Tilapia Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

Back in January I did Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 exercise program and also tried doing her MEAL PLAN that goes along with it on most days. Anyway, this is my VERSION of her Mahi mahi tacos. It's super yummy and tastes so FRESH. It's the perfect spring meal if you ask me!

Tilapia Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

1/2 to 1 pound tilapia, cut into bite-size chunks

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 ripe mango, cut into pieces

1 small avocado, cut into pieces

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/3 to 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon orange juice

Place the fish in a bowl and then combine the lime juice, orange juice, garlic, and seasonings and pour over fish. Let marinate about 15 minutes.

While fish is marinating, combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside. (Make sure to toss well so the avocado doesn't brown!)

In a frying pan, cook the fish in about 1 teaspoon olive oil and the marinade until completely cooked through and opaque, about 4 or 5 minutes. Serve fish on flour tortillas topped with the mango salsa.

TIP: Another nice addition for serving . . . plain greek yogurt! Try it instead of sour cream for a more tangy taste. Shredded lettuce would also be a great addition.  

Creamy Avocado Pasta

So again, Pinterest is AMAZING! I found 3 or 4 avocado pasta recipes that I liked and came up with my own VERSION. Let me be the first to say that it turned out so YUMMY. Is that bad of me to praise myself like that? Anyway, hope ya like this super SIMPLE dish that is full of FLAVOR! Oh, and this would also be a great GREEN dish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your fam!

Creamy Avocado Pasta

6 to 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 sprig fresh basil
2 small avocados, peeled and pitted (or 1 really big one!)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons sour cream (I used light)
Thinly sliced green onion, to garnish

Start cooking your spaghetti in salted water in a pot according to package directions.

In a blender or food processor, blend together the lime juice, oil, basil, avocado, s and p, cheese, and sour cream, until mostly smooth.

Drain cooked spaghetti, then put back in the pot. Toss with the creamy avocado mixture and then put in individual serving bowls (or on plates). Sprinkle with more cheese and some green onion. Serves 2 or 3.

TIP: This is probably best served right after making. Leftovers may start turning brown and might not look so appetizing. Another addition that might be good—toasted pine nuts!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Here's another soup to keep you WARM! I posted this recipe a year or two ago, but when I made it last week, it was so DELISH that I thought I better share it with you again. I think every time I make this I SWITCH up the ingredients according to whatever I have on hand. I love that it is so VERSATILE!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

3/4 cup wild rice

5 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube

1 to 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/4 cup diced onion

1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed

1 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, cut into chunks

2 cups rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Slivered almonds to garnish (optional)

In a large soup pan, combine the rice with the water and bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Stir in the broccoli, carrots, and onion. Cover and simmer 10 minutes more, or until vegetables and rice are tender. Stir in the condensed soup, cream cheese, and chicken. Cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Thin with water or chicken broth if soup is too thick for your liking. Serve with almonds sprinkled over the top, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TIP: You can totally change this recipe every time you make it. It's also good minus the broccoli and with a cup of sliced celery instead. Or just add some celery and a little less broccoli. Or throw in a cup of corn. Diced bell pepper would probably taste pretty yummy too. So many possibilities! 

CInnamon Explosion French Toast

We love BREAKFAST foods at our house, and occasionally have them for DINNER. This yummy version of FRENCH TOAST is one of those quick dinners we threw together at the last minute. Boy did it turn out SCRUMPTIOUS. It is just bursting with cinnamon flavor—hence the "explosion" description in the recipe title!

Cinnamon Explosion French Toast

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

(Recipe from allrecipes.com)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

5 ounces evaporated milk

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

French Toast
1 loaf unsliced cinnamon bread (we used Cinnamon Burst from Great Harvest)
2 eggs
Milk
Cinnamon
Chopped pecans

For the syrup, combine the all but the milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool for 5 minutes and then stir in milk; set aside until ready to use.

For the whipped cream, beat cream with powdered sugar and cinnamon until stiff peaks form. Put in the fridge until ready to use.

For the French toast, heat a large frying pan or electric skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Slice the bread into 1-inch-thick slices (or 1 1/2 inches if you prefer); set aside. With a fork, beat together the eggs with a desired amount of milk and cinnamon (just like a regular French toast mixture). Dip bread slices in both sides of milk mixture and then cook until nicely browned on each side. Serve with the syrup drizzled over top and a dollop a the whipped cream. Garnish with the pecans.

TIP: If this is TOO much cinnamon for you, just make regular whipped cream without the cinnamon.

Snickers Hot Chocolate

Oh my, is this GOOD! I've been seeing so many fun HOT CHOCOLATE recipes, I decided to come up with my own version. This chocolatey concoction turned out AMAZING—its very decadent and definitely fulfills any desire for DESSERT.

