Chocolate Truffle Cake

adapted from a recipe found in a now-forgotten cooking magazine.

Cake:
2-1/2 cups 2% milk
1 cup butter, cubed
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
6 Tablespoons butter, cubed
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 ounces dark chocolate (or dark cocoa)
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Ganache:
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large saucepan, cook the milk, butter and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla; stir in chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into mixture (batter will be thin). Transfer to three greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 325F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. (OR ~ do this the day before you need the cake; store wrapped in saran wrap with wax paper between the layers.)

For filling: in a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Sift in powdered sugar; pour in cream and stir until smooth. Place one cake layer on a serving platter; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers, ending with last cake layer.

For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, heat cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches a spreadable consistency. Using an offset metal spatula, dirty ice the top and sides of cake first, then let ganache harden. Use the same spatula and use remaining ganache to frost the entire cake.

Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired. Store covered in refrigerator.

Lemon Dessert

Jerod calls this giraffe vomit. But he likes it!

1 angel food cake - pre-made
1 large box of COOK & SERVE lemon pudding
1 large tub of Cool Whip, thawed

Tear apart angel food cake in a large bowl

Cook pudding according to pie directions on box

Let cool 5 minutes, then pour over cake bits in bowl (yes, while it's hot)

Let cool (I kept it out on the counter for a while)

Spread thawed Cool Whip over top

Refrigerate until ready to serve

Orange Rolls

I came up with this recipe using the recipe for Cami's Rolls and adding a hefty amount of orange zest to the dough, then tying the dough into knots instead of balls and drizzling with orange glaze while still warm.

Set aside:
1/3 cup warm/hot water
½ teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons yeast

Add to Bosch mixer with dough hook:
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons dough enhancer (if using white flour – for wheat flour add 4 Tbsp)
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
zest of 3-4 oranges

Add the activated yeast mixture.

Add Milk:
If using powdered milk:
Add 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp powdered milk to small saucepan and add 2 cups water
Heat to “warm” stage

If using regular milk:
Add 2¼ cups warm milk

Mix together on setting 1 until well mixed. Add ¼ cup flour at a time until sides of bowl are “cleaned”.

Turn on setting 2 for 10 minutes

Turn out onto counter and cover with towel for 10 minutes

Pinch off chunks of dough – bigger than a golfball – roll into ropes and tie into knots, then place on pam sprayed cookie sheet.

Let rise 1-3 hours depending on the warmth of your home, or until almost doubled.

Bake at 375ºF for 11-12 minutes.

During last 2 minutes of baking, make glaze:
Combine:
powdered sugar
milk
a little orange juice
orange zest

if you have a squeeze bottle (mine is from Wilson) with a narrow tip, combine ingredients in there and then squeeze over warm rolls (orange zest can tend to get stuck in the tip. just bang it out). Or combine in a ziploc bag and cut a SMALL corner off, then squeeze over rolls.

Cheesecake Layered Chocolate Cake

from www.Picky-Palate.com

1 box devils food cake mix
½ Cup oil
½ Cup water
8 oz sour cream
1 box chocolate instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
4 eggs
1 bag chocolate chips
1 Sara Lee Frozen New York Style Cheesecake (30 oz)
24 oz softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
½ can of vanilla frosting
16 oz powdered sugar
3 chocolate wafer cookies (the long cylindrical ones)
½ Cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, mix cake mix, oil, water, sour cream, pudding mix, eggs and chocolate chips for 1½ minutes. Pour into 2 greased 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cooked through. Remove, cool and refrigerate for a few hours.
2. Slice cheesecake into ½ inch cubes once it’s thawed; set aside. Place cream cheese, butter and pre-made frosting into a stand or electric mixer. Beat until well combined. Slowly add powdered sugar until nice consistency. Refrigerate frosting for ½ hour to firm it up slightly.
3. Once cake has been chilled, remove from pans and slice each cake in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Spread layers with ½ Cup frosting then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cubed cheesecake pieces. Repeat this procedure until all 4 layers are on cake, leaving the top layer without cheesecake pieces. Frost top and sides of cake with the remaining frosting.
4. Arrange cookie pieces in center of cake for garnish. Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30-45 seconds or until melted and smooth. Place chocolate in the corner of a ziplock baggie and snip the corner edge. Drizzle melted chocolate over top of cake. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Beef Stew

adapted from Campbell's Kitchen

1 1/2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds potatoes, cut into cubes
2 cups sliced carrots
4-5 stalks celery, cut into pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups beef broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 bay leaf

Place potatoes, carrots, celery and garlic into crock pot. Top with beef. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaf.

Cover and cook on Low for 10-11 hours or until beef is fork tender. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Serve.

Breakfast Casserole

adapted from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen

2 tubes refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 cups crumbled bacon
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 whole large eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish.

Lay out the two containers of crescent roll dough in bottom of dish. (Just pat it all out.)

Spread crumbled bacon over top of dough, followed by cheese.

Beat eggs and milk in a bowl, then add salt and pepper. Pour mixture over top of cheese.

Cover casserole dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes or until eggs are set.

Chocolate Cookie Bark

adapted from KraftFoods.com

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
12 ounces white chocolate
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
20 Oreo cookies

Microwave semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate bowls until completely melted, following directions on the back of the packages. Add peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well-blended. Crumble half the cookies over each bowl of chocolate; mix well.

Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto wax paper-covered baking sheet, alternating the colors of the chocolates. Cut through chocolate mixtures several times with knife for marble effect.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Key Lime Cake

adapted from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen

Cake:
3 sticks butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
3 cups sugar
6 whole eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour

Sugar Bath:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup lime juice

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of one lemon
zest of one lime

Preheat oven to 325F.

Beat 3 sticks of butter with 8 ounces cream cheese until creamy. Add 3 cups sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add 1 Tablespoon vanilla, then 3 cups of flour and mix until combined. Bake in a greased and floured Bundt pan for 75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

During last 12 minutes of cake's baking time, prepare the sugar bath. Bring 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup lemon and 1/2 cup lime juices to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.

When cake is finished baking, carefully pour half of the sugar/juice mixture into the pan with the hot cake. Wait 5 minutes, then flip the cake and paint the remaining mix onto the top of the cake with a pastry brush. Once cool, mix up the frosting.

Beat the last 8 ounces cream cheese with last stick of butter. Slowly add in 4 cups of powdered sugar, mixing until creamy. Add the lemon juices, lime juice and vanilla, then mix until incorporated. Add a little milk if needed to reach desired consistency.

When cake is (mostly) cool, drizzle the cream cheese frosting over top. Sprinkle with zests.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

adapted slightly from kraftfoods.com

1 pound ground beef
2 cups chopped green peppers
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic
26 ounces spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 cup water
1/4 cup Italian dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown meat, drain. Place in large skillet.

Add peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, water, spaghetti sauce and dressing; bring to a boil. Stir in noodles; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover.

Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each.

Ham & Cheese Roll

altered from www.kraftfoods.com

1 lb. frozen bread dough, thawed
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons powdered ranch dressing mix
10 ounces deli ham, sliced thin
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Flatten dough on lightly floured surface. Roll into 12x8-inch rectangle with rolling pin. Spread mayonnaise over dough, then sprinkle ranch mix over (use more if desired). Top with ham and cheese to within 1/2-inch of edges.

