Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Not Your Traditional Carnitas


Wow, eating healthy has never been so delicious. I love preparing my meals at home. Nothing beats a homemade meal. Not only do you have control over the ingredients but it tastes so much better and you get the satisfaction of knowing you are doing your best at leading a healthy lifestyle. 

In my last post I mentioned working with Mazola® and agreeing to prepare and review their recipes. They sent along product as well as a token of thank you in exchange for an honest review.  As promised, here is recipe #2 in that series. 
Pork Carnitas with Tomatillo Salsa
Servings: 4 
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound pork shoulder
2 tablespoons Mazola® Corn Oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon Chipotle peppers in Adobe sauce 
2 tomatillos, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
4 flour tortillas

Combine chopped tomatillos, tomatoes and parsley in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cut pork into 1 inch cubes; season with salt and pepper. 

Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven. Add pork, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder and chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (the original recipe called for 1/4 tsp Chipotle chili powder which I didn't have - this sauce worked great); saute 3 to 5 minutes to brown the meat.

Add enough water to barely cover pork. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer an additional 45 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.

Place an equal amount of pork on each tortilla. Top with tomatillo salsa. Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

Enjoy!

The carnitas took more time than I realized, because I didn't pay attention to detail, but was worth the wait. Preparing this ahead would make an easy weeknight meal for those busy days. They're definitely not your traditional carnitas but so yummy nonetheless.
Click here to see the recipe that inspired my version

Another easy, delicious and nutritious dish that's sure to be a part of my menu rotation. 

Give it a try. You won't regret it!

If you are interested in reading more about Mazola® Corn Oil click here.
 

Want more tasty recipes from Mazola®? Find them here.







Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Spring Cleaning and Healthy Eatin'



After the long cold hard winter we're hopefully about to come out of, I am so ready for some sunshine, warmer days and lighter fare. Spring is just a few short days away (on the calendar at least) which leads me to thinking about gardens, campfires, picnics, and easy delicious and healthy meals packed with nutrition. Spring is not only time to clean out our closets and wash our windows, it's also time to clean out our pantries of all the comforts of winter so we can ditch our yoga pants and don our bikinis!

I am a sucker for health and nutrition information, especially when it relates to food and cooking, so I frequent my local library as well as the internet to feed my addiction. However, I am often left scratching my head after learning what I had trusted for years has been replaced with new research. So, I don't pretend to have all the answers. I just try to stick with what I do know. And I do know how to cook....with wholesome ingredients. 


Which brings me to today's recipe which fit perfectly into a healthy lifestyle. The recipe I am featuring today was sponsored by Mazola®. 
You see, Mazola® got wind of the fact that I enjoy cooking and enjoy reviewing recipes so they sent me a bottle of Mazola® Corn Oil as well as a promotional item in exchange for preparing two of their recipes and giving my honest feedback. 

The first recipe I'm sharing with you today is my version of their salmon dish that was so quick and easy and loaded with flavor that I can't wait to make it again. A perfect recipe to compliment any new healthy lifestyle.




Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Orange Salsa

Sweet and Spicy Rub:
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 pound salmon fillet
2 teaspoons Mazola(R) Corn Oil


Orange Salsa:
2 cups orange sections, trimmed and diced (insides only)
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, diced


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine all salsa ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Combine paprika, onion and garlic powder, salt, oregano, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper and brown sugar in a small bowl.
Cut salmon into 4 portions and brush with oil.
Distribute the rub over the salmon generously coating all surfaces.
Place salmon on a shallow baking pan with sides.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until fish flakes easily.

Top salmon with salsa.

Enjoy!


Great served with a side of orzo and steamed asparagus, this salmon was quick and delicious and very light and filling. And ready in about 30 minutes. Who doesn't love a fast healthy meal. Gives us more time to enjoy our warmer days!! This could easily be grilled on those hot days when you don't want to run the oven.

Click here to see the recipe that inspired my version.

Won't you give this recipe a try? Easy, Delicious and nutritious and a great dish to add to your healthy menu. It can't get better than that!

Stay tuned for my next post of another delicious recipe inspired by Mazola®.

If you are interested in reading more about Mazola® Corn Oil click here.
 

Want more tasty recipes from Mazola®? Find them here.








Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Magic of Comfort Food

Do you ever find yourself away from home mentally going through your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer wondering what's hiding in the deepest darkest places that would be good for dinner? I do...all the time! I'm always looking for the "wow" ingredient that will help me transform dinner into something magical. 

