Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This is not a recipe at all, but, in case anyone is still reading this and needs an easy Christmas cookie, I'll throw it out there.  These cookies are so simple, yet they taste fantastic!  They are perfect for teacher/neighbor/coworker gifts.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 package peanut butter cookie dough
1 bag Reese's peanut butter cups

Place mini cupcake liners in mini cupcake pan.  Place a small lump of dough in each liner and press down slightly.  Bake at temperature listed on the package until they just barely start to brown.  While cookies bake, unwrap the peanut butter cups.  As soon as you pull the cookies out of the oven place one cup in the middle of each cookie and press down slightly.  Allow cookies to cool.

Pizza Crust

I got a pizza stone for my birthday last month!  I've never had any kind of stone bakeware, and I'm a chicken when it comes to cooking with yeast, but I was excited to try my hand at homemade pizza crust.  Last night I gave it a shot and it was pretty easy and very good!  The dough was a little sticky and hard to get out of the mixing bowl, but other than that this recipe was so easy.  I like knowing exactly what's going into my pizza.  This might become a staple in the Kahler house!

Pizza Crust
From allrecipes.com

1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in a mixing bowl until cream, about 10 minutes.  Mix in flour, salt and oil.  Beat until smooth.  Let rest for 5 minutes.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.    

Salsa

At our MOPS meeting yesterday one of our mentors shared her recipe for salsa.  I was supposed to bring chips and dip to a Christmas party tonight and hadn't decided what kind of dip to bring, so it was the perfect time to try it out.  I love that this is a very basic recipe that you can adjust to your liking.

Salsa
Adapted from Sheri Wright's recipe

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1/2 bell pepper, cut into chunks (or use jalapenos if you want more heat)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (omit for less heat)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/8 cup vinegar
1 bunch of cilantro, trimmed

Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until it is the consistency you like.

    

Forget Me Not Cookies

So these are called Forget Me Not Cookies because you turn off the oven and leave them in overnight, hoping you don't forget them in the morning.  My problem was not forgetting about them but having to wait so long to eat one.

Just a warning - humidity can affect these and make them a little soft.

Forget Me Not Cookies

4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 cups chocolate chips

Beat egg whites until stiff.  Slowly add sugar, salt, vanilla and vinegar.  Gently fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by small spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Place in oven heated to 350.  Turn off the oven and let the cookies sit overnight.  Do not open the oven to peek!

Apple Crisp Pizza

I've been MIA lately.  It's been one thing after another at our house lately, and I feel like I've hardly cooked or baked in a month!  But my parents were visiting a couple weeks back (Yes, it's taken me a couple weeks just to post this.), and we (and by we, I mean mostly my mom) made this wonderful dessert!  We all agreed that it was pretty fantastic.  I think I'll be making this again for Thanksgiving.  Yep, it's so good it's deserving to sit at your Thanksgiving table!

Apple Crisp Pizza
From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Pastry for a single-crust pie

Apple mixture:
2/3 cup sugar (we used a little less than this)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 medium apples, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened (use salted butter or sprinkle a little salt over the top of the pizza)

1/2 cup caramel topping (I used Hershey's caramel syrup)

Roll pastry to fit a 12 inch pizza pan; fold under edges to give the pizza a bit of a raised crust. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add peeled, diced apples and toss. Arrange the apples in a single layer over the pie crust to completely cover it. I didn’t use all of my apples because I had really big apples.

For the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and butter in a bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle topping evenly over the apples.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with caramel topping. Cut into pizza slices and serve warm with ice cream. Makes 12 servings.

  

Homemade Butterfingers

Homemade Butterfingers
Adapted from Plain Chicken

1 cup candy corn
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Melt candy corn in microwave on high 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking in 15-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Stir in peanut butter. Spread mixture in an 8"x8" pan lined with parchment paper. Cool completely. Melt chocolate chips in microwave.  Pour over candy corn mixture and let cool in refrigerator.  After 30 minutes to an hour, score the chocolate into the size of pieces you'd like to have.  This makes cutting the pieces up neatly much easier once it's completely cool.

Note: You can cut the candy corn mixture into squares and dip it in chocolate if you'd rather, but I find this way to be much easier.

Chocolate Fix Cookies

If you need a chocolate fix ASAP...make these!  They are slightly crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside and oh-so-chocolatey!  Even Cookie Monster approves.

Chocolate Fix Cookies
From Divine Baking

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided (I always prefer semisweet.)
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.  Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme.  Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. 

Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).

Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly.  (I skipped rolling in the sugar.) Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Breakfast Enchiladas

Here's another recipe that I owe to MOPS!  It was my turn to bring a dish for brunch again, so I tried these tasty ham, egg and cheese breakfast enchiladas.  The whole pan was gone, so you know they were good!

Breakfast Enchiladas
From Tasty Kitchen

2 cups cubed, cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped green onion (I left this out)
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
flour tortillas (I used 13 fajita size)
2 cups half-and-half
6 eggs
1 tablespoon flour


Prep this the night before and cook in the morning.
Stir together ham, green onions and 2 cups of cheese. Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to scoop out cheese mixture onto a tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Roll up all tortillas and squeeze them into the baking dish.
Whisk together half-and-half, eggs and flour. Pour over tortillas. Cover and let sit overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over enchiladas. Bake for 10 more minutes.
 

