Cafe Rio Queso Copycat Recipe

• 16 oz Queso Blanco Velveeta, cut into cubes 
• 1/2 cup Rotel original or hot (with habanero) OR 1/2 cup pico 
• 1/4 cup green chili sauce- mild, medium or hot
• 1/3 cup red enchilada sauce- regular or hot
• 2 tablespoons Coke, Diet Coke, or Dr Pepper to thin if needed
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine
• 3 stems green onion, chopped both green and white portions

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place cubed cheese in a 2 quart pan on stove top. 
• Add the Rotel or pico, green chile sauce, and red enchilada sauce. Stir ingredients together over medium heat until the cheese is melted. 
• Add the chopped green onion and cilantro to the mixture in the pan. Mix with a large spatula or spoon.
• Add the soda to the queso and stir to thin. Serve while warm with tortilla Chips

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Garlic Herb Salad

 

Good Seasons Garlic and Herb Salad Dressing Mix (make according to salad package directions)

Iceberg lettuce

Real bacon bits

Crispy fried onions

Italian Blend Cheese

Croutons

Combine salad and let dressing sit for a few minutes before serving

Homemade Cranberry Juice

 Homemade cranberry juice 

1 3/4 cups of cranberries 

1/2 cup sugar 

Boiling water 

Add 1 3/4 cups of  cranberries to your clean warm jars first, then add the sugar.  Pour the boiling water over the cranberry sugar mix. Leave about a half inch headspace in the top of the jar. Make sure you stir out all bubbles around the fruit and mix the sugar. You may find that you will need top of the jar with more water. Wipe the tops of the jars with a clean vinegar cloth then add the lids and rings to the jar. Now add them to the water bath. Make sure there’s an inch to 2 inches of water above the top of the lids. Boil for 30 minutes.

Take out jars and place on the counter on a towel leave undisturbed for 24 hours. Check to make sure bottles are all sealed before you put in the pantry. The shelf life is three years. It needs to sit 4 to 6 weeks before juice is ready to drink. 

4 12oz packages of  cranberries makes about 9 quart jars 

Golden Honey Herbal Elixir

 Golden Honey Herbal Elixir

3/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

Mix, store room temperature & enjoy!!:) 

Can be used in hot drinks, cold drinks as a spread on bread or toast or really on anything that you feel like could use a little extra flavor. It’s really good for inflammation and gut health.

Bruschetta Appetizer

Ingredients:
Baguette
Marinated fresh mozzarella
Bruschetta sauce
Balsamic glaze

Cut the baguette up into bite-size pieces, and lay flat on top of a parchment lined sheet pan.  Spoon the olive oil from mozzarella package onto each piece of bread. Next top with a spoonful of bruschetta sauce on each piece of bread. Cut each mozzarella ball into two and add a half of ball to each piece of bread. Take remaining olive oil from mozzarella package and distribute on each stacked piece of bread.

Bake at 4:25 for 10 minutes until all the cheese is melted and gooey.

Finally, drizzle balsamic glaze on each stacked bread piece.

MEXICAN CORN DIP

 Yield: 4 Servings    Prep: 5 Minutes    cook: 10 minutes    total: 15 minutes

The traditional Mexican street corn is turned into the best dip ever. It’s so good, you won’t even need the chips. Just grab a spoon!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add corn kernels and jalapeño, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and slightly charred, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Stir in mayonnaise, cotija, cilantro, chili powder, garlic and lime juice.

3. Serve immediately.

Quick Note: I will typically add the directed ingredients for the sauce and adjust for taste. I also use Paprika to top after the dip is finished. Enjoy! 

Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

 Sweet and Tangy Hawaiian Chicken 

2 lbs chicken (about 2 breast)

1/2 thinly sliced yellow onion

1 cup BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)

1 Tablespoon soy sauce 

2 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce

2 teaspoons garlic Powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 can of pineapple tidbits

-add all ingredients to slow cooker stir and cover cook on low for six hours high for four.

-Avoid removing lid as chicken cooks when chicken is done cooking remove the lid and allow extra liquid to cook off if necessary

-Shred chicken and serve over rice

Sidenote… I like to add my barbecue sauce After the chicken is done cooking, maybe the last half hour. It keeps the sugar in the barbecue sauce from burning in the crockpot.

