Energy protein bites

I have been wanting to try energy protein bites for such a long time, but I couldn't find a recipe that appealed to me.. lots had agave nectar ( I am not a fan) and stuff that did not sound good whatsoever...so I did what I always do, and made one up, trying stuff until it tasted good. 


I am always looking for ways to bump up the protein nutrition in my diet, and as always it's gotta taste good too :)  My stepson said, can you make these every week, these things are awesome.  Also my husband and littlest son gave these 2 thumbs up.. yeah


There are so many varieties out there, I used things I thought would taste good, but you can eliminate or play around and use stuff you like.  You can use different kinds of dried fruits/nuts/seeds anything.  These basically have just about everything but the kitchen sink in there, but they are so good.  Use real maple syrup, no pancake syrup here. 


I wanted mine moist, cause I have heard that sometimes these are so dry, you can barely choke them down.  Not what I was going for.   I usually put a couple in a baggie and take to work, or the kids have a couple with a glass of milk for a nutritious snack.


I put these on a wax/parchment lined baking sheet after I roll them out.  I also wet my hands after every couple of balls, this mixture is very sticky and the mixture sticks to your hands, the water cuts thru some of that stickiness.
I used unsalted nuts, so I put a big pinch of kosher salt into the mixture to cut thru all that sweetness/nuttiness.  Whatever you do, make these soon... Enjoy




Energy protein bites


3 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked, dry
1 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
big pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup wheat germ
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
2/3 slivered almonds
1/2 cup chia seeds
2/3 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/4 cup chopped dried dates (remove pits)
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts






Put everything in a really big bowl, because you need to stir and combine really well and these make a huge batch.  


Line a baking sheet with wax/parchment paper.  With wet hands (see above I keep a bowl of water so I can dip my hands into after I roll a couple out at a time).  Make these balls about golf ball size.  They are moist and are not compact and with all the nuts and seeds they will not be perfectly round.  Squeeze the mixture the best that you can, continuing until all the mixture is used.  Place balls to harden up in the fridge.  After they are cool, I line them in a big gallon size Ziploc baggie on a paper plate and store them in the fridge.  They will last a couple of weeks (mine never last that long tho).  Make sure you keep the Ziploc baggie closed tight so they won't dry out in the fridge.

Enchilada casserole

I love all things enchilada... Rolled kind with chicken, beef, turkey or just plain cheese.  I make them layered with tortillas too instead of rolling them up, super easy.


 I made a recipe similar to this with sloppy joe mixture on top and it was super yummy..so why not use enchilada sauce and voila that's how this came up.  My stepson asked if I could make this every week.. which in my book is a winner :)


To make the sloppy joe version, make the same cornbread base, but you can use prepared BBQ sauce ( I mix mine with a little ketchup and mustard to add some extra flavor)  instead of the enchilada sauce, and continue making this the same way but I don't serve sour cream on the side with the sloppy joe version.  Really good too. It is good in the cooler months.  I serve both versions with a tossed salad on the side.




Whatever version you make, make this soon.. Enjoy








Enchilada casserole


2 boxes of jiffy cornbread
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 can cream style corn
1 lb ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 small can enchilada sauce
1 package shredded Colby jack cheese
seasonings of your choice ( I used cumin, garlic and onion powder, pinch of seasoned salt and pepper)
*sour cream for serving






Preheat oven to 400, spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick spray.  Mix cornbread, milk, egg and cream style corn until combined, pour into prepared pan.  Bake for around 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
While the base is baking, brown meat and seasonings breaking up till no longer pink and cooked thru.  Add 1/4 can of enchilada sauce to meat mixture keeping mixture hot.
Remove cornbread base from oven, and with a butter knife poke holes all in the cornbread.  Drizzle the rest of the can of enchilada sauce over the cornbread base spreading with a rubber spatula to make a even layer across the cornbread.  Sprinkle the hot meat mixture over the top of the cornbread and top with an even layer of cheese.  Return to oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.  Remove from the oven and cut into squares.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on the side.  Enjoy.