This time my daydreams sent me on a magical journey of comfort food. Ok, it wasn't that magical but at least I knew I had all the ingredients on hand to pull it off. Ground beef, check. Macaroni, check. Tomatoes, check. Seasonings, check. Parmesan cheese, check.

Everything I need for some American Classic Goulash. Now I don't eat pasta a lot, actually very rarely, but sometimes I just get this craving and need to get my carb fix. I prefer spaghetti, but I had to feed my husband and he WILL NOT touch spaghetti with a ten foot pole. So I'm happy I can get him to eat goulash.  So let's get on to my version of the infamous recipe.



American Classic Goulash

Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings


1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 onion,  chopped 

2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups canned stewed or crushed tomatoes
1-1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons dried Italian herb seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, or to taste
1-1/2 to 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste


In a deep frying pan, cook and stir the ground beef, chopped onion (or grated on a fine grater for those onion haters in your life) and garlic over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until the meat is no longer pink and has started to brown, about 10 minutes. Skim off excess fat.

Add water, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and seasoned salt to the ground beef mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While sauce is simmering, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 6-7 minutes depending on brand. Remove from heat and drain.

Once sauce is done simmering discard bay leaves and add macaroni (I made it with 2 cups of macaroni and it wasn't too saucy - for a saucier goulash cook 1-1/2 cups). Stir until combined. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.



So can comfort food be magical? I don't know, but I do now it's pure deliciousness! 

I found the original recipe on Allrecipes but changed things up a bit to suit our tastes. Click here to view the recipe that inspired my version.

Try it. You'll like it!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup Made with Homemade Gnocchi


It's a rare occasion that I get to enjoy a lunch with my sister. One afternoon we were out shopping and decided to stop at Olive Garden to have their unlimited soup, salad and bread sticks special.

I love Olive Garden's salad and was looking forward to trying their soup. I had tried their Zuppa Toscana soup before and loved it but this time I decided to try their Chicken & Gnocchi soup. This was new to me and I didn't know what to expect. But from the moment it touched my lips I was in heaven. It was love at first bite! I thought I only wanted one bowl of soup. My stomach said I only wanted one bowl of soup but you know how that goes when you really really enjoy something? You tend to overeat! And that I did. Ugh! Can someone call the ambulance? I must try to make this at home. Or should I? It could be dangerous.


Now that cooler weather is settling in I'm trying to find a few tasty comforting soups that I can enjoy for lunch. So I went on a mission to find a recipe for Chicken & Gnocchi soup. But anyone who knows me wouldn't be surprised to hear that I wanted to make my own homemade gnocchi also. Store bought just won't do for this gal. 


I found both recipes I wanted to try on Allrecipes.com. I started with the Gnocchi I - aka a roman numeral 1 and not an I just so you know :) . I made the gnocchi on a Sunday evening in the middle of a storm, a very windy storm. Needless to say, the storm knocked out our power while I was in the middle of the recipe. So my husband gathered many candles and a propane lantern so I could finish my chore by candlelight. I felt like Ma Ingalls from Little House On The Prairie.


I finished the recipe and tossed them into the freezer hoping that they would be ok until the power came back on. They survived the storm and froze beautifully. Before cooking I removed them from the freezer and allowed them to thaw. Here's my finished and cooked gnocchi. I was very excited with the results for my first attempt.
Gnocchi I
Now off to try the Chicken and Gnocchi soup recipe. As I mentioned, I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com and I didn't change a thing. I had some chicken stock in the freezer that I had made from the bones of another roasted chicken so I used that. But I did cheat and use the meat from a store bought rotisserie chicken. It worked out great.

Here's my finished product.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

This soup is delicious!! If you love Olive Garden's Chicken & Gnocchi soup and you love to cook you will not be disappointed in this recipe. It's yummy goodness! 
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
I hope you decide to give this soup a try. While you're at it won't you try the homemade gnocchi also? You won't regret it. I promise. Just have a napkin ready to wipe the drool.

Now on to the recipes:


Chicken & Gnocchi Soup 

Makes 6 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded
3 – 4 cups cooked chicken (I used rotisserie)
4 cups chicken broth
1 (16 oz.) package mini potato gnocchi (or use recipe below)
1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
2 tablespoons cold water (optional)
2 cups half-and-half cream
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in the hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cubed chicken and chicken broth; bring to a simmer.

Stir gnocchi into the simmering soup and cook until they begin to float, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted, about 3 additional minutes.

Whisk cornstarch into cold water until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture and half-and-half into simmering soup. Cook until soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.


