Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

If you want pasta that tastes LIGHT and REFRESHING and is just like SPRINGTIME, this is it! Such a simple recipe shouldn't taste this good, but it really, really does.  It is also PERFECT for those nights that you just need something QUICK.

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic

8 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

1 lemon
Basil and thyme (I used dried because that's all I had, but fresh would be AMAZING!)
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Fresh black pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Make sure to salt it when you add the pasta!

In a large frying pan, heat the olive and then add the garlic. Cook the garlic until it just starts to brown and then remove from the heat.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water and then drain. Toss pasta in the warm garlic oil in the frying pan. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over top and sprinkle with the herbs, cheese, and pepper. Toss until everything is coated. (If it seems dry, just add a little more olive oil to moisten.) Garnish with more cheese to serve.

TIP: Tarragon would also be great on it's own as the main herb of the dish. Some grilled fish or chicken would also be yummy if you wanted something a little more hearty.

White Grilled Cheese with Avocado

Grilled cheese sandwiches are YUMMY. I like to explore all sorts of flavor combinations. This one is fairly MILD, but flavorful. To make it extra easy, I just buy the pre-sliced packages of whatever CHEESE I'm going to use. The kiddos LOVED it, possibly because it is seriously LOADED with cheese. Or maybe it was just that DELICIOUS!

White Grilled Cheese with Avocado
Sliced bread
Ranch dressing (or a flavored mayo would work too)
Provolone cheese slices
Swiss cheese slices
Havarti cheese slices
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Salt and pepper
Butter or butter spread

Lay all of bread slices on the counter and spread a little ranch dressing on top of each. On half of the bread slices, place a layer of each cheese over top. Butter the bottom side of the bread topped with cheese slices and place in a preheated frying pan over medium-low heat, butter side down. Watch carefully, and when the cheese starts to melt, lay the avocado slices over top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with another slice of bread, dressing side down. Butter the top piece of bread and flip to brown and finish melting the cheese completely.

TIP: Explore different bread and cheese options! There are so many good combinations out there. A good nutty bread would be fabulous, and so would a smoked or regular gouda. Mmmmm! I just thought of a few more combinations!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

So, there are nights when I PANIC because I have no idea what to make for dinner. That is when I'm thankful for canned CHICKEN. Yes, you heard me right. Canned chicken, folks! But, not just any canned chicken. It has to be the Costco Kirkland brand. It is moist, TENDER, and does not taste like tuna fish! Anyway, this SUPER easy dinner features that chicken. And you would NEVER know it unless I told you!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
Broccoli florets
1 cup or so thinly sliced carrots
1 can Kirkland brand chicken, drained
1/3 cup slivered almonds
About 1/2 to 3/4 cup sweet and sour sauce (I use about 1/2 jar of the Kikkoman brand)
Warm cooked rice

In a large frying pan, saute the vegetables in a little bit of olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. If the veggies are still too crisp, put a lid on the pan for a few minutes and steam. Stir in the chicken, almonds, and sweet and sour sauce. It will be a pretty thick mixture, so I typically thin it out with some water to reach my desired sauce consistency. Add a little black pepper and let bubble for a few minutes over the heat. Serve over warm rice. Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

TIP: Use your favorite veggies! And, I was going to add some chopped pineapple but totally forgot!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Chocolate and peanut butter go so well TOGETHER, don't they? We made this yummy cake for a big family DESSERT night at our house not too long ago. It serves a lot of PEOPLE! And, needless to say, it was luscious and LOVED by all! Hope you like it too.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Chocolate Cake
1 box devil's food cake mix
Ingredients on box
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1/3 to 1/2 cup sour cream

Peanut Butter Topping
1 large box instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding
Milk (on box, probably 3 cups)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
Semisweet chocolate chips

Make the cake batter according to package directions. Stir in the instant pudding mix powder and the sour cream. Spread onto a cookie sheet with sides that has been generously sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely.

For the topping, prepare the instant pudding with the milk as directed and let set in the fridge. With a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Gently fold half of the Cool Whip into the prepared pudding (you can do it all, but you may want to use 1 cup peanut butter if you do), and then fold half of the pudding mixture into the peanut butter mixture until smooth. Fold in remaining pudding mixture. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Chill for about 2 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 20 to 24 servings.

