Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos

From lecremedelacrumb.com; given to us by Aunt Wendy

3-4 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed

8 ounces cream cheese

⅓ cup jarred whole or sliced jalapeños, roughly chopped (or more, to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

16 taco-sized tortillas (I prefer flour but corn tortillas also work well)

1½ cups shredded cheese (colby jack, monterey jack, Mexican blend, mozzarella - use your favorite!)

optional toppings: fresh cilantro, additional jalapeños, dipping sauces such as ranch, salsa, green goddess dressing, OR see below for my Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch Dressing recipe

Add chicken, ½ cup water, cream cheese, jalapeños, garlic powder, salt, and cumin to crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. (lesser times are for thawed chicken, greater times for frozen chicken)  30 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 425 and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Use two forks to shred chicken and stir it in with the other contents of the crockpot. Heat tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them up, this will make them easier to work with. Sprinkle cheese in the middle of each tortilla (just divide the cheese evenly between all of the tortillas). Top cheese with 2-3 tablespoons of shredded chicken mixture. Roll tortillas tightly into a log-shape taquito. Place taquitos on baking sheet and spray heavily with cooking spray. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melty and tortillas begin to brown. (For crispier taquitos, switch the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes - watch carefully so they don't burn!) Serve warm with dipping sauces and toppings if desired.

Café Rio Tomatillo Ranch

1 package Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix (dry)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayo (I used reduced fat)

⅓ cup water

2 medium-sized tomatillos, husked and chopped

½ cup packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1½ teaspoons minced garlic

1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

1½ teaspoons lime juice

Add all ingredients to your blender and pulse 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add extra water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed to reach desired consistency. Chill at least one hour before use and store in fridge in airtight container. **Makes about 2 cups**

**Amy’s Version:  Make Barn Door Ranch Dressing (see in earlier section of cookbook).  Replace first four ingredients with 2 to 2 ½ cups homemade ranch dressing.  Continue recipe beginning with the tomatillos.**

Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake

From goboldwithbutter.com

For the crust:

6 ounces crushed chocolate wafers

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/4 cup Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces (about 1 cup) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1/2 cup sour cream

For the whipped cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish

Directions

To make crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch round spring form pan.  Combine cookie crumbs and butter until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press evenly and firmly into bottom of pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

To make cheesecake:

Using electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until thoroughly combined and smooth. Add eggs, liqueur and vanilla and mix well. Mix in chocolate. Mix in sour cream. Transfer cheesecake batter to pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F.  Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Bake cheesecake for 2 hours.

Turn off oven. Remove cheesecake from oven and gently run a thin knife around the edge of the pan.  Return cheesecake to oven and leave it inside oven with heat off for 2 hours. This will allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature without cracking. Remove cheesecake from oven. Cover loosely and chill overnight.

To make whipped cream:

Using electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream at medium-high speed until the cream begins to thicken. Sprinkle sugar over cream and continue beating until soft peaks form. Before serving the cheesecake, spoon whipped cream into pastry bag and pipe whipped cream around edge of cheesecake. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.