For those of us who are finally seniors, most of us now have the luxury of living in the townhouses. With that comes our very own kitchens. It’s not exactly easy when you first start cooking but with a little practice it’s pretty easy to become a better chef. Here’s a few recipes that I’ve tried so far that were awesome and easy and that you should definitley try in your kitchen too!
Buffalo Chicken Dip
For the longest time I’ve wanted to try and make buffalo chicken dip and I finally got around to it. It was a huge hit and my friends are still talking about how good it was. I cooked my own chicken but buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding it will save you a lot of time and is just as good!
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
- 1 cup shredded cheese (4 oz)
- 3/4 cup Frank’s™ RedHot™ Original wing sauce
- 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
- 1 container (8 oz) cream cheese spread
Directions
- Mix shredded chicken, hot sauce, ranch dressing, cream cheese and half of the shredded cheese in a sauce pan over medium heat until warm.
- Transfer to an oiled baking dish and cover the top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and hot all the way through.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Boxed macaroni and cheese is good, but this really does kick it up a notch and it’s definitley worth it!
- 1 (16oz) package of macaroni
- ½ cup of milk
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- 1 ½ cup of shredded cheese
- ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- Top off with breadcrumbs
Directions
- Cook pasta for 5 minutes in boiling water.
- In the meantime, melt butter in a sauce pan, add milk and continuously stir.
- As it begins to thicken, add the cheese salt and pepper blending together the ingredients.
- When done, mix the cheese sauce and macaroni in an oiled baking pan.
- Cover the top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Chicken Burritos
My housemates and I cooked our chicken on our grill but it is just as easy to do in the oven or in a pan – this one is more about your preference.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 box rice
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
- 1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
- 10 flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch; from two 11-oz packages)
- Sour cream, if desired
Directions
- 1 In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center.
- 2 Stir in water, lime juice, salsa and contents of sauce mix pouch until blended. Stir in beans, corn and contents of uncooked rice pouch); heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
- 3 Meanwhile, heat tortillas as directed on package.
- 4 Spoon slightly less than 1 cup chicken mixture down center of each warm tortilla. Top with sour cream. Fold bottom of each tortilla 1 inch over filling. Fold sides in, overlapping to enclose filling. Fold top over sides.
S’mores
S’mores are my absolute favorite part of summer and I just wasn’t ready to let go yet, so I figured out this quick and easy way of making them without the campfire!
- Graham Crackers
- Hershey’s Chocolate Bar
- Marshmallows
Directions
- Put marshmallow on non-stick foil and put in the toaster oven until golden brown.
- Assemble S’mores and enjoy! (If you don’t have a toaster oven, microwave the marshmallow)
Banana Ice Cream
My sister’s best friend is obsessed with finding healthy alternatives of desserts, and as soon as she showed me, this I fell in love. It’s easy enough to create your own variations but this is my favorite way to make it.
- 1 banana
- Tablespoon peanut butter
- Teaspoon Honey
Directions
- Freeze bananas overnight, once frozen through put all of the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until all of the chunks have dissipated but not until its completely smooth.
I hope you enjoy these recipes and I look forward to seeing what else my housemates and I cook up this semester!