Gourmet-Look-a-like Pasta Salad

Easy enough, but super good! Makes a large bowl full

INGREDIENTS

1 bag/box spiral pasta
1 bottle italian dressing
1 can sliced olives
1 carton grape tomatoes
1 zucchini, chopped into pieces
1/2 bunch green onions chopped, or 1/2 purple onion chopped
1 cup chopped peppers (red, or green, or a mix of both)
Half bag of shredded carrots (saves you time)
1 cup feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil pasta according to package

2. Mix all ingredients together

3. Chill until serving

Creamy Puddin' Salad

What's a "White trash" meal without some Jell-O? This is one of my favorites from a ward cookbook I have. Change up flavors and fruit as you like.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups water
1 small box Jell-O tapioca pudding
1 small box orange Jell-O
1 small box vanilla pudding
1 tub Cool Whip
2 small cans mandarin oranges
1 can pineapple chunks or tidbits

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring water to boil

2. Stir in puddings and Jell-o until dissolved

3. Chill in a bowl for about 15 minutes, so that it thickens, but isn't set

4. Mix in Cool Whip and fruit

5. Chill

*You can mix up the recipe as you like, strawberry Jell-o with strawberries, lime with pineapple, etc, etc.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

WOW!! Do these not look so good? Have fun with this recipe!  Definitely a yummy surprise. Somebody remember to serve these at my funeral when I die. I don't want funeral potatoes and pork & beans served at my funeral, they may be white trash, but they are gross. I make white trash taste good! :)

**For those concerned about this recipe's origin, a friend told me about the recipe on allrecipes.com....not sure where they got it, and I don't care, it's fun, yummy and worth sharing!!

INGREDIENTS

Prepared cookie dough

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix (You can also use chocolate, if you'd like)
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

2. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

3. Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer to break up. Add the cake mix, water, and oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake (not the cookie dough ball) comes clean, about 18-20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Be sure not to overbake...you want the cookie dough gooey, not cooked.

Frost them as you like!

German Pancakes

Another Utah staple. So easy to make and so delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Put butter in 9 x 13 pan and out in in the oven to melt while you prepare the mix

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, milk, eggs and salt. Take out the pan and tilt back and forth to coat the bottom of the pan with the melted butter and then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

3. Bake on center rack in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Top with syrup (Mmm, Buttermilk Syrup is the BEST!), peanut butter, jam, honey, whatever, It's good stuff!!

Green Chile Chicken

I LOVE the green chile chicken from Bajio so I experimented and made my own version that is super simple, and pretty good! You can put it on a salad, in a burrito, enchiladas, quesadillas or even just plain on rice. Kind of a sweet chicken with a mexican twist

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (my latest trick is to just tear apart a $5 cooked rotisserie chicken so I don't have to cook it!  So great)
1-2 tablespoons butter
2 small cans chopped green chilis
1/2 cup salsa or enchilada sauce (your choice...I use green salsa)
1 onion, sliced
3-4 tbls tbls brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
cumin, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook chicken and onions in butter until chicken is cooked thoroughly

2. Add the remaining ingredients, let simmer for a while and taste. Add more sauce, spices or sugar as needed.

YUM!

Chocolate Cake in a Mug

This is a from a good family friend and sounds DIVINE! I have made something similar and I'm sure this will not disappoint. Thanks, Kelly!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
1 large coffee mug
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
small splash of vanilla
3 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Spray mug with cooking spray, then mix together all the ingredients in the mug, in the order given: first mix all dry ingredients, add egg and mix, then milk, oil and vanilla and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Place mug in microwave, and cook on high for 3 minutes (more or less depending on your microwave). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed. It will not overflow. Allow to cool a little then eat it with a spoon directly from the mug, or tip out onto a plate.

Yummy Chicken Burgers

I don't know what else to call these, but they were the perfect summer dinner.

INGREDIENTS
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (however many you need!)
1 KC Masterpiece bottle of 20-Minute Garlic Balsamic marinade (or your favorite chicken marinade)
medium onion
1 tbls butter
1-2 avocados
hamburger buns
mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS

1. Pound chicken with a meat mallet to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick

2. Place chicken in a container with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes

3. Warm up grill and then grill chicken about 7-8 minutes on each side

4. Slice the onion and then saute the butter until golden brown and tender

5. Mash up the avocados, add salt and pepper as desired

6. Spread mayonnaise on buns, then avocado. Top with chicken and sauteed onions. Enjoy!

We also melted cheese on the chicken for a little extra flavor.