Well, you can take the girl out of the southwest, but you can’t take the southwest out of the girl.  And nothing proves it more than this little recipe right here!  I may not be living in New Mexico at the moment, but NM is still living in me.  And one way I like to keep that alive is with food.  

Spicy, tasty, New Mexican food.  This time, I’ve combined 2 of the most popular NM foods into one beautiful bounty of deliciousness.. I’ve married tacos with tamales in what ended up being the best tasting union of flavors EVER!  If this isn’t an actual thing anywhere.. well, it darn well should be.  I’d buy them in a heartbeat.  

Luckily they’re super easy to whip up, and in a matter of minutes, you too can be wowing your family and friends with this wonderfully morphed mexican meal.

What you’ll need for 6 tamale fried tacos:

Tacos..  YEsss.. I used Taco Bell tacos :: shoot me.

2-8.5 oz. cornbread mix

fresh mozzarella… one slice per taco

oil for frying.. I used veg.

lettuce for garnish

Directions:

in a med. bowl mix up the cornbread batter according to the box instructions…

slice the cheese and add one slice into each taco…

freeze the tacos for at least 1 hour…

Now, generously and evenly coat the frozen tacos with the cornbread batter, making sure to get inside all  of the taco.

Fry them up one at a time, until they’re evenly golden…

Serve them nice and warm…

So they’re super ooey-gooey… top with more cheese if you please..

And then get to it!  ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Tamale Fried Tacos! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

What do you get when you cross a monte cristo sandwich with taquitos?

…Now, if the fact that you’re here reading this after seeing the title isn’t a clue.. I’ll tell you! THIS, this is what you get > MONTE CRISQUITOS!

You get a crispy, toasty, monte cristo filled, easy to eat, and even better to taste.. doubly delicious delight! Make LOTS!

What you’ll need:

square egg roll wrappers… one per crisquito

thinly sliced ham, turkey, swiss, and some cheddar or (velveeta)

powdered sugar, and raspberry preserves … for serving

oil for frying

Instructions:

Place a slice of each meat and cheese in the center of the wrapper…

Roll it up, and seal it up with a little water.. gently pinch the ends together…

Fry them one at a time in hot (350 degree) oil until they’re evenly golden…

Let them cool slightly…

But, serve them warm, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and some classic raspberry preserves…

DIG IN! ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Monte Crisquitos! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

Grab some ice friends, this isn’t your average spicy fried chicken.. oh no!

This is a level of spice that took me by surprise, and ended up being a dangerously-delicious dinner that we are all still cooling off from talking about!

If you’re tired of the same old chicken dinner, jazz things up, and try this recipe.

Just be sure to have LOTS of water close by! 

What you’ll need for 6 fried chicken breasts OR 6 fried chicken sandwiches:

3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, sliced evenly in half, creating 6 breasts.

1/2 cup flour

2 beaten eggs w/ a splash of milk

2 cups crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

6 Burger Buns/ 6 Cheese Slices.. if you want to make sandwiches!

oil for frying.. I used veg.

Directions:

Crush up the Cheetos, until you get approx. 2 cups of crumbs…

In 3 bowls, add the flour, the eggs/milk/, and the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crumbs.

Lightly dust the chicken evenly with the flour.

Then into the eggs…

And, into the Cheetos crumbs, generously coating them!

In a pan, shallow fry each breast, until they’re evenly golden/red and cooked through.

Now either build your sandwiches, or eat them as is.. but definitely have lots of water handy! ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~XXTRA Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Fried Chicken! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

Do you like popcorn?  Do you like corn dogs?  Do you like to be SO extra that it literally annoys everyone you’ve ever known, currently know, or will ever know?  If you answered yes to any of those questions, stay right here.. this recipe is for YOU!  😉

Please don’t expect to find any reasonable answer to the obvious question of “why in the world did you do this?”.. because there isn’t one.  I pretty much just liked the play on words.. the amazing mash-up of delicious flavors was purely a bonus…haha.

That’s ok, I’ll take that bonus one crispy, popcorny, corn doggy bite at a time.

All kids and most immature adults will absolutely love these whimsical weenies.  Not only do they scream fun just by looking at them, but the crunch and nutty flavor that the popcorn adds to the corn dog is seriously special.

