Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

 

 

This was another dish that I made for my Bacon Potluck. Thanks to my slow cooker, it was easy to throw together and it cooked while I  cleaned up. It was a hit-- Of course it was, you can't beat the combination of bacon, ranch, and chicken!!

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

 

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 package ranch dressing mix
• 1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 c. Real Bacon Bits
• 1 pound of pasta-- I used Rotini

Instructions

1. Spray the inside of your slow cooker with non stick cooking spray. Place chicken breast inside.
2. Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, garlic, ranch dressing mix, and bacon bits in a small bowl. Pour over chicken.
3. Cook on high 3 1/2 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
4. When chicken is done cook pasta according to directions.
5. Serve the chicken mixture over the pasta. 

Dinosaur Party Snacks

 

I had a lot of fun putting together my son's DINO-mite party,

 especially when it came to coming up with clever dinosaur snacks that I knew the kids would eat.

 

 

I mixed a bag of mini pretzel rods and the honey wheat pretzels in a bowl and called them

"Dinosaur Bones."

 

I put a clean plastic dinosaur into a plastic cup and filled it with water and froze them.

I put the dinosaur filled ice cubes in a bowl of Hawaiian Punch to make

"Dinosaur Punch."

The kids loved it!

 

 

Bugles were

"Dinosaur Toe Nails."

 

 

 

Every kid loves goldfish so I had to figure out a way to incorporate them...

"Pteranodon's Favorite Food--Fish"

 

 

Jelly Beans were

"Dinosaur Eggs."

 

 

Potato Chips were

"Dinosaur Scales"

 

I had a ton of Conversation Hearts left over from Valentine's Day which was the week before, so I decided to put the out as

"Dinosaur Hearts."

 

 

My son loves guacamole so I decided to use it to make a

"Dinosaur Swamp"

out of it.

I just put the guacamole in a bowl and added some clean plastic dinosaurs to stomp around in it.

 

 

I made these simple

"Dinosaur Nests"

out of jelly beans and egg cartons.

 

 

I made Dinosaur Chocolates...

and lollipops.

What kid wouldn't love these?

 

 

 Last, but not least, my

"Volcano Cakes."

I love the way these came out and they were a big hit with the kids!



 

You'll Go Crazy for these Caramel Bacon Buns-- Super Easy to Make Too!

 

My girlfriend made these for the Bacon Potluck that I hosted last week.

They were absolutely amazing and she said this was one of the easiest things she ever made!

We enjoyed them for dessert, but these would be great for brunch as well!

Caramel Bacon Buns

Ingredients:
1 can of 10 Buttermilk Pillsbury Biscuits
1 lb of Cooked, Crispy, and Crumbled Bacon
1 jar of Caramel Sauce (about 1.5 cups)

Special Equipment:
2 standard Cupcake/Muffin pans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take one Muffin pan and place the other aside.
Fill the bottom of 10 of the cups nicely with caramel sauce.
Layer the Caramel with a good amount of bacon pieces and top it with a biscuit.
Place the second muffin pan on top of the biscuits, this will keep them from puffing up too much.
Bake them for 12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.
Let them cool.
Place a baking sheet or  plate over the muffin pan and flip it over. For the most part, the buns should easily pop out. If necessary, use a butter knife to give the buns a little push out.
Don't leave any bacon behind! Be sure to scoop out whatever bacon was left behind and add it to the top of the buns.

Enjoy these sweet and salty ooey gooey caramelly bacon buns!

What is Your Favorite Kind of Grilled Cheese?

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love grilled cheese, as do my kids! I cannot live without it, I make it at least once a week for lunch and on occasion for an easy and quick dinner. A few months ago, I hosted a Grilled Cheese Potluck for my play group. It was a lot of fun and we got to try a lot of different combinations. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love regular grilled cheese, but my favorite kind of grilled cheese is made with Munster cheese. The Munster melts so nicely and it tastes so good! My youngest son's favorite is Grilled Ham and American Cheese. My oldest loves both, Grilled Cheese with Bacon and  Pizza Grilled Cheese, check out the link for the recipe, it is delicious! My husband likes Grilled Cheese made with Gruyere cheese, which I tried for the first time when we went to Bonaire, so I call it a Dutch Grilled Cheese. I love that we all have different favorites, it allows me to make Grilled Cheese often because I can always mix it up.

This is my ULTIMATE favorite when it comes to grilled cheese-- Munster Cheese on Panini Bread!

You definitely need to try it sometime, it is awesome!

What's your favorite kind of grilled cheese?

 

Cheddar Bacon Dip A.K.A. CRACK Dip--- YES, It's THAT Good!

A few years ago, I came across this recipe. When I saw the words Crack Dip, it immediately became a must try! I made it for the very next barbeque/party that we went to... It was a HUGE hit! Since then, it has become a favorite, not in only in my house, but wherever I bring it. The best part about this recipe is that it is so quick and easy to make! Of course, I felt the need to make it for this years Bacon Potluck Play Date at my house.

 

 

Cheddar Bacon Dip (Crack Dip)

16 ounces Sour Cream
1 Packet Ranch dressing/dip mix
3 ounces of real bacon bits
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese

Mix together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate over night so that the flavors can combine. Serve with chips or vegetables. This dip is absolutely delicious on hamburgers, steak, and potatoes too!!

Elvis Blondies-- Peanut Butter Banana Bacon Blondies

 

These Peanut Butter Banana Blondies are drizzled with a Maple Glaze and Sprinkled with Bacon! If you like the Sweet and Salty combo, you'll love these Bars! This recipe is pretty healthy minus the bacon. The bars do not have any sugar added to them. I personally would like them to be a little bit sweeter, I think next time I will add some honey or a bit of sugar to the bars mixture.

 

Elvis Blondies

Ingredients:

For the Topping: 

6 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped-- I buy precooked Bacon Pieces to save time :)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

 

For the Bars:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 

1 1/2 bananas, mashed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Make the Topping:

Combine the powdered sugar and maple syrup in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

Make the Bars:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 square baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper.

Stir the peanut butter and bananas together in a large bowl.

Add the oil, milk, and vanilla, and stir until well combined.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until soft in the middle but beginning to brown around the edges.

Cool completely. Top with the maple glaze and bacon. Cut into bars and serve.

 

Enjoy!

May Your Day be Touched with a Bit of Irish Luck...