******************
Gnocchi
Makes 4 servings
2 potatoes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg

Directions


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.


Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Pumpkin Pie and Homemade Rolls - Now That's What I Call Thanksgiving Dinner

The men in my life are hunters and this time of year I become like many other women, a deer widow. Unfortunately those four-legged creatures have beckoned my husband to the woods on Thanksgiving long before we were married. I'm used to it. I'm ok with it. We compromised a few years back. As long as we share Christmas together I'm ok without my husband by my side on Thanksgiving. It doesn't mean I like it but I accept it. And my son has followed in his footsteps. So my daughter-in-law, my grandson and myself pack ourselves up and trot on over to my sister's house to share Thanksgiving with my family. Where we pig out until we feel like we could roll ourselves out the door, or until someone calls an ambulance, whichever comes first.

When my son was young and still lived at home I would make Thanksgiving dinner a week or so before the big day. I didn't do it because I loved turkey - my favorites are all the sides and dessert. Heck, I don't even need the turkey. I did it because I wanted Thanksgiving at home - with the men I loved. Since my son is now grown and gone, that tradition has gone by the wayside and it saddens me. I'm not quite sure why we stopped but it happened. 


Yearning for more family traditions of our own coupled with the desire to relight what was important to me, at the last minute I threw the idea out to my son to have our turkey dinner this past weekend. But poor communication on my part, combined with busy lives, and last minute Lucy (me!) it didn't happen as planned. 


The turkey was bought and thawed so I trudged forward. I planned on a few traditional things you see at a Thanksgiving dinner only on a smaller scale. Green beans, which we had grown and canned earlier this year, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade rolls and pumpkin pie.


I've made homemade rolls before but yeast and I are not the best of friends. However, Rhodes Rolls and I get along just fine. But I was determined to give it another try.  I found a highly rated recipe on Allrecipes.com and went for it.  They were soft, tender, delicious. They were heavenly. I think they should be renamed "Heavenly Dinner Rolls". Here are my results:



Click here for the recipe --- Sweet Dinner Rolls
Now the name implies sweet but trust me - they're perfect and have only a hint of sweetness. Pure deliciousness and easy to make. What could get better than that? 

Pumpkin pie is my Thanksgiving dessert of choice. I love it. I found a new recipe for pumpkin pie on Allrecipes.com that I thought I would try.  When I make pie I always make my own crust but not without struggling. I remembered watching the new Food Network show Heartland Table and watching Amy Thielen make her Butter Crust and she made it look so easy. I was especially intrigued because I had always used shortening and no longer use it. So I searched for her recipe and gave it a try. Bingo! Another keeper!! This bakes up so tender and flaky. Just melt in your mouth goodness! This will be my go-to pie crust recipe from now on. The crust recipe is in with her Blueberry Pie recipe but here it is - Butter Crust


Here is how my Pumpkin Pie turned out:


Click here for the recipe --- Pumpkin Pie II
I didn't have evaporated milk on hand so I just put all the milk into a pan and simmered down until I had what the recipe called for. Worked great. And this was delicious served with sweetened fresh whipped cream.

So next year I will plan better and we will have our tradition back. And by then, we can share with the new grand baby who will be coming soon.

So live a little. Who needs turkey when you have delicious sides and desserts? My favorite. Especially the rolls and pie!



Thursday, October 31, 2013

Hold The Sausage....Or Not

It wasn't too awfully long ago - like only 6 months - that Italian sausage was far from desirable to me. The only experience I ever really had with Italian sausage was on pizza. Now my husband, being the meat eater that he is, doesn't mind sausage on his pizza. Or bacon. Or ham. Or pepperoni. Or venison. Well OK - we've never had venison on pizza but hey, now that's an idea he would love! 

So, me being the good wife that I am, would let him get a meat lovers pizza that included the sausage and I would just pick it off and give it to him. If it were up to me, we would have a veggie pizza. That would go over like a lead balloon. Just like my idea for Meatless Monday meals. Did you hear me? I did say he was a meat lover.

This month I had the pleasure, once again, of working with Johnsonville and Allrecipes. I was given the opportunity to try Johnsonville's sausage using recipes found on Allrecipe's website. I decided to try their Italian sausage again just to remind myself that I am no longer a hater.

I truly have to say that their sausage has great flavor and now I'm hooked. I especially love that they are now offering some of their products in an all natural variety like the one shown below. With ingredients like pork, water, salt, natural sugar, spices, natural flavors and paprika and with no yucky fillers or additives they're a winner in my book. Go Johnsonville!