Snickers Hot Chocolate
1 cup hot chocolate (I used a homemade milk chocolate mix made with skim milk)
Fresh whipped cream*
2 miniature Snicker's, chopped (not the fun-size!)
Caramel ice cream topping

Top your cup of hot chocolate with a scoop of cream, the chopped Snickers, and a drizzle of the caramel ice cream topping. Enjoy!

TIP: I made cinnamon whipped cream to go with some cinnamon french toast (that will be posted in a few days). Since it was already made, I just used some of the leftovers instead of whipping more cream. Try whipping 1/2 cup cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. AMAZING!

Nut-Encrusted Chicken

I recently did Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 workout DVDs and 30-day meal plan. This recipe was one of my favorites. It was DELICIOUS. I made a few little adjustments to her recipe, but thanks for SHARING Jillian!  (Sorry for the really terrible photo!)

Nut-Encrusted Chicken
1/2 cup raw almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil, or a little more if needed
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dijon mustard (optional)

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a food processor, combine the almonds, oil, lemon zest and juice, a few squirts of Dijon mustard, rosemary, garlic, and salt. Process until coarsely chopped. Put the chicken in a shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray and pat the nut mixture over each piece to coat. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes or so, depending on thickness of breast halves.

TIP: I used chicken tenders instead of breast halves and they worked out perfect! Serve with a nice veggie salad for a great rounded and healthy meal.

Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

We love SALAD at our house and we love PASTA too, so why not combine them when we can, right? This is the perfect combo of salad—it's FRESH, cool, and crisp. Not to mention, full of FLAVOR!

Fresh Italian Pasta Salad

3 cups mini farfalle pasta (little bow ties)

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup sliced olives (green, black, or a combo)

1 to 1 1/2 cups cubed pepperoni or salami (or both)

1/4 to 1/3 purple onion, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup Bernstein's Cheese & Garlic Italian dressing, plus more if necessary

4 to 5 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and cool. Combine all ingredients except the lettuce in a large bowl and chill until ready to serve. Toss in the lettuce just before serving and add more dressing if salad seems dry.

TIP: Just like most pasta salads, this one is easy to customize for your family! If you don't like peppers, leave them out. You could add things like fresh tomatoes or mushrooms, or even cubes of fresh mozzarella (the marinated balls would be delicious!).

Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes

Apparently it was National PANCAKE Day on Tuesday this week, so I thought I would add ANOTHER pancake recipe to the mix! These CAKES are so easy and crazy good. That's a recipe combination I always LOVE! (OK, so I see that most of my pancake photos appear to be very similar! Sorry about that—I will try to be more creative in the future.)

Cinnamon Applesauce Pancakes
2 cups Bisquick
2 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Preheat a pan and cook the batter like any other pancake batter. Serve with butter and maple syrup on top. Makes about 8 pancakes or so.

TIP: If you like more "thin" pancakes, add more milk gradually to your batter until the desired texture is reached. (I'm a sucker for THICK pancakes!) Also, a nice caramel syrup like they have at Kneader's would be delish on these pancakes though they don't really need it.

Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes

Thanks Pinterest! Is everyone else as obsessed with Pinterest.com as I am? I LOVE all the new recipes I'm finding there! I found this recipe through the AMAZING site and just made a few changes to it for my FAMILY. Hope you like it as much as we did! (Original recipe found on How Sweet It Is blog.) 

Brown Sugar Banana Bread Pancakes

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Vanilla Glaze (optional)

1/2 cup store-bought maple syrup

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir until somewhat smooth. Spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 cup measures of batter on a hot griddle and cook like normal pancakes. Serve hot with syrup or the glaze listed above! Makes about 10 or so pancakes.

To make glaze, combine all ingredients and stir until smooth.

TIP: To make this extra luxurious, try adding some semisweet chocolate chips to the batter. Also, good with cinnamon syrup or other vanilla-flavored syrups.

"Slutty" Brownies

OK, so I've been obsessed with Pinterest and have found SO MANY recipes and fun things I want to try. Well, this recipe seemed SUPER interesting and had to be DELICIOUS, so I just couldn't resist trying it. It's from the blog What's Gaby Cooking. I adjusted the recipe and used a boxed brownie mix instead to make it a little more SIMPLE, but I'm sure hers is just as good!

"Slutty" Brownies
1 box brownie mix for an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch pan
1 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tesapoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 package Oreos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the brownie batter according to package directions and set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips.

Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Press about 2/3 to 3/4 of the cookie dough evenly in the bottom of the pan. (Save the rest to make cookies another day!) Place Oreos over cookie dough to cover. Spread brownie batter evenly over top and then place in oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes and then test with a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, the brownies are done. If it comes out with wet and glossy brownie batter, cook it 5 minutes longer and test again.

