Yummy Recipe Thursday! (Toasted Tortellini Bites)

Hello everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Thursday! I apologize for the delay in getting this posted this week but after you try these delicious Toasted Tortellini Bites you won’t even care anymore. If you’re a fan of Toasted Ravioli, like I am, then you’re definitely going to want to give these a try. There’s so much flavor packed into these little bite-sized tortellini that you just might think you’re in paradise after eating them. These are perfect for dipping in your favorite marinara or alfredo sauce but if you really want to elevate the flavor, I recommend dipping them in the sauce from the Bang Bang Chicken recipe I posted back in February. These are definitely perfect as an appetizer if you’re hosting some quests but they also work great as a main course with a vegetable or salad on the side. Go ahead and give these a try for yourself and make sure you stock up on all of the ingredients because you’ll definitely be making these again. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss any new posts.

Toasted Tortellini Bites

• 1 (9 oz) pkg Three Cheese Tortellini, refrigerated
• 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 large Eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to the package instructions; drain well.
2. While the tortellini is cooking prepare three separate shallow plates or pie pans with the flour in the first dish, the beaten eggs in the second dish, and the Panko breadcrumbs combined with the parmesan in the third dish.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
4. Working in batches, dredge the cooked tortellini in the flour, then dip them into the eggs, and finally dredge them in the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture, pressing to coat.
5. Add the tortellini to the hot oil in the skillet, about a dozen at a time, and cook them until they are evenly golden and crispy, about 1-2 minutes; transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess grease.
6. Serve immediately with marinara sauce, or other sauce of your choosing, and garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Bacon Wrapped Tater Bombs)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. I have a great treat for everyone today. Occasionally my boss brings in some little sausages that she wraps in bacon, dusts with brown sugar, and then bakes until they’re done. They’re always a huge hit and highly requested. Recently I found this recipe that I have for you today and it reminded me of those little sausages so of course I had to give it a try. The brown sugar caramelizes nicely on the bacon giving plain tater tots a sweet crispy twist and of course the cheese sandwiched between the bacon and tater tot just elevates the flavor even more. My only warning about these is that they will disappear quickly and you’ll be requested to make them anytime you have a get-together with friends and family. Give these a try and you’ll see what I mean. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single new post.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Bombs

• 1/2 bag Frozen Tater Tots, at room temperature
• 1 pkg (8 oz) Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut into 1/4-inch squares
• 1 pkg (16 oz) Bacon, cut in half
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• Toothpicks

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. Working one at a time, cut a tater tot nearly in half to open it up, sandwich a small cheese square between the 2 tater tot halves, then wrap the whole thing in bacon and secure it with a toothpick; repeat with the remaining tater tots.
3. Roll each tater tot in the brown sugar until thoroughly coated and place them seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake the tater tots in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes (depends on the thickness of bacon), turning each tater tot half way through cooking; serve hot with dipping sauce of your choice or just as they are.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Bacon Wrapped Peanut Butter Jalapenos)

Welcome friends and food lovers to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a simple, slightly out of the ordinary, but extremely delicious recipe. If you’ve followed my blog awhile you may remember back in September 2013 I posted a recipe for Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos which were stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon then grilled or smoked. Well recently I discovered this recipe for a version that’s stuffed with peanut butter instead of cream cheese. At first I wasn’t sure if they were going to be any good but I decided while doing a batch of the cream cheese stuffed jalapenos that I’d prepare a few of these peanut butter ones as well. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how good they are as were my guests who couldn’t decide if they liked the peanut butter stuffed ones or the cream cheese stuff ones more. I definitely recommend giving these a try next time you’ve got friends and family over for a barbecue or other gathering. They’re just as good baked in the oven as they are grilled or smoked. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss any new recipe posts.

Bacon Wrapped Peanut Butter Jalapenos

• 8 Jalapeno Peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
• 8 slices Bacon, cut in half

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Fill each jalapeno half with peanut butter then wrap the jalapeno with half a slice of bacon securing it with a toothpick; arrange the wrapped jalapenos on a baking sheet.
3. Bake the jalapenos in the preheated oven until the bacon is dark brown, about 25 minutes.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Mini Lasagna Cups)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. After a couple of hectic weeks off, I’m finally back with a delicious recipe to share. I recently found this recipe for an interesting twist on lasagna and I was most definitely not disappointed. Texturally it’s a little different than basic lasagna because you have a crunchy shell rather than soft pasta but all of the flavors of traditional lasagna are there. If you have a slightly different that traditional style of lasagna that you make, give that a try using this method of preparation and I’m sure it’ll be just as good. No matter how you make it I’m sure it’ll please your friends, family, or anyone else that you make it for. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Mini Lasagna Cups

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Italian Sausage Links, casing removed
• 1 cup Marinara Sauce
• 1 1/2 cups Ricotta Cheese
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 24 2-inch Won Ton Wrappers
• 1 1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley Leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F; lightly oil a 12-cup standard muffin tin or coat with nonstick spray.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat and then stir in marinara sauce.
4. Season the ricotta cheese with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
5. Fit a wonton wrapper into each of the 12 muffin tins, pressing carefully to make sure there is an opening in the center.
6. Fill each cup with 2 tsp ricotta cheese; top with 2 tsp marinara mixture and 1 Tbsp mozzarella cheese then repeat with one more layer (including another wonton wrapper).
7. Place into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the wonton wrappers are golden brown.
8. Serve hot, garnished with parsley, if desired.