Happy New Year! I am very excited about 2012 and all the plans I have for Megan’s Munchies. I got a special Christmas present that is going to play a big part in the blog, but I am going to keep the suspense going for awhile before I share what it is! I also have plans to change the look of the blog a bit. I think you all will absolutely love it! To kick off the New Year, I couldn’t resist getting creative with some chili. This Texas girl loves her barbecue sauce, and now I know I love chili with a barbecue twist! I hope you love it too. This recipe is now officially my favorite chili to eat!!! Let me know what you think….

Low Fat Barbecue Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 can pinto beans (drained)

2 cans diced tomatoes (chili ready)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 cup barbecue sauce

1 pkg chili seasoning

Directions:

1. Brown ground turkey in skillet

2. In large sauce pan, combine turkey and all other ingredients. Mix well.

3. Bring to a boil, and then let simmer for 20-30 minutes.

4. ENJOY!!!

Do you like traditional chili or chili with a twist? What is your favorite version of chili?

Is there anyone else out there who waits all year for the Mint m&ms to make their appearance at Chirstmas time?! I can’t get enough of them, and I tend to buy several bags every time I spot them. I haven’t ever incorporated them into a baked treat, but I decided the wait was over. It was time!!! I would like to say I cook everything from scratch, but if you have been reading my blog, you know I like to make things that look like I spent a lot of time on them without spending a ton of time in the kitchen. These brownies are made by simply using Pillsbury’s Dark Brownie Mix and adding crushed Mint m&ms. After the brownies cool, just top with Betty Crocker’s Dark Chocolate Frosting and more crushed Mint m&ms. I like my brownies to be thick and more cake-like so I used an 8×8 pan. These brownies are my new favorite dessert!!! I can’t get enough of them. Good thing for me I have stock piled extra bags of of Mint m&ms before they disappear at the end of the season.

My question to all brownie lovers out there: How do you like your brownies? Do you prefer from the center of the pan or do you like the edges?

Thanks to the Texas Beef Council, I have the opportunity to create four recipes with beef. My first lean beef recipe was Barbecue Brisket. My second recipe is Easy Barbecue Meatballs. Do you see a theme here? Do you think I like barbecue just a little bit? These meatballs can be a main course or an appetizer. The best part is they are easy to make. The other twist you can add to these meatballs is adding cheese in the middle. I put cubes of cheese in the middle of the meatballs when I form them, and then just cook them as usual. These meatballs are a MUST try!

Easy Barbecue Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix ground beef, egg, and bread crumbs until well combined.

3. Scoop tablespoons full of meat mixture and form into meatballs.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until they appear done.

5. In saucepan, combine barbecue sauce and ketchup.

6. Add meatballs to sauce mixture and simmer on low-medium for 30-45 minutes.

7. Enjoy!

]]> http://megansmunchies.com/easy-barbecue-meatballs/feed/ 1 http://megansmunchies.com/chocolate-mint-thumprint-cookies/ http://megansmunchies.com/chocolate-mint-thumprint-cookies/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:41:55 +0000 megan http://megansmunchies.com/?p=2776

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

We are having a potluck lunch at work to celebrate the day of the green. I didn’t feel like making treats from scratch, but I wanted to make something fun and festive. I came up with these minty chocolate treats that can be made with 4 ingredients. These cookies are so easy to make, and they are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mint Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Refrigerated Nestle Mini Brownie Bites

1 tub Vanilla Frosting

Peppermint Extract

Green Food Coloring

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Separate brownie dough into 20 individual pieces.
3. Roll into balls, place on prepared cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and immediately create small bowls in the middles of the cookies with the back of a teaspoon.
6. Allow cookies to cool.
7. Mix 1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract into frosting.
8. Slowly mix drops of green food coloring into frosting until you reach the shade of green you desire.
9. Fill the middle of the cookies with mint frosting.

I love cake mix cookies! I have posted several cake mix cookie recipes in the past including Carrot Spice Cookies, Half Cup German Chocolate Cookies, and Soft Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. I found a Oatmeal Raisin Cake Mix Cookie recipe at cdkitchen.com, but I wasn’t in the mood for oatmeal raisin cookies. I wanted butterscotch! So I made Spice Cake Oatmeal Scotchies. I would have to rank these cookies as one of my all time favorites! Oatmeal and butterscotch always pair well, but the addition of spice flavor in these cookies is amazing!

Spice Cake Oatmeal Scotchies

Ingredients:

1 package spice cake mix
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine cake mix, oats, eggs, and oil in large bowl.
3. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until blended.
4. Stir in butterscotch chips.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet.
6. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned.

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