Becca Archives - Crumbs and Chaos

Greek Potato Salad

July 26, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos Leave a Comment

We’re talking a side dish full of flavor today! This recipe for Greek Potato Salad is brought to you as part of an ongoing partnership with Kraft.

Summer is well underway and I love the chance to fire up the grill and make a no fuss meal. You know the kind where you actually get to sit down for a minute between the time you put the food on the grill and when you take it off while watching your children play peacefully in the backyard. Wait, is there such a thing? Well, I can definitely point you towards easy main dishes and offer you a simple side dish. You’re on your own for the peaceful children part.

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French Toast Muffins with Cream Cheese Streusel

July 23, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos

This dreamy morning breakfast is brought to you by International Delight.

I adore breakfast and I love french toast in any form. Often on the weekend, I’ll make an overnight french toast bake in a 9×13 pan, which is always delicious, but it takes 45 minutes or more to bake. French toast bake is also great for overnight guests or for making while on vacation if you have access to a kitchen. It feeds a crowd and uses day old french bread. Sometimes I just buy bread from the day old rack at the store, cut it into cubes and freeze it until I’m ready to make french toast again.

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Pulled Pork: 1 Ingredient, 5 Ways

July 22, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos Leave a Comment

Leftovers…let’s discuss. I LOVE them – it’s one less dinner to actually cook from start to finish. But I know people who aren’t big fans of any kind of leftovers, I seriously can’t understand that because I love them all. I do think 4 days of the same exact meal gets a little boring, so I try to make leftovers into a ‘new’ meal when I can. It keeps things exciting and cuts back on waste. It takes a little planning initially, but you’ll be rewarded with a tasty dish several nights in a row without much effort.

Last month I mentioned Project Sunlight and a Summer Sunlight Activity, we chose to do One Ingredient, Five Ways. Decreasing food waste is an important part of Project Sunlight and it’s easily done with a little planning ahead…even better when you find a great sale on meat and you’re able to stock up While completing this activity, my kids were able to see all that goes into creating a meal plan and how 1 main ingredient can be made into 5 delectable dishes.

Tips for creating a meal plan around 1 main ingredient…

choose meals that use similar garnish (i.e. cilantro, green onion, etc.) that way you’ll end up using it all instead of just a little bit
choose a protein that freezes well (like pulled pork), that way if you’re not feeding as big of a crowd you can freeze some for a meal later in the month
include pizza night and taco night – both are super kid friendly and you can put almost anything in a taco

Start with slow cooked pork shoulder (recipes for slow cooker or stove top)

Then make…

BBQ Pork Pizza (pictured at the top of this post) – Top pita bread or pizza dough with BBQ sauce, shredded pork, shredded cheese (monterrey or pepper jack, cheddar) and sauteed mushrooms. Bake at 400° until cheese is melted. Top with chopped green onions and cilantro.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches – Serve shredded and sauced pork on a hearty bun with cheesy potatoes and coleslaw.

Crispy Pork Tacos - Nestle crispy pieces of pork inside flour or corn tortillas and top with your fave taco toppings.

Twice Baked Potatoes - Combine pork with baked potato chunks and cheese. Bake again and drizzle with BBQ sauce before serving.

Pork Chili Verde – This soup is so full of flavor, you’ll be fighting over the leftover pork so you can make this! Serve with cornbread.

*While this post is part of a sponsored campaign by Unilever Project Sunlight, all opinions and experiences expressed are entirely my own.

Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

July 16, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos 5 Comments

That’s right, THE Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, you only need 3 ingredients to make this mouthwatering meat for sandwiches, tacos and more!

I cook pork shoulder at least once a month. It’s super versatile and a main dish that our family loves. I own a smoker, which I love, but I don’t always have time to babysit the meat while it cooks. But I have finally found a pulled pork recipe that is made in the slow cooker that tastes like it was made in the oven or maybe even the smoker. My husband is partial to the smoked meat – who wouldn’t be?! So the first time I made this, I didn’t tell him it I made it in the crock pot because I didn’t want him to judge the taste based on that. He really liked it and gave it a thumbs up. I think I’ve made it twice since then.

There’s a tiny bit of science behind the prep to this recipe. When I smoke meat in the smoker, I brine it in a salt water brine to add flavor and make the meat more tender. Since we’re cooking this in the crock pot, we don’t have to worry about losing moisture, but we want to enhance the flavor. To do that, we’re going to salt the entire piece of meat and wrap it up for several hours before we cook it. I know, I know – it takes a little bit of planning ahead, but nothing is difficult about the actual process. After it’s been salted and sits awhile, throw it in the slow cooker with a little more salt and liquid smoke and your work is done. 8 to 10 hours later, you’re ready to pull the pork and serve it with BBQ sauce on buns, in a taco or however you like….

Salsa Verde Taco Dip

July 13, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos 7 Comments

Quick! Grab the chips! This easy Salsa Verde Taco Dip appetizer will be gone in no time at all.

