Mona's Brownies

So legend has it that there was a beauty queen named Mona. I believe she was Miss Louisiana...or something like that. She was beautiful, but she couldn't cook worth a lick. But the one thing she could make were these scrumptious brownies. And so they became known as Mona's Brownies. They're perfect.

This is what Ezra thought of them...

And then all the sugar inspired him to hold a 15-minute dance party like this...

That's how good they are. The best.

Mona's Brownies

Cake:
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 round tablespoons cocoa powder
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing:
1/4 cup butter, melted
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all cake ingredients together. Bake in a 9"x13" pan at 300 for 30 minutes. Mix all icing ingredients together and ice brownies while hot.

Salmon Dry Rub

Since I've forced myself to start eating (and, surprisingly, liking!) fish, we eat salmon for dinner about once a week for about 3 out of 4 weeks. Usually we Aaron grills it on a cedar plank. This recipe came on the wrapper of the plank and has quickly become our favorite. It's the perfect combo of salty and sweet and pairs perfectly with the cedar smoke flavor.

Salmon Dry Rub

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried tarragon (optional, I left it out)

Place salmon, skin side down, on plank. Season with 3 tablespoons dry rub. Set plank on preheated grill and close lid. Grill 10-20 minutes or until salmon flakes easily.

Note: Store extra dry rub in pantry.

Hot Ham and Cheddar Sliders

I'm baaaaaaack!  Between tax season and a lack of cooking inspiration (trying to feed a picky toddler will do that to ya') I haven't posted a recipe in over 2 months! This is a good one to come back with.

I've seen these little sandwiches on several food blogs and they all rave about how tasty they are and great for parties. We were having some friends over for lunch after church a few Sundays ago and I was trying to find something that would be easy to pop in the oven as soon as we got home. I made these sandwiches the night before and then threw the sauce together right before cooking. They are really delicious and so simple. So good that I made some more for MOPS the next Friday and they were long gone before everyone made it through the serving line. Next time you need a good party food you should whip these babies up!

Hot Ham and Cheddar Sliders
Adapted from The Two Bite Club

12 Hawaiian rolls
sliced deli ham
sliced cheddar cheese
3/4 tablespoon mustard
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

Slice rolls in half. (I left them all together and sliced at once.) Place the bottoms of the rolls in a 9x13 pan. Top with ham and then cheddar. Cover with tops of rolls. Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Spoon sauce over rolls and spread to cover. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake 2-3 more minutes.

Cincinnati Chili

This recipe popped up in my Food Network magazine this month. Back when we had cable and I watched Food Network constantly I would see them talk about Cincinnati chili from time to time. It always looked delicious, and the idea of chili over pasta intrigued me. I hope I'm not betraying my Texas roots, where chili is heavy on the chili powder and you might be excommunicated for putting beans in it. I still love Texas chili, but I wanted to branch out and give this a try. I really liked it! The unique spices made it different, and it was great comfort food on a chilly (pun intended) night.

Cincinnati Chili
From Food Network Magazine

Note: I only made half.

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 sweet onions, finely chopped, plus more for topping
2 pounds ground beef chuck
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound spaghetti, cooked
Pinto beans and grated cheddar cheese, for topping (I threw the beans into the chili while it cooked)
Oyster crackers, for serving (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the ground beef to the pot, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and return the cooked onions to the pot; stir in the garlic.

Combine the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves and cayenne in a bowl; add to the pot along with 1 cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the chili is slightly thickened, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Serve the chili over the spaghetti; top with chopped onion, pinto beans and grated cheddar and serve with oyster crackers on the side. 

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies

Once again I have Pinterest and MOPS to thank for this yummy recipe.  Pinterest for the inspiration, and MOPS for the excuse to bake.  These are the perfect amount of sweetness.  Enough to satisfy a craving, but not so sweet that you feel bad about eating them.  These are good any time of day, but especially for breakfast/brunch.

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies
From Cookies and Cups

1 can crescent rolls (seamless, if you can find it)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar (I used powdered)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used the mini ones)

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well mixed and creamy.  Set aside.

Unroll crescent rolls into a flat sheet.  Use your hands to pinch the seams together (if not seamless) and press it out to enlarge the rectangle just a bit.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crescent dough.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Roll up the crescent dough and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Unwrap roll of dough.  Slice into 1/4" slices and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.     

Shredded Beef Burritos

This is one of my mama's specialties.  Doesn't food always taste better when someone who loves you cooks it?  But mine turned out pretty fantastic cooking them all on my own.  You should definitely give these a try.

And can I take a moment to step on my soap box and talk about one of my food pet peeves?  Burritos are made with flour tortillas.  Enchiladas are made with corn tortillas.  Know the difference, people!  Especially if you call yourself a Texan.

Shredded Beef Burritos
From Joanna Knox via Jackie Adams

2-3 lbs. beef chuck roast
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (or about 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can Rotel tomatoes
burrito-size flour tortillas
cheddar cheese, grated
1 can enchilada sauce

Brown meat in dutch oven.  Add water, tomatoes, vinegar and spices.  Cook (covered) until meat begins to fall apart (about 3 hours).  Remove lid and let the water cook out, stirring occasionally (about 30 min - 1 hr).  Shred meat with forks.  Stir meat back into the dutch oven with the remaining juices and seasonings (don't let that good flavor go to waste!).  Wrap meat and a little cheese in tortillas.  Place burritos in a greased baking dish.  Cover with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with more cheese.  Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly.   

BBQ Pot Roast

I've had this recipe pinned for a long time.  What was I waiting for?  This was delicious!  I really loved the BBQ sauce.  Perfectly sweet and tangy.  This came from one of my fave food blogs - Plain Chicken.  She served this with cheddar ranch grits.  That sounds pretty fantastic to me, but Aaron isn't a fan of grits, so I opted for cheddar ranch mashed potatoes instead.  I don't have a recipe for that.  I just mashed potatoes with butter (duh!), sour cream, ranch dressing mix and grated cheddar.

BBQ Pot Roast
From Plain Chicken

garlic powder
salt
pepper
1 4-5 lb. roast
1 12 oz. can of Coke
1 12 oz. bottle of chili sauce
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons hot sauce (I used chipotle flavored)
3 tablespoons cornstarch    
1/4 cup milk

Place roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Combine Coke, chili sauce, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a bowl.  Pour sauce over roast.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker, reserving juices in slow cooker.  Cover roast with foil to keep warm.

Dissolve corn starch in milk.  Stir mixture into reserved juices in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Serve sauce over roast.