Private Selection -- Product Review

*This post contains affiliated links. I received these products for free in exchange for my honest review.

Summer is upon us, and with that comes summer food. Cookouts, salads, watermelon, ice cream, and the list goes on. Kroger has a line of products under the label Private Selection. I have tried many of the Private Selection items before as I am a regular Kroger shopper. With their #MyMagazineSharing program I was able to try two more products. I received full sized samples of their Green Chile Ranch Seasoning Rub and their Texas Inspired BBQ Kettle Potato Chips.

First, lets talk about he potato chips for a quick minute. I generally do not pick BBQ flavored chips if I am buying chips. I do really like kettle style potato chips though. These Texas Inspired BBQ Kettle Potato Chips were very tasty. There was a bit of tang to them. I don't know if that is generally true of Texan BBQ as I am not a Texan, not even close. I did eat my share of these chips, but my husband was the one who was really into them. He finished off the bag. (Please see the above picture of the crumpled bag that I dug out of the trash in order to get a picture of it.) So, these chips passed the taste test at our house and I would purchase them again.

Second, the Green Chile Ranch Seasoning Rub. Ok, I do not usually cook with a lot of spice mixes. I just use my general spices most of the time. Their is some convenience to spice mixes or rubs though. I actually tried this out two different ways. I first tried the rub on some chicken breasted that I just roasted in the oven. That turned out just ok. The second time that I tried the spice rub it 1 used it in my Southwest Chicken Salad. The flavor went great with the salad and was really good. Here is what I put into my salad, which is a quick summer favorite around this house.

Southwest Chicken Salad

• chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
• 1 can of drained corn, can also use fresh of thawed frozen
• 1 tomato sliced
• 1 diced avocado
•  2 chicken breasts grilled and sliced. Use whatever seasoning you would like. 
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Southwest ranch dressing
• Optional things that you can add to the salad are croutons, green pepper, onion, tortilla strips, cilantro, salsa, sour cream

Blueberry Almond Oatmeal Bake

There is a snow storm coming, which means I want warm, yummy food. I also have some milk that needs used up before it goes bad. So, with those two motivators combined, I came up with this recipe. It doesn't take a lot to get me thinking about food or what I could cook. Since it is also the weekend, this is great cause we can just warm it up the next day for breakfast. It is quick and easy to throw together, and makes a good nutritious breakfast, or lunch, or dinner if you want.

Step by step instructions with pictures.

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 2.5 quart baking dish. 
2. Whisk 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring together.
    
   Then whisk in 4 cups milk (I used skim) until all is combined.
   It should look nice and frothy.
3. Add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 2 Tbs. honey. Whisk together with milk mixture. 
   
4. Add 2 cups of old fashioned oats.
   
   Give it a quick stir. Pour all of the mixture into the greased baking dish. All the oats will sort of pile up where you pour it in, just make sure they get spread out and evenly distributed.
5. Sprinkle 1 cup of blueberries and 1/4 cup slivered almonds over the top of the oatmeal mixture. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. I used frozen cause that is what I had on hand.
   
   
6. This step is completely optional, but I also sprinkled 3 Tbs. of honey crunch wheat germ on top of everything. Just to give it a touch more of goodness. 
   
7. Pop it in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or so. When it is done most of the liquid should be absorbed and the oats should be cooked completely. if there is still a little liquid that is ok, it will absorb while it cools.
   
   Let it cool for a few minutes and enjoy. Store any leftovers in the fridge to eat later.
   
   
   Here is the recipe all nice and neat. 

My Ode to Green Chili Mac n' Cheese

I love Mac n' Cheese! I mean LOVE! If there were three foods that I would want as a last meal they would be mac n' cheese, nachos, and ice cream. So, the other night I was wanting mac n' cheese and we didn't have any boxed kind in the house, so I resorted to making it from scratch. I was inspired by this incredible mac n' cheese that I had last summer while on vacation at the Manito Tap House, in Spokane, WA. Their's is a green chili mac n' cheese, and it is amazing. I know, cause I still think about it almost a year later. That is how I know if a food is good, I think about it later. Mmmmmmm............mac n' cheese bliss. Here is my ode to that mac n' cheese. 

 

Green Chili Mac n’ Cheese

Ingredients

• 3 slices of bacon (reserve 2 Tbs. of the bacon grease)
• 1 16oz. box of mini rigatoni
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 4 Tbs. flour
• 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded muenster cheese (or whatever white cheese you prefer that melts well)
• 4 Tbs. green chili enchilada sauce
• 1 green onion sliced thin
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook bacon until it is crisp. Crumble into small pieces. Remember to save the bacon grease.
2. Cook the mini rigatoni according to the directions on the box.
3. In sauce pan, on medium heat, combine butter and bacon grease.
4. Add garlic and flour and whisk until combined. Cook for a minute or two.
5. Add milk and continue to whisk. Sauce will thicken quickly.
6. Add cheese, whisk until it is completely melted.
7. Add green chili enchilada sauce, salt, and pepper, and whisk again.
8. Combine mini rigatoni with sauce.
9. Sprinkle bacon and green onion on top.
10. Eat and enjoy!