I’m pretty sure that I’ll be adding popcorn to many more unsuspecting dishes in the very near future.  😉

What you’ll need:

6-8 bun length hot dogs

4-6 cups of popped popcorn..either store bought or freshly popped at home will work

The BATTER:

1-8.5 oz. box of Corn Bread mix.. such as Jiffy  (I show 2 boxes, but only needed one)

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

dash of salt

1 egg..beaten

1 1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk

1 tbsp. veg oil

1 tbsp. honey

wooden skewers

oil for frying.. either veg or canola

Directions:

set your popcorn aside..

Now in a large bowl, combine the corn bread mix, sugar, baking powder, and salt….

In a med. bowl combine the milk, egg, and honey… Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and combine very well… it should be like a thick pancake batter…

Evenly coat the hot dogs with the batter… BE SURE TO RESERVE THE REMAINING BATTER!

Then coat them with the popcorn.. not all the popcorn will stick, just smush as much as you can on there…

Place them onto a parchment lined sheet pan, and into the freezer for at least one hour…

When your oil is fully heated to 350 degrees, take out the hotdogs from the freezer.. YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM FROZEN UNTIL THE LAST SECOND BEFORE FRYING THEM!

Dip each frozen hot dog into the remaining batter…

And directly into the oil, fry them for a few seconds, until they’re evenly golden on all sides…

Then serve them and watch those faces light up with a mix of curious confusion..lol  ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Popcorn Dogs! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

Well, my love for taking the ordinary, and attempting to make it extraordinary is alive and well… as evidenced here with this super simple, but super delicious take on Undon noodle soup.  

I’m talking about a magical mash-up of everything we know and love about Udon noodles.. colliding head-on with everything we know and love about pot pies.

These buttery and flaky pot pies hold a special surprise inside, in the form of umm.. Udon soup.  And not just any Udon soup… no way, this is Fortune Udon Soup.. which means JLS Foods time-tested quality and flavor are in each and every succulent, soupy, ‘noodly’, slurpy bite!

What you’ll need for 6 pot pies:

6 oven safe 3″ bowls

2 packs of Fortune Udon Noodles.. I used the Mushroom flavor, and the Chicken flavor

You can purchase JSL Foods products at”: Albertsons, Lucky’s, Von’s, Pavilions, WinCo, Target

2 sheets (one box) of puff pastry dough.. cut into 6 – 4″ squares  

2 cups gravy.. either beef, or chicken flavor.  I used store bought, but you can totally make your own as well.

1 cup brocoli .. chopped

1 cup corn

1 egg … for egg wash

2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Spray the oven-safe bowls with non-stick spray and set aside.

Prepare the noodles (INCLUDING THE ENCLOSED FLAVOR PACKETS) according to the package instructions.. drain the water, leave the noodles in the pot, and set them aside.

Now add the gravy, corn, broccoli, (and any other veggies you’d like) into the noodles, mix well to combine, set aside…

Cut the puff pastry sheets into 6 even 4″ squares.. roll each square out just a bit. 

Place one dough sheet, gently down into each bowl, making sure not to poke any holes in it…

Scoop some of the noodle mixture into each bowl, just until they’re generously filled…

Pinch the edges of the dough, and gently pull the dough up and over the noodles.. making sure there aren’t any holes exposing the noodles.

Brush the pot pie with some of the egg, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds…

Now, into the oven at 350 degrees for approx. 15-20 minutes.. OR just until the dough is golden, and the noodles are hot all the way through…

Let them cool for a couple of minutes…

But serve them nice and warm…

Share with your BFF…

Like…YOU!  ~Enjoy! 🙂

Be sure to follow all of JSL Foods social media links and share the LOVE!

FACEBOOK > TWITTER

The post ~UDON Soup Pot Pies! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

Each year around the holidays, actually, starting the day after Halloween through Jan 1st. lol, I’m faced with the.. what I like to call, ‘hectic & hellish holiday menu-planning fiasco’.  You know.. that period of time in between halloween and New Years when you’re busy with head-counts, and shopping lists, finger foods, and snacky-snacks.. hoping to please approx. 16 people, and at least two blended families via their mouths.  .. did someone say “wine”?  

