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Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups

Some people call these Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes.... I refuse.  It's a principle thing.  It really goes against everything in my being.  Look at my site's name - I clearly take my desserts pretty seriously.  Savory ingredients?  Not a cupcake.  No frosting?  Nope, not a cupcake.  You won't change my mind.  It's a thing I have.

I do, however, love miniature things... so I won't hold the fact that some people incorrectly label these Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups against them.  Look how cute they are!  They have all the flavors of a classic pot pie, are so easy and are fast enough to satisfy a weeknight comfort food craving.  Plus, they have portion control working for them and are lighter on the calories than their original counterpart. (If you do have the time and/or calories to spare, I highly recommend this recipe for full-on chicken pot pie with a puff pastry crust... it's our favorite).  I've actually served these Pot Pie Cups at a baby shower because they are filling but small, easy to eat, and really tasty.  Plus, what is it about serving mini things at showers?  It's pretty much required.  But since Mondays are generally pretty rough, you don't need to wait for a special occasion.  You deserve something fast & satisfying... like these in all of their miniature glory.

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups:

Original recipe from between3sisters found here

 

1 can reduced-fat biscuits (10-count)

1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced

1 (10.5oz) can reduced fat cream of chicken soup

2/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

1 cup frozen mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, corn, peas, etc)

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan, separate the biscuits and place each biscuit into a cup of the muffin pan.  Press the dough down and up the sides of each cup.  In a medium bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. 

 

Evenly distribute the chicken mixture into each biscuit cup.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges of the cups are golden brown.  Serve hot. 

 

You can find the nutritional information on the original website here.

 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Happy Weekend time, friends!  This week was a doozy.  I was traveling for work and stayed in a hotel with no internet (side note: what hotel doesn't have internet anymore? It's 2013.)  Because of this, there was an appalling lack of posting this week. For that, I am truly sorry.  I will make it up to you by sharing these amazing Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze from my main Food Network babe Giada DeLaurentiis.

I first made these cookies as part of a Christmas cookie ensemble a few years ago to break up all the chocolate options I had, and they have been in the regular rotation ever since.  I think they work even better in April where the bright, lemony flavor is reminiscent of all things Spring.  The ricotta gives these cookies a dense but fluffy texture, making these babies airy little lemon clouds of yum.  That's the highly-technical foodie description.  Clouds of yum.  The cookies themselves are not overly sweet, but the glaze adds the perfect amount of sweetness and tartness in that second layer of lemon flavor that is totally drool-inducing.  If you are a lemon lover, these are a must make.

Second side note: while making these, a sheet of parchment with raw cookies slid directly on to my hot oven door, I accidentally hit the mixer to "on" before I was ready and spewed dry ingredients all over myself, and I dropped a whisk coated with glaze all over my floor.  But it's Saturday, it's sunny, and I have freshly baked cookies, so I'm choosing to be okay with it. 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze:
Recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis from the Food Network
Makes about 44 cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-oz) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the softened butter and sugar.  Beat until lighter in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing to combine after each addition.  Scrape the sides as needed, then add the ricotta, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Beat until thoroughly combined.  Add the dry ingredients gradually and beat once more until incorporated.

Drop the dough (each cookie should be about 2 tablespoons) onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges begin to turn slightly golden brown.   Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Stir all ingredients for the glaze together with a whisk.  Spoon onto each cookie and spread around gently.  Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours before storing and/or stacking. 

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes (with Nutella) for 2!

I made 72 cupcakes last weekend. Yikes.

They were obviously not all for me.  Even I have limits!  But after delivering half to a coworker for his holiday gathering and taking the rest to our Easter dinner, I still had about a dozen left over.  When there are only two people in your house, that's just bad news.  I am only human, after all... and who would go for the oatmeal in the morning when those bad boys are staring at you from the cake stand?  No one.

That's why Christina over at Dessert for Two is such a godsend.  She makes delicious dessert recipes scaled down for a household of two!  On normal, non-holiday occasions when I want just a small taste of dessert for my husband and me, she has all kinds of recipes that fit the bill.  No more having to give the rest away at work or to family just to save me from myself and a late night cookie/cupcake/insert-other-dessert-here binge.  Make sure you head over to her site to