Here are the tasty recipes I've tried this year using Johnsonville's products. The links to the recipes are shown below the pictures. Be sure to give them a try. They make quick, easy, delicious meals your whole family will enjoy.

One of my favorites was this Sausage, Peppers and Spaghetti Squash recipe. I got to eat this one all by myself. Veggies of the onions and peppers variety, like you would find on a veggie pizza, makes this one mine - all MINE!

Sausage, Peppers and Spaghetti Squash

You may be able to tell that I made this next one, Pizza Pasta, when the darling hubby wasn't around. It's packed with flavor not only from the sausage but also from green peppers. Again, stuff you'd would find on veggie pizza.
Pizza Pasta by Johnsonville®
And last but not least, here is a recipe that any man or child would love to sink their teeth into. Why not break away from the regular mundane burgers you're used to eating and try an Italian Sausage Slider? They're sure to please.

Johnsonville's Italian Sausage Sliders
Hold the sausage? I think not. So if you've tried something before that you don't like why not give it another try? Your tastes may have changed with time. Or is it with age?

Man I'm getting hungry!

I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.   Product received from an Advertiser is only used for experience based reviews on this site. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of Livin' Life - One Spoonful At A Time.  

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Bison - The New Healthy Red Meat

When I was contacted a few months ago by Allrecipes and was asked if I was interested in working with bison I jumped at the chance. My husband is an avid white tail deer hunter and loves all things "meat" so I knew he wouldn't have been very happy with me if I passed up this opportunity. Plus I was kinda excited to try something new that he would be willing to eat.  Allrecipes had teamed up with The Bison Council and were looking for home cooks to try some bison and spread the word about how healthy bison is. Here is one fascinating tidbit about bison - it has 45% fewer calories, 88% less fat and 88% less saturated fat than beef. Now that's huge.  Check out more of their nutrition information here on their Health & Nutrition page.

Sixty home cooks like me elected to try bison and Allrecipes sent us a list of twenty-five recipes to choose from one afternoon. The list of recipes had a variety of bison cuts to choose from. Anywhere from bison dogs to tenderloin. Oh how I would love to get my hands on a bison tenderloin. Now, since I work outside the home and I don't have access 24/7 to the internet or have a smartphone, some of my fellow cooks were able to see this list of recipes and make their choice before I even knew the list was posted. Call me envious - that's ok :) By the time I got to the list my choices were limited. I remember there were bison dogs, bacon and brisket left and maybe a couple more that seemed to have left my memory. I chose the brisket recipe knowing my meat loving husband would love the fact that we would be getting a five pound brisket delivered to us from The Bison Council. Imagine our excitement when we found out we would be getting twice the amount of brisket we thought we would. Ten pounds of brisket to try is a lot of brisket! Talk about being overwhelmed by the generosity!  So we waited patiently for September to roll around and for the delivery man to show up at our doorstep with our bison. And this is what we got!



The bison brisket came to us frozen tucked away neatly in a Styrofoam cooler along with freezer packs. It arrived on a very warm Friday morning and I can't believe it was still frozen solid when I opened it. Now that's some good packing!

I chose to make Beer-Braised Bison Brisket with Root Vegetables using the slow cooker. Now I don't normally have good luck using a slow cooker. Things usually turn out overcooked and smelling weird so I was a little leery of trying this method. I considered baking it in my enameled cast iron french oven but decided in all fairness that I must make the recipe per the instructions in order to give honest feedback. Here is my finished product:


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beer-Braised-Bison-Brisket-with-Root-Vegetables
Beer-Braised Bison with Root Vegetables
This turned out delicious. Not only did I get to try one new ingredient but this recipe calls for dried apricots, turnips and parsnips that I had never had before. I couldn't find the parsnips so I left those out but I found out I enjoy turnips and love the dried apricots (they may just become a new snack for me).

Please take a moment and check out more information about bison on The Bison Council's webpage and see just how healthy bison is. You'll be amazed at what you find out.  And be sure to browse Allrecipes for all sorts of recipes.


I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.   Product received from an Advertiser is only used for experience based reviews on this site. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of Livin' Life - One Spoonful At A Time.  



Sunday, November 4, 2012

Who Says Halloween Is Just For Kids?

When I was younger it seemed such a chore to figure out what I was going to be for Halloween. Most of the time I didn't figure that out until Halloween day, just hours before heading out the door with our pillow cases in hand to gather all our treats. Halloween is much more fun now than it was when I was a kid. 