Sweet Potato Chips

These could not be any easier and they are so yummy!  You have no excuse not to make them.

Sweet Potato Chips
From Our Best Bites

1 sweet potato
kosher salt
garlic powder
cooking spray

Peel the sweet potato.  (You don't have to, but I like to.)  Thinly slice sweet potato.  (I did mine in the food processor.)  Remove the rotating tray from your microwave.  Place a piece of parchment paper over the tray.  Place sweet potato slices on the paper in a single layer.  Lightly spray with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and garlic powder.  Go easy on the salt; a little goes a long way!  Place the tray back in the microwave.  Microwave on 50% power for about 8-10 minutes or until slices just start to turn brown.  Be careful not to overcook and burn!  Each microwave is different, so keep an eye on them.  Allow to cool slightly before eating.
  

Salmon with Adobo Sauce

I've never liked fish, but I'm trying to learn to like it.  So far I've only tried salmon, but it's not bad!  We (and by we, I mean Aaron) usually grill it, but I found this super simple recipe and baked it the other night.  It was good...and spicy!  I think this sauce would work for grilling too.  If you need a healthy and super-fast weeknight meal you should give this a shot!

Salmon with Adobo Sauce
From The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 lb. salmon fillet
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons adobo sauce (buy chipotle peppers in adobo and scoop out some sauce)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (I left this out)

Combine salt, sugar and adobo sauce in a bowl.  Place salmon on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Brush sauce over salmon.  Bake at 450 for about 13 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.  

Chalupa

This meal is probably the nearest and dearest to my heart.  Not because it's fancy or even the best thing I've ever tasted, but because of the many memories it holds.  Chalupa is the meal-of-choice of my mom's side of the family.  We ate it for holidays, birthdays or just as an excuse to get together and eat!  And laugh!  When I think of chalupa I can't help but think of my loud family gathered around tables in my Nanny and Papa's kitchen.  They sold their house more than a decade ago and my Nanny has since passed away, but eating chalupa is true comfort food to my soul.

Chalupa

2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery (I usually leave this out simply because I don't like buying a whole bunch of celery just for 1 cup)
1 teaspoon salt (I usually season to taste)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco, I usually add to taste)
3 teaspoons chili powder (I usually season to taste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (I usually season to taste)
1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes, undrained
1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 cups pinto beans (tastes better if you soak and season dry beans, but a can of pinto beans also works)
tortilla chips
desired toppings (cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, avocado, etc.)

Add all ingredients except chips and toppings to a Dutch oven or slow cooker.  If using a Dutch oven, simmer for 3-4 hours.  If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Place chips on plate.  Crush them a little so that meat sauce will like flat (shouldn't look like nachos).  Top with meat sauce and desired toppings.

Note: This recipe freezes very well, so double or triple it when you make it!

Oreo Cake Bars

If you like Oreos, you'll love these easy cake bars!  By the way, I want to try these with Nutter Butter cookies and peanut butter chips instead of Oreos and chocolate chips.  Bet that would be good!

Oreo Cake Bars
Adapted from Picky Palate

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 egg
14 Oreo cookies (double stuffed certainly won't make this worse, and generic are just as good as name brand)
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
chocolate chips (original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, I used about 1/2 a cup)

Combine cake mix, butter and egg with a mixer.  Press dough into a 9x13" baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Crumble Oreos over dough.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over Oreos.  Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over all.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Baked Beans

A recipe AND a picture?!  That's almost unheard of around here these days.  And guess what?  I have 2 more recipes with pictures that I need to post this week!  I guess life is finally slowing down just a tad.  Anyway, these beans turned out far better than I would have imagined.  That Paula Deen knows a thing or two!  I took her recipe and modified it just slightly.  I just expected your run-of-the-mill baked beans, but I think I could have had just beans for dinner and been happy.  I'll definitely be making these again (would be great for a pot luck!).

Baked Beans
Adapted from The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

2 16-oz. cans baked beans
1 onion, chopped
6 slices bacon
4-5 tablespoons mustard
4-5 tablespoons ketchup
3-4 tablespoons brown sugar

Cook bacon in skillet.  Remove from pan to cool.  Sautee onion in bacon grease.  Crumble the bacon and mix all ingredients together.  (Use a slotted spoon to remove onions from grease if you don't want all the grease in your beans.)  Bake, covered, at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour. 

Pumpkin Spice Bread

My MOPS group has started meeting again for the new school year.  What does that have to do with you?  Well, we have a delicious potluck brunch at each meeting, which means I have the perfect opportunity to test out some new recipes!  I made this recipe as mini muffins for our first meeting and forgot to take a picture of how cute they were all piled up in a basket.  They smell heavenly while they're baking and it's impossible to eat just one!  The recipe comes from a lady at our church, Rhonda.  She gave us a loaf for Christmas last year and I had to have the recipe! 

Pumpkin Spice Bread
From Rhonda Wingo

3 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped nuts (optional - I left them out)

Mix eggs, sugar and oil.  Add pumpkin and vanilla.  In a separate bowl combine the other (dry) ingredients.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Pour into loaf or muffin pans and bake at 350 until done.

Notes:
1. Rhonda says you can dump all the ingredients in a bowl and mix at once but I prefer mixing wet and dry separately.
2. Rhonda's mom used to make this recipe in 3 1-lb. coffee cans and those take about 1 hour to bake.  I made mini muffins and they took about 15 minutes.  