Anyhoo… I’m always looking to change things up, just enough to keep things interesting… but not so much, that the grandparents start in with their “we never ate this non-traditional shit stuff back in the day” BS.  It’s a fine line I walk I tell you.. but somehow, maaaybe somehow, this little method will be my ticket into more holiday bliss.. and less holiday mess.  

Not only are we making use of the entire pumpkin here.. but we’re also minimizing our dirty dish footprint, by turning the pumpkin into an actual dutch oven.. genius you say?!, to which I answer.. perhaps.  😉 

I stuffed this baby UP!  I’m talking.. potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, … stuffing, and a whole bird, all infusing themselves together, and creating the BEST juices and flavors around!  

The pumpkin gets succulent, scoopable, and tender, along with all the veggies, as it literally steams the bird until it’s bursting with flavor-packed juices.  

~Ditch that old dutch over this year..l and getchurself a pumpkin… trust me!

What you’ll need:

A pumpkin.. large enough to fit your size bird, and fillings of choice.

A bird.. turkey, chicken, cornish hen (what I used) .. etc.

All the usual suspects.. potatoes, zucchini, carrots, celery, onion, stuffing, etc.

1 tbsp. seasoned bullion .. either powder, or stock (TO ADD INTO THE JUICES MID WAY)

Olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano..  feel free to add bay leaf, or any other spices you like.

Directions;

slice the top off of the pumpkin, and scoop out the seeds.  rub some olive oil along the inside of the pumpkin, and sprinkle it with the salt, pepper, and seasonings.

Now simply fill ‘er up with the veggies… making sure NOT to add the stuffing yet.. that goes in mid-way through the cooking process.

Top it off with your bird…

And place the top of the pumpkin securely on there, trying to eliminate any gaps if possible…

Bake it on a low rack in the oven at 350 degrees for approx. 4-6 hours, or until the poultry is fully cooked through, and the pumpkin is dark, and very tender.  Place some foil over the stem if necessary to prevent it from burning.  

Halfway through the cooking process, sprinkle in the bullion or stock… look at all those natural juices forming in there…YUM!

and pour in the stuffing…

cover it tightly again, and put back into the oven to finish cooking!  Then serve it in the beautifully cooked pumpkin, and scoop out that goodness!  ~Enjoy! 🙂

The post ~Pumpkin Dutch Oven! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

Well, this one is pretty obvious..lol Just a simple combo of two of our favorite things.. thereby creating one giant, even better thing! And in this case, that ‘thing’ is food!  Not just food, but TACOS, and not just Tacos.. but, Hot Dogs too!  

Tacos that are filled with seasoned beef, and perfectly plump hot dogs.. all topped with the usual taco suspects.. making these jazzed up tacos deliciously hot-dogged!

Make a bunch of people happy, and whip up a few!  … actually, whip up LOTS!

What you’ll need:

taco shells

hot dogs, if they’re standard sized.. use 2 per taco.

ground beef (or turkey) and taco seasoning.. cooked together.

toppings of your choice, I used.. cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and hot sauce

Directions:

Simply cook up the hot dogs, and the seasoned beef..

…and start stacking…~yeah, that’s pretty much it!  ~Enjoy!  🙂

The post ~Taco Dogs! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

Ahhh~ the good old, tried & true glorious Frito Pie!  That school cafeteria creation that was every kid’s favorite day!

I mean, is there any savory ‘pie’ better than a perfect pile of fritos, chili, and cheese?  ..I think not.  Well, I should say.. ‘I thought not!’ . until now.  Dare I say that I found a way to take the Frito Pie that we all know and love, and elevate it to a level not yet reached by any other ordinary Frito Pie?!  It’s true!   

Crazy right?!  I know.. Now your Frito Pie has its very own cake to call home.  A Corn Bread Cake that is, with layers of cheese and perfectly poked holes to capture all that warm chili way down deep inside of it.  Soft enough to sink your face into, yet strong enough to easily hold a crunchy blanket of crispy Fritos!  

~Jazz up Frito Pie night and make this dish, you’ll be everyone’s favorite friend!  🙂

What you’ll need:

One oven safe pan sprayed with non stick spray

2 – 8.5 oz. boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 can of whole kernel corn with the liquid (DO NOT DRAIN)

1/2 cup creamed style corn

1 – 1lb. can of Chili.. such as Hormel

32 oz. box of Velveeta.. you’ll only use approx. 3/4 of it.

