Eat Cake For Dinner

June 24, 2017

Baked Chicken Ranch Taquitos

Taquitos are one of my favorite, go-to, recipes. They are so easy to make and my whole family loves them. I could probably eat taquitos almost every day and never get sick of them. Same goes for ranch dressing. I always have ranch on hand and I eat it with so many things.

My latest creation are these totally mouthwatering taquitos . . . I combined Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dip with shredded chicken, cheese, green onion and a little chili powder and rolled the creamy filling up inside soft corn tortillas.

I always bake my taquitos. They get plenty crisp by baking, so there is no need to fry them. Just spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little kosher salt and that is all you need for a super tasty and crisp taquito.

It's amazing that a few simple ingredients can create SO MUCH flavor. These are seriously so good and both kids and adults love them. They even taste great when they are re-heated the next day. Serve with additional Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dip and you will have one happy family.

Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dip has no artificial preservatives and is made with simple ingredients like sour cream, buttermilk, garlic and onion. That is why it tastes like homemade ranch. You can find this delicious ranch dip along with other Litehouse products in the refrigerated part of the produce section at your local grocery store.

Click HERE to see what other amazing Litehouse products are available.

Baked Chicken Ranch Taquitos
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)

2 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie works great)
1/2 c. Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dip
2 Tbl. chopped green onions
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp. chili powder, opt.
9-10 (6''-7'') corn tortillas
cooking spray
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together shredded chicken, Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dip, chopped green onions, shredded cheese and chili powder.

Heat tortillas in the microwave for 25-30 seconds or until pliable. Divide chicken filling between warmed tortillas and roll up tightly. Place, seam-side down, on baking sheet. Spray tops of taquitos lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until crisp. Serve plain or with additional Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dip. Serves 3-4.

This post is sponsored by Litehouse Dressing. As always, all opinions expressed herein are my own.

June 17, 2017

Rocky Road Brownies

I originally posted this recipe back in 2012 and I have now been making these brownies for 10 or 11 years. They are seriously one of MY FAVORITE BROWNIES EVER. The brownie is so soft and chewy, the marshmallow layer is sticky and amazing and the chocolate icing is rich and creamy. The edges are my favorite.

Here is my original post from 2012 . . .

This brownie recipe was one of the first recipes that got me into baking (5 or 6 years ago). One of my co-workers, Liz, would make these every once in a while and bring them to work for us to munch on. They were one of the best brownies I had ever eaten. I was used to store-bought brownies and box mix brownies and had never tried a "from scratch" version. I was so impressed that a young woman (like myself at the time) could create such a yummy treat. I was used to Mom's and Grandma's making treats, not young women. I guess you could say that's what started it all - my foodie obsession!

I started making these weekly, then monthly, then here and there. Eventually, I kind of forgot about them and moved onto other recipes. Well, at work the other day, the same day I had chili cheese potatoes, I also had a marshmallow brownie for dessert. It was chewy, gooey, very rich and was topped with a creamy frosting.

I just couldn't get over how good they were and I had to find out who made them and get the recipe. I got the recipe and couldn't wait to make them as soon as I got home. I decided to check the recipe to Liz's. It was the exact same recipe, no wonder I LOVED these brownies so much. I hadn't made them for a few years and had forgotten what was in them. It reminded me how much I loved them. The only difference was Liz makes homemade frosting and the ones from work had store-bought frosting. Whichever you prefer, they will be AMAZING.

If you have never tried a brownie recipe from scratch, let this be the first one.

Rocky Road Brownies

adapted from: Liz M.
(Printable Recipe)

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

2 c. sugar

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

chopped walnuts or pecans, opt.
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 (10 oz.) bag mini marshmallows

Icing:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c. evaporated milk, more or less
1 tsp. vanilla

3 c. powdered sugar

1 container store-bought milk chocolate frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine melted butter, sugar and cocoa powder. Add the vanilla, salt, eggs and nuts. Last, stir in the flour. Whisk together until completely smooth and well combined. You can either use a hand mixer or a whisk for this. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the marshmallows. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed up. Allow to cool and then spread homemade icing or store-bought frosting over the top.

To make the icing: Using a hand mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and mix until well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy, adding evaporated milk as you go to reach desired consistency.

June 11, 2017

Almond Joy Poke Cake

One of my favorite candy bars is an Almond Joy. There is just something about that gooey coconut center covered in creamy chocolate that gets me every time. So, when I was feeling like an Almond Joy, I decided to turn that yummy candy bar into a decadent cake.

