Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipe

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Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipe

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Difficulty:  Easy

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My favorite part about Thanksgiving and the holidays is spending precious moments with family and friends, but my second favorite?  The leftovers!

Leftovers are kind of my thing!  For years, I have prided myself on transforming last night's dinner into tonight's masterpiece, a skill that most likely developed from having picky eaters at the dinner table and not wanting to waste food.

For this recipe, I used leftover Thanksgiving turkey and sweet potatoes, our NEW Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa, cheese, a sprinkle of this and a dollop of that and voila, a fabulous stuffed sweet potato emerged, bursting with sweet and tangy Southwestern goodness. 

This recipe is the "bomb" (Sorry, dating myself), it's healthy, it's full of flavor, it's the perfect quick and easy meal, and It's a recipe you need to add to your favorites now!  Serve these potatoes with our Homemade Applesauce and a salad for a complete meal!  

What's your favorite use of Thanksgiving leftovers?  We would love to hear from you!

Ingredients  

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend
• 1 cup Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa
• 2 cups leftover cooked turkey or chicken, chopped (optional)
• 1 cup of Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend (Cheddar and Monterey Jack)
• Sour cream (optional)

Preparation  

Chop the cooked turkey or chicken and set aside.  Rinse, wash, and pat dry the sweet potatoes.  Keeping the skin on, prick each potato several times with a fork.  Wrap each potato in a paper towel and Microwave until potatoes are soft to the touch.  You may certainly bake the potatoes in a 350 degree oven until the potatoes are soft to the touch (usually about a half hour), but I cheated and used the microwave:)

Once the potatoes are soft, it's time to assemble.   With a sharp knife, cut a slit into each potato and gently pry open.  Use a fork to loosen some of the sweet potato.   Sprinkle each potato with about 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) of Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend.

Turn the oven onto Broil.   Place 1/2 cup of the turkey or chicken in each potato and mix slightly.  Next add 1/4 cup of Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa to the potato, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over the potato.  Sprinkle an additional Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend over each potato.  

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and broil on high until the cheese has melted (about 10 minutes).   And here you go, easy, cheesy, healthy, robust, Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes!  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Pork Recipe

Cook Time:  About 5 hours

Difficulty:  Easy

Updated 1/30/2024.

Do you have a slow cooker (crockpot, Instapot, etc.)? Is it in your closet? Slow cookers are one of the best kitchen inventions ever, and they have finally received the respect they deserve! You place the ingredients inside, turn it on, and walk away until your meal is finished hours later. It is like having an extra helper in the kitchen, and who doesn't like an additional helper for mealtime?

Of all the recipes I have made in my slow cooker (meatballs, soup, chili, pot roast, etc.), pulled pork is one of my family's favorites! Tangy, smoky, sweet, it makes me weak in the knees! Pulled pork is perfect for casual get-togethers, game day celebrations, outdoor barbeques, etc. This recipe has all that "lip-smacking flavor" in one punch but with a twist! The key ingredient? Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa!

This peachy BBQ pork recipe is delightfully balanced with tang, smokiness, sweetness, and heat. My family gave it a thumbs up, which was huge, considering I pulled a switcheroo on them. :) I deviated from their favorite Pulled Pork Recipe and didn't tell them. (It's my thing.) Luckily, it was a huge success and will also be with your family or guests.

So what are you waiting for? Life is short; use your slow cooker (crockpot, Instapot, etc.) more! Grab the ingredients, put them in your slow cooker, turn it on, walk away (don't look back), and allow your "kitchen helper" (slow cooker) to do the work for you! You will have a tender, juicy, mouth-watering, Peachy BBQ Pulled Pork in a few short hours. Delicious! Serve it on rolls with our Homemade Applesauce and Cherchies® Best Darn Coleslaw Recipe (or add to your sandwich) for a complete meal!

You deserve a break, I insist!

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this tasty recpie. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs. pork shoulder or pork butt

• 1 onion chopped

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning (enough to coat both sides)

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper

• 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

• 1 cup Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa

• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Preparation

Chop the onion and add to the bottom of your slow cooker.  

In a small bowl, mix together the Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and the ground pepper and sprinkle on all sides of the pork.  Place the pork on top of the onions (this is an old picture where I clearly had the onions on top;).

Pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker, then add the BBQ sauce and Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa on top of the pork.  Turn it on and walk away!  Cook for 5-6 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.  Pork is ready when it pulls apart easily with two forks.  Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Peach BBQ Pork Recipe

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken Recipe

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Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken Recipe

Cook Time:  About 1 1/2 hours.  

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Difficulty:  Easy

There's just something comforting about the aroma of roasted chicken wafting through the air, right?  How about chicken stuffed with lemons, onions, Rosemary, Thyme, and smothered in a basil compound butter?  Are you salivating yet? You definitely need to add this tasty recipe to your recipe arsenal!  

Did you know September is National Chicken Month?  How about that for fun facts?  In honor of National Chicken Month and because I love ya, here's my family's favorite roasted chicken recipe using my favorite new seasoning blend, Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz.  Scrumptious!

This delicious roasted chicken recipe couldn't be simpler, golden and crispy on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside, it is elegant enough for guests, and the leftovers can be used in casseroles, sandwiches, burritos, etc.   

So, who's up for a mouth-watering roasted chicken?  Celebrate National Chicken Month by making this delicious Lemon Herb Roasted Recipe today!  You won't be disappointed!

