Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

 Whenever I go to Costco, I never leave without a rotisserie chicken. My mom taught me this. It's SO much chicken meat for only $5. Can't beat it. So when I get home, I take all of the meat off, cut it into chunks and put it in the freezer. There's just so much you can do with that meat! Enchiladas, soups, casseroles, paninis, chicken alfredo...literally endless possibilities.
This casserole is one of my favorites. It's so easy and SO good. It's super good as leftovers too, which is crucial in my opinion:) So head over to Costco and get yourself a chicken!

1 rotisserie chicken, cut into chunks (3 chicken breasts can be substituted)
3-4 small zucchinis, cut into chunks
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 box chicken Stove Top stuffing
1 stick butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix together chicken soup and sour cream. Add chicken and zucchini and mix until everything is evenly coated. In a separate bowl mix dry stuffing and melted butter. Add half of this mixture in with the chicken and zucchini. Pour that into a 9x13 dish. Top with the rest of the stuffing mixture. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. At this point the stuffing might be getting really brown, but the zucchini may not be cooked through as much as you'd like, sometimes this happens to me. If that's the case, cover the dish with foil and return to the oven for 10-15 more minutes, until the zucchini is soft enough. Enjoy this delicious easy dinner!!

Friday, July 15, 2016

Brownie Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

The best thing about this cheesecake is that it's a no-bake cheesecake. Well, I guess you have to bake the brownies. But COME ON! Look at this! It's divine, delicious and indulgent. It's also pretty fancy, but doesn't require any skill...my kind of fancy. No brainer folks. You HAVE to make this!

For the Brownie Bottom:
* I usually just make my homemade brownie recipe and don't put all of it in, baking the rest in a small pan along side the actual dish. This also gives the kids a little something to snack on:) If you don't want to use a homemade brownie recipe, you can buy an 8x8 size box brownie according to the package and bake it in a 9in. springform cheesecake pan. Before you put the brownies in the oven, make sure you wrap the outside of the pan with tin foil so there isn't any issue with it dripping.

In a bowl, combine and stir until thickened:
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup boiling water

Add in order listed:
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Then add:
1 1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Stir in a little less than 1 cup of mini chocolate chips. Pour a little more than half into a greased springform pan. Pour the rest into another small, greased dish. Bake about 25 minutes at 350 degrees until the sides pull away from the pan or a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Your baking times may vary depending on your oven or baking dishes. Cool brownie base completely.

For the Cheesecake Top:
16oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs powdered sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Beat cream cheese in a mixer with sugar and vanilla until blended and very smooth.  Using a separate electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the filling to the cooled brownie crust and spread it evenly.  Top with ganache.

For the Ganache Top:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it boils, pour it over chocolate chips and let it sit for about 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is incorporated into the cream. Drizzle over cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Pop open the springform pan, releasing it from the bottom. Enjoy!!