Simply Chili

This chili is a definite crowd pleaser.  The great thing about this recipe, besides its flexibility is that it's very simple, and will impress your guests so much they will be begging you for the recipe.  So here it is! :D

INGREDIENTS

 

1 Pound Ground Beef (you may substitute with Ground Turkey or a Vegetarian substitute)

2 Cans Diced Tomatoes (Mexican style, stewed)

1 Can Chili Beans

1 Can Refried Beans (Jalapeno or Vegetarian)

1 Medium Onion (optional)

2 Cloves Garlic (optional)

1 Bell Pepper

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder (you may add more if you like the heat)

1/2 Tablespoon Chili Pepper Flakes (optional)

Your favorite salsa for added flavor (optional)

1 Teaspoon Sugar (to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, saute onions and garlic.  Add ground beef and stir till browned.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Let the chili cook through, then taste.  If it needs more flavor, add some more salsa.  If it needs more spice, add more chili powder.

If you're making a larger batch, add 1 can of Chili Beans for every 2 cans of Diced Tomatoes.

All there's left to do now is serve it and enjoy. ^^

Easy huh?  And it only takes about 30 minutes to throw this delicious dish together.  So, if you're a busy body, this is a great recipe to keep under your belt for a quick meal.  It's perfect for picnics, Bar-B-Qs and just about everything in between.  Also, be sure to keep some leftovers for yourself because the next day it tastes absolutely fantastic!

Vanilla Cream Cheese Triangle Recipe

Here's the recipe I had promised.  Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

3 oz  Cream Cheese

2 Tbls  Butter, cold

2 Cups  Original Bisquick Mix

1/3 Cup  Milk

1  Egg yolk

1 Package (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened

1/3 Cup  Sugar

1/2 tsp  Vanilla Extract

1 Egg white, slightly beaten

2 Tbls  Sliced Almonds

2 tsp  Sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. In medium bowl, cut 3-oz package of cream cheese and the butter into Bisquick mix, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in milk and egg yolk.

3. Place dough on surface well dusted with Bisquick mix; gently roll in Bisquick mix to coat. Knead 10 times. Roll dough into 16x8-inch rectangle.  Cut dough into 8 rectangles.

4. In small bowl, mix 8-oz package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and the vanilla extract until smooth.

5. Spread cream cheese filling onto each rectangle to within 1/4 inch of edge; carefully fold dough over filling, and lightly pinch edges to seal.

6. Brush each rectangle with egg whites. Sprinkle with almonds and 2 teaspoons sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake about 14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cold. Cover; refrigerate any remaining triangles.

**Main recipe courtesy of my handy Betty Crocker app**

Impress your friends and family with these delicious cream cheese delights.  They'll think you bought it from the local bakery :9

Vanilla Cream Cheese Triangles

This was from a few months ago, but still worth sharing.  Around the holiday season I stocked piled a bunch of ingredients, and of course had an abundance of leftovers.  So, I pulled out my handy Betty Crocker app to see what kinds of recipes I could whip together using my leftovers.  All you have to do is input what ingredients you have and it will pop up with all the recipes that contain those ingredients.  Convenient, huh?  I found this fairly simple recipe for Almond Cream Cheese Triangles.  I didn't want to go out and buy almond extract, so I substituted it for vanilla extract and it turned out great!

The recipe has you cutting through the butter, cream cheese and bisquick with a pastry mixer until the dough is crumbly.  But....I didn't have a pastry mixer at the time so I had to use two butter knives!  I was pulling them through the dough for about 45 minutes just to get it to the right consistency, haha.  After that it was pretty smooth sailings.  I folded the dough over the vanilla and cream cheese filling and cut them into triangles.  After that I brushed egg whites on the tops for a glistening finish, sprinkled some sugar and topped each triangle with almonds.  Into the oven they went and less than 15 minutes later, these beautiful cream cheese triangles were cooling down and waiting to be devoured.

I cut one triangle apart to get a good look at the inside before basking in its deliciousness, and it looked super good!  I took the first bite and was amazed at how great it turned out.  The filling was still creamy and the warm pastry made everything melt in my mouth.

This recipe can make about 8 - 9 regular sized triangles, and they didn't last more than 2 days before we ate them all!  Next batch, I will cut them smaller to make more bite sized delights.

**I'll post the recipe soon**

"Indulge in your every craving"