Sprinkle edges of dough with water. Starting at one of the long sides, fold one-third of dough over filling; repeat with other long side. Pinch seams together to seal. Place, seam-side down, on lightly greased baking sheet. Cut three diagonal slits in top of dough with kitchen shears. Brush with egg; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 35 to 40 min. or until golden brown. Cool 10 min. before slicing.

Homemade Hot Cocoa

adapted from a recipe found on cooksrecipes.com

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup hot water
1/8 cup dark cocoa powder
1/8 cup regular cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix cocoas, sugar, cinnamon, water and salt in a saucepan. Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Stir in the milk and heat through, but do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla; blend well. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.

(Can alter with orange zest in place of cinnamon, or a drop of peppermint, to suit your tastes.)

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa (I use half dark and half regular).
Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk*.
Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa (I use half dark and half regular), stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Pour over warm cake.

*If you don't have buttermilk (or don't want to buy an entire container of buttermilk just for this recipe), try this trick: for every ONE CUP of buttermilk you need, take JUST UNDER ONE CUP of milk and add ONE TABLESPOON of either lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir together and let sit for five minutes or so, then use as directed in the recipe.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Wild Rice Soup

1 bag crinkle-cut carrots, frozen
3 cloves minced garlic (from that Costco jar)
2 cans chicken broth (or 28 ounces water + chicken bouillon)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup (yes, it’s necessary)
¾ cup milk
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup cooked wild rice (use Uncle Ben’s in the orange microwaveable bag)

Add all ingredients to a large pot over medium heat. Let cook until heated through and frozen carrots are tender. Add a handful of spinach at the end if desired. Serve with rolls.

Caramel Corn

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
10 large marshmallows
1-2 bags popped popcorn (I use Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop)

Heat sugar, butter and marshmallows over medium-low heat until melted.

Pour over popcorn, mixing well.

Form into balls if desired, or keep in large batch. Cover with plastic wrap to keep.

Fresh Peach Cobbler

made this one up myself.

5 cups fresh peaches, sliced
1¼ cups sugar
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1-1½ boxes yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted

Combine first six ingredients in large bowl. Dump into 9x13 cake pan. Top with dry cake mix. Drizzle melted butter over top. Bake at 350ºF for approximately 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

So my mom has for years doggedly professed her hatred for sweet potatoes... something stemming from a bad episode when she was a child... At any rate, she ate these and allowed she indeed liked them. (recipe found on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen, then tweaked a bit)

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground all-spice
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
3 Tablespoons butter
marshmallows

Boil sweet potatoes in salted water until tender; about 30 minutes. Drain potatoes and slip off skins.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix all ingredients with mixer, including potatoes.

Cook for 25 minutes, cover with marshmallows if desired, and cook until mallows are browned and melted (about 5 minutes).

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake

adapted from vanilla sugar and picky palate

Cake:
9 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1½ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup chocolate milk
½ cup milk

Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

Sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)

Mix together the milks. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.


Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling:
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 stick salted butter, at room temperature
1½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
A good pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
several chopped Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups (maybe half a bag)

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter together.

Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar — don’t forget to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl. Continue to beat till nice and fluffy, then add in the salt and peanut butter.

Fold in the pb cups by hand, so they don't get ground up.


Ganache
24 ounces 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, chopped into cubes

Melt the chopped chocolate with the heavy cream in a double-boiler.

Stir occasionally until fully melted. Once melted, take off the heat and add in the butter bits.

Whisk very well. The more you whisk, the glossier and smoother the ganache.

Let cook for about an hour and a half.


To Assemble:
Remove first cake from pan and place on cake stand.

Spoon filling onto cake (you may not need all of it), then spread almost to edges.

Top with second cake.

Pour half of cooled ganache over cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let this layer cool, then repeat with remaining ganache. Before it cools completely, top with remaining bag of Reese's Mini Cups, either whole or halved.

Refrigerate cake - covered - for several hours, as this makes it easier to slice. Serve with MILK.

Amazing Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package onion soup mix
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup oil
¼ cup minced onion
½ cup apricot or peach jam

Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours, or HIGH 4-5 hours.

To FREEZE:
Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal bag and freeze. To cook, thaw (overnight or in a sink of hot water for about 5 minutes) and dump into crockpot, then cook as above.

Crockpot Taco Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 small can diced green chiles
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours, or HIGH 4-5 hours. Shred chicken in pot.

Serve with tortillas or taco shells with assorted toppings (cheese, guacamole, sour cream, etc.)

To FREEZE:
Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal bag and freeze. To cook, thaw (overnight or in a sink of hot water for about 5 minutes) and dump into crockpot, then cook as above.

Quebecois Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breats
½ cup maple syrup
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper

Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours, or HIGH 4-5 hours.

To FREEZE:
Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal bag and freeze. To cook, thaw (overnight or in a sink of hot water for about 5 minutes) and dump into crockpot, then cook as above.

Bombay Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup yellow mustard
¼ cup honey, melted
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
½ teaspoon chili sauce
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours, or HIGH 4-5 hours.

To FREEZE:
Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal bag and freeze. To cook, thaw (overnight or in a sink of hot water for about 5 minutes) and dump into crockpot, then cook as above.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

1 6oz package stuffing mix, plus ingredients to prepare it
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1½ pounds)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup sour cream

Cook chicken in crockpot until tender (4-6 hours on low). Shred. Make stuffing according to package directions. Mix chicken, soup and sour cream together, then heat through in the microwave. Place in bottom of casserole dish, then top with stuffing. Broil in oven until barely crispy on top.

Summer Poppyseed Salad

1 large head butter lettuce, torn
Equal amount spinach, torn
1 bag sliced almonds
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 bag oriental top ramen noodles, broken into pieces
poppyseed dressing

Toss all ingredients. Serve.

Mexican Salad

1 medium head Romaine lettuce, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1½ - 2 pounds grated cheddar cheese
2 avocados, cut into chunks
1 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large package Fritos

Combine all ingredients.

Toss with 1 bottle of Catalina dressing just before serving.

Perfect Lemon Cupcakes

Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix wtih electric mixer on medium for about two minutes. Use a strong mixer, as the batter is thick! For cupcakes, bake them at 350ºF for 20 minutes. (Makes about 24 very full cupcakes.) (Can also make a regular cake - 9x11 or 2 rounds. Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes.)

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, very soft
6-8 cups powdered sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then the juice and the zest. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the icing is thick enough to spread. Use and store at room temperature. (Don't refrigerate and it will last covered for about 3 days.)

Delicious, Creamy Mashed Potatoes

from Pioneer Woman Cooks

5 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes
1½ sticks butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup half & half (or a little more)
½ to 1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt
½ to 1 teaspoon black pepper

Peel & cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30-35 minutes. (Or just cook in a pressure cooker.) When they're cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost - but not totally - fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape before adding in the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add th butter, cream cheese and half and half. Mash. Next, add seasoning salt and black pepper to taste.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Place a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350ºF oven and heat until the butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through. (When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2-3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350ºF oven for about 20-30 minutes or until warmed through.)

Alfredo Tuna Over Biscuits

adapted from Pillsbury

8 refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
6 cups mixed vegetables
4 cans tuna, drained
2 cups Alfredo pasta sauce
8 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350ºF. Bake biscuits as directed on package. Cook vegetables as directed. Combine with tuna and Alfredo sauce in large microwaveable bowl; microwave 5-7 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally. Split hot biscuits; place bottoms on individual plates and top with tuna mixture. Top each with biscuit top and sprinkle with cheese.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

from Kraft

1 pound ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 cup water
¼ cup Italian dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles*, broken into bite-sized pieces
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef, then drain and rinse if desired. Return to pan. Add peppers, garlic, spaghettic sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Add noodles; stir. Cover. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in ricotta cheese until combined, then sprinkle with mozzarella.