Orange Soda Ice Cream

I've been away for a while!  Life has just been crazy, but I'm hoping it will slow down again soon.  Funny how I used to wish time away and now I wish it would just slow down!

Anyway, this is about the easiest ice cream recipe you can think of.  Our church had an ice cream social last month with a contest for the best homemade ice cream.  This was the winning recipe!  I want to try it sometime with Coke or root beer to see if it tastes like a float.

Orange Soda Ice Cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 2-liter of orange soda (I only used about half of it)

Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a bowl.  Add a little orange soda and stir.  Pour this mixture into your ice cream freezer and then fill the rest of the way with more orange soda.  Freeze according to your freezer's directions.  Place in freezer for a few hours to firm up.

Note: Next time I'll try adding a few teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Velvet Cheesecake

This is supposed to be Red Velvet Cheesecake, but I left out the "red" part because who really needs a bunch of dye?  It tastes incredible either way, and I'd argue even better without the dye because I've always thought red dye tastes funny.  If you ever feel the need to make me a birthday cake, no red icing, please!  This is a chocolatey cheesecake on a chocolate crust with cream cheese icing on top.  Is your mouth watering yet?

Velvet Cheesecake
From Southern Living Christmas Cookbook

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (I used chocolate Teddy Grahams and ground them in the food processor)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar (I left this out)
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream (I always use light)
1/2 cup whole buttermilk (I used low fat)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 1-oz. bottles red food coloring (I left this out)
1 3-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 tablespoon sugar; press mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Beat 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute.  Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined.  Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325 for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm.  Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake.  Turn oven off.  Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.  Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes.  Cover and chill 8 hours.

Beat 1 3-oz. package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.  Spread evenly over top of cheesecake.  Remove sides of springform pan.  

Frappuccino

Welcome to Cafe Lindsay!  I will be your barista today!  I will save you lots of time, gas and money by teaching you how to make your very own Frappuccinos from home.  Sit back and enjoy!

This recipe was a Pinterest find.  I adapted it slightly for my own tastes.  The original recipe is supposed to be like the bottled Frappuccinos, but I blended mine with ice to make it more like what you'd get at the coffee shop.  This makes a coffee base that you can keep in your fridge and enjoy over a few days or serve to all your friends.  You could drink just the base without adding the ice  I put chocolate syrup in mine, but you could also use caramel or chocolate chips...go crazy!

Frappuccino
Adapted from Christina Flis

10 cups fresh coffee
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used a bit less)
1/2 cup white sugar (I used a bit less)
1/2 cup flavored coffee creamer (I used Wal-Mart's creme brulee flavor)
ice
flavored syrup or other mix-ins (I used chocolate syrup)

Brew coffee to your liking.  While coffee is brewing, pour sugars into a pitcher.  Pour hot coffee over sugars and stir to dissolve.  Add creamer and stir.  Refrigerate overnight.

Fill your glass with ice.  Pour syrup over ice to taste.  Fill glass with coffee base.  Pour all into a blender.  Blend until ice is completely crushed.  (You can adjust the coffee/ice ratio to your taste.)

Chocolate Drizzled Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

These are so good!  Take these to a party or you will find yourself slowly munching on them all day long.  The original recipe uses white chocolate, but I had trouble getting white chocolate chips to melt.  I think white chocolate would be really good on these, but maybe you need bark instead of chips?

Chocolate Drizzled Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
From Six Sisters' Stuff

1 bag of pretzels
2/3 cup oil  
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (make your own instead of buying, I didn't use quite this much)
1 cup chocolate chips/chunks

Mix oil, cinnamon and sugar.  Pour over pretzels in a microwave safe bowl.  Stir until evenly coated.  Microwave for 1 minute.  Stir and microwave for 45 seconds more.  Spread onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while still warm.  Melt chocolate chips and drizzle over cooled pretzels. 

Note: I found it easier to work in 2 batches.

Sweet & Spicy Pickles

This picture really serves no purpose other than to make sure you know that your pickles will obviously taste better if they are the Official Pickle of the Dallas Cowboys.  Don't buy any other!  Anyway...these are sure to perk up any boring sandwich or burger and they will last forever in the fridge.

Sweet & Spicy Pickles

1 jar of pickles
Sugar
Hot sauce

Drain the juice from the jar.  (Use the lid to keep the pickles in and allow the juice to run out.  Don't dump the pickles into another container.)  Pour sugar over pickles until the jar is full.  Pour hot sauce over sugar.  Use as much or as little as you like, but these are definitely better if they have a little kick.  Close the jar tightly and shake well.  You can then add more sugar and hot sauce and repeat this process if you like.  Place in the fridge.  These get better over time.  You may want to periodically shake them until all the sugar is dissolved.  Wait at least a day before eating.

Roasted Chickpeas

I've got an interesting snack for you today.  I have seen recipes for this floating around on the internet and thought I needed to give it a try.  These have a very satisfying crunch!  I like that you can season them in whatever flavor sounds best to you and add as much or as little salt as you like.  This is definitely a great, healthy snack!

Roasted Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Olive oil
Seasonings

Drain and rinse chickpeas.  Lay them on a paper towel to dry.  Pinch them to remove the skin.  (This takes a while, but it's kinda fun!)  Pat them dry.  Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil and roll them around so they're all covered.  Roast at 400 for about 35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and pour them into a bowl.  Season to taste.  I added salt, garlic and onion powders, basil and oregano.  You could also do a Mexican spice blend with chili, onion and garlic powders, cumin and dried cilantro.  It's all up to you!

