Cheesy Chicken Potato Skillet

I'm just a little bit addicted to Pinterest at the moment (no, it doesn't take all my time...just most it). The good thing about it though, is that I've tried so many different recipes that I've found on there. I'm actually quite proud of myself for trying new things- it's not like me to try something until after Emily tries it and promises it's edible.

This recipe is one of the ones I found on there. And I even found it on a new food blog to follow! This was not only good, but pretty easy. I have made a few changes though to make it even simpler.

So here you go- enjoy this cheesy, potato-y, chicken-y goodness. Oh and if that wasn't enough- it also has bacon in it! Anything is good with bacon.

As a funny side note- while eating this, my daughter informed me, "I wuuuv bacon!" I've raised her right. :)

Recipe Source: Here

What you'll need:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (or 3-4 c. frozen, diced hashbrowns)
4-6 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 T. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 c. shredded cheese
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Cajun seasoning


Directions:
If peeling and dicing your potatoes- cut them up and boil them until soft. (If using hash browns, wait to add them until later.)

Cook your bacon in a large frying pan (or if you'd prefer, you can bake it as well- bake at 400 F for 17 minutes). Once crispy, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cooled, crumble it.

Remove most of the grease from the pan and add your cubed chicken. Season with garlic salt, pepper and cajun seasoning. Heat until cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside with bacon.

If using hash browns, add your hash browns to the pan and heat until almost cooked through. Add your green pepper and onion. If necessary, add some extra oil to saute it. Cook until heated through.

If you boiled your potatoes, add them here once the green pepper and onion have been cooked through.

Once warmed, add your chicken and bacon back in and mix to combine.

Top with 2 c. shredded cheese and wait for the cheese to melt.

Serve warm.

This is really good and with the hash browns- it makes the recipe much faster and you have one less pot to clean.

Enjoy!

Peach Crisp with a Maple Cream Sauce

I had a bunch of fresh peaches that needed to be used and I searched and searched the web for a yummy recipe to make something warm and peachy. Everything was cobbler. I didn't want a cobbler. So I gave up and went to my Pioneer Woman cookbook to see if she had anything in there. And Voila! She did not disappoint!

The only problem was that it called for maple syrup- the real maple syrup. I really, really don't like maple syrup. So I almost gave up and kept looking, but I decided to try it anyways. I even went out and bought the real maple syrup stuff- you know the expensive stuff that is like NINE BUCKS A BOTTLE! Ya, ridiculous. But...it was worth it. Mmmm, was it ever! Oh- and I even got to use my new pastry blender- very exciting indeed (now I can tell my hubby that it isn't a useless kitchen tool taking up space!)

What you'll need:

5 to 6 whole fresh peaches
1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 t. ground cinnamon (I always use a bit more...I heart cinnamon)
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
1 stick butter
1/2 whole lemon
7 T. real maple syrup, divided (not just regular syrup, remember- the expensive stuff!)
1-1/2 c. whipping cream
3 T. light corn syrup


Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt using a fancy-schmany pastry blender (or if you aren't cool like that and your husband also gives you guff about useless kitchen tools, use a fork). Cut the butter into small pieces first and gradually blend into the flour mixture.

Peel and slice your peaches into a bowl. Add the zest from half of a lemon. Squeeze the juice from that half and stir in with the peaches and the zest. Add 2 T. maple syrup to the peaches and stir well.

Pour your peach mixture into a small pan (8x8 or so) and cover evenly with the crumb topping. Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until crisp and brown on top.

Then, just let it sit while you smell it's goodness. This stuff smells heavenly. I almost didn't want to wait for the maple cream sauce to cool and just about at the entire thing without it!

But if you can wait that long- here are the directions for the Maple Cream Sauce:

Pour your whipping cream into a saucepan. Add 5 T. maple syrup, 3 T corn syrup and stir over moderate heat until thickened and reduced by about one-third (about 15 minutes).

Well, if you are like me, your sauce will have reduced by one-third, not because you cooked it long enough, but because you cooked it hot enough that it boiled all over your stove! Whoops! That was NOT fun to clean up. So, don't be like me, and pay attention to this sauce and don't let it boil all over your stove and create a giant, sticky mess.

Refrigerate your mixture until cold and thick and then drizzle on your warm, peachy goodness. Then devour, but don't forget to share.