*If not using oven-ready noodles, increase water to 2 cups and cooking time to 30 minutes.

German (Puffy) Pancakes

2 Tablespoons melted butter
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon
zest of one lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Pour melted butter in a 9x13-inch pan. Blend remaining ingredients until smooth, then bake for 18 minutes until puffed.

Taco Pie

1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning (or about 2 Tablespoons)
3/4 cups water
16 ounces refried beans
8 ounces salsa
½-1 cup milk
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 whole baked pastry shell
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
toppings (lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, guac, etc.)

Cook ground beef then drain and rinse if desired. Return to skillet. Add taco seasoning and water, stirring well. Bring to a boil; simmer for 10 minutes. Combine refried beans, black beans, milk and salsa. Spoon HALF of bean mixture into bottom of pastry shell. Top with HALF of meat mixture, HALF of cheese, and ALL of tortilla chips. REPEAT layers. Bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes. Top with lettuce and sour cream or any other toppings you like.

Chocolate Decadence Cake

adapted from www.allwomenstalk.com

12 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces dark chocolate
1½ cups butter, melted
1 3/4 cups white sugar
½ cup water
7 eggs
powdered sugar, for sprinkling
**

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 10-inch round pan (NOT a springform!) and line bottom with parchment paper. (You can also skip the parchment entirely - I didn't like it because it stuck to the cake and you had to be careful you didn't eat it.)

Chop chocolate and place in a large bowl. Add melted butter. Heat water and 1½ cups sugar in a saucepan until boiling, then pour over chocolate. Stir until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whip eggs with remaining ¼ cup sugar until thick. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into pan.

Place pan on a cookie sheet in the oven and fill the cookie sheet with water. (Hint: place cookie sheet on rack in pre-heated oven. Don't pull out rack! Place filled pan on cookie sheet, then pour water around pan. Don't try setting the pan on cookie sheet before placing in oven. Too jiggly!)

Bake at 350ºF for 40 to 50 minutes. (Usually takes just over 40.) Remove from oven. Be extremely careful not to burn yourself on the hot water when removing the sheet pan from the oven. Cool and refrigerate for several hours. Overnight is best - the longer you refrigerate it the better the flavors meld.

Dip the pan in hot water to remove cooled cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

**Add 3 Tablespoons fresh orange zest to the batter for a chocolate-orange combination. Or try mashing a handful of blueberries very well and adding a few Tablespoons as you beat the batter. Make sure they distribute evenly. (Trust me! Blueberry chocolate is a great combo!)

Fudge Crinkles

1 box Devils Food cake mix
2 eggs
½ cup canola oil
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix together first 3 ingredients. Dust hands with powdered sugar then roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Don't overbake! They should puff up during baking and flatten with cooling.

Individual Blueberry Cobblers

Makes 24 cobblers

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries
Extra sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine flour with baking powder and salt and sugar, then whisk in milk. Whisk in melted butter and vanilla. Pour ¼-cup batter into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle a few blueberries on top.

Bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp around the edges.

Invert onto a cooling rack and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

1 Oreo crust

Filling:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1¼ cups powdered sugar
1 (8-ounce) package Cool Whip, thawed

Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Pour filling into crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

adapted from 3 Sisters'

2 packages stuffing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon pepper
3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1 inch stips
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups cooked chicken, chunked

Prepare stuffing mixes according to directions on box. Meanwhile, combine soup and milk in a bowl. Put chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Layer with ham, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, soup mixture and stuffing. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. At this point you can freeze. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

OR, to save time, combine all ingredients but ham and stuffing in a large, microwaveable bowl. Heat until hot, then pour into pan and top with stuffing, then bake or broil just until stuffing is crisp.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Duo

adapted from Picky Palate

Peanut Butter Cookie
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together by hand until well combined. Set aside.

Chocolate Chip Cookie
2 sticks softened butter (1 Cup)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1¼ cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix the butter and sugars by hand until well combined. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix with fork or sift. Add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.

Take a Tablespoon of peanut butter dough and a Tablespoon of chocolate dough and gently press together forming a "not so perfect" ball. Don't press and roll too much; just stick them together and place onto a silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cooked through to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Shredded Beef Nachos

1 pound leftover pot roast, shredded
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 can diced chilies
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Tortilla chips
Whatever other topping you want – sour cream, avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, etc.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the leftover roast, shredding it as it warms up. Add tomatoes, chilies, stock, chili powder, and cumin. Stir together and cover. Let it simmer for 15 minutes, until heated through and completely shredded. Place chips on a plate and cover with cheese. Microwave for 30 seconds or more until cheese is melted. Top with shredded beef followed by any other toppings you desire.

Chocolate Fudge Jr Mint Centered Cupcakes

~from Picky Palate

1 box chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
½ cup sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips
3 4-oz boxes Jr Mints

Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a stand or electric mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, pudding mix, sour cream and chocolate chips. Mix on medium for 2 minutes or until well combined and somewhat thick. Scoop into 24 paper lined muffin cups. Do NOT make mini-muffins with this recipe. It doesn't work as well at all. Press 3 mints into the center of each cupcake center. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes mostly clean from center. Let cool completely and frost with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting.

24 cupcakes

Honey Butter

2 sticks butter, softened
½ cup honey
½ cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter, sugars, egg and vanilla till fluffy and add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chunks. Press into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 18-20 minutes until light golden brown. Or double the recipe and press into a large sheet pan (11X17).

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 chicken breast halves
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained
1-2 cups frozen corn
2 15-oz cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 cup medium salsa
1 4-oz can chopped green chilies
1 14 ½-oz can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips, not optional
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice or shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir into soup. To serve, put a handful of chips in each individual soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese.

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

1 lb chicken breasts
1 onion, diced
1-2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups sliced carrots
4-5 potatoes, diced small
1 cups milk
¼ cups flour
8 oz cream cheese

Cook chicken in the crockpot or pressure cooker; shred.

Sauté onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add carrots and potatoes. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Add bouillon cubes or soup base for flavor. Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender. Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Soften cream cheese in microwave then add to soup in little pieces and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Pudding Cookies

4½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ cups butter (3 sticks) softened
1½ cups brown sugar, packed
½ cup white sugar
2 (3.4 oz.) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups of add-ins you want to use like chocolate/butterscotch/peanut butter/white chocolate chips, candy bars, m&m's, nuts, etc.


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Stir together flour and baking soda in seperate bowl and set aside; in a large bowl, cream butter, brown and white sugar. Beat in pudding mix until well blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. When smooth, slowly add in the flour mixture. This can take a little while, but make sure it's well incorporated into mix.

Finally, add the "fillers". Roll into balls and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden.

Cheesy Lasagna Rolls

12 Lasagna noodles, cooked and cooled
1 jar spaghetti sauce, divided

Filling:
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 egg
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon parsley flakes
1/8 tsp pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided (1½ cup for filling, ½ cup on top)

Pour half of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Mix together all ingredients for the filling. Lay noodles flat and spread filling mixture on noodles. Roll up like a sleeping bag and lay in pan. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 30-40 minutes.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent rolls
2-8oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1½ cups Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
½ stick butter

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Unroll and press 1 can crescent rolls into the bottom of your baking dish press the seams together. In a separate bowl blend the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Spread over top of dough. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and place on top of the cream cheese mixture pressing seams together again. Melt butter and pour over top layer of crescents. Mix the reaming 1/2 cup of sugar & cinnamon together. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture generously over the top. Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes until bubbly and bottom crust is slightly brown. Cool, slice and enjoy!