Everything Cookies

This is my mama's recipe.  She calls these everything cookies because they have a little bit of everything.  I would argue that they should be called everything but raisin cookies, because I think putting raisins in cookies might be a sin.  Raisins have their place in cereal or trail mix, but not cookies.  I put my own little twist on these by adding butterscotch chips and cinnamon.  Yum, yum!

Everything Cookies

3/4 cup shortening or butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter (I always use reduced fat creamy)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups oats
1-2 cups chips (My mom always uses chocolate, but any kind would be good.)

Beat the shortening/butter and sugars until fluffy.  Blend in the peanut butter and then the eggs and vanilla.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Slowly add it to the mixture.  Add the oats and then stir the chips in by hand.  Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apart from a bowl of cereal, breakfast can't get much easier than this.  And this is certainly a nice break from a bowl of cereal.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls
From Six Sisters' Stuff

1 tube of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 can of apple pie filling

Place rolls in greased baking dish.  Top rolls with apples.  Bake according to package directions.  You may need to add a couple minutes to be sure they are done.  Top with icing.  

Sprite Biscuits

These have been making their way around Pinterest, although known as 7Up Biscuits instead.  I had Sprite on hand so I used that instead.  I love how easy these are!  They're not too salty or too sweet and very fluffy.  The butter also makes the bottoms nice and crispy.  We will definitely be having these again at our house!

Sprite Biscuits

2 cups biscuit mix (such as Bisquick)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/2 cup Sprite or 7Up
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 450.  Place butter in the bottom of a square pan and put it in the oven for the butter to melt while you mix the dough.

Cut the sour cream into the biscuit mix.  Then add the Sprite and stir until well combined.  At this point you can either pat out the dough on a floured surface and cut out biscuits, or you can take the shortcut like I did and just divide out 9 lumps of dough.  Place the biscuits on top of the butter.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Frozen Coke

This takes me back to my childhood!  When my sister and I were in elementary school we loved to go to Target and get a frozen Coke.  I don't know how, but somehow this magical drink tastes even better when frozen.  Most Target stores don't sell this anymore.  Now it's been replaced with flavors like white cherry and blue raspberry.  Couldn't they at least make these fruity drinks in their proper colors?  Anyway, this isn't even a recipe, but I came across this idea on the internet recently and knew I had to give it a try.  It's almost as good as Target's!

Frozen Coke

Since this really isn't a recipe, I'll just give instructions.  You must have a small electric ice cream mixer.  I have the ice cream making attachment for a Kitchen Aid mixer.  Turn the mixer on and pour in as much or as little coke as you'd like.  You could use other soft drinks too, I suppose.  Allow it to churn for 5-10 minutes or until it is the icy consistency you'd like.  Pour and enjoy!

Sausage Balls

This really isn't an exciting post, but I wanted to blog this recipe just so I'd have it on hand the next time I want to make these.  These are you standard sausage balls.  I made these for a shower this past weekend.  They're always a hit!  My tip - use your food processor to grate the cheese.  This will save time and arm muscles!

Sausage Balls

1 lb. hot sausage (I think Owens is spicier/better than Jimmy Dean.)
1 lb. extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups biscuit mix

Mix all ingredients.  If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, use the dough hook and mix as much as you can.  Then use your hands to mix until all the crumbs are mixed in.  Roll into balls and place on a baking rack on a rimmed cookie sheet.  (You can just place them on the cookie sheet, but using a baking rack allows all the grease to drip down underneath the balls.)  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Meatloaf

This is my Mama's recipe (although I think it originally came from Betty Crocker).  It goes perfectly with some green beans and a cheesy, starchy side.

Meatloaf

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian)
1 can tomato sauce
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
chopped onion (optional)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce plus a little extra for the sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
brown sugar

Combine the beef, bread crumbs, 2/3 cup tomato sauce, milk, egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard, pepper and sage.  Mix well.

In a small bowl, mix the remainder of the tomato sauce with Worcestershire sauce and sugar until you like the way it tastes.

You can bake the meat 1 of 2 ways.  You can bake it in a loaf pan at 350 for about 90 minutes, or you can form 1/4 lb. patties and bake them on a baking sheet at 375 for about 20 minutes.  Top with sauce before baking.  Reserve extra sauce to spoon over meatloaf before serving.

Fruit Pizza

You're just going to have to trust me that this is a very pretty dessert.  I made this Saturday night when we had company over for dinner, and I was throwing it together at the last minute as they walked through the door and didn't get a picture.  I love how easy this is and the fruit is nice for a summer dessert.

Fruit Pizza

1 package sugar cookie dough
8 oz. cream cheese (low fat)
powdered sugar (about a cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
fresh fruit, washed and cut

Press cookie dough into a tart pan or round pizza pan.  Bake at 350 until starting to turn golden brown.  Allow to cool completely.

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla on high until spreadable.  I didn't measure the sugar.  Just add enough until it is sweet enough for you.

Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cookie.  Top with fruit.

Broccoli Salad

Here's a great summer salad recipe!  It's from Paula Deen, so you know it has to be good!  This is a perfect side dish for grilling out!