Quinoa Salad

 Quinoa Salad

Cook Quinoa according to directions (1cup of quinoa 2cups of water)

PRODUCE 

1 can chickpeas

1 cucumber

1 cup parsley (optional, I don’t add this)

2 cloves of garlic 

1red bell pepper (medium)

3/4 cup of red onion

DRESSING 

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup of olive oil

1tsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste 

Cook quinoa…cut up and mix produce together…mix the dressing. Combine it all together. Enjoy!:) 

Christmas Punch

Christmas Punch

2 cups of orange juice

2 cups of cranberry juice

1 cup of pineapple juice

1 cup of ginger ale 

refrigerate all beverages so the ice doesn't dilute it.

serve cold and enjoy!!:)

Witney's Veggie Dip

2 c. sour cream

2 c. mayonnaise

2 c. grated cheese

1 bunch green onions

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch

Insta pot Lazy Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (can also use Italian sausage)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 12 ounces bow tie pasta
• 2 cups beef broth
• 26 ounces spaghetti sauce
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¾ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheeseoptional topping
• Fresh Chopped basil optional topping

Instructions

• Press the SAUTE button and when it has heated up, add ground beef, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink
• Drain grease if desired.
• Dump uncooked bow tie pasta on top of meat and spread evenly.
• Pour beef broth on top of the pasta, covering as much (if not all) of the pasta as possible.
• Pour the spaghetti sauce on top of the pasta. Do not mix – just leave as is.
• Place lid on top of Instant Pot and turn valve to SEALING (not venting).
• Press MANUAL (or PRESSURE COOK) and set timer for 4 minutes.
• Once it's done cooking, do a QUICK RELEASE of the pressure (if foam and bubbles start spewing out, move the valve back to venting and wait a minute or two for some of the pressure to die down before opening the valve back up).
• Remove the lid
• Stir in the sour cream and mozzarella cheese and mix until sour cream and cheese are completely melted and smooth.
• Dish and serve topped with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. 

Cake mix cookies

Ingredients 

• 1 (15.25-ounce) box cake mix
• ½ scant cup vegetable oil , or 7 TB melted butter
• 2 large eggs

Optional Mix-in’s: Chocolate chips, M&M’s, Rolo's, etc.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir the cake mix, oil, and eggs until combined. If you have time, refrigerate the dough 15 to 20 minutes (it will make it a little easier to work with, since it is sticky).
Using a medium scoop or spoon, scoop the dough onto the baking sheet. Top with additional toppings, if desired. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are set. You don’t want them to brown. 
Let cool a couple minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in a covered container up to 3 days.

Copycat Chipotle Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 small white or red onion, quartered
• ¼ cup distilled vinegar
• 2 tbsp ancho chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tbsp oil , divided (vegetable, canola, rice bran)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 2 tbsp adobo sauce

Instructions

Marinade 

1. Add garlic, onion, vinegar, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, 2 tbsp oil, salt, pepper, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce to the blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. 

2. Place the chicken thighs in a large Ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Close the bag and mix everything together until the chicken thighs are coated. Place into the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. 

Grill instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and coat grill with 1-2 tablespoons of oil and grill each side for 3-4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You may need to cook all of the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, depending on size. 

2. Allow chicken thighs to rest and roughly chop. 

Stovetop instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You may need to cook all of the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, depending on size. 

2. Allow chicken thighs to rest and roughly chop. 

Oven instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken thighs in a large baking dish and bake for 18 minutes. 

2. Remove baking dish from oven and place aluminum foil on top and bake for another 4-5 minutes.

3. Allow chicken thighs to rest and roughly chop.

Copycat Chipotle Steak

• Ingredients 
•    3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (see note 1)
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder(see note 2)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or rice bran oil, plus more for the cooking surface (see note 3)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (see note 4)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 pounds steak such as sirloin, round steak, or flat iron steak (see note 5)

Instructions 

• To make the marinade, in the bowl of a food processor or blender, add garlic, adobo sauce, ancho chile powder, olive oil, cumin, dried oregano, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth (add water if needed to fully blend the marinade).
• In a large zipper-top plastic bag or bowl, add steak and marinade, tossing to coat. Let the beef marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add marinated steak to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 120 to 125 degrees F for rare or 130 to 135 degrees F for medium-rare. Depending on the size of your skillet, you can cook the steak in batches.
• Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt. Serve with your favorite burrito toppings such as rice, beans, guacamole, and salsa

Sheetpan Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggies

INGREDIENTS

• 4+ 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil divided
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound chicken breast or tenderloins
• 4 medium red potatoes
• 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets

INSTRUCTIONS

Oven Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line it with foil and mist with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons olive oil, honey, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Combine the olive oil mixture and chicken in a resealable bag or other container or dish. Coat the chicken well, then let marinate while you prepare the potatoes and broccoli.
• Rinse the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes or pieces. Cut the broccoli florets into bite-size pieces. Place potatoes and broccoli in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir around to coat, then return potatoes and broccoli to a single layer.
• Place the chicken in a single layer over the potatoes and broccoli and pour the marinade mixture over all.
• Cook in the preheated oven until the chicken is completely cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F/75°C) and potatoes are fork-tender, about 25-30 minutes. Then broil on high for 2-3 minutes, or until chicken is caramelized and veggies are slightly charred, or cooked to your liking.