Tender Sour Cream Waffles

1½ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup vegetable oil

Heat waffle iron. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add egg yolks, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla, oil, and blend well. In separate bowl, beat eggs whites until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted. Gently fold egg whites into creamed mixture until no white streaks remain. Pour 1 cup of mixture into belgian waffle maker and bake until done. (1/2 cup for regular waffle iron.)

Delicious Orange Fluff

16 oz container Cool Whip
1 small pkg orange jello
2-8oz containers peach yogurt
20 oz can chunk pineapple (drained)
1 small can mandarin oranges (drained)

Stir dry jello into Cool Whip and mix well.
Add peach yogurt and stir.
Stir in pineapple and oranges (I like to cut these fruits in half before adding.)
Cover and refrigerate overnight or until set.

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Roll

adapted from Picky Palate

1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can
¼ Cup prepared ranch dressing
2 Cups shredded BBQ Chicken
1½ Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough then top with evenly with chicken and cheddar cheese. Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape, then place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and serve.

My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add soda, salt, and flour and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 375ºF on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

*Try all white chocolate chips, or a mix of your favorites.

Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Bruschetta

~Picky Palate


Softened butter
Frehch bread or Ciabatta Bread, cut in half lengthwise
Lawry's Garlic Salt with Parsley
l lb of your favorite prepared spaghetti
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spread butter over cut sides of bread. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Top with prepared spaghetti that's been cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into strips. Serve warm.

3 Envelope Roast

3 pound beef roast (such as chuck roast)
1 envelope of dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope of dry brown gravy mix
2 cups water

Pour the water into a medium-sized bowl. Now add and mix all three envelopes of dry salad dressings to the water. Mix until blended completely. Place the roast in the crockpot. Pour the water and salad dressing mixture over the roast. Cook on high for about 4 hours or on low about 8 hours.

Oreo Truffles

Take one package of Oreos and throw it in your food processor. Pulverize. It should look like sand.

Add an entire block of cream cheese. Pulverize again until it forms a dough.

Put dough in fridge for about 45 minutes to firm up a bit.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Stick in fridge again to firm up.

Melt white chocolate (or regular chocolate) in a double boiler or the microwave.

Dip balls into the chocolate and lay on wax paper to harden.

Old Fashioned Colorado Green Chili

2 lbs. cubed pork
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (you can substitute 1 14 oz can)
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 cup water
2½ cups diced green chiles (about 20 chiles)
2 cups diced onion.
Salt & pepper to taste.

Brown pork in skillet with garlic and pepper. Add flour and brown as well.

In crock pot, mix pork, garlic, tomatoes, water, green chiles and onion. Simmer for at least 2 hours. Water can be added to thin down and flour can be added to thicken.

(You can also cook it in a large pot on the stove at low heat.)

Hint: Let simmer at least an hour before tasting and modifying by adding chiles, more tomatoes, garlic, etc.

This is a very meaty, very slightly thickened chili – thin for Colorado style chili. If you like really thick chili, use 4-5 tbsp. flour rather than 3 and/or reduce the water.

S'mores Brownies

8-10 graham crackers
1 box fudge brownie mix
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place graham crackers (cut to fit) in a single layer on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan (line the pan with foil to easily remove the brownies and cut them into squares). Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, then pour the batter over the graham crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and top with the marshmallows and chocolate chips. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares.

Patriotic Cupcakes

1 package (18¼ ounces) white cake mix
½ teaspoon blue food coloring
½ teaspoon red food coloring
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting or your own frosting
Red, white and blue sprinkles

Prepare cake batter according to package directions.
In a small bowl, combine 1-1/3 cups batter and blue food coloring. In another bowl, combine 1-1/3 cups batter and red food coloring. Leave remaining batter plain.
Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups with 1 Tablespoon red batter, 1 Tablespoon plain batter and 1 Tablespoon blue batter. Bake at 350°F for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with vanilla frosting; decorate with sprinkles.

Easy Spaghetti

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of tomato soup
1 pound ground beef, browned
chili powder, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
spaghetti noodles, cooked

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook until heated through, then serve over noodles.

tiramisu bowl

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
48 Nilla Wafers
3 cups cold milk
½ cup chocolate milk
2 packages vanilla instant pudding
2 squares (ounces) semi-sweet chocolate, grated
8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
1 cup fresh strawberries (or raspberries)


BEAT cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Beat in milk and pudding mixes. Stir in Cool Whip. LINE 2½-quart trifle bowl with 24 wafers; drizzle with ¼ cup chocolate milk. Top with half each of pudding mixture and chocolate. Repeat all layers. TOP with remaining Cool Whip and berries. REFRIGERATE for two hours.

creamy lemon squares

20 Nilla Wafers, finely crushed
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
¼ cup cold butter
3 Tablespoons lemon zest
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

HEAT oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. MIX wafer crumbs, flour and brown sugar in bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Bake 5-7 minutes. BEAT cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add eggs and 2 Tbsp flour; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp lemon zest, lemon juice and baking powder; pour over crust. BAKE 25-28 minutes or ‘til center is set. Cool. Refrigerate 2 hours. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining lemon zest. Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting.

white chocolate-raspberry cheesecake bars

12 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 squares (ounces) white chocolate, divided
2 eggs
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup red raspberry preserves


HEAT oven to 350ºF. Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 8-inch square pan. Melt 2 ounces of chocolate as directed on package (in microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring each 30 seconds). BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust. BAKE 25 to 28 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool five minutes; spread with softened preserves. Melt remaining chocolate; drizzle over cheesecake. Cool cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours. Cut into 18 bars.

Greek-Style Lemon Roast Chicken

3-4 lbs. frozen chicken breasts
salt and black pepper
1 medium lemon, washed, zested, halved and squeezed
1 medium lemon, sliced
½ cup Greek vinaigrette dressing
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup Feta cheese, crumbled

Mix lemon zest, juice, dressing and garlic; toss with frozen chicken breasts in a large sealable plastic bag. Marinate overnight, or 4-6 hours, in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place contents of plastic bag in a 13x9-inch baking dish.
Place lemon slices over chicken breasts. Bake 1½ hours or until chicken is cooked through (reaches an internal temperature of 180°F), basting occasionally. Sprinkle with crumbled Feta cheese before serving.

Greek Lemon Potatoes

6 large potatoes cut into wedges (peeled is optional)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons
1 Tablespoons chicken bouillon dissolved in
¼ cup water
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves pressed (or garlic powder to taste)

Cut (and peel if desired) potatoes.

Place in a large Ziploc bag, then combine remaining ingredients together and pour over potatoes, stirring well to coat every piece. Shake to combine. Let marinate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 425ºF and bake for 1 hour. You may cover them for the first half hour. Stir every 20 minutes or so. When finished, squeeze a little more fresh lemon juice over them all, and salt to taste.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

~from the book Lemon Tart

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan (not Teflon-coated) and simmer on low until melted and mixed, stirring continually (about 10 minutes). Whisk until smooth before serving over pasta. Can be refrigerated and used again if reheated on low heat. (Remember to whisk again!)