I've always believed Halloween was for the little ones. But now that I am older and my son is grown with a son of his own I truly believe Halloween is for grandparents!  I love watching the excitement surrounding all the little ones as they get ready to enjoy the Halloween festivities.


Gettin' Ready
Every year we enjoy taking the kids on a Halloween outing of some sort so they can enjoy a fun day filled with a little trick-or-treating or pumpkin gathering and play. Plus it gets us parents and grandparents off the hook from having to decorate! Hah!

This year we took them to Crossroads Village’s Halloween Ghosts and Goodies where they were able to trick-or-treat around the village, enjoy a magic show and take a ride on the Ghost Train.  And the decorations were already done!




Our Little Monsters
We enjoy a nice tailgate party prior to starting our outing - filled with hot dogs and other yummy treats. This year I made some delicious treats to share. These peanut bars were the bomb. (If you click on the link below the pictures it will take you right to the recipe I used.)

Salted Peanut Bars
 And this caramel corn was to die for. Oh so yummy and delicious.

Caramel Corn
Some other yummy things I made at home for us not so young folk were Crescent Mummy Dogs.


Crescent Mummy Dogs
I think they tasted a little better with crescents than tossing them in a regular old bun. 

And we may not be quite so young but still had a little fun with some Creepy Mini Pizzas.
Creepy Mini Pizzas
The dough can be pre-made and tossed in the freezer to make a quick weeknight meal.

And who can resist doughnuts this time of year. I took a doughnut recipe and just made them into mini-muffins. Nothing's better than homemade, right?


Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins
And they tasted just as good as the ones you get at the cider mills.

Halloween is a great time of year to enjoy the little ones and also enjoy all the goodies you wouldn't normally get during the rest of the year.

So young or old - or somewhere in between ;) - Get out and enjoy Halloween. The little ones make it so much fun!




I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.   Product received from an Advertiser is only used for experience based reviews on this site. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of KGora.




Sunday, September 30, 2012

Getting My Creative Juices Flowing

I could do something with rice. But I've seen many rice dishes. I could do a breakfast burrito. Ugh! Someone did that already :( I could do a pizza. But that's so common. Hmmmmmm!! What do I do?

Being faced with the requirement of creating our own recipe using al fresco sausage through the Allrecipes Allstars Brand Ambassador program, my mind was going in all different directions. Anytime I would think of something I noticed someone beat me to the punch. Everyone has great ideas and it seems like I'm the slacker - waiting until the last minute. What will I make? I'm not good at creating my own recipes. I can throw ingredients together and have something come out fantastic but if someone asks me how I did it or what the measurements are they're out of luck. And I probably couldn't recreate it again. I made some of the best fried chicken one time and have never been able to duplicate that flavor. I've come to learn to write things down as I go just in case it turns out to be a keeper. But sometimes I forget or lose the paper I wrote it down on. Yes - I'm not very organized when it comes to that.

After racking my brain for many days it finally hit me. That's it - I'll make soup. After all, I'm always after a quick easy lunch idea and the weather is turning cold. I'll do something with lentils and the Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage I had on hand.

Nope - I changed my mind again. You see there's this broccoli dish that I'm in love with and usually only get at holiday time. I could do a spin off of that but use a mini muffin pan and make appetizers or a cute little snack! That's it - by George I think I've got it!

So I went to work. I gathered all the ingredients I would need....



And then started chopping and dicing....



And cutting and slicing...



And then mixing everything all together...



To get this beautiful colorful concoction :)

I then tossed a little butter into each space in a mini muffin tin...



And then tossed it in the oven for a few seconds until melted and then swirled it around to get each space nicely coated with the melted butter...



And then I took my handy dandy little cookie scoop ...



And filled each empty muffin cup with my colorful confetti batter...



Into the oven it goes for 20 minutes and this is what you get...



Yummy goodness...





Now doesn't that just make you want to pop one in your mouth right now?

Here's a quick peek of the insides...



Now they're ready to serve. I couldn't resist these. They were so yummy warm right out of the oven. All that cheesy spicy smoky goodness. It took me awhile  to name my recipe but here it is...


Smoky Andouille Mini Hot Bites - You won't be able to eat just one...





And here's the link to the recipe...

http://allrecipes.com/personalrecipe/63359091/smoky-andouille-mini-hot-bites/detail.aspx


I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador (a voluntary position) and I’m not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.   Product received from an Advertiser is only used for experience based reviews on this site. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of KGora.