This cake totally tastes like an Almond Joy.

The base is a simple chocolate cake made with a box mix. Devil's Food is my chocolate cake mix of choice lately. I really like the flavor of it, so that is what I used. Then, the middle layer is a gooey, sticky and totally divine coconut mixture. I tried the filling using cream of coconut and I tried it using sweetened condensed milk. The cream of coconut will give you more coconut flavor, but it really is delicious both ways.

To top it off, I made my go-to Easy Chocolate Icing. I always have the ingredients on hand and it comes together super fast. Don't forget the sliced almonds on top and there you have it . . . An irresistible cake that will satisfy your chocolate craving.

You might also like:

Almond Joy Magic Cookie Bars

Chocolate Whoopie Pie Cake

Better Than Anything Zucchini Poke Cake

Almond Joy Poke Cake
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)

1 (15.25 oz.) box Devil's Food Cake Mix
Ingredients on the box to make cake (eggs, oil, water)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
or 1 (15 oz.) can cream of coconut
2 c. shredded coconut
3/4 c. sliced almonds

Chocolate Icing
4 Tbl. unsalted butter
4 Tbl. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbl. milk

Prepare cake mix and bake according to package directions for a 9x13-inch cake. When cake is done, while it is still warm, poke holes all over the cake using a toothpick or a fork. Stir together sweetened condensed milk or cream of coconut and the shredded coconut and pour/spread over the warm cake. It will be thick. Allow to cool. Some of the mixture will sink down into the holes in the cake. When cake is cool, make the chocolate icing.

For the Chocolate Icing: Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the cocoa powder until no lumps remain. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir together until smooth and creamy and immediately pour over the cooled cake. Spread out evenly. Top with sliced almonds and allow icing to harden. I like to refrigerate the cake overnight, so it's nice and firm and easier to cut into slices.

June 9, 2017

Menu Plan Saturday #108

SUNDAY

White Chicken Chili Baked Taquitos

MONDAY

Creamy Chicken, Veggie and Rice Casserole

TUESDAY

Crispy Chicken and Roasted Garlic Flatbread Pizza

WEDNESDAY

Lighter Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

THURSDAY

Ground Turkey Tacos

FRIDAY

Mexi Chicken

SATURDAY

Menu-Plan Day and Take-Out Night

FOR DESSERT

Spumoni Cake

June 4, 2017

Birthday Cake Muddy Buddies

Meet my new current obsession . . . Muddy Buddies. Can you believe that I had never had Muddy Buddies until my friend, Shanelle, brought these into work one day? Sure, I have seen Muddy Buddy recipes all over the place, but they didn't sound that amazing to me. Boy, was I so wrong. I have been missing out - BIG TIME.

I seriously LOVE these Birthday Cake Muddy Buddies. The flavor, the texture, the pretty sprinkles and everything. White chocolate covered cereal and marshmallows that are coated in a combination of powdered sugar and cake mix and finished off with some rainbow sprinkles . . . BEST TREAT EVER :) The addition of marshmallows is genius and when the soft and chewy marshmallows are mixed with the crunchy cereal and creamy white chocolate, it is sooooo addicting.

I could not stop eating this incredible treat. It makes a really big batch, so if you are making this, you might want to plan on sharing with a lot of people, because you will want to eat the entire bowl.

What is your favorite flavor combination of Muddy Buddies? I am dying to try out more versions.

You might also like:

Camper Crunchies

Mom's Coconut Almond Chex Mix

Oh Henry Bars

Birthday Cake Muddy Buddies
adapted from: Shanelle S.
(Printable Recipe)

1 (12 oz.) box Rice Chex cereal (12 cups)
2 (12 oz.) bags white chocolate chips
1 Tbl. shortening or coconut oil
1/2 (10 oz.) bag mini marshmallows, or more if desired
1/4 c. rainbow sprinkles
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. dry funfetti cake mix

Add cereal and marshmallows to a very large bowl; set aside. Pour the white chocolate chips and shortening into a medium, microwave-safe, bowl and microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir until smooth and creamy. Immediately pour over cereal/marshmallow mixture and stir together until all the cereal is evenly coated in white chocolate. Stir in the rainbow sprinkles.

Combine powdered sugar and cake mix and gradually add to cereal mixture while the white chocolate is still wet. Stir together until all the cereal and marshmallows are evenly coated in sugar. You may or may not use all of the powdered sugar mixture. Add enough until the cereal is coated to your preference. Allow white chocolate to set and serve.