Serves 4.

*Half-and-half or evaporated milk can be used for some or all of cream to reduce fat, but the consistency won’t be as rich or as thick.

Baked Lemon Pasta

1 pound thin spaghetti
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cups sour cream
½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste if desired
grated Parmesan cheese
Flat leaf parsley, chopped
Extra lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cook spaghetti until al dente. In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat. Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.) When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Easy Crescent Danish Rolls

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 teaspoons preserves or jam

Glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 teaspoons milk

Heat oven to 350ºF. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice. Beat until smooth. Separate dough into 8 rectangles, firmly pressing perforations to seal. (or use the crescent creations dough and cut into 8 triangles) Spread each triangle with about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture. Leave ½-inch around 1 long sides and two short sides clean and free of cream cheese. Roll up jelly roll style starting on long side, rolling to long side with ½-inch free of cream cheese. Firmly pinch edge and ends to seam. Gently stretch each roll to around 10-12 inches. On an ungreased cookie sheet, coil each roll into a spiral with the seam side on the inside, tucking end under. Make a deep indentation in the center of each roll and fill with ½-teaspoon jam or preserves.

Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes until deep golden brown. In a small bowl blend glaze ingredients, adding enough milk to make drizzling consistency. Put glaze in a small plastic zipper bag. Snip a small amount off the corner of the bag, creating a small hole. Drizzle glaze from bag using hole over warm rolls.

Hot Hoagies

1 loaf french bread, cut lengthwise
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
½ cup light mayo
½ cup reduced fat sour cream
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)
2 cups shredded cheese, your choice

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place french bread on large baking sheet. Mix all topping ingredients together in a bowl. Spread topping evenly on top of both lengths of french bread. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and edges are lightly browned. Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

Sour Cream Waffles

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoon butter butter, melted
1 cup milk
½ cup sour cream
3 large eggs

Heat waffle iron. Lightly oil grids. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to combine and make a well in the center. Whisk the melted butter, milk and sour cream, and eggs in a medium bowl until well combined and pour into well. Whisk until smooth, do not over mix.

Spoon about ¼-cup of the batter into the center of each quadrant of the waffle iron and close the iron. Cook until the waffle is golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Serve the waffles hot, with the syrup passed on the side.

Cookies and Cream Rice Crispy Treats

4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Cups mini marshmallows
8 Cups rice crispy cereal
8 oz bag mini Oreo cookies

½ Cup chocolate chips, melted

Place butter and marshmallows into a large microwavable bowl. Microwave for a few minutes until marshmallows puff up nice and large. Remove and stir in cereal and Oreos. Pour into a large 9x13 inch baking dish. With the back of a large spoon that's sprayed with cooking spray press and smooth treats. Drizzle melted chocolate over top and let cool. Cut into squares.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

1 pkg lemon cake mix
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease or line 18 muffin tins.

In a bowl, combine the came mix, flour and baking powder. Stir to blend. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and oil. Add dry ingredients, stirring just until blended. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Bake for 17 to 23 minutes, or until set and golden.

Makes 18 muffins

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Brownie Base
1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box

Filling
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk

Topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup butter

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening. For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.

In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. For brownies, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Pioneer Woman’s Quiche

adapted from Pioneer Woman - imagine that!

1 deep dish pie crust
7 eggs
1½ cups heavy cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
½ pound bacon
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can green chilies
½ cup baby spinach, torn, optional

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with cream. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper, and set aside. (Add cayenne pepper if you’d like a little kick.)

Add remaining ingredients. Stir together. Add bacon and stir.

Pour into pie crust and press to submerge ingredients.

Cover loosely with foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 400ºF for 1 hour. Bake for slightly longer if quiche is overly jiggly.

Remove from oven and allow to set for ten minutes before serving. Remove quiche from pan and slice into wedges.

Good Morning Muffins

adapted from Pioneer Woman

Makes 18 muffins

4 cups flour
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
½ cup shortening
1 cup orange marmalade
1 cup strawberry preserves
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Topping
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon melted butter
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Place in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter to mix in shortening. Mix marmalade, preserves, orange juice and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour into dry ingredients. Beat eggs and pour into the bowl. Mix all ingredients together gently, using fewer than 10 large strokes.

In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients.
Fill muffin pans with batter. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of topping ingredients over each muffin.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until done. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Lemon Bread

from Julia Lawrence

Bread:
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

Syrup:
¼ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour loaf pan. Combine the shortening and sugar in a large bowl and beat until well-blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add all of the rest of the ingredients and beat until blended and smooth. Spread into the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. While the bread bakes, make the syrup in a saucepan. Remove the bread from the oven and poke the top in several places with a fork. Drizzle the syrup over the hot loaf. Cool for 15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Caramel Crunch Bars

*Makes one 9X13-inch pan of bars*

80 club crackers
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch morsels

Line an ungreased 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an extension of foil on either end. Line the foil with 1 layer of club crackers.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and spread half of butter mixture evenly over crackers. Place another single layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top evenly with remaining crackers.

In a small saucepan (or in the microwave), combine peanut butter, chocolate morsels, and butterscotch morsels. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over top of crackers. Cover, and chill for at least 1 hour. Lift foil overhang and remove bars from pan. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

No Peel Apple Cake

4 cups chopped unpeeled apples, cut into ½” pieces
½ cup oil
½ cup applesauce
1½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking soda

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; pour into 9x13 greased pan.

Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar on top and bake at 350ºF for 50 minutes.

Vanishing Breakfast Rolls

2 packages Refridgerated Biscuits (10 rolls per pack)
large marshmallows
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
Cinnamon & Sugar mix (½ cup sugar to ½ tsp cinnamon)

Separate biscuits and smash down with the palm of your hand. If you have big marshmallows you are ready to roll marshmallow in butter, then into cinnamon & sugar. Place one covered marshmallow on each flattened biscuit and wrap biscuit around; pinch to seal. Place in sprayed cupcake pan seam side down and bake according to biscuit package directions. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and serve.

Italian Beef Pie

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (sometimes I add cheddar also)
1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
3/4 cups sour cream or ricotta cheese
1 8-oz. package crescent rolls
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cups grated Parmesan

In a large saucepan cook ground beef and chopped onion. Drain. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Mix together sour cream or ricotta with the grated cheeses. Spread this over the top of the ground beef.

Roll out the crescent triangles on a lightly floured surface. Pinch together the seams, and roll into a smooth rectangle the size of the pan. Lay over the top of the cheese mixture. Cut small slits into the dough.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Simmer with the garlic for about 10 minutes. Brush the garlic butter over the crescent dough. Sprinkle with the ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until crescent dough is golden all over. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

BBQ Chicken Salad Puff Stackers

adapted from Picky Palate


2 sheets thawed puff pastry, each sheet cut into 16 squares

Homemade BBQ Sauce
1¼ cups ketchup
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
4 Tablespoons worstershire sauce
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon honey
Pinch of salt

2-3 large chicken breasts, cooked in crockpot and shredded

3 cups mixed salad greens
4 Tablespoons prepared Ranch Dressing

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place squares 1 inch apart on a large baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until puffed and slightly golden.

2. Combine all BBQ Sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded chicken. Let simmer.

3. In a medium bowl, toss salad with ranch dressing. Spoon a bit of salad onto a puff pastry square then top with a spoonful of chicken. Top with another puff square and repeat layering. Serve warm.