NOTE: It took me around an hour to have it bake completely through, however when I went to use my oven the next day, it wouldn't heat properly, so I'm not sure if it was "going out" while baking the brownies. I just kept baking in 5-minute intervals until they were done. Just be careful because you don't want to burn these bad boys!

TIP: Serve with ice cream to mellow them out, or top the ice cream with hot fudge to make them even more delicious!

Martha's Chocolate "Surprise" Cookies

How about these soft CHOCOLATY cookies to wow your sweetie? Thank you MARTHA STEWART for sharing this great recipe! My husband and I can't get enough of these little beauties.

• Martha's Chocolate "Surprise" Cookies
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally
• 
  
• Chocolate Frosting
• • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 
    
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
  • Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  • Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Berry Surprise Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

To celebrate my mother-in-law's BIRTHDAY, we made these tasty cupcakes. My 2-year-old really wanted purple CUPCAKES, so this is what I came up with! I have to say that they were super YUMMY. Great Valentine's Day treat? YES!

Berry Surprise Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
1 white cake mix, batter mixed according to directions
1 small box instant white chocolate pudding mix
1 container Yoplait blackberry yogurt
1 bag Raspberry Hershey's Hugs

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened

6 to 10 blackberries, fresh or frozen, mashed

2 cups powdered sugar

Into to the already prepared cake batter, mix in the dry pudding mix and yogurt until combined. (Batter is slightly thick!) In a muffin pan lined with paper liners, drop a cookie scooper full of batter in the bottom of each liner. Unwrap and place a Hershey Hug in the center of each. Top with another scoop of batter and then bake according to directions. Let cool completely.

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the mashed berries and beat until combine. Gradually add the powdered sugar and blend until combined. I added a touch of purple food coloring to get just the right color of purple, but it's really pretty without!

Makes about 24 cupcakes

TIP: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes for a more "cute" look. Top with sprinkles or even some white chocolate chips. If frosting is not stiff enough to pipe, mix in more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. If frosting is too stiff, add a touch of milk to loosen it up.

Blackberry Cheesecake Bread

Sometimes I just want some really YUMMY sweet bread. This recipe totally fills that CRAVING! It's super simple and has just the right amount of TREAT factor to it—especially if you add the white chocolate chips as mentioned in the tip! Maybe you could whip this up for your SPECIAL someone in a couple of weeks . . .

Blackberry Cheesecake Bread
1 yellow or white cake mix
1 small box instant cheesecake pudding mix
3/4 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
Dash of cinnamon, optional
3/4 to 1 cup slightly smashed blackberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, eggs, applesauce, and cinnamon, if using. Gently fold in the blackberries until swirled throughout the batter. Pour into two loaf pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then completely on a wire rack.

TIP: If your blackberries are extra juicy, you may want to drain them! Also, another great addition to this  recipe would be some white chocolate chips. Yum!

Twix Caramel Brownies

Mmmmmmm! I've been DIETING, ya know, trying to get back in shape after carrying TWINS around all last year. Well, these BROWNIES have been calling my name and I just needed to have one. I found the recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod—a great recipe blog!

Twix Caramel Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped Twix candy bars
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Place butter in medium saucepan on the stove. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; stir until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; stir until combined. Stir in Twix candy bar chunks. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Drizzle caramel evenly over the brownies. Using a toothpick, swirl caramel into brownies. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool brownies completely in pan on a wire rack. Once cool, cut into squares and serve.

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

At our house it is PLAY-OFF time! The end of the football season always makes me want YUMMY appetizers. This DELISH recipe with salty crisp bacon and a sweet sauce ALWAYS hits the spot!

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

1 pound bacon

2 cans whole water chestnuts
1/3 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chili sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a frying pan, brown the bacon until almost done and then drain on paper towels. (Just make sure you can still bend it!) Cut each strip of bacon in half. Wrap bacon around water chestnuts, secure with a toothpick and place on a wire rack that is on top of a cookie sheet with sides. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

While chestnuts are in the oven, mix together the Miracle Whip, sugar, and chili sauce. When chestnuts are done baking, transfer to a baking dish and pour sauce over top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm!

TIP: If you don't like Miracle Whip, you can substitute regular mayo instead. Also, if you want to stretch the recipe a little farther, try cutting the bacon slices into thirds instead of halves. There's still plenty of bacon to go around and it doesn't hurt the out come at all!

Easy Winter Fruit Salad

This time of year, the FRUIT starts to get boring, doesn't it? Well, to dress it up a little, I like to make this super EASY salad. My family always enjoys it—it just seems like an extra special TREAT.

