Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

I don't know anyone besides my mom that doesn't like bacon. In our house we love bacon and ranch. I think Marley could eat ranch by the spoonful if we let her. So what's better than bacon and ranch together?! I know! Add some chicken in there too. Yum! This casserole was really good. It did make a lot so I have some in the freezer for those nights when I don't feel like cooking.

1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled (I used bacon bits)

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken 

2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning

1 lb. bow tie pasta

2 jars of Alfredo sauce

1/3 cup of evaporated milk or regular milk

4 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Cut chicken into cubes. Mix in ranch mix, evaporated milk and half a jar of alfredo sauce. 

Cook pasta al dente. Drain and return to pan. 

Pour half of a jar of alfredo sauce into bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Spread evenly. 

Begin layering casserole starting with half of noodles, then half the chicken mix, half of the second jar of alfredo sauce, half the bacon, and half the cheese. 

Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

March Citrus Lane Review

This is the second month that both kids have received the Citrus Lane boxes. Mason also received the box in January, but at that time they didn't offer boxes for children older than 3, but now they do. I was pretty pleased with what was in their boxes. I did, however, decide to cancel Marley's but only because she gets Kiwi Crate too and she seems to like that more.

 The boxes came on Marley's birthday so she thought they were a present for her. 

Here's Mason's box. He got Art Cards from Wee Gallery, a Green Ring Teether, an Easy-to-go feeding set, two packets of food from NurturMe, Calendula Weather Protection Cream and a $20 coupon from Just Fab (for me)

Citrus Lane always sends on item for moms too. Last month it was facial toner. 

Here's Marley's box. She got a Cloud B Slumber Pillow, Ivy & Bean Paper Doll Set, Jungle Tattoos, Just Bananas and another $20 from Just Fab.  

Her favorite things were the pillow, and the tattoos. She did play with the dolls which shocked me, because she doesn't normally play with dolls.  

Citrus Lane boxes are $25 a month and they send age and gender specific items. If you want to sign up, just click here.

*I was not compensated for my post. I did not receive the boxes for free. However, all links are affiliate links*

Mexican Pizza

My food of choice from Taco Bell is either the chicken quesadilla or the mexican pizzas.  When I made the taco bake a while ago it reminded me of the mexican pizza, but wasn't quite it. When I found this recipe on pinterest I had to try it. It was pretty good, but not an exact replica of the Taco Bell version.

1/2 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 15-oz can refried beans

4 9-inch flour tortillas

1/2 cup salsa

2 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef. Drain off fat. Mix in chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. 

Place tortilla on cookie sheet. Place half of the refried beans and half the meat on a tortilla. Repeat steps to make other pizza.  Place another tortilla on top and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Place half of the salsa on top and cover with cheese. 

Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice and serve.  This recipe makes 2 pizza.

Chicken Taco Balls

All of us like tacos, but I don't like anything except for meat and cheese on  mine. Mike puts everything on his. When I make regular tacos he always complains because I never buy lettuce, tomato, or anything else to put on them. When I came across this recipe on pinterest I figured it would satisfy us both because it has taco sauce, which I also never use, and the crescents would make a difference too. 

1 package jumbo crescent rolls

3 oz cream cheese

3/4 cup cheddar shredded cheese

3/4 cup cooked chicken (diced or shredded)

1/3 cup taco sauce

2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese in a bowl. Stirring until smooth. 

Add taco seasoning, taco sauce and chicken to the cheese mixture. 

Place above mix onto wide end of the crescent rolls. Fold the corners in and roll it up as best as possible. Trying to enclose entire crescent. (I didn't use jumbo crescents so this part was a little messy for me)

Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese on top of each crescent and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

They were very good. I wasn't sure what to expect when I made them but next time I'll make some rice to go along with them too since they weren't very filling.