10 stackers

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken

3 cups shredded or cubed Lemon Garlic Chicken
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 (16 ounce) package tube pasta (I used rigatoni)
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded


In a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Stir chicken into cooked pasta, along with the cream, parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken

Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound chicken breasts (cut really thick chicken breasts down to thin them out and make the pieces a little smaller so they absorb the marinade better)

Combine all marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and place in fridge overnight. Grill (or cook in frying pan). Serve with sides of your choice or cut into bite sized pieces and add to desired recipe.

Note: If you cut your chicken into smaller, bite-sized pieces and then marinate it, you can get away with only letting it marinate for 5 or 6 hours instead of overnight.

Try doubling the marinade and chicken and grill it all up and freeze the extras to use later.

IHOP French Toast and homemade syrup

2 eggs
½ cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons flour
6 slices of thick sliced French bread

First beat eggs, then add remaining ingredients with electric mixer. Dip both sides of bread and place in hot buttered pan. Flip over when browned. Serve with Homemade Syrup.

Coconut or vanilla or maple Syrup
7-8 Tablespoons butter
¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coconut/vanilla/maple extract

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot. Then turn stove on medium and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the 'fizz' to reduce before serving.

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9x13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Bliss Bars

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups peanut butter
3 cups rice krispies
2½ cups corn flakes
¾ cup unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 regular sized vanilla pudding mixes (instant)
milk (as needed)
½ cup butter
2½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Over medium heat, heat the corn syrup and granulated sugar; bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the peanut butter (you can use chunky; I use natural chunky). Stir until it is smooth and creamy.

Have both kinds of cereals mixed together in a large mixing bowl. Pour the warm peanut butter mixture over the cereal and mix it until it's well combined. All of the cereal should be coated. Press it into a cake pan, packing it down with the bottom of a spoon:

In a saucepan, melt 3/4 c. butter. Add to this the powdered sugar and vanilla pudding mixes. Stir well; it will be very thick. Slowly add bits of milk until the mixture is the consistency of frosting, mix well. Spread this over the cereal layer in the pan.

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together the last portion of butter and chocolate chips. Heat for 1 minute. Stir well. Continue to heat in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth. Spread over the vanilla layer.

Cover tightly and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until chocolate is set. Cut into bars. (These are extremely THICK bars and can be a real pain to cut!)

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

1 bag frozen meatballs
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
½ cup each chunked red & green bell pepper

Mix brown sugar & cornstarch. Add water, salt, vinegar, and ketchup and heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cook & stir until thick. Add meatballs & simmer 15 minutes. Add peppers. Remove from heat and let cool. When cooled, place in freezer bag. When ready to eat, thaw, heat in crockpot and serve over rice.

Crispy Chocolate Cherry Treats

3 tablespoons butter
1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or off-brand works fantastic, too)
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries (I used dried cranberries)
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Prepare pan by lining a 9x13 with tinfoil, leaving extra to hang over the edges. Grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows, white chocolate chips, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth, about 8 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

Off heat, stir in rice krispies and cherries or cranberries until incorporated. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and press into bottom and corners with a greased spatula (I just used my fingers since the marshmallows weren't overly hot at this point). Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Melt semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave on low at 30 second intervals until smooth. Pour melted chocolate into a Ziploc baggie, pressing chocolate into one corner of the bag. Using scissors, clip a tiny piece off the corner and drizzle chocolate over cooled treats. Allow chocolate to cool, about 45 minutes. Using foil overhang, lift treats from pan. Cut into squares. Serve.

**If you want an 11x17-inch pan, multiply recipe by 1½. Or only fill the pan 3/4-full.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins With A Sweet Lemon Drizzle

adapted from Picky Palate

*also delicious (quite possibly even better!) with orange instead of lemon.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon poppy seeds
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1½ cup vanilla yogurt
1 Tablespoon lemon zest

Glaze
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and salt and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy (about 2 minutes with an electric mixer). Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the lemon zest.
4. Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat.
5. Use a standard 12-muffin muffin pan, or Texas size muffin tin. Coat each muffin cup lightly with olive oil, grapeseed oil, or a little melted butter using a pastry brush. Distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long skewer to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set muffin pan on wire rack to cool. After 5 minutes, remove muffins from pan.
6. While the muffins are cooling, in a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice for the glaze. Add more lemon juice if necessary. While the muffins are still a bit warm, use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over each muffin. The muffins will absorb some of the glaze, so you add more glaze to each muffin if you like.

Makes 12 muffins. Best eaten fresh and warm.

Chicken with Green Curry Sauce

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into ½-inch strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup couscous, cooked according to package directions
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes per side until golden brown. (Or cook it in the crockpot until tender.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, green chilies, curry powder, garam masala, and cumin. Add mixture to chicken and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce reduces slightly. The sauce will be quite runny. To thicken it up a bit, I mixed one teaspoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and added it to the sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Serve chicken and green curry sauce over couscous and garnish with cilantro.

Simple Sprite Cake

1 white cake mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 box instant vanilla pudding (3 oz. size)
8 oz. can of Sprite (the mini one)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
Mix ingredients on low until combined and then increase speed to medium and mix for about 2 minutes.
Pour batter into pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cami's Rolls

Set aside:
1/3 cup warm/hot water
½ teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons yeast

Add to Bosch mixer with dough hook:
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons dough enhancer (if using white flour – for wheat flour add 4 Tbsp)
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Add the activated yeast mixture.

Add Milk:
If using powdered milk:
Add 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp powdered milk to small saucepan and add 2 cups water
Heat to “warm” stage

If using regular milk:
Add 2¼ cups warm milk

Mix together on setting 1 until well mixed. Add ¼ cup flour at a time until sides of bowl are “cleaned”.

Turn on setting 2 for 10 minutes

Turn out onto counter and cover with towel for 10 minutes

Pinch off chunks of dough – bigger than a golfball – shape into balls and place on pam sprayed cookie sheet.

Let rise 1-3 hours depending on the warmth of your home, or until almost doubled.

Bake at 375ºF for 11-12 minutes and brush with melted butter or coconut oil.

Overnight Apple French Toast

adapted from Three Sisters' Cafe

1½ cups brown sugar
½ cup butter
2 Tablespoons white corn syrup
3-4 large apples, peeled, seeded, and sliced
6 eggs
1 cup milk
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 nutmeg
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1 loaf of French bread, sliced thick
more cinnamon and nutmeg for dusting

Melt butter in saucepan and add brown sugar and corn syrup. Heat for 5 minutes, allowing it to boil. Remove from heat and pour into a 9x13 glass pan. Place apples over the caramel in the pan. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dip the bread into the mixture, coating liberally. Place bread over apples in the pan (you won't need all the bread, just enough to fill the pan). Sprinkle very generously with cinnamon and a bit more nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate overnight so that all the flavors can penetrate. In the morning, heat the oven to 350°F and cook for 45 minutes.

Candy Cane Cookies

from Sandra Lee

1 Sugar Cookie Mix (Betty Crocker)
½ Stick butter (melt for 20 sec. in microwave)
1 egg
1/3 cup soft cream cheese
½ cup flour
Red Food Coloring
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Combine first 5 ingredients in large mixing bowl until well blended. Split dough in half and place in separate bowls. Add almost a whole container of red food coloring to one half of dough and mix very well so the dye is spread throughout. Add the peppermint extract to the other half of the dough and mix well. For each cookie you will need about a 1-inch ball of peppermint dough and a 1-inch ball of red dough rolled into ¼-inch wide ropes about 4 inches long. Twist together and shape into a candy cane. Bake at 325ºF for 12 minutes.