Broccoli Salad
Adapted from The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

2 heads broccoli, chopped and washed
6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar.  Add to broccoli mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

This is a popular recipe in our family!  As Aaron pointed out - it has 2 of his favorite foods - rice and tortilla chips.  Even my little wannabe vegetarian gobbled this up, completely unaware that he was eating chicken!  This recipe has lots of flavor and is super quick to throw together.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole
From Plain Chicken

3 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 cup instant rice (uncooked)
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles, undrained
1 tablespoon Southwestern or Taco seasoning (I just throw in a bunch of seasonings, no mix)
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

Combine chicken, rice, soup, Rotel, seasoning, milk and 1 1/2 cups of cheese.  Pour into a lightly greased square baking pan.  Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Top casserole with crushed chips and remaining cheese, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. 

Southern Vanilla Ice Cream

I call this "Southern" because I'm pretty sure this is not the way they make ice cream up north.  As long as I can remember my family has been making this recipe (or similar, at least) for homemade ice cream.  When I was in middle school we invited our neighbors over to enjoy a bowl with us.  They were from Philadelphia, and after eating a few polite spoonfuls they stared at us like we were crazy for eating ice cream soup.  True, this is much softer than your traditional ice cream, and you have to eat it quickly because it melts faster too.  But this will always be my favorite.  Add a crushed Butterfinger bar and it's just about perfection!  I have modified this slightly from my Nanny's original recipe so that it will fit in my Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment for my mixer.

Southern Vanilla Ice Cream

3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 cup sugar
1 small can evaporated milk
2-3 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon flour
dash of salt
2 cups half-and-half
1 1/4 cup whole milk

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Mix the yolks and sugar until creamy, then fold into the egg whites.  Add evaporated milk, flour, salt and vanilla, gently folding until well combined.  Add half-and-half and milk, stir to combine.  Follow ice cream maker directions for freezing.  Place in freezer for a few hours before serving.

Note: You can substitute the milk and half-and-half with any combo of these two or heavy cream that you like.  In total you need 3 1/4 cups.

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

If you're craving something chewy and chocolatey I've got the perfect fix!  I found these on Pinterest and they did not disappoint.

Fudgy Brownie Cookies
From Tasty Kitchen

1 package fudge brownie mix
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons water, or more as needed
1 cup chocolate chips

Whisk together brownie mix, flour and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, followed by butter and water.  If the batter appears like there is too much flour, add 1 more tablespoon of water.  Batter will be very thick.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Press dough down slightly.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  

Roast Beef Sandwiches

In case it isn't obvious, I've fallen behind on posting lately.  This summer has been crazy busy!  I think when you have small children the summers are actually busier than the school year.  Last week we were on vacation.  My souvenir was a lovely stomach bug that kicked my tail for days.  Not exactly fuel for trying new recipes.  Anyhow, I'm feeling a thousand times better and back in the kitchen!  I hope to have a handful of new recipes for you this week.  Let's start off with a quick and easy but still terrifically tasty dinner!  These sandwiches remind me of a Philly cheese steak, but they're super easy!  Enjoy!

Roast Beef Sandwiches

1 lb. deli roast beef, sliced thin
6 slices provolone cheese
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 sandwich buns (we love the Hawaiian sweet rolls)

Sautee onion over medium heat until starting to turn golden brown.  Add some oil/butter/cooking spray as necessary to keep from burning and sticking.  Tear roast beef into small pieces and add to onion, stirring to combine.  Season as you like.  Sometimes I add garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook for a few minutes until heated through.

Split buns and place open sides up on a cookie sheet.  Pile beef and onions on bottom sides of the buns.  Top with cheese slices.  Broil until cheese is melted and buns are toasted.  Place bun tops on sandwich and serve.

Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn on the Cob)

Ok, yet another recipe without a picture.  I thought of it as I was halfway through eating my messy but oh-so-tasty ear of corn.  And I was too lazy to get up and grab the camera.  And I didn't really want to stop eating because it was so good!

We got a new grill recently and we're slowly having fun experimenting.  I thought grilled corn sounded pretty good, so we gave it a try.  After finding various conflicting methods of how to actually do this, we were pretty sure the chances of failure outweighed the chances of success.  But sometimes it's nice to be wrong!  (Yes, Mama (since you're one of the few who reads this) - I did just admit that I can be wrong.)  This corn turned out nearly perfect.  I say nearly because I think next time we might pull another layer or two of the husk off before grilling so a little more of the smoky flavor gets through.  I only cooked 2 ears (half the recipe) and I wish I'd made more!

Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn on the Cob)

4 ears of corn on the cob
1/3 cup mayonnaise
lime juice (to taste, just a small splash is fine)
cayenne pepper (to taste, a very small amount is probably plenty)
salt
small handful of chopped cilantro
2/3 cup grated cotija cheese (or Parmesan if you can't find cotija)

Soak ears of corn for 25-30 minutes.  Pull the husk back and remove the silk.  Wrap the husk back around the corn and tie securely with a piece of kitchen twine or a strand of the husk.  Grill over high heat for about 25 minutes, turning ever 2 minutes.

Mix mayo, lime juice, cayenne, salt and cilantro.  Spread mixture over cooked corn and sprinkle with cheese.

