May menu

Here's what we're eating in May. This will be my last monthly menu for a while, because I get to go to camp all summer where my friend Jennifer and her awesome cooks do all the meal preparation. It's great!

Cashew sweet & sour pork
Spicy honey chicken
Crock pot santa fe chicken
Chicken cordon bleu
Smoky honey mustard pork tenderloin
Southwest chicken & corn cakes
Chicken & bacon pastry pockets
Creamy chicken taquitos
Coconut chicken fingers
BBQ meatballs
Glazed bacon-wrapped meatloaf
Braided sandwich loaf
Pizza
Jalapeno popper chicken pizza (recipe below)

Desserts I'm making for company or get-togethers:
Chocolate peanut butter bars
Pig cake
Chocolate chip cookie pie (no nuts. While I love a good pecan or almond, they do not belong in baked goods. This is not debatable.)
Frozen lemonade pie

Here's the jalapeno popper pizza recipe. Originally I made the topping and used it as a filling for soft tacos, but I like the pizza too.

1 loaf frozen white bread dough (such as Rhode's), thawed and risen according to package instructions

2 T oil

Salt & pepper

2 large chicken breasts

8 pieces of bacon, diced

4-5 large jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, sliced into thin strips

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

1/2 T chili powder

8 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded (can substitute pepper jack)

Chopped cilantro or green onions for topping (optional, but highly recommended)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Roll out pizza dough to ½ inch thick; fit on rectangular baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat mat. Bake for 7 minutes; remove from oven and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Saute chicken breasts in oil 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet; shred with two forks and set aside.

4. In the same skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; reserve 4 T bacon drippings.

5. Saute jalapeno and onions in bacon drippings until soft and onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic during last minute of cooking time and cook for one minute.

6. Return chicken and bacon to skillet with jalapeno mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and chili powder. Stir until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well-combined.

7. Spread mixture onto pizza crust. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 7-9 more minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

8. Allow pizza to cool for five minutes, top with cilantro and serve.