Orange Chicken

adapted from Blog Chef

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 2" cubes
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons oil or butter

1½ cups water
¼ cup plus 3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2½ Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoon orange zest
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons green onion
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup water

Heat oven to 350ºF. In a shallow dish combine the flour, garlic powder and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.

Pour oil (or melted butter) in a shallow baking dish large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350ºF.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce and orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger and garlic and let it come to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water, let it dissolve and add it to the sauce, stirring until thickened.

After chicken has baked for30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour half of the sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes, basting frequently.

Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce on the side.

Easiest Brownies in the World

1 12-ounce bag chocolate chips (whatever kind you prefer)
1 cup butter
1½ cups sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
1½ cups flour

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when chips are fully melted. In the same pot, blend in the sugar. Then add the eggs, blending fully one at a time. Add flour and beat until air bubbles form in the batter. Pour into a greased 9 X 13-inch pan (this recipe works great doubled and poured into a large 11 X 17-inch rimmed baking sheet). Bake for 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 325ºF and bake for 10 more minutes.

Bourbon Chicken

adapted from Blog Chef


2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 Tablespoons oil, for frying
cornstarch, for dusting

Sauce:
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoon ketchup
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok or pan and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve over rice.

The Best Brownies

12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon table salt
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray an 8" square metal or stoneware pan with Pam. Set aside. (Glass pans are not ideal here. Glass will cause the brownies to bake slower and don't conduct heat evenly.)

Melt the butter in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl for about 1 minute, until completely warm but not boiling). Whisk in the cocoa immediately until the cocoa has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Melting the cocoa makes sure that the full flavor is brought out.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar until evenly combined, then completely stir in the eggs and vanilla. Set a small sieve over the top of the mixing bowl and add the flour and salt to the sieve and sift in. Completely stir in the flour until there are no white bits left. Stir in chocolate chunks. Use a rubber or silicone spatula and spread the batter evenly (it will be very thick) into the prepared pan.

Bake 32-37 minutes. Brownies are done when they have pulled away from the sides and, more importantly, when they feel slightly firm and crusty when pressed gently in the center. A toothpick in the center will still have crumbs, but a toothpick inserted one inch from the edge should come out clean. And the best sign of all that they're done: you can smell them throughout the house. The smell of baked food is at its peak just as it is finally done, and two minutes before it's overcooked. Remove to a cooling rack to cool, and cool completely before cutting. For the cleanest edges, chill the brownies completely in the refrigerator or for a short while in the freezer before cutting.


*Note: this recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9"x13" pan. The baking time will probably increase a bit, so note the instructions on how to tell when they're done. Can also quadruple the recipe, with no chocolate chunks, and bake in a half sheet pan (17.5" x 12.5"). Bake at 325ºF for 55 minutes.

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad

1 package Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
½ cup oil
½ cup vinegar

2-3 cooked, shredded chicken breast halves
3/4 box garden rotini
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
2 or 3 tomatoes, chopped
Frozen corn
½ cup salsa

Mix dressing mix, oil, and vinegar in small bowl and set aside. Combine chicken, cooked pasta, beans, olives, and tomatoes in large bowl. Add dressing, frozen corn and salsa about 20 minutes before serving. Toss just before serving.

Southwestern Chicken

1 small bag frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16-oz jar medium salsa
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
chopped cilantro
diced avocado

Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crockpot. Place frozen chicken breasts on top of corn and cover black beans and jar of medium salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

1 lb chicken
1-2 Tablespoons butter
2 handfuls baby carrots, sliced
4-5 potatoes, diced small
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
¼ cup flour
8 oz cream cheese

1. Cook chicken in crockpot until tender. Shred.
2. Put carrots and potatoes in large pot. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender.
3. Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Soften cream cheese in microwave then add to soup in little pieces and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Mike’s Baked Potato Soup

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
12 slices bacon – cooked and crumbled
1¼ cup cheddar cheese – shredded and divided
8 ounces sour cream

Wash, dry and prick potatoes with fork. Bake in 400º oven for 1 hour or until done (or in pressure cooker for half an hour). Let cool. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp; set aside. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, bacon (reserve a few tablespoons) and 1 cup of cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream. Add extra milk if necessary for desired consistency. Sprinkle top with remaining green onions, bacon, and cheese.
If you want to make it lighter, cut the butter in half. Salt & pepper to taste.

Ham & Fettuccine

½ pound mushrooms
¼ cup butter
½ pound cooked ham, julienned
1 pound zucchini, julienne
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup butter, cut into bits
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (12-ounce) box fettuccine
½ cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese


Sauté mushrooms in ¼ cup butter over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add ham, zucchini, cream, ½ cup butter, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Cook fettuccine until al dente; drain. Add to ham-vegetable mixture, combining well. Serve on heated platter, garnished with parsley, and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

SERVES: 6

Fluffy Pumpkin Cookies

cookie:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg

frosting:
¼ cup butter
1 box powder sugar
1 package cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
a little bit of milk


Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, baking soda and cinnamon
add pumpkin, butter and egg. Beat until smooth. Bake at 325ºF for about 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake.

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.

Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour ½ cup buttermilk.

Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.

Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus ½ cup powdered sugar

Stir together.

Pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you've just made the Best. Chocolate. Sheet. Cake. Ever.

Banana Spice Muffins

adapted from Picky Palate

Spice Cake Mix, 18.25 oz size
6 ounces vanilla yogurt
2 eggs
2 medium overly ripe bananas, mashed with fork
¾ Cup water
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar for garnish if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, yogurt, eggs, bananas and water until well combined. Spoon batter into 24 traditional size muffin cups that have been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 20-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of muffin.
2. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Garnish with powdered sugar if desired.
24 muffins

Hash Brown Bake

1 large bag frozen hash browns (approx 2 lbs)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2½ cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 8-oz carton of sour cream
2 cups diced ham

Mix all ingredients together, reserving 1 cup of cheese to the side. Pour into greased 13x9 inch casserole dish; cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 90 minutes. Serves 12.

You can also divide this into two smaller pans and freeze one after wrapping it tightly. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bake as directed.

Ranchero Mexi-Chicken Crostada

adapted from Picky Palate

1 roll Pillsbury Pie crust, thawed
1 ½ Cups cooked shredded chicken
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 small can dice green chilies
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Teaspoon Ranch dressing seasoning, from packet that makes the dip
1 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of salt and pepper
½ Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon Lawry’s garlic salt with parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Unroll pie crust and place onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
2. Place chicken, tomatoes, chilies, black beans, ranch seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper into a large bowl. With a fork, stir and cut up chicken pieces until well combined. Pour chicken mixture into the center of pie crust and top with cheddar cheese, leaving about 1 ½ inch border around edges. Fold crust up over chicken forming little pleats every 2 inches or so pressing gently. Brush edges with olive oil and sprinkle crust with garlic salt.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown on edges. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into wedges to serve.

4 Servings

Jell-o And Mandarin Orange Fluff

1 can Mandarin oranges
1 Small Carton cottage cheese
1 Small Carton Cool Whip
1 package orange Jell-O

Drain oranges; mix Cool Whip and cottage cheese. Sprinkle orange Jell-O over top. Mix well. Fold in oranges. Chill.