TIP: Increase the amount of peanut butter to 1 cup for a stronger peanut butter flavor. Any chopped or shaved chocolate over top would be good, and maybe even some chopped peanuts for more crunch. You could try crunchy pb instead of creamy!

Sweet Lemon Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so MOIST and refreshing, and perfect for SPRING. Unfortunately, it's really hard to eat just one. I often WONDER what could possibly make them better. The BEST part, as usual, is that they are very EASY to make! I posted this recipes years ago, but decided it needed to make another showing because they are just. so. mmmmmmmm!

Sweet Lemon Cupcakes

1 box lemon cake mix

Ingredients called for on box

1 small box lemon or vanilla instant pudding

1/3 cup sour cream

4 cups powdered sugar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp

1/2 cup butter, room temp

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Lemon zest, optional

Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Stir in the dry pudding mix and sour cream. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray each cup with a generous amount of nonstick spray. Bake according to package directions and then let cool completely.

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, and zest until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

TIP: To make your cupcakes look like they came from the bakery, put your frosting in a plastic baggie, snip off one corner, and then pipe the frosting around the top outside edge of the cupcake, swirling in one continuous motion while working your way to the center. This way the cupcakes look cute and you get to eat more yummy frosting because it lays it on pretty thick!

Crunchy Veggie Rolls

This little APPETIZER is so yummy and seriously easy. Like seriously. It's almost embarrassing to post it, but it really is pretty TASTY. So, a necessary evil. The best part—kids seem to like them too, so it's a great way to get some VEGGIES into their diets. Yay!

Crunchy Veggie Rolls
Whole wheat tortillas
1 container garden vegetable cream cheese (or the chive version works too)
Matchstick carrots
1 cucumber, julienned (or cut matchstick style)

Lay tortillas on a flat work surface and spread the cream cheese over top to the edges, leaving about 1/2 inch on one side. Lightly press the carrot and cucumber sticks into the cream cheese and roll up tightly, ending with the side where you left that 1/2 inch edge. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and then refrigerate for an hour or two. Slice into bite size pieces when ready to serve.

TIP: Try different combinations of veggies. I think red and green bell peppers would be yummy, and nice and crunchy too!

Orange Cream Fruit Dip

This yummy CITRUS fruit dip reminds my family of those orange dreamsicles from the good ol' days. It's the perfect reminder that SUMMER is on its way and it tastes AMAZING on just about any fruit. Or sugar cookie. Whatev! (Sorry for the terrible pic—my iPhone doesn't always do so great!)

Orange Cream Fruit Dip

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp (I use the lite kind)

1/2 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate at least an hour or two before serving with your favorite fruits.

TIP: I think a lemon or lime version of this dip would be equally delish!

Simple Chef Salad

It's that time of year when SALADS are starting to sound really good. Like, I want them for DINNER all of the time. This is one that I grew up on. I LOVED chef salad night! So it has carried over and shows up on my family's TABLE every so often. It's delicious and it's easy, and that's BASICALLY all you can ever ask for, right?

Simple Chef Salad
Chopped or torn romaine lettuce
Sliced good-quality lunchmeat turkey (and ham if you prefer)
Sliced and cubed cheddar cheese (I sometimes add monterey jack as well)
Diced red bell peppers
Shredded or thinly sliced carrots
Sliced green onion
Cucumber, quartered and sliced
Frozen peas, thawed
Sunflower seeds

Layer each of the ingredients on individual plates and serve topped with your favorite salad dressing. Easy!

TIP: You can obviously use whatever veggies you have in your fridge (probably what your family likes!), I just try to use different colors for variety. Our favorite dressing is ranch, or maybe blue cheese, but any would be good!