You guys…who loves a good chips and dip appetizer? I am frantically raising my hand. I do in so many ways. And this tray of appetizer goodness is just right for so many occasions…parties, game day, girl’s night in, the list could go on and on. A couple of weeks ago, we went to a birthday party where they were serving up a taco bar. I volunteered to bring some kind of a dip appetizer and this is what I made. It received rave reviews on taste and presentation and was gone in no time at all.

I was trying to think of the best way to present a dip like this and it occurred to me to try my springform pan. It was perfect! Everything layered up nicely and it was easy to serve. I LOVE the flavor and color of salsa verde, so that’s what I used here but regular salsa would also work too. If you don’t have a springform pan, you can easily use a pie plate. Feel free to layer on any extra taco toppings you might have – chopped cilantro or olives, avocado would be delicious too if you’re going to eat it right away. Any way you top it, it’s sure to go fast!

Join us!

Salsa Verde Taco Dip

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Ingredients

2 8 oz. pkgs. CREAM CHEESE
½ teaspoon CHILI POWDER
¼ teaspoon GARLIC POWDER
¼ teaspoon SEASONING SALT
1 cup SOUR CREAM
½ cup SALSA VERDE
1 cup SHREDDED LETTUCE
1 cup SHREDDED CHEDDAR
½ cup CHOPPED TOMATO
Additional garnish - sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, chopped olives, etc.

Instructions

Place cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30-40 seconds to soften slightly. Beat cream cheese, spices and sour cream together until smooth.
Spread cream cheese mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan (or a pie plate if you'd prefer). Pour salsa verde over the cream cheese layer.
Layer on shredded lettuce, cheese, tomato and garnish with green onion, cilantro or olives.
Remove outer ring from springform pan and place on a platter before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

You can make this ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

More chips and dip to love…

Mango Guacamole

Oven Roasted Salsa

Mexican Artichoke Dip

Frosty Watermelon Limeade

July 9, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos 6 Comments

Cool and refreshing – this quick Frosty Watermelon Limeade is sure to hit the spot on a hot day!

Today’s confession…I secretly dislike cutting apart huge fruits that make a mess – like a pineapple or watermelon. Not my idea of a good time. Yes, I know there are tools to help you cut a pineapple – I actually have two and still never get around to using them. Anyhow, on Memorial Day we hung out with one of our favorite framilies (friends who are like family!) and enjoyed watermelon cubes with our huge cook out dinner. This watermelon was cubed and the seeds were already removed (that’s a mother’s love for sure!) and I was reminded of how enjoyable watermelon really is.

Since then, we’ve had a few watermelons and it always seems like there’s some leftover. This frosty little drink is the answer to your leftover watermelon – just blend and serve. It’s amazing and refreshing at the same time and almost worth the work it takes to cut an entire watermelon. ;)…

Milky Way Ice Cream

July 6, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos 9 Comments

Creamy and oh so delicious – Milky Way Ice Cream is sure to become a family favorite!

With summer in full swing, I’m sure you’re ready for a cool treat. It’s been a stunningly gorgeous holiday weekend. Ice cream is absolutely the ~~best~~ right way to start off the week after a holiday…especially this ice cream. Milky Way, yep the candy bar (!), is melted down then combined with the other ingredients and chilled before churning. There are no words for this spectacular combination….

Bacon Basil Tomato Salad

July 2, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos 3 Comments

This fresh summer salad was created using Walmart Produce as part of a sponsored post for Social Stars. Bacon Basil Tomato Salad is sure to become a crowd favorite!

My house is divided on a few things…favorite TV shows, including chocolate anything on the breakfast menu and the love of fresh tomatoes. That’s right, my husband watched Breaking Bad from start to finish by himself, won’t eat chocolate chip muffins and doesn’t like fresh tomatoes unless they’re made into salsa. I, on the other hand, have enjoyed all 3 seasons of Once Upon a Time, consider including chocolate for breakfast at least twice a week and could eat cherry tomatoes all day long. …

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pita Pizza

June 29, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos 8 Comments

Three cheers for easy dinner recipes that will be on the table in no time! This simple recipe for Chicken Bacon Ranch Pita Pizza is brought to you as part of an ongoing partnership with Kraft.

While enjoying the warmer months, easy recipes are in high demand. They are called the lazy days of summer for a reason. Plenty of long days at the park, the pool or the ball field call for not spending an hour (or more!) in the kitchen making dinner in the evening. Skillet recipes keep you from having 14 pans to wash and kabobs don’t heat up the kitchen if it’s an unbearably hot day. Having a well stocked fridge and pantry makes putting dinner together quickly an easy task….

Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

June 25, 2014 By Becca@CrumbsandChaos

This recipe for Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches is brought to you by International Delight.

Lately I honestly find myself wanting to be far, far away from the kitchen. I guess it’s just the summer itch to be outside soaking up the sun and making memories with my kids. But summer also brings the desire for all things cold and frozen. So this is my solution to heading out of the kitchen, but still having a cool treat ready to enjoy at any time. Feel free to personalize them by using your favorite store bought cookies.

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