Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken

This was a quick, easy meal I tossed in the crock pot last week.  

It was a huge hit and everyone devoured it!

photo and recipe courtesy of JustAPinch

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c honey
1/4 c soy sauce
2 Tbsp dried onion
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
sesame seeds

Directions

Put chicken into crock pot.
Combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, and garlic. Pour over chicken.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce.
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce.
Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.
Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to crock pot - can leave chicken in and simmer on low or serve.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.

 My picture looks very different from the one above, but I followed the recipe exactly...

Very, very delicious though!

Broccoli, Bacon, and Pasta Salad

I made this salad this weekend for myself....because it was Mother's Day and I love cold pasta salads.

recipe and photo courtesy of MandysRecipeBoxBlog

You will need:

12 oz. package Rotini pasta (I used the tri-color)
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups raw broccoli, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
½ cup roasted sunflower seeds, salted or unsalted
½ cup crumbled , cooked bacon (I used turkey bacon)
¼ cup diced red onion

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain and rinse in cold water.
Drain again.
Place pasta in a large bowl and add the broccoli, cheese, sunflower seeds, bacon and onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt.
Pour over the salad and toss to coat.
Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least one hour.
Serve.

 Again, I love having fun salads in my fridge during the days to snack on.

Right now, this one is currently in my fridge...and I may or may not have already had two bites this morning before 9:30am.

Cherry Cheesecake Tarts

A small muffin size cheesecake.  Yes, please!

And it's the easiest cheesecake recipe ever!

recipe and photo courtesy of TasteandTell

Ingredients

18 chocolate sandwich cookies (I used Oreo's.  You can use vanilla wafers, too)
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
Reddi-wip

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 18 muffin tin cups with paper liners.
Place one cookie in the bottom of each liner.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Add the sugar and continue to beat until combined.
Add the eggs and the vanilla, and beat until light.
Divide the cheesecake filling evenly between each of the muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven just until set, 12-15 minutes.
Let the cheesecakes cool completely.
Top each cheesecake with a large spoonful of the pie filling.
Just before serving, top with a dollop of Reddi-wip.

 Gosh, these are good!  But you don't have to use cherry...you can use any pie filling you want!

Greek Orzo Salad

If I see a greek salad on a menu, I can almost guarantee you I'm going to order it. 

So it's no surprise that when I came across this greek salad using orzo, I jumped on it.

recipe and photo courtesy of CookingClassy

Ingredients

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
1 1/4 cups (8 oz) dry orzo
1 cup (5 oz) crumbled feta
1 medium English cucumber, diced
1 (10.5 oz) pkg. grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives or 3/4 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup chopped red onion, rinsed under water to removed harsh bite
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a jar mix together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste (don't add too much salt because the feta and kalamata olives are pretty salty), set aside.
Cook orzo according to directions listed on package.
Drain and let cool (about 5 minutes. They'll start to stick to each other a bit but that's fine the dressing will break it up).
Add all of the salad ingredients, including cooked orzo, to a large bowl and toss.
Pour dressing over top and toss to evenly coat.
Store in refrigerator, serve within a few hours for best results.

 This salad is currently in the fridge and I've been snacking on it for two days now.  

I love the orzo in the salad!

Kinda wishing someone will arrange a fun potluck gathering soon, so I can bring this salad.

It's that good!