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

So I see a pink trend starting here. Oh well. I have two little girls! :) So anyway,  STRAWBERRIES are showing up all over, and we LOVE the little red jewels at our house! Our little kiddos eat strawberries every day as part of their lunch, and whenever else they can get their LITTLE hands on them. I decided cupcakes should be on the menu one day and WHIPPED up these little beauties. All I can say is: Oh. My.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
Ingredients called for on box
1 small box instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped strawberries

Fresh Strawberry Frosting
1 stick butter, room temp
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp
3 or 4 strawberries blended or smashed

Dash of salt

4 cups powdered sugar
Red food coloring, optional

Mix together the cake mix and ingredients called for on box. Stir in the pudding mix, sour cream, and strawberries. Prepare a cupcake pan with nonstick spray or line with paper cups. Fill each cup about 2/3 full and then bake as directed on box. (Typically 350 degrees for about 20 minutes in my oven is perfect!)

While the cupcakes are baking, beat together the butter, cream cheese, strawberries, and salt in a large bowl. Beat in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth. Add a drop or two of red food coloring for a more intense pink color. Frost the cooled cupcakes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

TIP: I like to spray my paper cupcake liners—it keeps the cup from sticking like crazy to the cupcake! Also, I think adding some white chocolate chips to the cupcake batter may also be pretty amazing. You try it and let me know. :)

Strawberry Sugar Cookies

My cute little 3 year old wanted to make pink COOKIES one day, and this is what we came up with. They turned out nice and PINK, as you can see and tasted really yummy too. The texture is SIMILAR to that of the Lofthouse Sugar Cookies you might buy at your local grocer, but tastes way BETTER to me!

Strawberry Sugar Cookies
1 box strawberry cake mix
2/3 cup flour
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
Cream Cheese Frosting (but use 1/2 cup butter and 8 ounces cream cheese instead!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir all of the ingredients together until well blended; batter will somewhat stiff. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and then flatten to about 1/2-inch thick on a lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle a little extra sugar over top and then bake 10 minutes. Cool for 1 minute and then transfer to a rack and let cool completely. Make your cream cheese frosting and frost the cooled cookies. Top with your favorite sprinkles!

TIP: Try making these with other cake mixes and see what is your favorite! You can use a white cake mix for "regular" sugar cookies.

Grilled Italian Chicken Sandwich

I really like grilled cheese. Or love it. Whatever. But I've been CRAVING more than just a regular ol' grilled cheese. I want ADULT grilled cheese. So, I decided to combine some of my favorite FLAVORS on a sandwich. And GRILLED it!

Grilled Italian Chicken Sandwich

3/4 cup (or so) balsamic vinegar

1 chicken breast or 3 or 4 tenders

Dried thyme, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin

1/3 sweet onion, sliced

1/2 red bell peppers, sliced

4 slices nutty whole wheat bread

Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil and reduce by about half. Remove from heat, stir in a few drizzles of honey, and set aside.

Pat chicken dry and then sprinkle spices and seasonings over each side. Cook in a frying pan with about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, until nicely browned and cooked through. Set aside to cool. In the same pan, saute the onions until soft and then set aside. Now saute the peppers until soft. Drizzle the bell peppers with some of the balsamic glaze, toss to coat, and remove from heat. 

Lay bread on a flat surface and sprinkle some of the cheeses on top of 2 slices. Cut the cooled chicken into thin slices and lay over the cheese (you may not use it all, so just snack on it!). Top with the onions and bell peppers. Drizzle more of the balsamic glaze over top and finish it off with more cheese and the remaining bread. Butter the bread and toast like you would a grilled cheese. :)

TIP: I like to season each layer of this sandwich with a little salt and pepper. I think provolone or gouda cheese would also be super yummy in place of the mozzarella. I also think using fresh basil leaves between the layers would be fantastic. I'm sad I didn't have any to try that day!

Mint Oreo Brownies

St. Patty's Day is coming up, so I'm guessing you'll be looking for GREEN recipes to share with your fam. Well, I promise that this is one of the EASIEST dessert recipes you'll find. Chewy chocolate brownies STUFFED with Mint Oreos. Mmmmmmm!

Mint Oreo Brownies
1 box Ghirardelli Double or Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix (for an 8 x 8-inch pan)
Ingredients called for on box
1 package Mint Oreos

Prepare the brownie mix as directed. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with nonstick spray. Spread half of the brownie batter in the bottom of the pan. Press Oreos into batter (I used 16!). Spread remaining batter over top. Bake as directed and test with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean when done. Let cool and enjoy!

