself. Even my little guy loved them. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do/did. This is actually going to be my second recipe submitted in the Pillsbury bake off.

The sliders have a wonderful buffalo heat to them, then you take a bit and find the secret stash of Gorgonzola in the middle…….man I am making my self hungry. Guess what we are having for dinner again….ok got to go back to the store.

Here is your lineup, (now if you can find ground chicken it will make it more authentic, my store didn’t have any, but the turkey tastes just as yummy)

Lets get started on the Cilantro Ranch. First cut the tops off the cilantro bunches and put into your food processor,

Process it until it breaks down. Take out 1 Tbsp of this broken down deliciousness for the meat and just set aside.

Then add your ranch, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. This is what you will get….pure yumm

Pour into a sealed Tupperware and stick in the fridge for a bit (just to thicken)…we will break this out in a bit. Now on to the sliders. In a large bowl put your meat (I used ground turkey), reserved chopped cilantro, hot sauce, your favorite wing sauce, garlic powder and bread crumbs

Mix it all up

Scoop about a Tablespoon or two balls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet Then make a well in your ball o’ meat

Fill this well with about 1/2-1 tsp of Gorgonzola cheese crumbles (you could use blue cheese if you wish)

Once they are all filled and formed into paties pop them into your oven for about 20 min (or until done)

Bake your biscuits according to package directions

Now remember that Cilantro deliciousness????? Break that out of the fridge and spread on 1/2 a biscuit, put some lettuce on the other half

Add you patty and 1/4 of a slice of Havarti cheese

Put your cilantro ranched up other half on top and there you have it……my mouth is watering just thinking about it and looking at the pic.

Buffalo Chicken/Turkey Sliders with Cilantro Ranch

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
• 3 Tblsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp cilantro, puréed (reserved from cilantro ranch recipe below)
• ½ cup Franks hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp your favorite wing sauce (or 2 more Tbsp Franks)
• 1 pkg Gorgonzola crumbs (5 oz pkg)
• 1 tube Grands Jr. Butter flavor Biscuits
• 5 slices Havarti cheese
• ½  pkg (about 2 cups) Romaine lettuce chopped

Cilantro Ranch

• 2 bunches Cilantro
• ¾ cup Ranch
• 3 cloves garlic
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Start with Cilantro Ranch…..Cut tops off cilantro, so you just have the tops/leafs. Put in food processor and blend until broken up. Remove 1 Tbsp and set aside
3. Add ranch, garlic and salt, pepper to taste.  Blend until creamy.
4. Transfer to sealed container and set aside in fridge to thicken.
5. In a large bowl combine turkey/chicken, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, reserved pureed cilantro, Franks, wing sauce. Mix until well combine.
6. Scoop out by the tablespoonful and place onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
7. Take each ball and flatten and make a well.
8. Fill well with ½ -1 tsp of Gorgonzola cheese.
9. Cover cheese with meet to form a patty.
10. Bake for 20 min or until done
11. Remove and let cool.
12. Bake biscuits according to package directions (typically 10 min at 400F)
13. Once biscuits have cooled to touch remove cilantro ranch from fridge and spread on ½ of the biscuit.
14. On the bottom ½ add lettuce
15. Add meat and ¼ of a slice of Havarti cheese
16. Top with top part of biscuit that is covered with cilantro ranch.
17. Enjoy!!!!

Makes about 24 sliders