2 eggs

Directions;

In a large bowl combine the corn bread mix with the eggs, can of whole kernel corn, and 1/2 cup of creamed style corn..

Now, pour half of the batter into the pan, and place 1 even layer of Velveeta slices on top of it…

Pour the remaining batter evenly over the cheese…

Bake it at 350 degrees for approx. 20 minutes, or until it’s golden on top, and cooked through.  Gently using a knife handle or something similar, poke holes, evenly spread out, down into the corn bread…

Pour the chili all over the top, carefully pressing some of it down into those holes…

Then top the chili with a nice, generous layer of fritos…

Add a few chunks of cheese over the top .. because.. EXTRA!  

And bake it again for approx 5 minutes or so, just until the cheese melts, and the chili is nice and hot…

Serve it up…

And plate it up nice and hot…

Then DIG IN!  ~Enjoy!  🙂

The post ~Frito Pie Poke Cake! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

Every day once in a while, I wander through the grocery store like a zombie.  Mostly because I’m there all the time.. but sometimes every time it’s because of the evil bakery department that I’m forced to walk past, you know.. on my way to the veggies.. haha.  

But that bakery department gets into my soul every time.  And this time, there was some fresh garlic bread (and when I say “fresh”… I mean still steamy) that had just been put out, and like a sign from the carb-angels above.. I had a vision…lol.

My vision was of a huge, warm, buttery loaf of garlic bread.. stuffed with a delicious mozzarella-topped spaghetti dinner.  Now, I admit that the thought of a one-handed wonder of a meal appealed to me very much, because you know.. uh, less dishes.. BUT I also knew that I was onto something AMAZING!  

~And guess what?!  ..can you guess?  ,.. I was right!  

Each thick, savory, spaghetti-stuffed slice is like nothing you’ve ever had.  Not only is the combo out of this world, this dish is also your entertainment.  

Oh yeah… your friends and family will be speechless, other than the Oooh’s and Ahhh’s!  

What you’ll need:

one loaf of garlic bread.. either store bought OR made by YOU! 

2-3 cups of fully cooked/prepared and fully sauced spaghetti

1 egg

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 tbsp. of butter.. melted

2 tsp. garlic powder (fresh chopped garlic is optional)

a dash of oregano.. to taste

1 lb. block of soft mozzarella.. sliced into 8-10 equally thick slices

Directions:

In a med bowl, combine the olive oil and the butter with the oregano.. melt until mixed…

Add the egg into the spaghetti, and gently fold together until fully combined.,

Now, slice the bread into evenly thick slices (approx. 1″ or so)

Carefully remove some of the bread from each slice, creating a “well” in the center.. **MAKING SURE NOT TO MAKE A HOLE THROUGH THE BREAD.. JUST A WELL THAT WILL HOLD YOUR SPAGHETTI!  DON’T REMOVE BREAD ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SLICE.

Now fill that hole with a generous amount of spaghetti…

Brush the edges with the olive oil/butter mixture…

Top each piece of stuffed bread with a slice of mozzarella…

Bake on a sheet pan, at 350 degrees.. for approx. 25 minutes,OR until the spaghetti is firm.  TO prevent the cheese and bread from burning while the spaghetti fully cooks, simply cover the bread with foil when it starts to get dark.

Serve it up nice and hot…

Grab a slice.. or 3, for YOU!

And DIG IN!  ~Enjoy!  🙂

The post ~Spaghetti STUFFED Garlic Bread! first appeared on Oh Bite It.

Where, oh where do I begin?  

Get comfy friends, between this to-die-for recipe, and the incredible, Italian handcrafted Lagostina Lasagnera cookware that made it possible.. there’s a lot to chat about.  And you’re not going to want to miss a thing.. trust me!  🙂  Let’s just say… one of these top-quality ‘Lasagnera’ pans, sold in Williams-Sonoma a ($199.00 value) will be one of yours.. so get ready.

Let’s start with this cookware.. and end with the recipe, shall we?!  Okay.  