TIP: I was looking for extra indulgent brownies, so I also added chopped Andes Mints over top. Seriously good, but not necessary. :)

Noodlemania!

So, I've got a new COOKBOOK coming out soon! This made-for-kids book is SUPER fun and extremely CUTE, and stuffed with some pretty DELISH recipes. Noodlemania: 50 Playful Pasta Recipes (by Quirk Books) is perfect for all your little KIDDOS. (And all the big ones too—i.e. you!). The recipes are simple, classic, FUN, and tasty to boot. I hope you all enjoy it! Check it out here or here.

And for fun, here's a yummy little recipe from the book that might be just right for St. Patty's Day!

Gloppy Green Frog-Eye Salad

3/4 cup acini di pepe

2 snack-size vanilla pudding cups, chilled

Green food coloring

1 small can pineapple tidbits, with juice

1 small can mandarin oranges, drained

2 to 3 cups mini marshmallows

1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip

Cook the acini de pepe pasta according to package directions; drain and let cool completely. Combine the cooled pasta with the pudding, pineapple with juice, and oranges. Gently stir in the marshmallows, half of the Cool Whip, and the green food coloring. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Stir in the remaining Cool Whip just before serving. Makes 6 servings.

White Chocolate Raspberry Greek Yogurt Cookies

I wanted a COOKIE, but I didn't want to OVER do it. So I found a recipe using Greek YOGURT instead of any oil, butter, or shortening. I tweaked it. And now, I LOVE it! The cookies turned out YUMMY, and I don't feel quite so guilty eating one. Or two.

White Chocolate Raspberry Greek Yogurt Cookies

(adapted from La Fuji Mama's Blueberry Yogurt Cookies)

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 heaping cup quartered fresh raspberries
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a bowl, mix together the sugar, yogurt, egg, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Gently fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips. Spoon a tablespoon or so onto the prepared baking sheets and then bake for about 10 minutes or just until they start to brown around on the edges. Let cool for a minute on the baking sheet and then completely on a wire rack.

TIP: La Fuji Mama topped her cookies a Lemon Cream Cheese frosting, but I don't think these need it. I did make a little glaze using a couple tablespoons powdered sugar, a splash of milk, and a couple drops of coconut extract. It was yummy on the cookies too, but like I said—plain is just fine. And better for you!

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

We L-O-V-E salmon at our house. Seriously, even all the kiddos. We typically just GRILL it with a little extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper and it's always DELISH. However, this time I decided to try something different and it was . . . AMAZING! I may try to mix things up a little more often now . . .

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon
(Adapted from www.chow.com)

1/3 cup real maple syrup
3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salmon fillets
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place the first 6 ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 or 3 minutes; set aside.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Pat the salmon dry and then brush both sides with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put salmon on the grill pan and cook for until you can visibly see the salmon is cooked through at least halfway up the fillet, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip over and then brush the top with the glaze. Finish cooking, flip again, and brush glaze on top. Flip back over to slightly "crisp" the glaze.

TIP: Serve with a nice light side dish like quinoa or rice. Makes a tasty meal!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These tasty taquitos are from the YUMMY food blog of Our Best Bites. We had them at a little party not that long ago and they were DELISH, and pretty darn easy to make according to my good friend Julie (who actually made them). There is also a FANTASTIC dressing recipe to dip these in, which, amazingly, is also EXTRA tasty!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
(from Our Best Bites)

1/3 cup (3 ounces) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
Small corn or flour tortillas
Kosher salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat the cream cheese for 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Stir in the green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir in the cilantro and green onion, followed by the chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking, about 20 to 30 seconds. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture on lower third of the tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll up tightly and place seam side down on the prepared pan. Spray the tops lightly with cooking oil or spray and sprinkle some salt over top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges start to brown.

Try their Creamy Lime Cilantro dressing for dipping!

TIP: Experiment with the cheeses and try cooking your chicken with some different seasonings, or with lime juice. All will be good! (P.S. The salt sprinkled over top is optional!!!!)