Here's how it's made.

Ingredients

• 1 Roaster Chicken- removing the "gizzards" 
• 2 lemons, one sliced in half, and the other sliced into five slices
• 1 medium onion, sliced in half
• 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh Thyme
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• 1 stick of butter, room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) + 1 teaspoon (reserved) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) + 1 teaspoon (reserved) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning
• Kitchen twine
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Olive oil

Preparation

It's all in the preparation.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the onion and lemon in half.  Peel the garlic.  Mix the softened butter in a small bowl with 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz and 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and set aside.

Remove the "gizzards" (liver, heart, and neck) from the cavity of the chicken. For store-bought chickens, the gizzards are usually packaged in a bag inside the cavity of the chicken.  If you're feeling adventurous (say for a paté party later), remove the chicken livers from the bag and freeze in a freezable plastic bag.  If not, toss!

Rinse and pat dry the chicken.  Coarsely chop one onion half and place in a baking pan.  Place the chicken on top of the chopped onions and loosen the skin on top of the chicken (breast side up).  I usually use kitchen shears to loosen the membranes under the skin, but you could use a knife.  Basically, you want to create a pocket to stuff all kinds of yummy goodness under the skin.

And now for the yummy goodness...Place the remaining onion half, 1 lemon half, the clove of garlic, 2 sprigs of Thyme, 1 sprig of Rosemary, and half of the butter mixture inside the cavity of the chicken.

Slice the remaining lemon half into fourths.  Place the lemon slices under the skin of the chicken, followed by the remaining Thyme, Rosemary, and butter mixture. 

Tie up the legs with the kitchen twine.  Drizzle with olive oil and rub over chicken.  Season the outside of the chicken with the remaining Basil Pizzazz and Garlic Seasoning.  

Excuse the last picture.  I made this recipe twice because the first time it was too dark to take a picture, but the legs should be tied to seal in all the flavors and keep the chicken moist;)

Loosely cover the chicken with foil for the first half of the cooking process (about 30 minutes).  Place the chicken in oven and cook according to package directions until crust is golden and juices run clear (some chickens have those little buttons that pop up when the chicken is done.  As a precaution, I would advise checking the chicken as it gets close, because I've had a few mishaps with the buttons...and that wouldn't be good).

When chicken is done, remove from oven and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. (This moisture moves outward toward the surface of the meat during cooking and some of it eventually evaporates. When you take your roast out of the oven, the moisture still inside needs some time to redistribute back through the meat. If you cut into it right away, the liquid will actually pool out (Yeesh!) and your beautiful roast will end up very dry. By letting it rest, the moisture is re-absorbed and your meat will be tender and juicy- kitchn- Food Science

And there you go...!

Golden, juicy, flavorful Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken!  I'm salivating just writing this:)  Guess I'd better go to the grocery store:)  Enjoy!

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Basil Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe

Cook Time:  30 minutes  Difficulty: Easy

Basil Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe

Move over boxed dinner mixes,  it's so much tastier to make this dish from scratch!

Be honest, how many of you have used boxed meal mixes (Hamburger Helper, etc.?) Ok I admit, I used the them when I first married my dear hubby 25 years ago (not that there's anything wrong with that:). Making things from scratch would have been a no-no for me back then, but thank goodness my dear hubby didn't marry me for my cooking;)  Boy, how things have changed!

Ok,  I'll admit another thing...I'm a cookbook nerd...remember those...cookbooks? Well, I used to (and still do) read cookbooks. The light dawned on me early in my marriage that I could make the same dishes as those boxed meals even tastier and healthier using ingredients I could pronounce and control.

This dish not only reminds me of my newlywed self, flash forward 25 years, it is my most requested dish from our kiddos.  It is quick and easy, and the perfect tasty meal for those busy nights.  

I usually prepare this dish with our Garlic Seasoning, but decided to "pizzazz things up" this time by using our Basil Pizzazz.  Besides mixing up this recipe with different spices, I've also been know to add those unsuspecting veggies to this dish while our kiddos were growing up.

Thank goodness my hubby stuck with me for 25 years because he would have missed out on the "Best Cheeseburger Macaroni yet" (his exact words). God willing, hopefully we will celebrate at least 25 more years, and who knows how good this dish will be then

Thanks for stopping by.  Comment below and let us know what you think. Here's how it's made.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Olive oil

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground meat

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz or Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 cup beef broth (For this recipe, we used 1 Tablespoon Minor's Beef Base in 1 cup water)

• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 2 Tablespoons milk to thin (more or less depending on desired consistency)

• 2 cups cooked pasta

• Chopped parsley (optional garnish)

Preparation

Saute onions in oil in a large skillet or dutch oven until onions are translucent.  Add ground meat and Basil Pizzazz and cook until meat is cooked through.  While the meat is cooking, cook the macaroni according to the package directions.

Add beef broth to the meat and stir.  Now for the best part, the cheese!  Add the cheese my friends (Here, in addition to the cheddar and monterary jack cheeses, I threw in the last few pieces of American cheese that I had in the refrigerator).   

Drain the cooked noodles and add to the cheesy beef mixture and stir.  At this point, you may want to add the milk to the thin out the sauce.  

Serve this sinfully cheesy Cheeseburger Macaroni with our Strawberry Spinach Salad and our Savory Wedge Bread (also made with Basil Pizzazz) for a complete meal.  Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!  A definite family favorite!

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