Easy Winter Fruit Salad
1 to 2 red apples (I like Gala or Fuji)
1 to 2 Granny Smith apples
2 to 4 clementines
2 bananas
1 container Yoplait blackberry or raspberry yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup Cool Whip, to taste

Chop the apples and place in a large bowl. Peel the clementines and put the segments into the bowl with the apples. Slice the bananas and add to the other fruit. Pour the yogurt over the fruit as well as the Cool Whip and mix all together. Chill until ready to serve.

TIP: The bananas and apples may turn brown if you make the salad in advance. Try tossing with some lemon juice, orange juice, or even pineapple juice before mixing into the salad to prevent browning. Also, another great addition to make the salad go a little farther . . . mini marshmallows and/or chopped nuts!

Easy Ham Fried Rice

This is a great HEALTHY meal by itself, or you can fatten it up a BIT by serving it with some yummy EGG ROLLS or wontons. Either way, it is scrumptious!

Easy Ham Fried Rice

2 eggs

2 cups cooked rice (I like to use leftover so it's not so sticky)
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup thinly sliced cooked carrots
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Lite soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce, optional
Black pepper

Heat a large frying pan with a touch of oil  and then fry the eggs. Chop up eggs in the pan with a spatula and then add the rice, ham, peas, carrots, and onion. Toss all ingredients in the hot pan until heated through, then add several shakes of soy sauce until desired taste is achieved. Do the same with the Worcestershire and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: You can half a bag of frozen peas and carrots instead of what's listed above. It makes it even easier! Also, I like adding a shot of sweet and sour sauce to the mix for another great flavor.

Coconut Shrimp Curry

We love CURRY at our house! This is a pretty MILD version, so if you're not sure how you feel, this is the RECIPE to try it. It's very EASY and tastes sooooo good! (Sorry for the not-so-great pic!)

Coconut Shrimp Curry
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cups thinly sliced baby carrots
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup water
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup toasted coconut
24 to 30 deveined raw shrimp, with tails removed
1/4 to 1/3 cup sour cream
Warm cooked rice

In a large frying pan, saute the onions and carrots in the oil until mostly tender, about 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle the curry powder over top and stir in well. Add the water, tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and coconut, stirring to combine. Let come to a boil and then thicken, about 5 or 6 minutes more. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sour cream until well combined and then serve warm over rice. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: As I said, this is a pretty mild version, so if you really love curry, try adding a little more curry powder—maybe 2 teaspoons to start. (The curry flavor does get stronger if you let it sit for a while—any leftovers are great!) Also, if you don't like shrimp, substitute about 1 pound of chicken cut into small cubes. It's fantastic too!

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos

I love SHRIMP and I love tacos, so when I get the opportunity to put them TOGETHER, I'm in heaven! These little tacos are super HEALTHY and full of FLAVOR—that's not a combo you can always find. Hope you like them!

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos

1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

20 raw deveined shrimp, shells removed

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (or more if needed)

1 tablespoon olive oil

White corn tortillas, warmed

Chopped lettuce

In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, cilantro, cumin, and lime zest and juice; set aside until ready to use (or refrigerate if making in advance of dinner). 

In another bowl, toss the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning to coat. Heat the oil in a frying pan and then cook shrimp until done (about 3 or 4 minutes or when the shrimp has "pinked" all the way through!). Put 4 to 5 shrimp in each tortilla, then top with a heaping scoop of the cilantro-lime sour cream. Top with lettuce and more cilantro, if desired. Eat warm!

TIP: A single tortilla does the job, but if you double up the extra tortilla will hold everything together even more securely. :)  Another great addition is more lime juice! Just squeeze over the shrimp when done, and even more over the taco when it is all put together. Mmmmmm!

Garlic Blue Cheese Burgers

My husband and I have an OBSESSION with anything garlic and blue cheese, so obviously these BURGERS really hit the spot! Is there really anything better than a good JUICY burger to finish out this year's menu? :)

Garlic Blue Cheese Burgers
1 pound hamburger (I typically use 80/20 for burgers)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 to 2 tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbles, plus more
Onion, thinly sliced (but kept in rings)

In a bowl, mix everything but the onion. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal parts and make into patties. Cook on a grill pan according to desired doneness. While cooking, throw circles of onion rings into pan to brown. Serve onion and more gorgonzola cheese on the burger (on a bun of choice!). Top with favorite burger condiments.

TIP: You can add more or less cheese to these burgers, if you prefer. Also, try using other cheeses for fun—I don't think you can go wrong. For hard cheeses, just shredded or cut into very small cubes. And try serving with some yummy Sweet Potato Fries!