I’m sure most of you are well aware of Lagostina!  If not, let me just say that when you think of the definition of quality cookware, ..this time-tested brand far exceeds that definition!  Check this out (YES, you’re looking at a hand crafted cherry wood lid) :

    Hand crafted in Italy

·         14” x 8.5” Lasagna pan made of 18/10 stainless steel

·         Cherry wood & stainless steel lid features double wall construction

·         Aethetically pleaseing to move from oven to table serving

·         Ergonomic and elegant cast stainless handles

Found at Williams-Sonoma right here >> Lagostina Heritage Lasagnera!

This recipe seriously wouldn’t have been possible without the exceptional quality of Lagostina. I’m talking about sticky syrup, baked sugar, and melty cheese.. ALL TOGETHER in one pan.  And let me just say.. after baking, serving, and cooling off, ..not ONE spot of stickiness remained… washing it clean took 2 minutes, and was effortless.  This isn’t just cookware, it’s a work of art, bling for your kitchen.  From oven to table, class meets function and beauty meets practicality in one deliciously incredible culinary collision.

Now for the recipe:

I really wanted to put this cookware to the test, so I combined all of our typical sticky snacking food nightmares (syrup, sugar, & cheese) into what turned out to be an absolutely amazing dish.  This ‘Lasagnera’ pan is so versatile that it can be used for both classic Italian dishes as well as non-traditional fare as well.  From savory to sweet, there’s no amount of creativity that this pan can’t bring to life.  As proven here, with this savory/sweet oh-so-succulent one pan wonder!

Each buttery biscuit is stuffed with seasoned sausage, creamy cinnamon-swirled cream cheese, and melty mountains of mozzarella.  Oh Lawd.  We’re not done, nope!  As if that wasn’t enough, I drizzled the whole shebang with buttery syrup and generous cinnamon sugar sprinkles.  

Sink down deep between the warm, fluffy, buttery biscuit layers to find savory sausage, melty mozzarella, and creamy cheese.. HEAVEN on a plate!

Everything we know and love about classic french toast flavors, have been taken to levels never seen before!  You’re one pan, 15 minutes, and only a small handful of ingredients away from this epic goodness.  

What you’ll need:

2 cans of pillsbury grands flaky layers biscuits (8 count).. you will have a few left over

2 – (8 count) boxes of Jimmy Dean FULLY COOKED sausage patties.. you will have a few left over

1 lb. block of soft mozzarella

1 – 8 oz. block of cream cheese.. room temp.

1/2 cup cinnamon/sugar mixed to taste

1 stick butter.. melted with 1/2 cup of syrup

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the syrup…

in another small bowl, mix the cream cheese with the cinnamon, just until it’s swirled…

..and pour a small amount into the bottom of the pan, spreading it evenly just to coat.  RESERVE THE REST OF THE BUTTER!

Split each biscuit gently with your fingers, and carefully spread an even layer of the cream cheese onto the bottom half…

Top it with one sausage patty…

Slice the mozzarella into approx. 1/8″ thick slices…

And a add a slice of 2 of mozzarella on top of the sausage…

Place the top half of the biscuit onto the cheese, and place them into the pan…

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for approx. 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden, then remove and drizzle the reserved butter/syrup mixture all over the tops….

Now cover, and continue to bake for another 8 minutes or so, until the biscuits are fully cooked, and the cheese is melted.  ***(keep in mind, the bottom half of the biscuit will never be as dry and fluffy as the top half… if this bothers you, simply omit the bottom half of the biscuit from the recipe.)***

While they’re warm, sprinkle the tops with some cinnamon/sugar …optional.

Serve nice and hot…

…with a drizzle of syrup just to drive home that authentic french toast experience!  ~Enjoy! 🙂

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF THESE AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL PANS..  follow Lagostina on social media right here, and comment below ” I followed ”  >>

LAGOSTINA ON FACEBOOK > LAGOSTINA ON INSTAGRAM > LAGOSTINA ON YOUTUBE > LAGOSTINA ON PINTEREST

.. THAT’S IT!  One of you will be the chosen winner by Sunday, OCTOBER 1, 2017!  **GOOD LUCK!

*I received one Lagostina pan in exchange for this post .. all opinions are my own.

The post ~Stuffed French Toast Biscuit Bake — featuring the Lagostina Lasagnera pan! first appeared on Oh Bite It.