Herbed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Paula Deen - The Queen of Butter - never disappoints!  This chicken is scrumptious!  It is not healthy...maybe that's why I haven't made it in over 3 years...but you will want to lick your plate.  I've adapted the original recipe just slightly to make it a little easier.  This would be a good meal to make for company!

Herbed Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Adapted from The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

1 lb. thin-sliced chicken breasts
3 oz. cream cheese, softened (I use low fat)
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
dried basil
dried oregano
garlic powder
salt
pepper
bacon slices
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Lay chicken breasts out on a cutting board.  Spread cream cheese on one side of each breast.  Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle feta over breasts and press lightly so that it won't fall off when you roll up the chicken.  Roll each chicken breast up.  Wrap each roll with a piece of bacon.  Secure with a toothpick.  Place rolls in a baking dish.  Pour melted butter over all.  Cover with foil and bake at 275 for about an hour and fifteen minutes.  Increase oven temperature to 350, remove foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more to crisp up the bacon.  Serve over rice with pan juices poured on top.

Carbonara

This is from the Classic Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals cookbook, and her title for the recipe is "The Only Recipe You Need: Carbonara."  That's not too far from the truth!  Although there is no peanut butter or chocolate, so it's not quite at the top of my list. 

A little warning - you might have trouble with this one if you live in a small town.  When we lived in a small town Aaron tried to pick up the pancetta at the grocery store for me.  They insisted that there was no such thing and that he must have meant proscuitto.  Honestly, I'm kind of surprised they knew proscuitto if they didn't know pancetta.  Anyway, we had to settle for using bacon, which isn't a bad substitute.

Carbonara
Adapted slightly from Classic Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals

1 box whole-wheat pasta
1/4 cup olive oil (slightly less is ok)
1/3 pound pancetta, chopped (can substitute bacon)
Crushed red pepper flakes (amount depends on how spicy you like your food)
4 cloves garlic, chopped (can substitute garlic powder)
1/2 cup chicken broth (original recipe calls for white wine)
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (plus extra to go on top!)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil and pancetta.  Brown pancetta for about 2 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more.  Add broth and stir up all the pan drippings.

Beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking water to temper the eggs.

Drain pasta and add directly to the skillet with the pancetta mixture.  Pour the egg mixture over the pasta.  Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg.  Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, some pepper and a little salt.  Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up the egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes.  Garnish with extra cheese if desired.

Orange-Cream Cheese Brownies

I found this recipe back when I was working in an office in Orlando.  It was printed on a piece of junk mail that was sent to our company, and somehow I came across it and thought, "I need to make this!"  So I did and they were quite delicious!  To keep me from eating the whole pan by myself...To be a nice coworker, I took some with me to work to share.  After all, I wouldn't have the recipe if it weren't for my job.  Everyone loved them!  Especially my boss, who asked for the recipe.  I guess you could say I earned brownie points!

These really are yummy and a bit different with the orange and chocolate combo.  The original recipe has instructions for made-from-scratch brownies, but I always just use a box mix.

Orange-Cream Cheese Brownies

1 box brownie mix and ingredients listed on back to make the brownies
2-6 tablespoons frozen (thawed) orange juice concentrate
Yellow and red food coloring (I omit this.  The OJ gives it some orange color by itself.)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temp.
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

Make brownies according to package directions.  Allow to cool completely.

Stir cream cheese, powdered sugar, orange juice and food coloring until smooth.  The original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of OJ, but I use more (about 5).  Just start with 2 and add more if you like.  Spread icing over brownies.

Microwave chocolate chips and shortening until completely melted, about 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time in the microwave.  Drizzle over brownies.  Use a toothpick to swirl chocolate in with the icing.  Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

One Pot Mac & Cheese

Here is another recipe from Plain Chicken.  This was great for an easy side dish!  The next day I added some chopped broccoli for a yummy lunch.

One Pot Mac & Cheese
From Plain Chicken

2 cups large elbow macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb)
2 1/2 cups low fat milk
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for final season later (I only used about 3/4 teaspoon total)
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup grated cheese of your choice (I used cheddar)
black pepper to taste (I forgot to add this and didn't miss it)

Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.   In medium sauce pan, add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and garlic powder.  On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. Do not leave the mixture unattended! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly.

Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to low. Stir frequently. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed. If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water to mixture ( a few Tbsp at a time) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes.

When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the cheese evenly into the macaroni.  Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes and then serve.
 

Mint Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Mmmm...if you are a lover of the mint and chocolate combo then these cookies are for you!  They are the perfect blend of chewy, chocolatey and minty!

These cookies were originally called Grasshopper Mint Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies.  Well, the one thing I find absolutely intolerable about Texas - even worse than the crazy hot temperatures - is the giant grasshoppers!  No bug should be allowed to be that big, and I really don't want to think of them while I eat my delicious cookies, so I left that part out of the title.

These also call for green food coloring, but they taste just the same without it, and since nobody sees my colon, I don't think I need to die it a nice shade of green!

Ok!  Two gross tangents that I just chased there!  But really - these cookies are very addicting!  The cookies would be great even before adding the mint and chocolate toppings.  This would make a nice base recipe to experiment with.  Go make these!

Mint Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
From Six Sisters' Stuff

For the cookie:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs

Mix ingredients together.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 for 6-9 minutes.  Let cool completely.

