Pumpkin Desserts To Die For!

I love pumpkin. I don’t mean the literal pumpkin guts or anything. Just processed pumpkin with tons of preservatives and chocolate added. Mmmm, nothing says autumn louder than a pumpkin dessert. Last year around this time, my good friend Jesse C. brought over a plate of these divine cookies. I can still remember the blue tinted glass plate on which the cookies sat. Everything about these cookies was perfect- from their circular shape, to the balanced chocolate-pumpkin ratio, to the slightly crispy outside and the perfectly gooey inside. I highly recommend these cookies. Thanks for saving they day yet again, Jesse.

Total Prep Time: 7 Min
Total Cook Time: 10 Min
Total Price: $0.00 They were a gift. (I challenge you to find an unsuspecting pumpkin-a-holic to make them for you too!)

Perfectly Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 can (29 oz) of 100% Pure Pumpkin (I use Libby's brand)
2 boxes spice cake mix
1 bag (11 oz) of your favorite chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix pure pumpkin and spice cake mix in a large bowl until even consistency. Mix in chocolate chips. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet (or I use parchment paper) using a spoon. Bake 10 min. However, I have found each oven may be different, so watch cookies and remove from oven after a toothpick/fork comes out clean in the middle of one of the cookies.

Another tasty yet easy pumpkin dessert is this Pumpkin Crumble. Check out the recipe here! 

I made this for my work meeting, and it was a complete success. Two thumbs up.

Dorito Chicken- with Jesse C.

What to you do when you go to grab some dinner, and all you have is half a bag of Doritos left over from the weekend football game, a few eggs, and some unidentified frozen goods?

Tuesday’s guest chef, Jesse Croskrey*, has an answer to that question. Jesse is a good friend of mine, and one of my cooking idols. Everything made by his hand is sure to be simply divine. One could say he is the Midas of the collegiate food world, every food he touches turns to gold. Jesse has graciously given me permission to post a few of his most coveted secret recipes. Today I begin with Dorito Chicken.

Dorito Chicken may sound strange, but I found it quite delicious and very easy. I had most of the ingredients on hand, I just had to buy a $2.00 bag of Doritos. If you aren’t a fan of Doritos, or are wanting perhaps to go a more lite version of the recipe, you can really use any kind of chip or cracker that you have around. My roommate uses whole wheat crackers mixed with a light salad dressing to batter the chicken instead.

Total Prep Time: 10 Min
Total Cook Time: 30 Min
Total Cost: around $3.75


Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (However many you would like)
1 bag of your favorite Dorrito's.
Egg(s)-use as many as needed, will depend on number of chicken breasts used
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg in container big enough to fit in one chicken breast. Crunch Dorrito's into small pieces, like bread crums and place in container big enough to fit one chicken breast. Batter the chicken with the egg then lightly season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on each side into the dish containing the Dorrito crumbs. Then place on baking sheet that has been lightly coated with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Note from Jesse: I usually serve on white rice. Maybe serve with a side of cooked broccoli with cheese or anything you are in the mood for. 


From this day forward, each Tuesday I will be spotlighting a different Chef from the community (this could be you!) Please send in your recipes for your chance to be the next big deal!


*Jesse is a college graduate with a degree in Psychology and the proud Uncle to a beautiful baby girl. Jesse enjoys holding babies, cooking, and eating in his spare time. He has also recently taken up running, which is nice. Jesse boasts a close friendship with Justin Bieber, although no one has ever confirmed this rumor.