Today is the first day back to school for the kids.  I am an emotional wreck.  Both of my children are starting taking big steps forward in their lives.  My baby boy starts middle school (6th grade) and my daughter starts high school (9th grade).  Through I know as parents we are to prepare them for the future giving them the skills to make them good and productive people it doesn’t prepare us for letting them go.

Today was the first day I did not walk to a bus stop or take a child into school.  I know this is just one of the many steps we will go through in letting them go but it is tough.  When my identity centers around being a mommy who am I when I am no longer the mommy?  I guess it is time to step forward and start exploring that arena.

But, for now I am still in love wonton wrappers.  They are great for lunches.  I can throw some things into them, roll them up and bake them and the kids love them.

I had some leftover chicken the other night so I made a Buffalo Chicken Cheese Center with Blue Cheese Crumbles on top.  You can dress them up with lettuce, onions, tomatoes if you like.  I was completely out of everything except ranch dressing the other day at lunch so we had our “cupcakes” plain.

These would also be great as a mini appetizer bites if you have the tiny cupcake tins.  Cut the wonton wrappers in 1/4ths before adding them to the cupcake tin.

Verdict:

I served these for lunch but I think they are a bit better completely dressed with lettuce, tomato and onions.  I didn’t get a picture but we also added a drizzle of ranch dressing to the top.  We break off the edges and dip it in the center.  Because I wanted to get rid of the leftover chicken I also added quite a bit of filling to these so the chicken part was a bit on the heavy side.

But, they were gone by the end of lunch so I think it was a hit.

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and cut up into tiny bits
• 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (more or less to taste)
• 2 TBSP melted butter
• wonton wrappers
• blue cheese crumbles or shredded cheddar cheese (if desired)
• lettuce, tomato, onions, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing as toppings (as desired)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a cup cake tin with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl combine chicken, softened cream cheese, hot sauce, garlic powder and melted butter.  Stir until well combine.  Taste and adjust spices as necessary.
3. Place one wonton wrapper in each cupcake holder.
4. Fill wrapper 1/2 to 2/3 full with chicken mixture.
5. Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles or shredded cheddar cheese if desired.
6. Bake (8-12 minutes) until the chicken is heated through and the cheese begins to melt.  Edges of the wrappers will be brown.  Be careful they don’t burn.
7. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving with garnishes.