Cheesy Potato Soup

Not too long ago we received a FIFTY pound bag of potatoes. Yup. 5-0! Potatoes were coming out our ears, and we don't actually eat a lot of POTATO-EY things. I decided soup would be good. And it was! This SUPER easy recipe turned out amazing. I know, I know. How can you mess up soup? Either way, I'm still giving myself a GIANT pat on the back! :)

Cheesy Potato Soup
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped matchstick carrots
2 to 3 red potatoes, cubed
Several dashes each: ground thyme, pepper, and garlic powder
4 cups chicken broth
4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese
1 cup cream
Cornstarch slurry (optional)

Cook onion and celery in butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and carrots and cook a few minutes more. Add the potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Add seasonings. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Slowly stir in the cream. Add the cheese slowly and stir until melted. Add a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water) to thicken, if desired. Serve warm sprinkled with more cheese!

TIP: Again, this recipe is so versatile. If you don't have carrots, leave them out. You could use all white cheddar or regular cheddar cheese. I even think a pepper jack would be pretty tasty. I would also think adding 1/2 to 1 cup of the super sweet petite white corn would be delish. You decide. And let me know how you make it for your family!

Smore's Bites

It is almost VALENTINE'S Day, and these are the perfect sweet treat to SHARE with the ones you love. They are so mini and cute, and taste just as good or better than a S'MORE. I promise these are way better than the usual box of CHOCOLATES!

S'mores Bites
(Recipe from sweetpeaskitchen.com)
7 graham crackers (or 1 cup finely crushed)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
4 regular-size Hershey's Bars, broken into rectangles
12 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend the crackers in a food processor or blender until fine crumbs. Combine with the powdered sugar and melted butter until thoroughly mixed. Evenly divide mixture into a 24-cup mini muffin pan. Firmly press the crumbs down to make shallow cups (I used my small cookie scoop!) Bake for 4 or 5 minutes and then remove from oven and place 1 chocolate rectangle in each cup. Cut marshmallows in half and place, cut side down, over the chocolate squares. Return to the oven for a minute or two until the marshmallows are soft. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then put them on a cookie rack to cool completely.

Microwave the remaining chocolate for about a minute, but stirring every 20 seconds until the chocolate melts. Carefully dip the marshmallows in the chocolate and let stand.

TIP: My hubby claims the 8-pack of mini Hershey's Bars is a better deal, so feel free to buy 3 or 4 of those to save some $$$. Otherwise, these are perfect in my opinion!

Easy Frittata

Sometimes for dinner you just need something QUICK. We always have lots of eggs, so often they end up DINNER in some form or another. Frittatas are a great way to use up some of the LITTLE bits of produce in your fridge too. Not to mention, they happen to be super TASTY as well.

Easy Frittata
2 large eggs
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper
Toppings (chopped): ham, cooked bacon, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, cilantro, tomatoes, etc.
Shredded cheese of your choice

Beat the eggs together with the milk and some salt and pepper. Pour into a heated 8-inch frying pan with a touch of oil or nonstick spray. Let cook over medium-low about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then sprinkle as many of your favorite toppings that you want over top. Swirl the pan occasionally to let the uncooked egg move to the outer edges for quicker cooking. Let cook over low to medium-low heat until done. Sprinkle cheese over top and let melt. Then it is ready to eat!

TIP: Just make sure to watch the heat and check the bottom of the frittata frequently so you don't burn it!

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

This is another yumm-o APPETIZER recipe perfect for Super Bowl Sunday. Now, if you don't make the same mistake I did, your "poppers" won't actually POP open like mine did (more on that in the recipe tip)! Even though mine aren't the PRETTIEST things around, they are definitely some of the TASTIEST!

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
1 package cream cheese, room temp
1/2 to 3/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
Dash of garlic powder

About 10 to 12 jalapenos, capped, halved, and seeded

12 slices uncooked bacon, halved

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar, and garlic powder. Spoon mixture into the jalapeno halves and then tightly wrap half a slice of bacon around each. (You may want to stick some wet toothpicks in them so the bacon stays put—I did NOT!) Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bacon is sizzling and seems done. I like to turn the broiler on the last few minutes to crisp it up a little better.

TIP: I thought I would cut some fat by only using a 1/3 piece of bacon wrapped around each popper. However, I did not use toothpicks. If you decide that 1/3 is plenty, DEFINITELY use the toothpicks or they will turn out looking like mine! :)