Flaky Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Cups

adapted from Picky Palate

3 Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough, thawed
¼ cup olive oil, for brushing
½ teaspoon garlic salt, Lawry’s
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup diced white onion
½ cup diced red bell pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
26 oz favorite pasta sauce, homemade or store bought
1 lb spaghetti noodles
½ Cup Parmesan cheese
fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Roll out pie dough rounds to an even thinness. Using a 3 inch wide bowl or cup, press 12 round circles of dough. You may need to roll out remaining dough to make more circles. Lightly brush each side of the dough rounds with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Press gently into the bottom and sides of 12 muffin tins, that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack.
2. Place oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, sauté onion and bell pepper until slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in beef, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Cook until browned and crumbled. Stir in pasta sauce and reduce heat to low to simmer.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. To assemble, using tongs, place a small amount of noodles into the bottom of the crusts. Top with a heaping spoonful of pasta sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese and basil leaves if desired.
Makes 12 spaghetti cups, you’ll have more spaghetti left over

Creamy Chicken and Cranberry-Pecan Wild Rice

½ teaspoon each dried thyme leaves and black pepper
6 small chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp. oil
½ cup dried cranberries
1 package (6 oz.) long grain & wild rice side dish, prepared as directed on package
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed

Directions:
MIX thyme and pepper; sprinkle over chicken. Place chicken in crockpot and cook until it falls apart easily (4-5 hours on High or 8-10 hours on Low).

STIR cranberries into cooked rice; spoon onto serving platter. Remove chicken from crockpot, reserving drippings. Place chicken over rice mixture; cover to keep warm.

POUR broth into large skillet; add some drippings from crockpot if desired. Add cream cheese; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until cream cheese is melted and sauce starts to thicken, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Spoon some of sauce over chicken; serve remaining sauce on the side.

Puffy Banana Peanut Butter Cup Sweet Grilled Sandwich

adapted from Picky Palate

2 slices bread
¼ Cup creamy peanut butter
½ banana, cut into thin slices
10-12 mini marshmallows
1 Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, normal size
2 Tablespoons soft butter
Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

1. Spread peanut butter onto both sides of bread. Lay banana slices over one piece of bread and marshmallows over the other piece, pressing down gently. Break apart the Peanut Butter cup and evenly place in between marshmallows. Carefully lay the bread with banana over the marshmallow side and press gently. Spread butter onto both sides of bread and cook both sides in a medium skillet over medium low heat until golden brown and marshmallows are warm and slightly melted.
2. Let cool for 5-7 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle both sides with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Garlic Toasted Open Faced Lasagna Ciabattas

adapted from Picky Palate

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used Classico)
8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
15 oz container ricotta cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
8 ciabatta rolls
fresh mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Cook beef until browned, about 5-7 minutes; reserve ¼ Cup for ricotta. Reduce heat to low and stir in pasta sauce and basil leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Place reserved ¼ Cup beef, ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning into a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
3. Split each ciabatta roll and place cut side up onto a large baking sheet. Spread ricotta mixture over each roll, about ¼ Cup (you probably won't use all of ricotta.). Top with a couple spoonfuls of pasta sauce, and fresh mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Remove, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Brown & Wild Rice Italian Chicken Salad

adapted from Picky Palate

2 cups uncooked brown rice
8 ounces cooked wild rice (buy pre-cooked at Trader Joe’s)
1½ cups cooked shredded chicken breasts
3½ ounces feta cheese
10 ounces grape tomatoes, quartered
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
½ cup Italian dressing
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Fresh baby spinach leaves

Cook brown rice according to package directions (use rice cooker, if available – much quicker). Let cool or refrigerate. Once cool, place all ingredients except spinach into a large bowl. Lightly toss to coat. Season with salt/pepper to taste. Serve over a bed of fresh baby spinach leaves. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.

Sweet Pork Salad with Cilantro Dressing

2-4 lb pork roast
1½ Cups Coca Cola
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Seasoning Salt

Sauce:
1 cup Coca Cola
1 cup ketchup

Dressing:
1 jar Herdez Salsa Verde (mild tomatillo salsa)
Equal amount of prepared ranch dressing
1 bunch Cilantro (optional)

10 inch wheat or flour tortillas
Shredded green leaf lettuce
Black beans, I just used canned
Cilantro lime rice (steamed rice with chopped cilantro leaves and fresh lime juice, as much as desired)
Diced tomatoes, cheese, guacamole….etc
Crispy Tortilla Strips (flour tortillas cut into thin strips and fried in vegetable oil until browned)

1. Place roast in crockpot with Coke; season with salt, pepper and garlic seasoning. Cook on low overnight, until tender. Remove roast from crockpot, discard juices. Shred pork into bite size pieces and place back into pot on low.
2. Place cola and ketchup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Heat to a low boil. Pour over shredded roast. Cook on low until ready to serve.
3. For dressing, place equal parts salsa verde and ranch dressing into food processor or blender. Add Cilantro leaves and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve: Place tortilla onto a large bowl or plate. Layer with lettuce, beans, rice, pork, dressing and tomatoes, cheese and guacamole, etc.

Two Balsamic Chicken Recipes

both from Picky Palate

Garlic Toasted Balsamic Chicken Bruschetta Sandwich

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts from above recipe
Pinch of salt
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled and thinly sliced into chiffonade
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
8 thin slices fresh mozzarella
4 ciabatta rolls, or other rolls of choice

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Spray with cooking spray. Combine balsamic and olive oil in a bowl. Season both sides of chicken with pinches of salt and place on grill. Brush top sides of chicken with balsamic mixture. Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip chicken. Brush with additional balsamic and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
2. In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, basil garlic, salt and balsamic. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.
3. Preheat same grill pan over medium heat and spray with additional cooking spray. Place 2 slices of cheese on bottom rolls then layer with chicken breasts, spoonfuls of tomato mixture and 2 more slices of cheese. Place top rolls to close sandwich and grill both sides on hot grill pan until toasty and warm. Serve warm.


Balsamic Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
Pinch of salt
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled and thinly sliced into chiffonade
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Spray with cooking spray. Combine balsamic and olive oil in a bowl. Season both sides of chicken with pinches of salt and place on grill. Brush top sides of chicken with balsamic mixture. Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip chicken. Brush with additional balsamic and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. During the last 2 minutes of grilling place 2 slices of cheese over top each chicken to melt.
2. In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, basil garlic, salt and balsamic. Toss gently to combine. Place chicken breasts on a serving plate and top with tomato mixture. Serve warm.

*Ith is helpful to pound the chicken to an even thickness before grilling it. The chicken will cook evenly and faster.

Oreo-Chunk Brownies

adapted from Recipe Girl

4 sticks unsalted butter
1 lb semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 Tablespoons cocoa
7 large eggs
2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2¼ cups granulated sugar
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups broken Oreos (about 40 cookies)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 12x18x1-inch pan (Texas sheet cake size). Line with foil or parchment that hangs over the sides for ease in getting them out (butter the foil/parchment).
2. In a heatproof, medium-bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, heat butter and chocolates until melted and smooth; cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cocoa, vanilla and sugar. Stir the egg mixture into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Cool to room temperature.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to batter. In a small bowl, stir Oreos and remaining ¼ cup flour. Stir cookies into chocolate mixture. Then pour into prepared baking pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula.
5. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached; do not overbake! Let cool completely, then cover tightly and chill overnight. Chilled brownies are easier to cut. Dump the chilled brownie pan onto a large cutting board, peel off the foil and cut into squares.