For the peppermint frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened (You could probably get by with less.  Try using less and add more if necessary to get the right consistency.)
2 tablespoons millk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract (You can add a little more if you like!)
Green food coloring (optional) 


Mix all together.  Spread evenly over cooled cookies.


For the chocolate topping:
2 1/4 cups chocolate chips (I had extra left (shocking, I know!) so I would use about 1 1/2 cups.)
3/4 cup butter (I left this out and really didn't miss it.)


Melt together in a double boiler or in the microwave.  Spread evenly over peppermint frosting.
  

Shepherd's Pie

I can't really call this a recipe because I really just threw it together and did no measuring.  It's been a long time since I tried a shepherd's pie.  This was pretty good and if/when I make it again I will probably change it up a bit - just to be different.  You can easily change this up to suit your tastes or to use up whatever you have on hand.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can Veg-All (or whatever veggies you like - corn & tomato would be good!)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup beef broth
herbs & spices (I used garlic & onion powders, thyme and sage)
salt & pepper
2 potatoes
butter
sour cream
grated parmesan cheese
milk

Peel and chop potatoes.  Place in a pot, cover with water and boil for about 10 minutes.  Drain and return to pot.  Add whatever you like to make your mashed potatoes.  As listed above, I used butter, sour cream, parmesan cheese, milk, salt and pepper.  Cream cheese or a little cheddar would also be good.  Don't measure - just add enough of everything until it tastes good and mash until it is a nice consistency.

While your potatoes cook, brown the ground beef.  Drain your veggies and add them to the beef.  Also add ketchup, broth, salt, pepper and any herbs and spices you would like.  Cook over high heat until most of the liquid has cooked down.

Pour meat mixture into a pie plate.  Spoon mashed potatoes over the top and evenly spread them out.  Bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes just begin to brown.

Chocolate Pound Cake

This is my mom's recipe for chocolate pound cake.  It's best if it has just the right amount of gooeyness to it.  Even better - serve it warm and topped with some homemade vanilla ice cream...mmm!

Chocolate Pound Cake
From Joanna Knox

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup shortening or oil
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Cream together the butter, shortening/oil and sugar.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition.  In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.  After this is mixed add it to the creamed mixture.  Add the vanilla and milk.  Pour into a greased pan and bake at 300 for about 90 minutes.

Notes:
1. This can be made in 1 bundt pan, 2 loaf pans or about 6 mini loaf pans.  Adjust the bake time as necessary depending on the size of your pan(s).
2. This recipe can be halved.  Use 3 eggs.  

Broccoli, Cheddar & Chicken Pockets

These were pretty good!  They kind of tasted like broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl.  Best part - a great way to hide some veggies from Ezra!

Broccoli, Cheddar & Chicken Pockets

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used 1 1/2 chicken breasts)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked broccoli
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup reduced fat Italian cheese & herb Philadelphia Cooking Creme
2 packages reduced fat crescent rolls

Combine all ingredients except crescent rolls.  You can form your pockets however you like.  You can use 2 triangles to make a rectangle, fill it and fold in half to form a small pocket.  You can put a rectangle made of 2 triangles on the bottom, fill and cover with another rectangle of 2 triangles.  You can get fancy and make a braid or a ring.  Whatever melts your butter, as my Nanny would say!  Place pockets on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at temperature listed on crescent roll package until golden brown.

Bacon, Cheddar & Ranch Potato Casserole

Here's another recipe from my fave food blog, Plain Chicken.  I've adapted this recipe to make it healthy...er...slightly less bad for you.  And I added cream cheese just because.  This is great for pot luck or holidays!  If you want to be really indulgent you can add more of all the bad stuff.

Bacon, Cheddar & Ranch Potato Casserole
Adapted from Plain Chicken

1 bag frozen hash brown potatoes, the shredded kind 
16 oz. light sour cream
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 package ranch dip mix

Mix all ingredients together.  You'll either need some muscles and a really big spoon or you can dig in with your hands.  Spread in a greased 9x13" pan or 2 8" square pans.  Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes.

Lazy Cake Bars

Yum!  Part of what makes these so good is that they're so easy!  I used a yellow cake mix, but I think you could try an endless list of combos that would be good...strawberry cake with chocolate chips, chocolate cake with peanut butter chips, lemon cake with white chocolate chips, spice cake with chocolate chips...you get the idea!

Lazy Cake Bars
From I'm A Lazy Mom

1 box of cake mix
2 eggs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 - 2 cups chips or mini M&Ms

Mix cake mix, eggs and butter.  Stir in chips.  Use hands to spread into a greased 9x13" baking pan.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I don't make homemade pizza very often.  It seems like it is usually less expensive to order it from somewhere than make it myself.  But this just sounded really good to me, so I threw it together and it didn't disappoint!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

pizza dough (I used Pillsbury but you can get all fancy and make your own if you want!)
1 small chicken breast, cooked and chopped
2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 red onion, finely diced
fresh cilantro
Monterrey Jack cheese

Prebake pizza crust if necessary.  Top with sauce, chicken, onion, cilantro and cheese.  Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is completely melted.

Hello Dolly Bars

These are the Hello Dolly bars I made to take to MOPS tomorrow.  What?  A piece is missing?  Well, I had to taste test to be sure no stealth murderer slipped into the kitchen and poisoned them while my back was turned.  This was a completely selfless gesture.  I sacrificed and didn't enjoy it at all.  Like letting a bee sting you so he'll look tough in front of his bee friends.  (Raise your hand if you know the TV reference here!)

Anyway, back to the ooey gooey subject at hand.  I don't know why these are called Hello Dolly bars.  (I've also heard them called 7 layer bars.)  But I do know that this picture doesn't let you see all of the good layers hiding underneath the coconut.  They are delicious and so easy!  I highly recommend that you make these and be sure you sample several bites - all for the sake of the safety of the ones you love!

Hello Dolly Bars

1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 sleeve)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free)
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

Heat oven to 350.  In a 9x13" pan melt the butter in the oven.  Be sure entire bottom surface of pan is coated in butter.  Spread crumbs evenly over butter.  Sprinkle chips and nuts over crumb layer.  Drizzle milk over all.  Sprinkle coconut evenly over the top.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade Peanut Butter

How have I never made my own peanut butter before today?!  It was so easy and tastes much more like peanuts...imagine that!  I can't say I'll never buy the jarred stuff again, but I will definitely be making this much more often.

Homemade Peanut Butter

2 cups shelled peanuts
6 teaspoons oil (peanut oil would be the obvious choice, but I couldn't find any so I used canola)
3 teaspoons honey

Add peanuts to food processor.  Pulse until broken into very small crumbs.  Add oil and honey, process until completely smooth.  You can add more or less oil and honey to reach the desired taste and consistency.  You can also add salt if needed.  Place in a jar and refrigerate.

Beef and Cheddar Potpie

Here's another recipe from my giant stack of pages torn from magazines that I told you about the other day.  Now I'm asking myself why I've waited so long to make more of these!  This was another great dinner.  I didn't think Ezra would like it since he seems to forget that he's from Texas where we like meat, but he loved it and probably ate more than I did.  You should try this!

Beef and Cheddar Potpie
Adapted slightly from Every Day with Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomato, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 small can tomato paste
1 cube of beef bouillon, crumbled
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk

Pour the oil in a skillet.  Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned.  Add the beef, break it up and cook until no longer pink.  Add all 3 cans of tomato, beef bouillon, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Stir until well combined and cook over medium-high heat until completely heated through and most of the liquid has cooked off.  

While the meat mixture is cooking, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Stir to combine.  Add butter and cheese.  With your hands or a pastry cutter blend until course crumbs form.  Add milk and continue to mix until a dry dough forms.  Mix and knead with your hands until dough forms a ball.

Grease a 9x13" baking dish.  Transfer meat mixture to baking dish.  Break the dough into small lumps and place on top of the meat mixture.  Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Chicken in Creamy Pan Sauce

Hello!  I have hardly cooked for the past 2 weeks, but I'm back with an easy recipe and a picture!  I have a big stack of pages that I've ripped from my cooking magazines over the years with recipes to try.  If I'm honest, I'll probably never get around to a lot of them, even after I sort through them and throw out ones I know I'll never really make.  But I'm trying to actually make some of them, and this one, although I modified it a decent bit, was really tasty!  Aaron liked it as well, so we will definitely have it again.  The original recipe didn't include the noodles, but I thought it needed a little something to beef it up (or should I say chicken it up?), so I made more sauce and added the noodles.

Chicken in Creamy Pan Sauce

Adapted from Kraft Foods

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used the thin sliced ones)

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

6 oz. Philadelphia Cooking Creme (I used the Italian Cheese & Herb flavor, but any would work)

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 lb. egg noodles (I don't know how much I used because I just used what I had in the pantry; this is a guess)

Pour the oil in a skillet and heat to medium-high.  Place the flour on a plate.  Dip each side of each chicken breast in the flour; shake off excess.  Place chicken breasts in the skillet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook a few minutes on each side until starting to brown and cooked all the way through.  Remove chicken from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Pour chicken broth in skillet.  Stir to scrape up browned bits from the chicken.  Cook over medium-high for 1-2 minutes.  Add cooking creme and stir until sauce is smooth.  Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce starts to thicken, about 5-7 minutes.

While sauce is cooking, cook noodles according to package directions.

Once sauce begins to thicken, add noodles, tomatoes and chicken to pan.  Stir until all is coated.  Serve chicken over noodles and tomatoes.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

This is another recipe I found on Pinterest.  It was part of a pin for 40 recipes using shredded chicken.  I often buy a 5 lb. pack of chicken breasts (they're cheaper that way!), cook them in water in the crockpot and then shred them and freeze them.  This was a good recipe to use up some of that chicken sitting around in my freezer!  Overall I really liked this.  It is maybe just slightly on the mushy side, but I think if you make sure you cook the cornbread mixture until it is really set it would be better.  Also, I would personally prefer it to be a little spicier, but for Ezra it was probably just right.  We all enjoyed this and I'll make it again!  It would also be good with other meats (ground beef with taco seasoning, pulled pork, leftover roast).

Chicken Tamale Casserole
From Cooking Light via Pinterest

1 cup preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided (I just used cheddar and grated it myself)
1/3 cup nonfat milk
1/4 cup egg substitute (I used 1 large egg)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 14.75 oz. can cream-style corn
1 8.5 oz. box corn muffin mix
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
cooking spray
1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts (I used about 3 cups)
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream (I omitted this)

Preheat oven to 400.  Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chilies), stirring just until moist.  Pour mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 15 minutes or until set.  Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top.  Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.  Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.  Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.